Thursday 15th January 2015

[Tubby Isaacs]

Same with education. You have to lie to make out Labour academies (which I've never supported) were like Gove ones. Biggest problem I saw with the old ones were that they got far too much money, because ministers were personally associated with them.

Well...there is another point to be made about the pre-2010 academies and that is that sponsors actually had to stump up their own cash to run a school like sponsors are supposed to do.

But that all changed (it's in Adonis' book but I can't recall whether it was pre or post-election) and no cash goes in from 'sponsors' - all they are now are managers - we've swapped one set of accountable bureaucrats for another set of unaccountable ones. But then you knew that already.

What's your view of Adonis, don't think I've ever asked? I don't like him much on Education. Seems to appear when something nice is said about academies and their wonderful results, then disappear when people talk about "soft subjects"- I think equivalents were overused and overvalued. Someone like Ed Balls gets stuck with the "dumbed it down" tag.

There were a few stunts pulled with the sponsorship money even in early days. A willingness to accept payment in kind. Francis Beckett is good on it.

[ErnstRemarx]

Now I've had time to read the article (and comments) at Conservative Home, and I'm heartened to see mutiny in the ranks regarding CCHQ. The dispirited and declining membership numbers were particularly pleasing to read about, as it confirms exactly what I've suspected for a while - the Tories are falling below the critical level needed in constituencies, and that heavily affects local campaigning. Without that, you end up relying on your 'core' voters, as you won't have the numbers to canvass with.

The sheer age of many Tories I've seen delivering reflects a demographic disaster for them; very old people, who probably hold strongly Tory/right wing views but don't have the stamina to campaign. I'd bet the grassroots party are even further right than the Tories in parliament, which is a frightening thought. At least if they're all voting now with feet (or their comfy armchairs) that's more happy news.

[RogerOThornhill]

Same with education. You have to lie to make out Labour academies (which I've never supported) were like Gove ones. Biggest problem I saw with the old ones were that they got far too much money, because ministers were personally associated with them.

Well...there is another point to be made about the pre-2010 academies and that is that sponsors actually had to stump up their own cash to run a school like sponsors are supposed to do.

But that all changed (it's in Adonis' book but I can't recall whether it was pre or post-election) and no cash goes in from 'sponsors' - all they are now are managers - we've swapped one set of accountable bureaucrats for another set of unaccountable ones. But then you knew that already.

What's your view of Adonis, don't think I've ever asked? I don't like him much on Education. Seems to appear when something nice is said about academies and their wonderful results, then disappear when people talk about "soft subjects"- I think equivalents were overused and overvalued. Someone like Ed Balls gets stuck with the "dumbed it down" tag.

There were a few stunts pulled with the sponsorship money even in early days. A willingness to accept payment in kind. Francis Beckett is good on it.

Not sure I trust him. I keep meaning to buy his book and have a read of what he thinks went well and what not so well. I know he was at one time dismissive of Gove converting so many academies that didn't need any assistance.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Probably assumes 40 SNP seats, which means Lab/Lib/SNP is what you end up with. Interesting government but actually reasonably coherent. I think Clegg will be gone and you may see a LD split.

I actually think the SNP will fall back a bit on those figures. I seriously doubt UKIP will better 4 seats, AK underestimates how punitive FPTP is to smaller parties. Lib Dems will probably be a few seats down on that.

Incidentally once Cameron goes I think the Tory Party will be stuck in a vicious knife fight for his successor.

I thought if there were no overall majority Cameron gets first dibs at trying to form another coalition government? Am I wrong?

It's my understanding you're correct. Even if the Conservatives have less seats. As a purely hypothetical scenario, I'd be interested to see what happened with

Lab 300
Con 280
Lib 20

Lab SNP if the SNP have enough seats. Otherwise they need the lib Dems

[StephenDolan]

I thought if there were no overall majority Cameron gets first dibs at trying to form another coalition government? Am I wrong?

It's my understanding you're correct. Even if the Conservatives have less seats. As a purely hypothetical scenario, I'd be interested to see what happened with

Lab 300
Con 280
Lib 20

Lab SNP if the SNP have enough seats. Otherwise they need the lib Dems

I wondered if Cameron and Clegg would cobble together a coalition able to pass a budget.

[mikems]

I may be a bit simple, but if I have something precious that other people who have shown themselves to be consistent and unyielding enemies over many years, want to get hold of to ruin and destroy, I would not set about ceding any ground to them at all.

