Thursday 5th February 2015

Nicky · Post by **Nicky** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:13 pm

Thanks for the kind welcome, all - much appreciated. Thanks Toby also for the tip about links to video.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:14 pm

Nicky wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:Welcome Nicky!
Thanks!

Welcome from me as well

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:21 pm

George Osborne needlessly shrank 5% off GDP with 2010 cuts, says thinktank
Respected NIESR blames delay in economic recovery on unnecessarily aggressive cuts in 2010 which cost UK almost £1,500 per person

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -5-percent

Just found this.

Professor Simon Wren-Lewis, of Oxford University, argued that the deficit-cutting policy adopted in Osborne’s “emergency budget” of 2010 was unnecessarily aggressive, particularly since interest rates were already close to zero, making it hard for the Bank of England to offset the slowdown that followed.

“The delay in the UK recovery over the first part of the coalition government’s term is at least in part a result of the government’s fiscal decisions”. The final cost will not be clear for some time, he argued, but, “measured against the scale of how much governments can influence the welfare of its citizens in peacetime, it is likely to be a large cost”.

Using the independent Office for Budget Responsibilities estimates, he argued that GDP may have been reduced by up to 5%, or £1,500 per head.

The original report is from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)

http://www.niesr.ac.uk/media/press-rele ... NPeqcasW2y

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:40 pm

McVey's £2.5bn on Troubled Families Programme.

It seems to be £650m.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:41 pm

Is this going to be another Ooops!
Experience tells us you can take Goddard J’s assessment to the bank. Hopefully the British prefer an exhaustive and complex inquiry to an accurate and transparent outcome.

http://www.kiwisfirst.com/new-zealands-latest-export/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:46 pm

£14 million for "academy brokers" ?

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ing-614435" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

diGriz · Post by **diGriz** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:50 pm

AngryAsWell wrote: "academy brokers" ?

Chum's pockets.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:56 pm

diGriz wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote: "academy brokers" ?

Chum's pockets.

Ah right - should have guessed ...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 9:59 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:£14 million for "academy brokers" ?

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ing-614435" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tweeted.

Incredible. Civil servants could do that for free, except would have to obey FOIA.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:04 pm

It's another great day for Gove!

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... am-reforms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has pulled the plug on a key part of her predecessor Michael Gove's efforts to reform exams in England, by cutting off funds to a body that gave universities a role in overseeing A-levels.

Gove established the A-levels Content Advisory Board (Alcab) in 2013 with much fanfare, giving leading UK universities and academics a say in the process of exam reforms – concentrating on specific subjects – and becoming a permanent check on the quality of of A-level course content

But on the advice of Department for Education (DfE) officials Morgan has abruptly terminated the group’s funding, over the objections of Alcab's board including its chair Sir Nigel Thrift, vice chancellor of Warwick University.

The decision was attacked by Dominic Cummings, Gove's former special adviser, who described the move as "almost a Jedi-level operation from DfE officials" who had never liked Alcab's involvement.

"The DfE hated giving away control, obviously, and hated Alcab. The very point of the process – a sword of Damocles in the form of eminent professors saying 'crap questions' each year – was supposed to force the DfE, exam boards and Ofqual to raise their game," Cummings said, blaming officials rather than Morgan's advisors.

"I very much doubt that Nicky Morgan realises what she has done. It was probably a letter buried deep in her box weeks ago that she had no reason to suspect meant she was being used to subvert reform and entrench Whitehall's power," he said.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:16 pm

The Crewe Chronicle is reporting that the father of a Crewe schoolgirl has told of his horror after discovering his daughter’s asthma inhaler had been used as ‘security’ against a school tie…

You want a replacement tie? Give me your inhaler’

http://schoolsimprovement.net/you-want- ... ur-inhaler" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:33 pm

Latest YouGov poll (04 - 05 Feb):
LAB - 33% (-)
CON - 32% (-2)
UKIP - 15% (+2)
LDEM - 9% (+3)
GRN - 5% (-2)

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:34 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 2m 2 minutes ago
After last night's CON lead the final YouGov poll of the week has
CON 32
LAB 33
LD 9
UKIP 15
GRN 5

Jeepers .... it's a Lib Dem surge.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:35 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:It's another great day for Gove!

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... am-reforms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has pulled the plug on a key part of her predecessor Michael Gove's efforts to reform exams in England, by cutting off funds to a body that gave universities a role in overseeing A-levels.

