Thursday 19th February 2015

[RogerOThornhill]

Re: Gov.uk

I recall that there was a battle going on with Ofsted resisting the move to merge them with the DfE which they lost.

I notice when I try and track schools who've got academy status that they're old school inspection reports (because their ID changes) are no longer there in quite a few cases. For the converters that's not an issue as their previous grade is noted on the DfE lists but with the sponsored ones I can't see their previous grade or report.

[rebeccariots2]

Chelsea fan in Paris Métro video posed in picture with Nigel Farage
Josh Parsons, identified as one of the fans filmed on a Paris Métro train ahead of the Chelsea - PSG match, is allegedly a ‘vocal’ Ukip supporter
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... are_btn_tw

Editing to add:

One former schoolmate, who did not wished to be named, said Parsons and his younger brother Beno, who he believes was in the same Paris Métro carriage as Josh on Tuesday night, were well known Ukip supporters during their time at Millfield private school over a year-and-a-half ago.

The boarding school, based in Street, Somerset, charges fees of £30,000 a year.

“I was never really friends with them. The interesting thing was they were very strong Ukip supporters,” the schoolmate told the Guardian.

He said both brothers were part of a very small but “vocal” Ukip crowd at the school.

Well that doesn't quite fit the mould (maybe the correct spelling should be mold) that UKIP like to sell us re their supporters, does it?

[Willow904]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ur-MP.html
Margaret Hodge says PricewaterhouseCoopers takes part in 'tax avoidance on industrial scale' as figures show it was Labour’s biggest non-union donor

The Telegraph appears to be a little desperate to prove they are happy to investigate tax avoiders with this story. Isn't this pretty old news though?

[rebeccariots2]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ur-MP.html
Margaret Hodge says PricewaterhouseCoopers takes part in 'tax avoidance on industrial scale' as figures show it was Labour’s biggest non-union donor

The Telegraph appears to be a little desperate to prove they are happy to investigate tax avoiders with this story. Isn't this pretty old news though?

Yup it is. Desperate is the right word as well.

[mikems]

UKIP attract support from exactly the same groups as the BUF did in the 30s. Small business owners, petty criminals, spivs, minor gentry, failures, lumpen proles, racists - the usual ragbag of suspect types that rally to fascism.

[mikems]

Not that all small business owners are bad people, some of my best friends etc.

[rebeccariots2]

I don't know if any else watched Newsnight yesterday ... but they've started a new ongoing segment called 'In the House' (I think that's right) where they are filming households discussing politics and the election and voting. There were three families on show last night. The general message from each seemed to be that there are young people - even in the most politically active of households - that seem completely disengaged and lacking in interest and knowledge. I loved the Welsh mum (staunchly Labour) who tried to explain to her son that it's meaningless to say 'I'm not interested in politics' as if it's something separate from everything else that's going on. She said to him - it affects everything you do and are - she picked the plate up from the dinner table and put it down again and said 'it's the food you eat' and so on. She was wonderful. Her daughter was very anti Labour - because of Blair and Iraq - so is going to vote Green.

The family who were mainly Tory leaning I found hard to like ... the woman said (and I kid you not) it was because they were about 'hard working families' supporting themselves and not relying on anybody else. But their young son is leaning towards UKIP - no surprise there. They seemed to be more affluent than the other families - the setting, the food.

The third family were very likeable but then engaged in a laugh at Ed Miliband session which was dispiriting. I didn't hear them actually talk about any policies.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Who is behind the fiasco of Government IT? It's old Mankie Fraud himself. Last year there was some comment here about him not having any idea about IT development, agile or not, and that a disaster was in the offing. I remember saying that agile production absolutely depends on close and constant contact with users and that government departments were probably amongst the organisations least capable of it.

Well I think the issue is Maude knows the buzzwords and sees himself as some sort of expert. Problem is his expertise is a veneer.

Hence the stupidity of mandating Agile methodology for UC, a totally unsuitable project for it. He made it worse by trying to retro fit the methodology half way through the project.

