Monday 19th January 2015

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 6:59 am

Morning all.

10 years ago I'd read what was happening in the US and think 'Glad that's not here'. These days the lack of difference is becoming very unsettling.
Gove would be proud http://www.salon.com/2015/01/17/koch_br ... e_control/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 8:29 am

Morning all.

Whilst us plebs are choking on our cornflakes ... the Condems must have laced theirs with hallucinogenics to be able to carry out such warped fantasies ...

Ministry of Justice:Flogging prison expertise to Saudi beheaders and floggers
https://davidhencke.wordpress.com/2015/ ... -floggers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... The man championing this move is none other than Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, well-known for wanting to deny prisoners books and an enthusiastic backer of longer prison sentences and tough prison regimes.

Quietly he has set up a commercial arm of the Ministry of Justice called Just Solutions International. You can download a glossy brochure here.

Mr Grayling is passionate about this. At the launch of the social enterprise he said:

“We are leading the world in our management of offenders and the reforms we are introducing will push us even further ahead of the pack. I’m proud that countries look to us when they want to improve and develop their own systems.”

“This social enterprise will build on our global reputation for innovation while getting best value, as any profits made will be put directly back into improving our own justice system, making it a win-win for hardworking taxpayers.”...

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 8:31 am

Tom Newton Dunn ‏@tnewtondunn 8m8 minutes ago
Grim fact: 3.35 million 20 to 34-yr-olds still living in family home, up 470k since 2010. Huge need for good housing policies in manifestos.

That's Tom Newton Dunn of the Sun.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:00 am

Andy McDonald MP ‏@AndyMcDonaldMP 7m7 minutes ago
Tories abandoning North as @CentreforCities prove 'staggering' inequality of Nth/Sth divide. #cameronmustgo http://d.gu.com/88WgB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:

The alarming figures that reveal nearly one in three Welsh families are surviving on less than the living wage
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ne-8469741
... Nearly a third of households in Wales are being forced to survive without enough money to afford even a basic standard of living, an alarming new report has warned.

The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank found 29.4% of families with children in Wales are struggling to make ends meet - up from less than a fifth barely five years ago.

The troubling rise puts Wales alongside London and the north-east of England as the UK’s most deprived areas for households with children...

And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:10 am

Cardigan Castle ready to reopen its doors to the public after £11m restoration
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ic-8468510

I hope many of you will come and visit us. Interesting article as it gives a snapshot of the town along with the restoration project and what people hope will come from it.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:13 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Cardigan Castle ready to reopen its doors to the public after £11m restoration
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ic-8468510
I hope many of you will come and visit us. Interesting article as it gives a snapshot of the town along with the restoration project and what people hope will come from it.

Thanks RR.
We've been waiting for that news, the opening date had been pushed back and back.
My birthday is Easter weekend so will be there to see the daffodils and restoration.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:17 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Andy McDonald MP ‏@AndyMcDonaldMP 7m7 minutes ago
Tories abandoning North as @CentreforCities prove 'staggering' inequality of Nth/Sth divide. #cameronmustgo http://d.gu.com/88WgB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:

The alarming figures that reveal nearly one in three Welsh families are surviving on less than the living wage
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ne-8469741
... Nearly a third of households in Wales are being forced to survive without enough money to afford even a basic standard of living, an alarming new report has warned.

The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank found 29.4% of families with children in Wales are struggling to make ends meet - up from less than a fifth barely five years ago.

The troubling rise puts Wales alongside London and the north-east of England as the UK’s most deprived areas for households with children...
And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.