In allowing internal markets, market-facing strategies, destruction of democratic oversight of health, disarticulating the service by creating foundation hospitals, burdening them with PFI and hiving off parts of the service to profit seekers at guaranteed prices above that paid to the NHS, New Labour showed that they would not defend or support the founding principles of the NHS.

They ceded ground with a flourish of disdain to those of us who will continue to support and defend the founding principles of the NHS.

That's what happened, and now some of the individuals involved profited from their decisions as ministers by getting jobs with private health companies after government.

[mikems]

Business led polyclinics in every town - Adonis.

[Toby Latimer]

This chicken has been hiding behind the Greens for so long that he's changed colour !

I will call him Dave.

Lol.

Green Chicken.jpg (132.47 KiB) Viewed 10294 times

[Toby Latimer]

Of course if it is a he then it would be a cock

david-cameron-cock3.jpg (18.35 KiB) Viewed 10291 times

[TechnicalEphemera]

I may be a bit simple, but if I have something precious that other people who have shown themselves to be consistent and unyielding enemies over many years, want to get hold of to ruin and destroy, I would not set about ceding any ground to them at all.

In allowing internal markets, market-facing strategies, destruction of democratic oversight of health, disarticulating the service by creating foundation hospitals, burdening them with PFI and hiving off parts of the service to profit seekers at guaranteed prices above that paid to the NHS, New Labour showed that they would not defend or support the founding principles of the NHS.

They ceded ground with a flourish of disdain to those of us who will continue to support and defend the founding principles of the NHS.

That's what happened, and now some of the individuals involved profited from their decisions as ministers by getting jobs with private health companies after government.

It really wasn't that simple. Many of the original changes happened under Thatcher and Major. The use of PFI was driven by a fundamental need to invest massively in the NHS without hammering the UK balance sheet and in many cases the use of private companies as an adjunct to the service so as to scale out at key choke points was the correct thing to do.

[rebeccariots2]

War on Want ‏@WarOnWant 5h5 hours ago
Extraordinary attack on @38_degrees by Michael Gove MP prior to this afternoon's #TTIP debate. Leaked docs here: http://www.waronwant.org/news/press-rel ... ce-on-ttip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

[mikems]

Yes, I know that's what they said, it's just that I disagree, then and now.

They accepted tory policies, won power and apart from the brief period when Dobson was in charge, they continued with centre-right policies all the way.

And look how far we are now from how things should be....It's a long fight now just to regain what was so carelessly thrown away.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I may be a bit simple, but if I have something precious that other people who have shown themselves to be consistent and unyielding enemies over many years, want to get hold of to ruin and destroy, I would not set about ceding any ground to them at all.

In allowing internal markets, market-facing strategies, destruction of democratic oversight of health, disarticulating the service by creating foundation hospitals, burdening them with PFI and hiving off parts of the service to profit seekers at guaranteed prices above that paid to the NHS, New Labour showed that they would not defend or support the founding principles of the NHS.

They ceded ground with a flourish of disdain to those of us who will continue to support and defend the founding principles of the NHS.

That's what happened, and now some of the individuals involved profited from their decisions as ministers by getting jobs with private health companies after government.

There were some bad health secretaries. But just as with Education, the person in the job had Blair looking over their shoulder all the time, Brown did that with health. Foundation Hospitals were supposed to be more autonomous than they ended up.

I find it hard to see what's all that offensive in how they turned out. In other areas, like schools, devolution down to that level isn't seen as a bad thing.

Who got stuff for higher prices than the NHS? That would be very bad indeed- are you sure there weren't capacity problems too?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yes, I know that's what they said, it's just that I disagree, then and now.

They accepted tory policies, won power and apart from the brief period when Dobson was in charge, they continued with centre-right policies all the way.

And look how far we are now from how things should be....It's a long fight now just to regain what was so carelessly thrown away.

The internal market has been abolished in Scotland since 2004 (by Labour and Lib Dems, incredible to recall). Doesn't yet seem to have brought miraculous improvements.

[rebeccariots2]

I missed this ... apologies if it has already been posted.

