Wednesday 4th February 2015

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:29 pm

Hi Maeght, sorry I'm late saying hello.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:34 pm

Cameron claimed that ""I said we'd get the deficit down by half"

How on earth are they managing to spin this - Osborne said the same the other week.

Utterly shameless.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:35 pm

frightful_oik wrote:Speaker needed to get involved much earlier in that PMQs. What a racket! Never attempted to answer once. Won't be able to evade like that in the leaders' debates so it's just as well he won't be doing them.

Welcome Maeght. Feel free to pitch in when you want.

I have emailed a complaint to the speakers Office today after that display. Appalling !

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:35 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Hi Maeght, sorry I'm late saying hello.

Hello from me to

Was just going to post the GB article Ohso! you beat me to it

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:36 pm

@Maeght

Welcome & apologies for not doing so sooner

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:43 pm

Kraft chief's cheesy behaviour close to contempt of parliament

h[url]ttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/may/2 ... -committee[/url]

A blast from the past. 2011 to be exact. Or why we are now eating disgusting Cadbury's cream eggs. [Also Twittered for FTN]

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:47 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Hi Maeght, sorry I'm late saying hello.
Hello from me to
Was just going to post the GB article Ohso! you beat me to it

Good article isn't it. He's what I call a politician. It's what we should expect from our leaders no matter what party. Then look at Cameron. It makes me so angry.

diGriz · Post by **diGriz** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 12:58 pm

Al Murray's Debut Campaign Poster Is Better Than Anything Ukip's Nigel Farage Has Unveiled
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02 ... 1422977962

If you are needing a smile raised. Loved this bit.

On the hot topic of immigration, he plans to stop people reaching the shores of "the greatest country in the world" by bricking up the Channel Tunnel - with British bricks and using Polish labour.

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:13 pm

Good afternoon.

Snap PMQs Verdict: A brave try from Miliband, who raised a good issue, but he was effectively monstered by Cameron.

I honestly don't know why any of you give AS the benefit of the doubt any more.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:14 pm

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

"Farewell Lucy Glennon. A brilliant writer, campaigner and 'total badass'"

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:15 pm

NonOxCol wrote:Good afternoon.

Snap PMQs Verdict: A brave try from Miliband, who raised a good issue, but he was effectively monstered by Cameron.
I honestly don't know why any of you give AS the benefit of the doubt any more.

Do any of us?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:20 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... is-bullosa

"Farewell Lucy Glennon. A brilliant writer, campaigner and 'total badass'"

Oh those final tweets are sad - what a wonderful person she sounds.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:22 pm

NonOxCol wrote:Good afternoon.

Snap PMQs Verdict: A brave try from Miliband, who raised a good issue, but he was effectively monstered by Cameron.
I honestly don't know why any of you give AS the benefit of the doubt any more.

He has since weaselled on that a bit ("Cameron clearly won in the chamber, but people watching on TV might have thought Ed had a point")

He does seem to be slipping in a few more anti-Labour/Ed jibes in the last week or two, tbh. I wonder if somebody has "had a word"?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:29 pm

Hello Maeght !

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:30 pm

Welfare reforms are main cause of homelessness in England, study finds
Number of people facing homelessness rose sharply last year but trend has gone unnoticed by politicians or media, says lead author of Homelessness Monitor
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... rms-crisis

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:37 pm

Final comment on polls & I have shamelessly nicked it from a post on UKPR but hey ho.....

@Northumbrianscot – “Here’s a few points that I think everyone agrees on:

If Labour get enough English MPs (240 MPs +) nothing in Scotland will prevent Labour from forming a government.

If Labour do OK but not brilliantly in England (210-240 MPs) then the final choice of government will be in the hands of the Lib Dems.

If Labour do badly in England (less than 210 MPs) nothing in Scotland can help them.

The situation in Scotland will not hugely affect the Con total of MPs.

The situation in Scotland may affect the Lib Dem choice of coalition partner but given the lack of clarity from the Lib Dems we can’t be sure.

I think this summarises the situation we are in, beautifully.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:39 pm

David Cameron: The five lessons I learned as father of disabled child – and intend to put into practice

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 48274.html

What a dreadful, dreadful hypocrite.

Is it possible to save this link on here?

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:44 pm

Listening with half an ear to Theresa May's statement, the new Chair for the CSE inquiry is from New Zealand.