Practically every week we read in our local paper about trains being delayed due to an accident on the line. It's a common occurrence.
They don't say someone's 'thrown themselves under' a train, but that's the inference.
It's become a popular method of suicide, because it rarely fails but you don't often read about it. I've wondered whether it's deliberate policy.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:26 am

Diana Johnson ‏@DianaJohnsonMP 15m15 minutes ago
Hulls job growth -7.9% according to Centre for Cities report. #recoveryforafewnotthemany

Stick that in your mental health pipe and smoke it Cleggy.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:28 am

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Andy McDonald MP ‏@AndyMcDonaldMP 7m7 minutes ago
Tories abandoning North as @CentreforCities prove 'staggering' inequality of Nth/Sth divide. #cameronmustgo http://d.gu.com/88WgB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:

The alarming figures that reveal nearly one in three Welsh families are surviving on less than the living wage
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ne-8469741
... Nearly a third of households in Wales are being forced to survive without enough money to afford even a basic standard of living, an alarming new report has warned.

The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank found 29.4% of families with children in Wales are struggling to make ends meet - up from less than a fifth barely five years ago.

The troubling rise puts Wales alongside London and the north-east of England as the UK’s most deprived areas for households with children...
And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.
Practically every week we read in our local paper about trains being delayed due to an accident on the line. It's a common occurrence.
They don't say someone's 'thrown themselves under' a train, but that's the inference.
It's become a popular method of suicide, because it rarely fails but you don't often read about it. I've wondered whether it's deliberate policy.

Morning Ohso - as someone who regularly travels to & from Reading I can vouch for that. Whilst I feel so sorry for the people who feel this desperate, I also feel a lot of sympathy for the poor train drivers

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 9:30 am

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Andy McDonald MP ‏@AndyMcDonaldMP 7m7 minutes ago
Tories abandoning North as @CentreforCities prove 'staggering' inequality of Nth/Sth divide. #cameronmustgo http://d.gu.com/88WgB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:

The alarming figures that reveal nearly one in three Welsh families are surviving on less than the living wage
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ne-8469741
... Nearly a third of households in Wales are being forced to survive without enough money to afford even a basic standard of living, an alarming new report has warned.

The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank found 29.4% of families with children in Wales are struggling to make ends meet - up from less than a fifth barely five years ago.

The troubling rise puts Wales alongside London and the north-east of England as the UK’s most deprived areas for households with children...
And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.
Practically every week we read in our local paper about trains being delayed due to an accident on the line. It's a common occurrence.
They don't say someone's 'thrown themselves under' a train, but that's the inference.
It's become a popular method of suicide, because it rarely fails but you don't often read about it. I've wondered whether it's deliberate policy.

Morning All

I came across this article the other day which mentions guidelines issued by the Samaritans for the media on the reporting of suicide - so it could be deliberate policy, just not in the way you think.
http://www.newstatesman.com/broadcast/2 ... ng-suicide

Having accepted the Samaritans reasoning for many of their guidelines, I have decided to give the media the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their reporting of suicide - however - their lack of reporting of sanctions, the fact this means people have nothing to live on (driving them to crime or charity), the fact this is affecting people who are disabled or very ill or have children - there is no reason for the media not to report these things and not just isolated cases. They could easily expose this government, without even mentioning their actions may have driven some people to suicide, so media silence is inexcusable.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 10:43 am

Morning all.

Another Free School gone into special measures - Durham Free School.

And this after they had a financial notice to improve only last month.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... nt-8361352

The bit in the Ofsted report which caught my eye was this:

The governance of the school:
Recruitment of leaders and teachers has focused too much on candidates’ religious credentials and not enough attention has been given to their talents or track record as a teacher. Consequently, leaders do not always have the skills or experience needed to ensure high student achievement and excellent teaching.

No doubt this will get the same kind of headlines that the Trojan Horse schools have...

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 10:59 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Diana Johnson ‏@DianaJohnsonMP 15m15 minutes ago
Hulls job growth -7.9% according to Centre for Cities report. #recoveryforafewnotthemany
Stick that in your mental health pipe and smoke it Cleggy.