An anti-feminism party called Justice for Men and Boys (And the Women Who Love Them) is standing for parliament in May’s general election.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/an-an ... l-election

The party was founded by retired businessman Mike Buchanan, who told BuzzFeed News it’s his party’s ultimate aim to “make feminism a dirty word”.
Buchanan used to work as a business consultant for the Conservative party, but quit in 2009 when David Cameron backed all-women parliamentary candidate shortlists. He has since dedicated his life to anti-feminism, writing three books, Feminism: The Ugly Truth, The Glass Ceiling Delusion, and David Cameron – The Heir to Harman?
“Feminism is a hatred, and it should be a badge of shame,” he said. “To call yourself a feminist should be no more acceptable than calling yourself a bigot or a sexist or a fascist. It is a deeply vile, corrupting ideology and the idea it’s a benign movement about gender equality is dangerous nonsense.”
The party’s website is home to articles such as “13 Reasons Women Lie About Being Raped”, “10 Reasons False Rape Allegations Are Common”, and “Feminists – Enemies of Men, Women, and Children”.
The party has also produced a detailed 80-page manifesto for the general election which includes policies on halving the length of time after conception a woman can legally get an abortion, creating all-boys schools with all-male teaching staff, and the introduction of a government minister for “men and equalities”.

Sounds absolutely delightful doesn't it. Yet another ex Conservative for whom that party obviously wasn't nasty enough - now bringing us the extra strong toxicity they crave. Those right wingers really are spoiled for choice this time around, eh.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Yes, I know that's what they said, it's just that I disagree, then and now.

They accepted tory policies, won power and apart from the brief period when Dobson was in charge, they continued with centre-right policies all the way.

And look how far we are now from how things should be....It's a long fight now just to regain what was so carelessly thrown away.

Sorry but that is mostly incorrect.

When Labour left power in 2010 the NHS was the best it had ever been.

Record patient satisfaction and cancer survival rates making impressive steps forwards.

Lansley broke it.

[yahyah]

Am feeling a little down and tetchy so please excuse me for saying so, but the Green 'surge' seems suspiciously like the Clegg/Lib Dem madness [which I, to my eternal shame, nearly fell for] in 2010.

[ohsocynical]

Another one for Roger and Tubby.

Reading has two grammar schools. Both very successful...The snag is richer parents pay for extra tuition to get their kids accepted. The dissatisfaction has been rumbling for a long time.

My sister's son went to Reading Grammar. He was so bright he didn't need extra tuition, so some poorer children do get through. But not very many.

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... dmissions/

[TechnicalEphemera]

I missed this ... apologies if it has already been posted.

An anti-feminism party called Justice for Men and Boys (And the Women Who Love Them) is standing for parliament in May’s general election.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/an-an ... l-election

The party was founded by retired businessman Mike Buchanan, who told BuzzFeed News it’s his party’s ultimate aim to “make feminism a dirty word”.
Buchanan used to work as a business consultant for the Conservative party, but quit in 2009 when David Cameron backed all-women parliamentary candidate shortlists. He has since dedicated his life to anti-feminism, writing three books, Feminism: The Ugly Truth, The Glass Ceiling Delusion, and David Cameron – The Heir to Harman?
“Feminism is a hatred, and it should be a badge of shame,” he said. “To call yourself a feminist should be no more acceptable than calling yourself a bigot or a sexist or a fascist. It is a deeply vile, corrupting ideology and the idea it’s a benign movement about gender equality is dangerous nonsense.”
The party’s website is home to articles such as “13 Reasons Women Lie About Being Raped”, “10 Reasons False Rape Allegations Are Common”, and “Feminists – Enemies of Men, Women, and Children”.
The party has also produced a detailed 80-page manifesto for the general election which includes policies on halving the length of time after conception a woman can legally get an abortion, creating all-boys schools with all-male teaching staff, and the introduction of a government minister for “men and equalities”.

Sounds absolutely delightful doesn't it. Yet another ex Conservative for whom that party obviously wasn't nasty enough - now bringing us the extra strong toxicity they crave. Those right wingers really are spoiled for choice this time around, eh.

Bunch of total tossers. The website should be enough to get these utter pieces of shit banned.

Presumably he has a chip on his shoulder the size of Everest. Probably comes from being a deeply inadequate human being that any sensible woman would run a mile to avoid.

[citizenJA]

Ed Balls has stepped in before David Cameron’s meeting with Barack Obama to say that many Americans are perplexed that the prime minister is ushering the UK towards the exit door of Europe.

Labour’s finance spokesman was in Washington on Thursday, shortly before Cameron was due to arrive at the White House, to launch a long-planned report on inclusive prosperity with the former US treasury secretary, Larry Summers. In particular, the Balls-Summers report challenges claims that a new economy in either the US or the UK built on greater income inequality and job insecurity is acceptable.