An intervention by Con MP for Mole Valley, Sir Paul Beresford, mentioned (I paraphrase from here on in) that a blog exists where the NZ judge is accused of something that would appear to be relevant. T May then stood & declared that she had challenged the judge & been assured that whatever these allegations are, there is no truth to them.

So, all is absolutely fine.....

All the countries of the world & she picks a judge where allegations may compromise her but because she has given her an assurance the allegations are false, she hires her !

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:44 pm

pk1 wrote:Final comment on polls & I have shamelessly nicked it from a post on UKPR but hey ho.....

@Northumbrianscot – “Here’s a few points that I think everyone agrees on:

If Labour get enough English MPs (240 MPs +) nothing in Scotland will prevent Labour from forming a government.

If Labour do OK but not brilliantly in England (210-240 MPs) then the final choice of government will be in the hands of the Lib Dems.

If Labour do badly in England (less than 210 MPs) nothing in Scotland can help them.

The situation in Scotland will not hugely affect the Con total of MPs.

The situation in Scotland may affect the Lib Dem choice of coalition partner but given the lack of clarity from the Lib Dems we can’t be sure.
I think this summarises the situation we are in, beautifully.

I view the idea of the Lib Dems getting to choose who will form a government as I view picking up a pair of discarded clearly worn pants - who wore them last, for how long, and what state they have been left in being just some of the concerns.

I hope they are decimated so that hideous pants flinging exercise doesn't have to happen.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:47 pm

''When deputy Solicitor General, Lowell Goddard refused to release evidence that former judge Michael Lance was guilty of throwing a police prosecution of his son Simon’s business partner, claiming it was not in the public interest to do so. The police inspector at the time sought release of the file. Judge Lance later became Goddard’s deputy judge at the IPCA – demonstrating a level of audacity even rare by New Zealand standards.''

http://www.kiwisfirst.com/judge-file-in ... l-goddard/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:48 pm

pk1 wrote:Listening with half an ear to Theresa May's statement, the new Chair for the CSE inquiry is from New Zealand.

An intervention by Con MP for Mole Valley, Sir Paul Beresford, mentioned (I paraphrase from here on in) that a blog exists where the NZ judge is accused of something that would appear to be relevant. T May then stood & declared that she had challenged the judge & been assured that whatever these allegations are, there is no truth to them.

So, all is absolutely fine.....

All the countries of the world & she picks a judge where allegations may compromise her but because she has given her an assurance the allegations are false, she hires her !

Once upon a time, the second most important principle (behind only the Presumption of Innocence) was that Justice not only had to be done but it had to be seen to be done.

I want my country back.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:52 pm

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 44s45 seconds ago
Eric Pickles: all out elections in Rotherham council in 2016 and appoints commissioners to run executive functions of council cabinet.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 1:56 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 44s45 seconds ago
Eric Pickles: all out elections in Rotherham council in 2016 and appoints commissioners to run executive functions of council cabinet.

Why 2016 & not 2015 ?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:01 pm

pk1 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 44s45 seconds ago
Eric Pickles: all out elections in Rotherham council in 2016 and appoints commissioners to run executive functions of council cabinet.
Why 2016 & not 2015 ?

The cabinet have announced they are all going to resign as soon as the interim arrangements are in place. So I'm guessing that is considered safe until the elections in 2016.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:04 pm

pk1 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 44s45 seconds ago
Eric Pickles: all out elections in Rotherham council in 2016 and appoints commissioners to run executive functions of council cabinet.
Why 2016 & not 2015 ?

I thought exactly the same as you.

It's a classic push it into the long grass tactic. Not quite sure why though given that we can mobilize a country-wide general election within a month.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:11 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Cameron claimed that ""I said we'd get the deficit down by half"

How on earth are they managing to spin this - Osborne said the same the other week.

Utterly shameless.

#Camnesia

I think it's an old hashtag that Angela Eagle's just revived.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:15 pm

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 1m1 minute ago
Exclusive: I’ve learned govt will announce more 50 new free schools this month http://specc.ie/16gWKas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wonder where they will be located? Just in time eh?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:20 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
pk1 wrote:Final comment on polls & I have shamelessly nicked it from a post on UKPR but hey ho.....

@Northumbrianscot – “Here’s a few points that I think everyone agrees on:

If Labour get enough English MPs (240 MPs +) nothing in Scotland will prevent Labour from forming a government.