Morning all....and don't worry...Cleggy's going to sort it out (the mental health bit)...why just this morning, on the ultra-balanced 5Live, they announced that they're going to abolish mental health related suicides. Apparently there's this fabulous programme in Detroit (Delaware? In the US, anyway, so of course, it'll be perfect and absolutely infallible) where no-one on the register (that they've compiled from observations in Emergency Rooms and the like and comprising people judged to be at risk of suicide) has committed suicide - and as our Glorious ConDem Neverwrong Government for which we are very grateful (tugs forelock in time-honoured manner) don't count anyone driven to the final act by their own anti-human policies, it'll be a roaring success.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30857546

...and WRT 5Live (and the BBC) and balance....they're really driving the anti-semitism narrative - Various bits of coverage I heard over the weekend included some bits from R4 Week In Politics (I think it's called that - it's late at night anyway)...where several pieces were of politicians as they took part in debates...and 2 or 3 times, Tories referenced the '2000 year-old Judaio-Christian history of Britain'...lo and behold, last night and this morning we have Teresa (I'm not making this up) May recorded telling the Board Of British Deputies that she thought she would never see the day when Jews wouldn't feel safe living in Britain....followed by the Chair/Deputy Chair of the Board explicitly stating that this is a racism problem, not anti-Semitic and other religions are suffering attacks. So Nicky (I'm just so fantastically on message that I'm brilliant) Campbell started his 'phone-in' stating that a leading Rabbi (forget name again

), interviewed on 5Live earlier, had again specifically (and strongly) made the point that this is across religions...so the fantastic Mr Campbell goes on to ask people to phone in if they felt anti-Semitism is on the rise and why would people be like that and are you Jewish and scared to live in Britain....cue the 'my sisters moved to Israel and it's better than Britain/Palestinians should stop complaining as they're given lots of 'rights' and abuse them/I support the right of Israel to defend itself' etc....and then we had the piece about the Government writing to Mosques asking them to highlight where they think Islam fits into 'British Values' - if I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd suspect the crude hand of Crosby

but surely not?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 11:30 am

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Andy McDonald MP ‏@AndyMcDonaldMP 7m7 minutes ago
Tories abandoning North as @CentreforCities prove 'staggering' inequality of Nth/Sth divide. #cameronmustgo http://d.gu.com/88WgB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:

The alarming figures that reveal nearly one in three Welsh families are surviving on less than the living wage
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ne-8469741
... Nearly a third of households in Wales are being forced to survive without enough money to afford even a basic standard of living, an alarming new report has warned.

The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank found 29.4% of families with children in Wales are struggling to make ends meet - up from less than a fifth barely five years ago.

The troubling rise puts Wales alongside London and the north-east of England as the UK’s most deprived areas for households with children...
And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.
Practically every week we read in our local paper about trains being delayed due to an accident on the line. It's a common occurrence.
They don't say someone's 'thrown themselves under' a train, but that's the inference.
It's become a popular method of suicide, because it rarely fails but you don't often read about it. I've wondered whether it's deliberate policy.

I've met many good-natured, professional train drivers in my area. The man has been driving trains in the Midlands & the North for decades. Intelligent, charming fellow. A couple of years ago, he solemnly told us about procedure, protocol when a someone throws themselves into the path of the train. Good-natured man. He'd told us how fortunate he'd been not to have been a driver of a train someone threw themselves into. Statistically speaking, the length of time he'd been driving trains made his record an outlier.

It happened to him recently. He was sitting in his drivers seat just after it happened, following procedure. He tried stopping of course but couldn't. He waited for staff to come. He was to stay in his drivers' seat. He received a text message just then from a family member of mine, of course not knowing what was going on for him at that moment. He was grateful for the contact.

Anyone have the data regarding on the number of suicides using a train? I can't find it on the ONS website.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 11:45 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Morning all.

Another Free School gone into special measures - Durham Free School.

And this after they had a financial notice to improve only last month.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... nt-8361352

The bit in the Ofsted report which caught my eye was this:

The governance of the school:
Recruitment of leaders and teachers has focused too much on candidates’ religious credentials and not enough attention has been given to their talents or track record as a teacher. Consequently, leaders do not always have the skills or experience needed to ensure high student achievement and excellent teaching.
No doubt this will get the same kind of headlines that the Trojan Horse schools have...
There are places in Durham that are actually no-go areas for non-Christians, you know

Presumably that would be the Durham Atheists working persons club?