The report with Summers looks at the causes of the world economic phenomenon of too little growth and rising inequality which has hit many developed economies in recent years. ‎

It argues that although globalisation and rapid technological change have brought many benefits it has also created “an increasingly short-term outlook across our economies, and without new policies up to the task, working people – especially those on low and middle incomes – are losing out. The fact is the delayed return to growth in the UK – after the recovery was choked off in 2010 – has not been accompanied by the sustained rise in living standards for most people which the Conservatives promised.”

Balls and Summers argue that the American economy is on a similar path of stagnating wages and high employment growth. They argue developed countries cannot succeed through a race to the bottom in which companies simply compete on costs as working people see their job security eroded and their living standards stagnate or decline.

The report argues: “Globalisation and technology have made these countries more productive but have also introduced competition from low-wage countries. These changes are also creating downward pressure on wages that is increasingly moving up the income scale in developed countries. In many countries, the changing relationship between employers and employees has also reduced the voice of workers – whether in the form of zero-hours contracts in the United Kingdom or the decline of labour unions in the United States.”

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

[TechnicalEphemera]

Am feeling a little down and tetchy so please excuse me for saying so, but the Green 'surge' seems suspiciously like the Clegg/Lib Dem madness [which I, to my eternal shame, nearly fell for] in 2010.

What Green surge?

They have become the repository for the non racist none of the above voters who used to vote lib dem and probably a few TUSC voters who have finally realised that polling 0.5% is uncool.

There has also always been a committed core of environmentalists that forms a reasonably solid base.

[rebeccariots2]

Am feeling a little down and tetchy so please excuse me for saying so, but the Green 'surge' seems suspiciously like the Clegg/Lib Dem madness [which I, to my eternal shame, nearly fell for] in 2010.

Here you go yahyah ... some relevant tweeting by Crick. Can understand you being down ... it's all very wearing this political stuff - with no good weather to escape into.

Michael Crick ‏@MichaelLCrick 2h2 hours ago
This story about a new person joining the Green Party every 10 seconds must be total rubbish. That's 8640 a day.

stephen gray ‏@stephengray54 2h2 hours ago
@MichaelLCrick ANOTHER CASE OF NOT LISTENING TO WHAT HAD BEEN SAID,ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

Michael Crick
‏@MichaelLCrick
@stephengray54 So the sort of misleading, selective stats we get from all political parties. And there I was thinking Greens were different

[ohsocynical]

I may be a bit simple, but if I have something precious that other people who have shown themselves to be consistent and unyielding enemies over many years, want to get hold of to ruin and destroy, I would not set about ceding any ground to them at all.

In allowing internal markets, market-facing strategies, destruction of democratic oversight of health, disarticulating the service by creating foundation hospitals, burdening them with PFI and hiving off parts of the service to profit seekers at guaranteed prices above that paid to the NHS, New Labour showed that they would not defend or support the founding principles of the NHS.

They ceded ground with a flourish of disdain to those of us who will continue to support and defend the founding principles of the NHS.

That's what happened, and now some of the individuals involved profited from their decisions as ministers by getting jobs with private health companies after government.

I was dead happy when Blair got in, but became concerned when he started letting private companies build hospitals then rent/lease them to the NHS. I remember reading and listening to articles warning there's be trouble down 't' road when it came to repayments and that in the long term we'd be paying far more back than would be affordable...[ Sorry can't remember exactly how it went] That's been born out by a couple of hospitals being able to buy themselves out recently, but only a few have the right sort of contracts. The others can do nowt except continue paying through the nose.

[Toby Latimer]

Ed Balls interview from MSNBC this morning [youtube]cVQdKN_GZ2U[/youtube]

[rebeccariots2]

City A.M. ‏@CityAM 13m13 minutes ago
Cheap oil won't help recovery, warns IMF chief Christine Lagarde http://dlvr.it/86jCWf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think Giddy is hoping we are all too stupid to realise that ...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Am feeling a little down and tetchy so please excuse me for saying so, but the Green 'surge' seems suspiciously like the Clegg/Lib Dem madness [which I, to my eternal shame, nearly fell for] in 2010.

Here you go yahyah ... some relevant tweeting by Crick. Can understand you being down ... it's all very wearing this political stuff - with no good weather to escape into.