I suppose we should be glad he doesn't work for Airbus or Boeing.

The GOV thing is a spectacular fiasco, oddly website functionality like that strikes me as exactly the sort of project that Agile excels at. So if they can't get that right what can they do? Maybe you are right and they never engaged with real users.

[rebeccariots2]

It may take defeat to an “unelectable” Labour Party to force the Tories to modernise
The shock of losing to Miliband could awake the Conservatives from their dogmatic slumber.
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... -modernise

It's a good piece - it's about the Tories myopia not a Miliband bashing.

And then the first comment BTL is this:

The layman's voice • 2 hours ago
I am a Tory. I believe in individual responsibility and don't believe the state has answers to everyone's problems.

However I will not vote for this Tory party. It has ceased to be a party of self advancement and hard work. It's now a party of privilege dressed up as incentive. Cutting top tax used to be about incentive, now it's about protecting the rich and stopping them run away abroad.

Hammering the poor in a recession and cutting top tax as you do it is naive. Cutting investment in a recession and becoming anti-immigration and EU is economically ignorant.

Tory party used to economically savvy and pragmatic, now its dogmatic. Its 2015, we don't need to solve the problems of 1979 again.

[rebeccariots2]

Stephen Twigg ‏@StephenTwigg 6m6 minutes ago
Charities warn 'gagging law' is preventing them from campaigning. Labour will repeal the Act. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 54889.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

[TechnicalEphemera]

Talking of IT fiascos this one is spectacular.
Maude should work for Lenovo he would fit right in.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -superfish

It ticks all the boxes -

Install useless spyware on users PC - check
Lie about what it does for them - check
Introduce massive security hole by accident - check
Undermine fundamental security protocol https - check.
Make hole impossible to fix by deinstalling product - check.
Deploy in huge volume - check.

In particular this is stunningly incompetent.

Worse, if the private key of the certificate is stolen from any compromised Lenovo computer, it can be used to break the security on every compromised Lenovo computer. This would leave users essentially open to any eavesdropping if they were using the net on a public Wi-Fi account, and also enables future malware authors to convince Lenovo owners that their software is produced by a trusted vendor, such as Microsoft.

That is a fundamental, the loss of a private key on your machine should only compromise you (which may be a big issue depending on who you are). If it can compromise every user with the same make of machine PKI is really really broken.

[rebeccariots2]

Labour’s real opposition
http://labourlist.org/2015/02/labours-real-opposition/

Good stuff from Emma Burnell.

When I go out on the doorstep, and people tell me they aren’t voting, they aren’t apathetic, they’re angry. And inconveniently, they aren’t angry to our script. Yes, they are deeply frustrated that the economy doesn’t work in their favour. But some of them blame immigration (and some of those Labour policies) and some corporatism (and some of those Labour being too close to business). They are angry that the world seems designed to work against the ambitions they have for themselves and their families and despite our efforts, so far they don’t yet believe Labour are different enough to get it. Certainly not different enough to change it....

The Tories are going to behave disgracefully in this campaign. We know this. We will not outspend them and we should not stoop to their level. Leave them to their gutter politics. But in the face of such an onslaught, we cannot simply hope to define ourselves against the Tories. In our desperation not to alienate we have accidentally failed to define ourselves. This is an error we may only now be trying to correct at the last minute. Michael Dugher’s incredibly welcome clarity over public ownership of the railways is a good example of primary colours politics.

More of this please. Good solid policy we believe in, supported by the public and done not because it creates dividing lines the Tories are on the wrong side of (that it does is a bonus not a focus) that speaks to what it means to be Labour...

[AnatolyKasparov]

Interesting that the Ashcroft polling shows Labour aren't out of it in Basildon etc etc.

And some of us tipped Castle Point as one of the best UKIP prospects a while back - I expect them to win it now.