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:23 pm

Morning all.

@Tizme1

I realise that this is basically a Labour Party supporters forum.

I'm on a Labour Party supporters' forum and FlyTheNest is not it. Even if it were, as you try to accuse it of being, "a Labour Party supporters forum", we all listen to other views and always have. Doesn't mean I have to like them. You write well and are worth reading - and please don't regard that as patronising since it's just a statement of fact.

This is a forum which was set up to accommodate those commenters who were lost to the Guardian when they introduced the effing nesting system. There were many of them who subsequently identified themselves on this forum as voters for the LibDems, Greens, Plaid, etc., I'm not sure, but I think I've only recognised one Tory on here (who tried to sabotage the site IMHO). But on this forum there has been plenty, and it's continuing, criticism of Labour and its decisions.

Tell me please @Tizme1, is there a Green Party Supporters' Forum - which is not the Green Party's web site - as full of respect and toleration for others views as we are here? Just asking - not really interested, of course, as I'm a closed mind bitch who just happened to join the Labour Party after the last cobbled together, bastardised government was formed - although I have always voted Labour (Dad was Tory and Mam was Liberal!) - and won't be visiting it because you and a few others already provide good "Greens" content on here.

and I'm not in a position try to convert some Greens there to Labour.

I feel that I have to add to my post to you ..... no offence intended. I shouldn't really have to, should I?

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:28 pm

Hope you're OK PorFavor.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:29 pm

Above,

To be fair, while this is not a Labour Party supporters forum officially, un-officially it kind of is. Mainly because they are the Stop the Bastards Party.

Tizme is a mostly lone Green voice and it is not surprising we sometimes annoy her. So I frankly kind of accept the point she is making.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:30 pm

Talking of the Council cuts yesterday, here's a brief article on Peterborough.

Uncertain future for Peterborough cultural services as city council seek £25 million in savings

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... -1-6521725

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:35 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:Above,

To be fair, while this is not a Labour Party supporters forum officially, un-officially it kind of is. Mainly because they are the Stop the Bastards Party.

Tizme is a mostly lone Green voice and it is not surprising we sometimes annoy her. So I frankly kind of accept the point she is making.

Fair enough - but I've learned more about the Green Party on this site than I have anywhere else because FTN's Greens have never been shy of representing their views.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:41 pm

And some more news locally ..

Budget 2015/16: No Peterborough libraries to shut

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... -1-6523056

I honestly have no idea yet how "staffless" hours work. Dogsthorpe Library is very small on a part council housing estate. Central is in the Town (with no parking).

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:52 pm

citizenJA wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Some of the findings quoted are eye watering ....

and Wales is no better off under the Tories / Lib Dems either according to another report:
And Cameron and Osborne have the nerve to talk about making the British economy the richest in the west, and full employment pledges ... whilst Clegg bangs on about mental health seemingly oblivious to reports of the massive additional stress so many families, workers, disabled and poor people are under, and the horrific soar in prison suicides and deaths on benefits row.
Practically every week we read in our local paper about trains being delayed due to an accident on the line. It's a common occurrence.
They don't say someone's 'thrown themselves under' a train, but that's the inference.
It's become a popular method of suicide, because it rarely fails but you don't often read about it. I've wondered whether it's deliberate policy.
I've met many good-natured, professional train drivers in my area. The man has been driving trains in the Midlands & the North for decades. Intelligent, charming fellow. A couple of years ago, he solemnly told us about procedure, protocol when a someone throws themselves into the path of the train. Good-natured man. He'd told us how fortunate he'd been not to have been a driver of a train someone threw themselves into. Statistically speaking, the length of time he'd been driving trains made his record an outlier.