Michael Crick ‏@MichaelLCrick 2h2 hours ago
This story about a new person joining the Green Party every 10 seconds must be total rubbish. That's 8640 a day.

stephen gray ‏@stephengray54 2h2 hours ago
@MichaelLCrick ANOTHER CASE OF NOT LISTENING TO WHAT HAD BEEN SAID,ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

Michael Crick
‏@MichaelLCrick
@stephengray54 So the sort of misleading, selective stats we get from all political parties. And there I was thinking Greens were different

Crick's wrong.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 79765.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales told London Live today that “there was an hour yesterday when a new person was joining every 10 seconds.”

Fair enough.

[citizenJA]

Ed Balls interview from MSNBC this morning [youtube]cVQdKN_GZ2U[/youtube]

where it's at
yep
good job

[TechnicalEphemera]

Above, I don't think Crick is that wrong. The stat quoted was deliberately meaningless. Designed to mislead and misdirect as well as providing a sound bite.

Bennett was hoping for the media to just quote the headline figure not the context.

[rebeccariots2]

Am feeling a little down and tetchy so please excuse me for saying so, but the Green 'surge' seems suspiciously like the Clegg/Lib Dem madness [which I, to my eternal shame, nearly fell for] in 2010.

Here you go yahyah ... some relevant tweeting by Crick. Can understand you being down ... it's all very wearing this political stuff - with no good weather to escape into.

Michael Crick ‏@MichaelLCrick 2h2 hours ago
This story about a new person joining the Green Party every 10 seconds must be total rubbish. That's 8640 a day.

stephen gray ‏@stephengray54 2h2 hours ago
@MichaelLCrick ANOTHER CASE OF NOT LISTENING TO WHAT HAD BEEN SAID,ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

Michael Crick
‏@MichaelLCrick
@stephengray54 So the sort of misleading, selective stats we get from all political parties. And there I was thinking Greens were different

Crick's wrong.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 79765.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales told London Live today that “there was an hour yesterday when a new person was joining every 10 seconds.”

Fair enough.

Yes, I know. He's a bit of an annoying berk sometimes, isn't he. I wonder if he'll get the leaflet swatting treatment from Natalie next time he interviews her.

[rebeccariots2]

Dan Hodges @DPJHodges · 42m 42 minutes ago
Report the BBC is planning to boost its Ukip coverage. How is that possible without having a Nigel Farage Night?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Above, I don't think Crick is that wrong. The stat quoted was deliberately meaningless. Designed to mislead and misdirect as well as providing a sound bite.

Bennett was hoping for the media to just quote the headline figure not the context.

Not her fault if people misquote though- certainly Crick shouldn't.. It's an anecdote more than a stat.

Rupert Read, who I was rude about before, sportingly says he thinks that it would have been nearer 45 seconds anyway, and let's Crick off.

[rebeccariots2]

Testing ‘better than badger cull’ say scientists
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Tes ... story.html

Frequent testing of cattle is a far more effective way of controlling bovine tuberculosis (TB) than culling badgers, research suggests.

A new computer simulation showed that vigilant cattle testing can eventually eradicate the disease whether or not badgers are culled.

Badger culling alone did not lead to TB eradication, according to the model.

The research also suggested that housing cows in large sheds over winter potentially doubled the number of infected animals in a herd, greatly increasing the risk of bacterial transmission.

Professor Matthew Evans, from Queen Mary, University of London, said: “Of the available bovine tuberculosis control strategies we believe that how frequently cattle are tested and whether or not farms utilise winter housing have the most significant effect on the number of infected cattle.

“TB is a complex disease and modelling it is difficult, but we’ve successfully used our model to replicate real world situations and are confident that it can be used to predict the effects of various changes in the way we tackle the disease.

“Our modelling provides compelling evidence, for those charged with controlling bovine TB, that investment in increasing the frequency of cattle testing is a far more effective strategy than badger culling.”

The simulation showed that in a region containing about 1.5 million cows, including 3,000 – 15,000 that might have TB, badger culling prevented just 12 cases of the disease.

Reducing the length of time between cattle tests by one month cut the number of animals infected by 193...

As is currently being shown by the consistent reduction in Wales from enhanced cattle measures and biosecurity ... and as was the case in the UK during the 50s and 60s when they eradicated bTB.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Rupert's favorited my tweet now.

Seems a nice bloke. Just hope he's had some media training. Good luck to him.