[ohsocynical]

Its these sort of hidden voting intentions that make me convinced there will be a Landslide
"The survey questioned 2,020 members of the alliance – which says it is an umbrella organisation for up to 2 million evangelical Christians – in August and September 2014 and found that 40 per cent were going to change their vote from 2010. Conservative support fell from 40 per cent to 28 per cent, compared to Labour support which grew from 22 per cent to 31 per cent. Liberal Democrat support also fell, while Ukip grew from 2 per cent to 12 per cent."
(From AS blog)
Coupled with - yesterday I think - the legal profession calling on twitter for all solicitors to vote Labour, there will be a much bigger swing than any fixed poll is indicating.

I was going through all those who've been adversely affected by the Coalition and who are hopefully so disgusted they'll vote Labour.
The list is large:

Lawyers
Those deprived of legal aid.
People needing cheap childcare
Disabled
Parents of disabled
Seriously ill
Families of seriously ill
Unemployed
Under employed
Honest tax payers
Christians?
Young on Workfare
Workers on zero hours
Carers
Doctors
Nurses
Other hospital workers
Prison workers
Other Public sector workers
Those who want to stay in the EU.
immigrants
Students

I've probably missed some out.

[ohsocynical]

Labour’s real opposition
http://labourlist.org/2015/02/labours-real-opposition/

Good stuff from Emma Burnell.

When I go out on the doorstep, and people tell me they aren’t voting, they aren’t apathetic, they’re angry. And inconveniently, they aren’t angry to our script. Yes, they are deeply frustrated that the economy doesn’t work in their favour. But some of them blame immigration (and some of those Labour policies) and some corporatism (and some of those Labour being too close to business). They are angry that the world seems designed to work against the ambitions they have for themselves and their families and despite our efforts, so far they don’t yet believe Labour are different enough to get it. Certainly not different enough to change it....

The Tories are going to behave disgracefully in this campaign. We know this. We will not outspend them and we should not stoop to their level. Leave them to their gutter politics. But in the face of such an onslaught, we cannot simply hope to define ourselves against the Tories. In our desperation not to alienate we have accidentally failed to define ourselves. This is an error we may only now be trying to correct at the last minute. Michael Dugher’s incredibly welcome clarity over public ownership of the railways is a good example of primary colours politics.

More of this please. Good solid policy we believe in, supported by the public and done not because it creates dividing lines the Tories are on the wrong side of (that it does is a bonus not a focus) that speaks to what it means to be Labour...

Agree. Damn well put.

[rebeccariots2]

Its these sort of hidden voting intentions that make me convinced there will be a Landslide
"The survey questioned 2,020 members of the alliance – which says it is an umbrella organisation for up to 2 million evangelical Christians – in August and September 2014 and found that 40 per cent were going to change their vote from 2010. Conservative support fell from 40 per cent to 28 per cent, compared to Labour support which grew from 22 per cent to 31 per cent. Liberal Democrat support also fell, while Ukip grew from 2 per cent to 12 per cent."
(From AS blog)
Coupled with - yesterday I think - the legal profession calling on twitter for all solicitors to vote Labour, there will be a much bigger swing than any fixed poll is indicating.

I was going through all those who've been adversely affected by the Coalition and who are hopefully so disgusted they'll vote Labour.
The list is large:

Lawyers
Those deprived of legal aid.
People needing cheap childcare
Disabled
Parents of disabled
Seriously ill
Families of seriously ill
Unemployed
Under employed
Honest tax payers
Christians?
Young on Workfare
Workers on zero hours
Carers
Doctors
Nurses
Other hospital workers
Prison workers
Other Public sector workers
Those who want to stay in the EU.
immigrants
Students

I've probably missed some out.

Charities.
Those who don't want to see the Hunting Ban repealed - who care about our wildlife protections. (although the stupid / ignorant things I see written on some social media sites from those who don't understand which parties support or are anti certain practices have me despairing ...)

[FuriousGeorge]

For someone whos absolutely definitely NOT racist, old nige seems to hang out with a lot of people who are.