It happened to him recently. He was sitting in his drivers seat just after it happened, following procedure. He tried stopping of course but couldn't. He waited for staff to come. He was to stay in his drivers' seat. He received a text message just then from a family member of mine, of course not knowing what was going on for him at that moment. He was grateful for the contact.

Anyone have the data regarding on the number of suicides using a train? I can't find it on the ONS website.

I'm pretty sure the government doesn't like suicide figures being released and stopped a while back.
They always shoot up in recession [they did during Maggie's reign] and I'm pretty sure the last time I read anything about it under the Coalition, the figures were alarming.
As for using a train, I would imagine the number's way up, it's pretty foolproof but quite dreadful for the drivers...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:55 pm

giselle97 wrote:Hope you're OK PorFavor.

I was just thinking the same thing, then read your post. She's been awfully quiet. Has anyone messaged her?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 12:58 pm

@Giselle

This is a forum which was set up to accommodate those commentators who were lost to the Guardian when they introduced the effing nesting system. There were many of them who subsequently identified themselves on this forum as voters for the LibDems, Greens, Plaid, etc.,

You are spot on...We were first and foremost refugees from the Graun. That we happened to be like minded politically was a coincidence. I remember we hoped Laverda might come over, and he was definitely not Labour.

I honestly believe we're an Anti Coalition forum. It's going to be interesting after 2015 if Ed gets in.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:08 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
giselle97 wrote:Hope you're OK PorFavor.
I was just thinking the same thing, then read your post. She's been awfully quiet. Has anyone messaged her?

PorFavor just thanked giselle97's post, so obviously lurking

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:13 pm

Good day All!

I think this Forum has also been pretty critical of the Labour Party on a number of issues I probably don't need to rehearse here.

I believe all here are united in their desire to see the back of the Coalition. However we, thankfully, have a range of views on the best way to achieve that. I too am grateful to Tizme for presenting alternative viewpoint just as I am to all those who like me will probably be voting Labour but probably disagree with me on quite a few things.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:17 pm

I'm not Labour. I like a lot of Green policies. It's more that I viscerally loathe the Tory bastards. Also a former guardianista. I'll probably vote Labour because
a) AFAIK there isn't a green candidate and b) even if there were, only Labour can beat the Tories in my constituency.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:24 pm

Looks like "full Beta" at the Graun is still a bit away - its like the sword of Damocles!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:33 pm

Just watching BBC news. Oil is down 25%.
Eon are giving us back just over 3%.
British Gas have just announced a drop of 5%. But there's a catch - as there always is. Their reduction won't take place until the end of February. Thieving b******s !

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:45 pm

Strength and Honor ‏@Avitusparta 2h2 hours ago
Welcome to tory britain>More than 4,700 people killed themselves in England in 2013, a rise of more than 6% on 2012.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:52 pm

Q: Will you publish your tax return before the election?

Cameron says nothing has changed. He is very relaxed about this.

His only income comes from his generous salary, and rental income from the house he used to live in.

Publish it.

I detect some quibble on "income" here. "Yeah but no but that £500k is a one off item".

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:56 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Q: Will you publish your tax return before the election?

Cameron says nothing has changed. He is very relaxed about this.

His only income comes from his generous salary, and rental income from the house he used to live in.
Publish it.

I detect some quibble on "income" here. "Yeah but no but that £500k is a one off item".

I'm sure it was reported that his father left him something in his will when he died, and that was after Cameron had bought his home. So where did that go ?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 1:58 pm

Oh look.

David Cameron gets £300,000 tax-free from dad's will
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/da ... ree-272322" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:03 pm

Yes, but not this year.

I reckon Sam's probably had some stuff shoved into her name.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:04 pm

Ed, the secret Muslim.

Utter scumbags.

Muslim prayer mats, by the way, look uncannily like rugs.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:11 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 3h 3 hours ago
CON within 1% in today's Populus online poll
CON 35
LAB 36
LD 8
UKIP 13
GRN 4

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:11 pm

The bit about the prayer mat must be the most ludicrous Mail sub-headline ever.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:12 pm

I can't watch or listen to Dermot Murnaghan without harming my health and I'm no fan at all of Chuka Umunna.