If Labour do OK but not brilliantly in England (210-240 MPs) then the final choice of government will be in the hands of the Lib Dems.

If Labour do badly in England (less than 210 MPs) nothing in Scotland can help them.

The situation in Scotland will not hugely affect the Con total of MPs.

The situation in Scotland may affect the Lib Dem choice of coalition partner but given the lack of clarity from the Lib Dems we can’t be sure.
I think this summarises the situation we are in, beautifully.
I view the idea of the Lib Dems getting to choose who will form a government as I view picking up a pair of discarded clearly worn pants - who wore them last, for how long, and what state they have been left in being just some of the concerns.

I hope they are decimated so that hideous pants flinging exercise doesn't have to happen.

I hope the Libdems are decimated in Labour areas but are strangely resilient in all Libdem/Tory marginals. Because however quisling the Libdems may be, every single nasty thing this Coalition government has done has originated from the Tories and I don't want to see the bast**ds gaining a single seat from anyone, not even Ukip.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:21 pm

pk1 wrote:Listening with half an ear to Theresa May's statement, the new Chair for the CSE inquiry is from New Zealand.

An intervention by Con MP for Mole Valley, Sir Paul Beresford, mentioned (I paraphrase from here on in) that a blog exists where the NZ judge is accused of something that would appear to be relevant. T May then stood & declared that she had challenged the judge & been assured that whatever these allegations are, there is no truth to them.

So, all is absolutely fine.....

All the countries of the world & she picks a judge where allegations may compromise her but because she has given her an assurance the allegations are false, she hires her !

But she has to have someone who is malleable.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:31 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
pk1 wrote:Final comment on polls & I have shamelessly nicked it from a post on UKPR but hey ho.....
I think this summarises the situation we are in, beautifully.
I view the idea of the Lib Dems getting to choose who will form a government as I view picking up a pair of discarded clearly worn pants - who wore them last, for how long, and what state they have been left in being just some of the concerns.

I hope they are decimated so that hideous pants flinging exercise doesn't have to happen.
Seriously though, if Labour get 240-odd MPs in England and no more than a handful in Scotland, even with the current total of LibDem MPs that doesn't make a majority. With the 25-odd they are expected to get, that doesn't even reach the number of MPs the Tories currently have. And if the arithmetic doesn't add up, how can anyone form a government?

I'm beginning to think we might see a situation so chaotic that we're forced to adopt PR. The current system just wasn't intended to function in this way.

The Lib Dems will opt to go into coalition with the Tories if that is at all possible ... I think that's a given. They will probably do better than expected because in the Tory / Lib Dem fight offs there will be many people who can't bear the thought of the Tories winning again - and despite their enabling history the Lib Dems will get their vote. Can we have a minority coalition government - is that actually possible within the constitution? You are right - it would be chaos - but with fixed term parliaments what would be the get out route? If the Tories get back in power - in any way shape or form - I expect them to fix everything they possibly can re electoral boundaries, EVEL, etc etc etc in their favour as soon as they can.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 2:59 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:The Lib Dems will opt to go into coalition with the Tories if that is at all possible ... I think that's a given. They will probably do better than expected because in the Tory / Lib Dem fight offs there will be many people who can't bear the thought of the Tories winning again - and despite their enabling history the Lib Dems will get their vote. Can we have a minority coalition government - is that actually possible within the constitution? You are right - it would be chaos - but with fixed term parliaments what would be the get out route? If the Tories get back in power - in any way shape or form - I expect them to fix everything they possibly can re electoral boundaries, EVEL, etc etc etc in their favour as soon as they can.
I agree that the LibDems will go into coalition with the Tories if they can justify it in any possible way. You're also right that if the Tories get in, they will quickly introduce something to enable perpetual Tory government (although surely the LibDems would be a bit more savvy about equal constituencies this time given it would have hurt them even more than it did Labour?)

As far as the constitution is concerned, I'm not sure. But isn't the fixed-term parliament act just for this parliament? I thought the permanent five-year parliaments were scuppered along with Lords reform?

From wikipedia:

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (c. 14) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced fixed-term elections to the Westminster parliament. Under the provisions of the Act, parliamentary elections must be held every five years, beginning in 2015. The Act received Royal Assent on 15 September 2011. Fixed-term Parliaments, where general elections ordinarily take place in accordance with a schedule set far in advance, were part of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement which was produced after the 2010 general election.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term ... s_Act_2011

Sadly they seem to be another lasting legacy of the Condems ....