[Willow904]

http://www.newstatesman.com/broadcast/2 ... ng-suicide

I stumbled across this article by accident when looking for something else (I was searching Stacey Dooley and Japan because I remembered her doing a documentary about their economic slump). It's fascinating. I had no idea the Samaritans had guidelines for reporting suicide. All the guidelines are very important I'm sure, the real case example of Bridgend and copy cat suicides made a lot of sense, but I can't help but wonder if the press feel they can't even mention suicide and welfare reforms in the same paragraph without falling foul of the "Avoid simplistic explanations for suicide" guideline.

Still, it's no excuse for the media though really, is it? I mean there's nothing to stop them asking the question "how does someone survive on nothing for three months when sanctioned" over and over again. Seriously, what do DWP thinks will happen when they withdraw every single penny of state support from someone for months at a time? Have they got any kind policy explanation that fills that gap in income that doesn't involve crime or charity?

Anyway, what I really wanted to comment on was how when I watched that documentary a couple of years ago I was appalled at the way homeless people were hidden away out of sight behind little curtains on the streets. Now, however, I'm started to think the Japanese are quite compassionate really, providing their homeless with not just permission to sleep on the streets, but with free tents too! Just contrast with here where the police have been taking blankets and tents away from homeless people and basically saying if they have no place of their own to sleep in, they're not allowed to sleep anywhere. If the UK is going through something similar to Japan, as much as I don't think Japan hasn't responded very well to their extended economic slump, we appear to be responding even worse to our own.

Well said! This is what I was getting at the other day when deflation comparisons were made between Japan & the UK. I've never lived in Japan but have had family who have. It's a different cultural ride entirely. I've read about the tent give-aways in Japan - I didn't mention suicide because I have more questions than I have answers. Deflation, economic hardship, increased Japanese suicide rates, if I'm not mistaken; though I've no idea if those suicide rates have tapered off or what now.

I agree with you, Japan's response to the economic crises isn't optimum. But as you point out, the UK's response to homelessness & economic upheaval is frightening. Squatting in empty homes was made illegal a few years ago - that law hadn't been changed since Elizabethan times - people die outside in the cold.

Hi JA. I was thinking of you when I was looking up the Stacey Dooley thing. I didn't really find what I was looking for so I was just going on memory about the tents. Another thing I remember was young people stuck on zhc in McJobs that didn't pay enough to have a normal life on. A group had got together to rent a house - like 20 or 30 or something. They all came and went, sleeping where there was room. It was very unconventional but meant they could afford to work fewer hours and do more of the things they wanted to do. It was kind of extreme and seemed really wrong that they should have to live like that, but I did admire their determination to have as full as life as possible despite a very harsh economic climate. We only have one life. It's wrong to expect people to wait until "the economy recovers" before they can expect to have a basic life of work, home and family. Japan is a potent warning that, for some at least, the economy may never recover. We need to make sure everyone has a share of whatever wealth or growth there is right now, not keep promising a better tomorrow if people work double shifts for a pittance today.

[citizenJA]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

Thank goodness it wasn't just me

'companies sitting on all that capital are going to have to spend it if they want to operate in our countries'

oh, yeah, colour me encouraged

[Toby Latimer]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

You're welcome, one of the things which struck me too was the way he was given respect. Fox News could learn a thing or two .

[ohsocynical]

Once upon a time - I seem to be saying that a lot recently - the BBC led the world on how it should be done.

[RogerOThornhill]

Might be worth watching...

David Dimbleby chairs the debate from Lincoln, where Conservative Defence Minister Anna Soubry MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander MP, President of the Liberal Democrats Baroness Brinton, journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan and historian David Starkey face topical questions from the audience

Expect Starkey to sound authoritative on every historical point in every single country despite his specialism being the Tudors.

[Spacedone]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

You're welcome, one of the things which struck me too was the way he was given respect. Fox News could learn a thing or two .

It's MSNBC, they're at the liberal end of US politics and have a few presenters (Rachel Maddow, Chris Hays, Steve Kornacki) who are very good. They're more into investigative reporting and stats than sensational hyperbole like Fox.

[citizenJA]

Once upon a time - I seem to be saying that a lot recently - the BBC led the world on how it should be done.

Greatness comes in waves; this country is well-placed at this time to be home to a stable, healthy, prosperous group of society-dwellers. We need to put the Tories out of government, of course. Labour majority.