MSN headline on my new laptop compelled me to watch this though.

First time I have ever liked Chuka Umunna

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s shadow business secretary, has stormed out of a live television interview after being challenged over his failure to read a letter sent by the Government to Muslim leaders in Britain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... rview.html

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:14 pm

Woman in our local community centre described Ed Miliband as 'slimy' to me this morning. That's a new one ... I wasn't sure what she meant by it so I asked her what made her say that ... and she then said he was a bit 'preppy'. I'm still not sure where she's got that from ... but it's different from 'slimy' in my book. Anyway she's up for a good conversation about it and politics in general ... and isn't intending to be offensive.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:16 pm

OK I'm getting sick to the back teeth of the number of political commentators criticising Oxfam. How dare Oxfam compare how the top are doing compared to the bottom? Just stick to fundraising and treat the effects, do not consider the causes. You are wrong and shouldn't be commenting on something deemed political in the first place.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:17 pm

yahyah wrote:The bit about the prayer mat must be the most ludicrous Mail sub-headline ever.

I've got one - my sister brought it back from Morrocco for me. We use it as a seat cover ... it's a bit like a cassock cover, without the cassock in it. Beautiful colours and pattern.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:24 pm

Mark Ferguson @Markfergusonuk · 11m 11 minutes ago
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS LETTER THAT HAS ONLY JUST COME OUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR JOB? http://labli.st/1GjjNlC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mark Ferguson @Markfergusonuk · 14m 14 minutes ago
Umunna could have laughed it off, but why on earth was Murnaghan doing his Chris Morris impression here? http://labli.st/1GjjNlC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mark Ferguson @Markfergusonuk · 15m 15 minutes ago
I’m sure Chuka could have handled this better, but Murnaghan’s overly aggressive hectoring is completely ludicrous http://labli.st/1GjjNlC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **refitman** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:30 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:

Ed, the secret Muslim.

Utter scumbags.

Muslim prayer mats, by the way, look uncannily like rugs.

Roy Greenslade is worth a read on this: http://www.theguardian.com/media/greens ... damp-squib" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:35 pm

StephenDolan wrote:OK I'm getting sick to the back teeth of the number of political commentators criticising Oxfam. How dare Oxfam compare how the top are doing compared to the bottom? Just stick to fundraising and treat the effects, do not consider the causes. You are wrong and shouldn't be commenting on something deemed political in the first place.

Well said.

Big Society. Clean up our shit for free. Then shut up. Don't presume to think you might know how to stop the shit happening in the first place. Back in your box.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 2:52 pm

giselle97 wrote:I can't watch or listen to Dermot Murnaghan without harming my health and I'm no fan at all of Chuka Umunna.

MSN headline on my new laptop compelled me to watch this though.

First time I have ever liked Chuka Umunna

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s shadow business secretary, has stormed out of a live television interview after being challenged over his failure to read a letter sent by the Government to Muslim leaders in Britain.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... rview.html

From the video on AS it looks like he took exception to the snide comment about "getting the party line right" after it was suggested he come back in a half hour and discuss it.

I reckon I might have been a little more forthright than simply walking off.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:12 pm

frightful_oik wrote:I'm not Labour. I like a lot of Green policies. It's more that I viscerally loathe the Tory bastards. Also a former guardianista. I'll probably vote Labour because
a) AFAIK there isn't a green candidate and b) even if there were, only Labour can beat the Tories in my constituency.

This is quite where i am too right now. To be honest I don't want a party of any persuasion who are still signed up the biopsychosocial model of WCA, and is willing to line the pockets of dodgy companies with a chequered past to administer it.

Sadly this includes Labour, and as far as i am aware they have remained silent on their plans on the DLA - PIP roll out too, which also has changed under the Tories, making it much more difficult to qualify with the ridiculous criteria or 'descriptors'

I like the idea of scrapping bedroom tax though, and what they say they will do with the NHS.