Gove established the A-levels Content Advisory Board (Alcab) in 2013 with much fanfare, giving leading UK universities and academics a say in the process of exam reforms – concentrating on specific subjects – and becoming a permanent check on the quality of of A-level course content

But on the advice of Department for Education (DfE) officials Morgan has abruptly terminated the group’s funding, over the objections of Alcab's board including its chair Sir Nigel Thrift, vice chancellor of Warwick University.

The decision was attacked by Dominic Cummings, Gove's former special adviser, who described the move as "almost a Jedi-level operation from DfE officials" who had never liked Alcab's involvement.

"The DfE hated giving away control, obviously, and hated Alcab. The very point of the process – a sword of Damocles in the form of eminent professors saying 'crap questions' each year – was supposed to force the DfE, exam boards and Ofqual to raise their game," Cummings said, blaming officials rather than Morgan's advisors.

"I very much doubt that Nicky Morgan realises what she has done. It was probably a letter buried deep in her box weeks ago that she had no reason to suspect meant she was being used to subvert reform and entrench Whitehall's power," he said.

First A level exams not until 2018 and Maths not until 2019...if you're looking for savings then closing down something that's not going to be doing very much for 3-4 years is an easy decision.

Besides, they only had Maths, MFL/Ancient languages and geography anyway. Not quite sure why they didn't have others unless the intention was to expand it.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:37 pm

HindleA wrote:Latest YouGov poll (04 - 05 Feb):
LAB - 33% (-)
CON - 32% (-2)
UKIP - 15% (+2)
LDEM - 9% (+3)
GRN - 5% (-2)

You just beat me to it Hindle. Hope it's not going to give Clegg false hope ... the Lib Dem mini surge that is.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:39 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Emily Ashton ‏@elashton 57m57 minutes ago
Michael Gove warns that @AlexSalmond could be deputy PM or chancellor in a Lab/SNP coalition: "The risks are real." http://www.buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/mic ... n?s=mobile" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Aaaarrrrgggh. We're going to have this nitwit doing loads of media for the next 3 months. Ghastly. Make him disappear.
I say bring him on. Apart from the tiny band of Torygraph readers who thought he was the Messiah, literally everyone else hates him. Think Portillo c.1995 x 10

You are probably right. I see some BTL comments on the G story are saying that if Cameron gets back in Gove will be straight back in to Education ... he was just removed from there because he was too much of a toxic liability in the run up to the election.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:48 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote: First A level exams not until 2018 and Maths not until 2019...if you're looking for savings then closing down something that's not going to be doing very much for 3-4 years is an easy decision.

Besides, they only had Maths, MFL/Ancient languages and geography anyway. Not quite sure why they didn't have others unless the intention was to expand it.

Yes, I've said that on there.

If Ofqual can't guarantee exams after the other lot have helped set it up, what's the point of Ofqual? It has academic standards advisers.

Though odd to see Tim Coates and someone from Pearson among them.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:51 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
George Osborne needlessly shrank 5% off GDP with 2010 cuts, says thinktank
Respected NIESR blames delay in economic recovery on unnecessarily aggressive cuts in 2010 which cost UK almost £1,500 per person
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -5-percent

Just found this.

Professor Simon Wren-Lewis, of Oxford University, argued that the deficit-cutting policy adopted in Osborne’s “emergency budget” of 2010 was unnecessarily aggressive, particularly since interest rates were already close to zero, making it hard for the Bank of England to offset the slowdown that followed.

“The delay in the UK recovery over the first part of the coalition government’s term is at least in part a result of the government’s fiscal decisions”. The final cost will not be clear for some time, he argued, but, “measured against the scale of how much governments can influence the welfare of its citizens in peacetime, it is likely to be a large cost”.

Using the independent Office for Budget Responsibilities estimates, he argued that GDP may have been reduced by up to 5%, or £1,500 per head.
The original report is from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)

http://www.niesr.ac.uk/media/press-rele ... NPeqcasW2y
This ought to be lead story on the Today Programme.

Won't be though.

Simon Wren-Lewis is excellent.

Merely an Oxford University professor- wrong part of the establishment?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 10:55 pm

Watching QT...hadn't realised that the DT had got rid of Christina Odone - she was introduced as being from some group called the Legatum Institute.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:03 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 4m 4 minutes ago
The 19 year old challenger to Douglas Alexander http://bit.ly/1zUySqT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Smithson's link goes to an article with a video of the young SNP candidate saying she fantasises about putting the nut on Labour councillors.

I didn't post that link earlier because it was just after I'd encountered Andrew Percy MP's claims re the Labour councillors using dirty tactics and language in their campaign against the Conservatives in Bootle ... and just before that I'd seen that a Conservative councillor somewhere in Lincolnshire has resigned after he sent round racist and pornographic emails.