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:03 pm

cringing, incoherent, self-pitying crap

Cheers Raf, say what you really think. Aren't you supposed to be a 'leftie' or something ?

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:19 pm

G'afternoon, all.
Welcome to evabody.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:21 pm

pk1 wrote:
cringing, incoherent, self-pitying crap
Cheers Raf, say what you really think. Aren't you supposed to be a 'leftie' or something ?

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've really been trying to avoid his output because of that sort of comment.
Where on earth does he justify 'self pitying' from? I haven't heard anything I'd class as that. If he's meaning Labour people saying the Tory tactics are to have their big business / hedge fund donors coming out to trash Labour in the media ... well that's just stating what everyone knows is happening, surely?
.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:23 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
pk1 wrote:
cringing, incoherent, self-pitying crap
Cheers Raf, say what you really think. Aren't you supposed to be a 'leftie' or something ?

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I've really been trying to avoid his output because of that sort of comment.
Where on earth does he justify 'self pitying' from? I haven't heard anything I'd class as that. If he's meaning Labour people saying the Tory tactics are to have their big business / hedge fund donors coming out to trash Labour in the media ... well that's just stating what everyone knows is happening, surely?
.

Indeed. I had to pick my fingers off my keyboard so as not to point out to Helen Lewis that her editor was part of the problem too.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:25 pm

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 4m4 minutes ago
Another setback for fracking expected tonight when Welsh Assembly expected to impose moratorium on shale gas http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... il-8578858" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Some good news ....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:29 pm

Lisa Nandy ‏@lisanandy 8m8 minutes ago
Five years ago Cameron talked about Broken Britain. Now his government have created it.

Lisa Nandy retweeted
Real Britain ‏@realbritainros 14m14 minutes ago
"I used to think Broken Britain was an analysis - five years on I can see it was a manifesto." @lisanandy

That's powerful.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:33 pm

Tony Grew ‏@ayestotheright 49m49 minutes ago
In WH right now - the effects of benefits sanctioning on vulnerable. @lisanandy kicking arse. It's a sight to see.

Tony Grew ‏@ayestotheright 48m48 minutes ago
Not a natural Labour voter, but when @lisanandy talks about poverty I understand why people do

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:49 pm

pk1 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
pk1 wrote: Cheers Raf, say what you really think. Aren't you supposed to be a 'leftie' or something ?

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I've really been trying to avoid his output because of that sort of comment.
Where on earth does he justify 'self pitying' from? I haven't heard anything I'd class as that. If he's meaning Labour people saying the Tory tactics are to have their big business / hedge fund donors coming out to trash Labour in the media ... well that's just stating what everyone knows is happening, surely?
.
Indeed. I had to pick my fingers off my keyboard so as not to point out to Helen Lewis that her editor was part of the problem too.

Meanwhile, there are actual live human beings who think like this:

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Way past laughing. Screaming.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 3:52 pm

NonOxCol wrote:Good afternoon.

Snap PMQs Verdict: A brave try from Miliband, who raised a good issue, but he was effectively monstered by Cameron.
I honestly don't know why any of you give AS the benefit of the doubt any more.

As I said to Andrew on Twitter:

'An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers'

The fact that The Sparrow openly admits to admitting Cameron's "technique" tells you all you need to know about Andrew. He is the perfect fit with today's Guardian, all about style over substance. Happy to be shot of them.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:06 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
NonOxCol wrote:Good afternoon.

Snap PMQs Verdict: A brave try from Miliband, who raised a good issue, but he was effectively monstered by Cameron.
I honestly don't know why any of you give AS the benefit of the doubt any more.
As I said to Andrew on Twitter:

'An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers'

The fact that The Sparrow openly admits to admitting Cameron's "technique" tells you all you need to know about Andrew. He is the perfect fit with today's Guardian, all about style over substance. Happy to be shot of them.

Given the Rotherham inspired postings the blog is a pretty unpleasant place to be today.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:15 pm

Almost 80% of UK Self-Employed Workers Living in Poverty

http://www.newsweek.com/almost-80-uk-se ... OQ.twitter

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:17 pm

Ed Miliband ‏@Ed_Miliband 43s44 seconds ago
We will work with the government and the people of Rotherham to put the situation right.