[martinson]

Good evening.
I found the article by Joe Sacco: On Satire in the Guardian today thought provoking. No easy answers. I'm sorry I've forgotten how to link, if I ever knew!

[citizenJA]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

You're welcome, one of the things which struck me too was the way he was given respect. Fox News could learn a thing or two .

It's MSNBC, they're at the liberal end of US politics and have a few presenters (Rachel Maddow, Chris Hays, Steve Kornacki) who are very good. They're more into investigative reporting and stats than sensational hyperbole like Fox.

The last time I watched a US news broadcast was the year 2010. May. That Dave & the other guy had formed a coalition government because the Tories hadn't a majority. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Care worker, me, in the US boondocks. The UK didn't return a Tory government. Remember that.

True story.

[RogerOThornhill]

Hmm...last Wednesday Nicky Morgan said that she'd have that report about what the DfE knew over 20 years or so about extremism in Birmingham schools by the end of next week. So she has tomorrow to fulfil her promise to Graham Stuart.

Now...either (i) there is nothing apart from that one meeting in 2010 and it's going to drop Gove in it or one of his ministers at the time (who is now our EU Commissioner) or (ii) there's more - including stuff in Balls' time at the DfE - and she's waiting for a good time to release it.

Those can be the only reasons why it's taken so long - it was promised for the end of the summer.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Hmm...last Wednesday Nicky Morgan said that she'd have that report about what the DfE knew over 20 years or so about extremism in Birmingham schools by the end of next week. So she has tomorrow to fulfil her promise to Graham Stuart.

Now...either (i) there is nothing apart from that one meeting in 2010 and it's going to drop Gove in it or one of his ministers at the time (who is now our EU Commissioner) or (ii) there's more - including stuff in Balls' time at the DfE - and she's waiting for a good time to release it.

Those can be the only reasons why it's taken so long - it was promised for the end of the summer.

Balls period would have had most of the schools reporting to the Tory/Lib Dems in Birmingham, wouldn't it?

[rebeccariots2]

West Lancashire Council forced to stop supporting tenants hit by the bedroom tax
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 81170.html

... Other councils have been hit by the same shortfalls, but have dipped into their own coffers to make up the gap. This is the first known example of a council stopping payments to tenants who had already successfully claimed DHP.

West Lancashire Council said that it was required to ensure what funding remained was “targeted to those who require it most”, such as disabled tenants who need financial help to stay in specially-adapted homes designed for their needs...

Not good - not good at all.

[Toby Latimer]

I watch a fair bit of US tv lately, With a bit of nifty downloading, I'm up to speed with the latest episodes of Big Bang Theory & the Seth MacFarlane stuff.

It's a pity that More 4 dropped The Daily Show as that is now no longer available on any terrestrial UK channel, here is Jon Stewart with President Jimmy Carter a couple of nights ago

[youtube]lav_Ee6YIsU[/youtube]

[RogerOThornhill]

UK Education Matters
‏@SchoolDuggery
Looking at latest academies list - did we know WLFS has been chosen as sponsor for Warwick Road Academy?

Jules ‏@Julessn 6h6 hours ago
@SchoolDuggery Yeah, just checked. Was last year http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pressrelease/pre ... px?id=4686" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Indeed it was:

The sponsor for the new Warwick Road academy will be the West London Free School Academy Trust after the Department for Education (DfE) gave the go-ahead for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to work with the education charity. The new school will be called the Kensington Free School Primary.

But it's not on the Free School list of schools opening next year. So where's it gone?

Looking at latest academies list

Ah, there it is...now called Warwick Road Academy.

How can anyone trust data coming from a department where it seems as though it's completely random as to whether it's called a Free School or an Academy?

I wonder how many trusts there are now with schools on both lists?

[ohsocynical]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... raine.html

This is the Daily Mail so I'm always wary...Haven't seen anything about it anywhere else...True, False or scaremongering again?

[refitman]

Thanks for that video Toby.

It is depressing when US news coverage is so much better than the BBC's pathetic efforts. Sensible questions, no stupid interruptions.

Maybe somebody should tweet Marr the link with a snide comment like - This is what happens if you let a Labour politician talk without interruption.

You're welcome, one of the things which struck me too was the way he was given respect. Fox News could learn a thing or two .

I found it interesting that the person who asked about bringing profits back from off shore was Michael Steel, former chairman of the Republican Party. I don't think some of his fellow party members would be too pleased to hear about that happening.