Taking these instances together in that short space of time ... it all felt pretty OTT and tawdry.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:04 pm

Dimbleby unerringly finding Tories in the audience.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:07 pm

frightful_oik wrote:Dimbleby unerringly finding Tories in the audience.

It's from Finchley...Tory country that returned one M.Thatcher for a few years...

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:10 pm

Er...what?

Morgan spinning the 10% reduction in real terms as schools getting more because there are more pupils!

So with our school and thousands of others who can't take any more pupils?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:11 pm

Pupil premium wasn't additional money but instead of per pupil funding.

A con.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:11 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:@Ernst

You might be interested in the Welsh Govt proposals to shake up councils in Wales ... not only do they want big reform of the authority boundaries and structures - from 22 councils currently to 12 in future - they are also proposing the following:

Council elections every five years, not four as at present
Maximum five terms - 25 years - for councillors
Maximum two terms - 10 years - for council leaders and cabinet members
Pay councillors in line with those on similar sized councils elsewhere in the UK
Public sector employers to give staff unpaid leave to carry out duties as councillors, and other employers encouraged to do the same
Council leaders and chief executives given a duty to promote and respect diversity
Youth councils to be set up by each authority
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-31097569

The minister is quoted as saying term limits for councillors will break up "the old boys' club". A mere 25 years to be set as a time limit ... that should shake em up good and proper, eh? Risible.

But at least they are proposing to sort out the exorbitant pay scales - as we noted yesterday.

Hi R, it actually looks like bollocks to me. If I'm popular/good at my job, why limit the time I can do it? Apply it to David fucking Cameron and I'll perhaps believe you. If you're a councillor you already get paid leave AFAIK, so that's bollocks too. Councillor pay should be equalized with a nod to regional pay variations, no probs, diversity is already in there, and you'll search hard for a council that doesn't at least acknowledge it. So that's even more bollocks. Youth councils? Mostly in place.

I mean, honestly, who the fuck thinks this is worth reporting? Would I be right in guessing that this platitudinous nonsense came from a Tory minister?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:18 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:@Ernst

You might be interested in the Welsh Govt proposals to shake up councils in Wales ... not only do they want big reform of the authority boundaries and structures - from 22 councils currently to 12 in future - they are also proposing the following:

Council elections every five years, not four as at present
Maximum five terms - 25 years - for councillors
Maximum two terms - 10 years - for council leaders and cabinet members
Pay councillors in line with those on similar sized councils elsewhere in the UK
Public sector employers to give staff unpaid leave to carry out duties as councillors, and other employers encouraged to do the same
Council leaders and chief executives given a duty to promote and respect diversity
Youth councils to be set up by each authority
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-31097569

The minister is quoted as saying term limits for councillors will break up "the old boys' club". A mere 25 years to be set as a time limit ... that should shake em up good and proper, eh? Risible.

But at least they are proposing to sort out the exorbitant pay scales - as we noted yesterday.
Hi R, it actually looks like bollocks to me. If I'm popular/good at my job, why limit the time I can do it? Apply it to David fucking Cameron and I'll perhaps believe you. If you're a councillor you already get paid leave AFAIK, so that's bollocks too. Councillor pay should be equalized with a nod to regional pay variations, no probs, diversity is already in there, and you'll search hard for a council that doesn't at least acknowledge it. So that's even more bollocks. Youth councils? Mostly in place.

I mean, honestly, who the fuck thinks this is worth reporting? Would I be right in guessing that this platitudinous nonsense came from a Tory minister?

No you'd be sadly wrong. It's come from a Labour Welsh Govt minister. The legislation for all their proposed local government constitutional reforms is going to provoke merry hell I think. But something does have to be done about how 'old boys club' the institutions are here ... it is abysmal. I don't want them to feel they've got tenure for life. Pembrokeshire C C is beyond belief. I am now meeting people on the doorstep who almost need to spit before they talk about them ... they are a another large part of why people around here think politics is bust.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:19 pm

Nicky wrote:
yahyah wrote:
That LibDem delusional smug fest photo op, on budget day, was actually disrupted in spectacular style. Investigative journalist Sonia Poulton (former Mail journalist!) chases Danny Alexander across College Green asking him to answer why he's complicit with the austerity lie. Before that, though, her friend Bill asked Clegg about child abuse cover ups and Leon Brittan (his former boss in Brussels).

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

Love this site and finally decided to register just to share this video ...

Not sure how to embed the video?