There isn't a Green candidate where i am either, and this two party system wouldn't get them very far even if there were.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:13 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:

Ed, the secret Muslim.

Utter scumbags.

Muslim prayer mats, by the way, look uncannily like rugs.

My daughter in the States was going to buy a house in 2007. I urged her not to buy as there were all sorts of warnings in the papers that the US housing market was about to crash spectacularly.

Anyone with half a brain could see what was simmering but thought it was going to centre in the US.
There were questions about our banks being affected because they'd been buying bundles of risky US mortgages and a few journalists were predicting big trouble. A lot scoffed at the predictions or did the head in sand thing including I believe Mervyn King.
Either way it wasn't secret. It was rumbling around for months and it took months again before we learned the full extent of our bankers dodgy deals.

I was glued to a US news channel for days watching it unfold.

But only the two Eds knew and kept it secret? Oh please.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:13 pm

From another place, re Durham. Full on Billy Smart, by the sound of it. Surprised teachers didn't enter classrooms on a trapeze.

Squeaker wrote:Under the 'Safety' heading in the report
The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is inadequate. Inspection findings raised several concerns.

Concerns raised by some pupils during the inspection are being examined by the appropriate authority.

Kids pointing out things wrong to the inspection team. That's like when a kid corrects the teacher, except much funnier.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:16 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
giselle97 wrote:Morning all.

@Tizme1
I realise that this is basically a Labour Party supporters forum.
I'm on a Labour Party supporters' forum and FlyTheNest is not it. Even if it were, as you try to accuse it of being, "a Labour Party supporters forum", we all listen to other views and always have. Doesn't mean I have to like them. You write well and are worth reading - and please don't regard that as patronising since it's just a statement of fact.

This is a forum which was set up to accommodate those commenters who were lost to the Guardian when they introduced the effing nesting system. There were many of them who subsequently identified themselves on this forum as voters for the LibDems, Greens, Plaid, etc., I'm not sure, but I think I've only recognised one Tory on here (who tried to sabotage the site IMHO). But on this forum there has been plenty, and it's continuing, criticism of Labour and its decisions.

Tell me please @Tizme1, is there a Green Party Supporters' Forum - which is not the Green Party's web site - as full of respect and toleration for others views as we are here? Just asking - not really interested, of course, as I'm a closed mind bitch who just happened to join the Labour Party after the last cobbled together, bastardised government was formed - although I have always voted Labour (Dad was Tory and Mam was Liberal!) - and won't be visiting it because you and a few others already provide good "Greens" content on here. and I'm not in a position try to convert some Greens there to Labour.

I feel that I have to add to my post to you ..... no offence intended. I shouldn't really have to, should I?
I think this is a forum for Graun refugees of whom a majority happen to feel that Labour represents the best chance for getting away from the direction the coalition has taken the country. I consider myself a Labour supporter these days, but it was not always thus. I've made no secret of the fact that I voted LibDem at the last election and was (and am) pretty critical of the last government. However, the coalition has made a Labour supporter of me, and I know I'm not the only convert. I can't say that I will always feel the same, except to say that I'm never going back to the LibDems, ever.

I also have no interest in converting Greens to Labour. I like the fact that we have Green supporters here as it means that we get a good idea of what the party is proposing and the reasons behind it. I like the fact that we can have a discussion here, with what seem to me to be fairly open minds. Finally, and importantly, calling some of the more idealistic parties on what is clearly bullshit does not make this a pro-Labour forum. And as we've seen pretty clearly lately, the 'They're all the same' meme is clearly bullshit.

I don't think much of Chuka, FWIW.

Ditto...

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:18 pm

Had Chucka been watching this educational video on how to walk out of an interview

[youtube]ln3SpXXYTHY[/youtube]

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 19 Jan, 2015 3:21 pm

Nott had a point there. They're experts, you're a politician is a crap argument. Most experts want more done for their area, and don't have to balance that with other concerns.