Ed Miliband ‏@Ed_Miliband 1m1 minute ago
The abuse in Rotherham was utterly appalling and it was unforgivable that those in authority failed to protect vulnerable children.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:23 pm

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, speech at Bloomberg
February 4 2015

...according to the latest figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government is spending £0.9 billion more than planned on tax credits despite cutting entitlements. Yet another sign of their failure to make work pay.

Added to the sums written off or wasted as a result of their mismanagement of key projects from Universal Credit to the introduction of Personal Independence Payments it confirms that for all their rhetoric and unfair divisive policies, it is the Tories who are the party of uncontrolled welfare spending.

And along with the waste of talent from entrenched unemployment and underemployment, and the waste of time caused by the delays and disarray of their key reform programmes, this is a record of Tory Welfare Waste for which our country will be paying the price for years to come.

And beyond these social security costs, there are other major costs to the Exchequer in lost revenues as a result of the wage stagnation we have seen, with National Insurance Contributions falling short of expectations by £25.5 billion over the life of this parliament and income tax receipts falling short by a shocking £66 billion.

So the Tories’ failure to make work pay, and their failure to deliver their promises on the deficit, are two sides of the same coin.

And it is absolutely clear that our country cannot afford to go on like this.

The number of working people reliant on Housing Benefit to keep a roof over their head is already set to increase by another 110,000 between now and 2020 so that it will have more than doubled over the decade, at a cost of over £14bn.

http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1100594 ... w-work-and

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:23 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Almost 80% of UK Self-Employed Workers Living in Poverty

http://www.newsweek.com/almost-80-uk-se ... OQ.twitter

Thank you for that Ohso. It just confirms everything we suspected.

Earning £15,000 or less, or two-thirds of the median level of pay, classifies a person as living in poverty.

According to the statistics, the average income for a self-employed person was just £14,655. The top 1.7% of the group make 30.7% of the total of self-employed profits, and are often lawyers and accountants who are taxed as self-employed and who can earn up to 25.5 times more than the average.

Self-employment made up 44%, or 540,000, of new jobs since 2010, according to the Guardian. Half of this number is made up workers aged 50 and up. In addition, more than 40% of the self-employed jobs created in that year were part-time. There are now a total 4.5 million people working for themselves in the UK.

According to Murphy, a chartered accountant and UK tax specialist, the number of self-employed people is steadily growing: “The rise in self-employment has been apparent since 2010 as a consequence of changes to benefit system in UK, where people have been encouraged to take self-employment positions.”

How can Osborne expect tax takes to go up with this increasing pattern of subsistence earnings? The only way they will reduce claims for housing benefit and tax credits - is to make more and more people ineligible for them ... which is, of course, exactly what they are doing.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:23 pm

I thought I heard this right from PMQs.

The Prime Minister:
We have acted on stamp duty. We will continue to act on stamp duty, but the right hon. Gentleman sat for 13 years in the Treasury and never did anything about it.

I make it...
1997-2002...SpAd to Gordon Brown
2002-4........visiting scholar at Harvard
2004-5.......Chairman of HM Treasury's Council of Economic Advisers
2005-10.......elected MP, minister, and Sec of State - all outside the Treasury.

So that's 6 years out of 13.

Not good on detail is he?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:26 pm

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 27s27 seconds ago
Swansea tidal lagoon company raises its full £200m from investors to build £1bn project http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3a7657d0-ac5d ... z3QVeWtZoL" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … First of its kind in UK

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:28 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:I thought I heard this right from PMQs.

The Prime Minister:
We have acted on stamp duty. We will continue to act on stamp duty, but the right hon. Gentleman sat for 13 years in the Treasury and never did anything about it.
I make it...
1997-2002...SpAd to Gordon Brown
2002-4........visiting scholar at Harvard
2004-5.......Chairman of HM Treasury's Council of Economic Advisers
2005-10.......elected MP, minister, and Sec of State - all outside the Treasury.

So that's 6 years out of 13.

Not good on detail is he?

The Prime Minister is a liar.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:30 pm

Amongst other things.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 Feb, 2015 4:38 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... y#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Benefit sanctions are effective ,Employment Minister ,says.

The employment minister has defended the government’s policy of removing people’s benefit payments when they fail to meet certain targets.