Hi Nicky! Consider yourself utterly welcomed to FTN! A pleasure to have you along for the ride, and I hope you take advantage of the new suites on the first floor, the new cocktail bar and the improved vistas down to the river at the bottom, where dedicated teams are farming the rare freshwater herring in anticipation of a bumper harvest.

Below stairs facilities would have been available, but since the decision to install a microbrewery there, we've had to think on about that, although you may be pleased to hear that the members' bar - recently established, and with a beer garden facing the river - will soon be stocking our own brews.

FTN is what you make it. Gald you could make it. Come and help us make it better.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:19 pm

Oh fuck off Odone, you're just spouting Daily Mail lies about sex ed for 5 year olds.

Can't stand that woman.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:28 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:It's another great day for Gove!

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... am-reforms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has pulled the plug on a key part of her predecessor Michael Gove's efforts to reform exams in England, by cutting off funds to a body that gave universities a role in overseeing A-levels.

Gove established the A-levels Content Advisory Board (Alcab) in 2013 with much fanfare, giving leading UK universities and academics a say in the process of exam reforms – concentrating on specific subjects – and becoming a permanent check on the quality of of A-level course content

But on the advice of Department for Education (DfE) officials Morgan has abruptly terminated the group’s funding, over the objections of Alcab's board including its chair Sir Nigel Thrift, vice chancellor of Warwick University.

The decision was attacked by Dominic Cummings, Gove's former special adviser, who described the move as "almost a Jedi-level operation from DfE officials" who had never liked Alcab's involvement.

"The DfE hated giving away control, obviously, and hated Alcab. The very point of the process – a sword of Damocles in the form of eminent professors saying 'crap questions' each year – was supposed to force the DfE, exam boards and Ofqual to raise their game," Cummings said, blaming officials rather than Morgan's advisors.

"I very much doubt that Nicky Morgan realises what she has done. It was probably a letter buried deep in her box weeks ago that she had no reason to suspect meant she was being used to subvert reform and entrench Whitehall's power," he said.

And that doesn't sound like sour grapes from one of Pob's monkeys at all.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:33 pm

Ooh...all kicking off with the question of anti-semitic attacks and Galloway.

Difficult to see how the BBC didn't realise this would happen in Finchley...

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:34 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Emily Ashton ‏@elashton 57m57 minutes ago
Michael Gove warns that @AlexSalmond could be deputy PM or chancellor in a Lab/SNP coalition: "The risks are real." http://www.buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/mic ... n?s=mobile" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Aaaarrrrgggh. We're going to have this nitwit doing loads of media for the next 3 months. Ghastly. Make him disappear.
I say bring him on. Apart from the tiny band of Torygraph readers who thought he was the Messiah, literally everyone else hates him. Think Portillo c.1995 x 10

Anyone remember this?

: pob screws up.jpg (106.85 KiB) Viewed 12306 times

Post by **refitman** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:39 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Aaaarrrrgggh. We're going to have this nitwit doing loads of media for the next 3 months. Ghastly. Make him disappear.
I say bring him on. Apart from the tiny band of Torygraph readers who thought he was the Messiah, literally everyone else hates him. Think Portillo c.1995 x 10
Anyone remember this?

pob screws up.jpg

Still one of my favourite Graun cartoons.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:42 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
ErnstRemarx wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:@Ernst

You might be interested in the Welsh Govt proposals to shake up councils in Wales ... not only do they want big reform of the authority boundaries and structures - from 22 councils currently to 12 in future - they are also proposing the following:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-31097569

The minister is quoted as saying term limits for councillors will break up "the old boys' club". A mere 25 years to be set as a time limit ... that should shake em up good and proper, eh? Risible.

But at least they are proposing to sort out the exorbitant pay scales - as we noted yesterday.
Hi R, it actually looks like bollocks to me. If I'm popular/good at my job, why limit the time I can do it? Apply it to David fucking Cameron and I'll perhaps believe you. If you're a councillor you already get paid leave AFAIK, so that's bollocks too. Councillor pay should be equalized with a nod to regional pay variations, no probs, diversity is already in there, and you'll search hard for a council that doesn't at least acknowledge it. So that's even more bollocks. Youth councils? Mostly in place.

I mean, honestly, who the fuck thinks this is worth reporting? Would I be right in guessing that this platitudinous nonsense came from a Tory minister?
No you'd be sadly wrong. It's come from a Labour Welsh Govt minister. The legislation for all their proposed local government constitutional reforms is going to provoke merry hell I think. But something does have to be done about how 'old boys club' the institutions are here ... it is abysmal. I don't want them to feel they've got tenure for life. Pembrokeshire C C is beyond belief. I am now meeting people on the doorstep who almost need to spit before they talk about them ... they are a another large part of why people around here think politics is bust.

The way to sort out the 'old boys clubs' has nowt to do with legislation, but plenty to do with Labour party democracy. All councillors seeking a fresh mandate have to be nominated by their ward. Get involved in your ward and if your siting Labour councillor isn't what you want deselect. Simples. The limits must come from below not via legislation. We have some long servers here in Bury who really should push off, but it's not my ward, so all I can do is give advice and leave it to those who are ward members.

Post by **refitman** » Thu 05 Feb, 2015 11:44 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Watching QT...hadn't realised that the DT had got rid of Christina Odone - she was introduced as being from some group called the Legatum Institute.

Apparently they are a think-tank that produces a 'prosperity index'. They are an offshoot of a private investment firm based in Dubai.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatum#Th ... _Institute" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:01 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:Pupil premium wasn't additional money but instead of per pupil funding.

A con.

And there was a progressive system there before.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:03 am

goodnight, my friends
love
JA

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:13 am

ErnstRemarx wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
ErnstRemarx wrote: Hi R, it actually looks like bollocks to me. If I'm popular/good at my job, why limit the time I can do it? Apply it to David fucking Cameron and I'll perhaps believe you. If you're a councillor you already get paid leave AFAIK, so that's bollocks too. Councillor pay should be equalized with a nod to regional pay variations, no probs, diversity is already in there, and you'll search hard for a council that doesn't at least acknowledge it. So that's even more bollocks. Youth councils? Mostly in place.

I mean, honestly, who the fuck thinks this is worth reporting? Would I be right in guessing that this platitudinous nonsense came from a Tory minister?
No you'd be sadly wrong. It's come from a Labour Welsh Govt minister. The legislation for all their proposed local government constitutional reforms is going to provoke merry hell I think. But something does have to be done about how 'old boys club' the institutions are here ... it is abysmal. I don't want them to feel they've got tenure for life. Pembrokeshire C C is beyond belief. I am now meeting people on the doorstep who almost need to spit before they talk about them ... they are a another large part of why people around here think politics is bust.
The way to sort out the 'old boys clubs' has nowt to do with legislation, but plenty to do with Labour party democracy. All councillors seeking a fresh mandate have to be nominated by their ward. Get involved in your ward and if your siting Labour councillor isn't what you want deselect. Simples. The limits must come from below not via legislation. We have some long servers here in Bury who really should push off, but it's not my ward, so all I can do is give advice and leave it to those who are ward members.

That's not the issue here Ernst. We have people who stand as, and get elected as, 'independent' - lots of them. They declare no obvious allegiance - and are not accountable to any transparent selection process other than self selection (what goes on in the behind the scenes favour system may be something else entirely.) They then behave as anything but independent - but there's no way of knowing what they are really about and who / what is calling the tune. There is a real big problem. It stinks. It stinks to high heaven. And it's all behind the scenes - I would be shouting with delight if we had more 'party' politics here. At least you know what you're dealing with.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:20 am

Leading health thinktank condemns ‘damaging’ Tory NHS reforms
King’s Fund report attacks then health secretary Andrew Lansley and David Cameron, claiming NHS staff were forced to ‘rearrange deckchairs’ in crisis
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... kings-fund

Rather late - big understatement. But may be useful in the run up to the election - to remind the Lib Dems of what I consider their worst enabling evil deed - and to remind Cameron and the Tories of that disgraceful pledge not to reorganise the NHS.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:21 am

Amen to that, Rebecca.

See also fiction that the City of London is above party politics.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:22 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Leading health thinktank condemns ‘damaging’ Tory NHS reforms
King’s Fund report attacks then health secretary Andrew Lansley and David Cameron, claiming NHS staff were forced to ‘rearrange deckchairs’ in crisis
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... kings-fund
Rather late - big understatement. But may be useful in the run up to the election - to remind the Lib Dems of what I consider their worst enabling evil deed - and to remind Cameron and the Tories of that disgraceful pledge not to reorganise the NHS.

But Wales MidStaffs.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:24 am

Who are this King's Fund? Sound like the Labour Party. They've nothing to say about Mid Staff.

Cue report about Wales.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 06 Feb, 2015 12:30 am

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Who are this King's Fund? Sound like the Labour Party. They've nothing to say about Mid Staff.

Cue report about Wales.

That's ghastly because it's so on the button. They would actually have the nerve to pretend the King's Fund is a non entity, a piffling outfit, in the world of healthcare.