Remember, definitely not. racist.



Oh a link too for reference purposes

http://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-fara ... sm-fascism

[citizenJA]

I see another flawed plan coming soon. Two separate items on todays Dacre comic

ScreenShot00231.jpg

ScreenShot00232.jpg

Replace red boxes with smart phones?

How many people want to read a 40 page policy document on a smart phone? How are you supposed to write notes in the margin or underline an important bit...or go back to a para 10 pages ago easily?

The trouble with technology is that people think they have to use everywhere it but forgetting the fact that the ideas are utterly bonkers.

Thank goodness you understand this! I hadn't realised how strongly I felt about devices. Technology is great. I need my pen & notepad.

[rebeccariots2]

WOW to that letter about Farage to the Master of Dulwich College.

Just WOW.

Thank you Furious.

Editing as I've just seen from the blog link that the letter was to, not from, the Master of Dulwich College. Definitely need to be accurate there.

[citizenJA]

Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley called to Westminster over employee treatment
Scottish affairs committee investigating how 200 staff at Ayrshire warehouse lost jobs when administrators called in plus use of zero-hours contracts
http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... are_btn_tw

The Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is being called before MPs at the House of Commons over the treatment of employees at the company’s USC retail business and the use of zero-hours contracts.

The inquiry by the Scottish affairs committee in Westminster is the latest investigation into how about 200 staff at USC’s Ayrshire warehouse lost their jobs when administrators were called in to West Coast Capital (USC), a Sports Direct-controlled entity that owned 28 USC stores. The stores were immediately bought out of administration by another part of Sports Direct but the warehouse was abruptly closed down....

the committee was also interested in Sports Direct’s use of zero-hours contracts following a previous investigation into the matter. As many as 90% of the retailer’s 23,000 staff are employed under the controversial terms, which do not guarantee work. “We would invite people to come forward and tell us their experiences in this area,” Davidson said.

The committee has been seeking to secure the attendance of the publicity-shy Ashley for several weeks and now has about five weeks to conclude its business before parliament is dissolved before the election. If Ashley refuses to attend, MPs have the power to formally summon him.

If Ashley refuses, he faces being held in contempt of parliament. While there is no modern precedent for punishment for being held in contempt, the threat of such a public rebuke has recently seen Tony Blair and the Murdoch family appear before MP-led inquiries.

They've got such a lovely business model ... any company of this size that relies on 90% of staff being on zero hours contracts should be outlawed.

You are going to REAP what you have SOWN, Publicity-Shy!

Anyone seen the current Chancellor of the UK lately?

[rebeccariots2]

Ol Big Head.jpg (61.51 KiB) Viewed 7982 times

Justice Alliance ‏@justallianceuk 22m22 minutes ago
Disappointed with #justiceontrial2 result? Make your voice heard Mon 23 Feb,1pm,Old Palace Yard #solicitorhour http://ow.ly/i/8HAAV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Legal Action Group
‏@LegalActionGrp
.@justallianceuk Will we see an appearance of 'old big head' at the rally?

[diGriz]

WOW to that letter about Farage to the Master of Dulwich College.

Just WOW.

Thank you Furious.

Editing as I've just seen from the blog link that the letter was to, not from, the Master of Dulwich College. Definitely need to be accurate there.

Well 1981 was a weird year.

[yahyah]

Talking of IT fiascos this one is spectacular.
Maude should work for Lenovo he would fit right in.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -superfish

It ticks all the boxes -

Install useless spyware on users PC - check
Lie about what it does for them - check
Introduce massive security hole by accident - check
Undermine fundamental security protocol https - check.
Make hole impossible to fix by deinstalling product - check.
Deploy in huge volume - check.

In particular this is stunningly incompetent.

Worse, if the private key of the certificate is stolen from any compromised Lenovo computer, it can be used to break the security on every compromised Lenovo computer. This would leave users essentially open to any eavesdropping if they were using the net on a public Wi-Fi account, and also enables future malware authors to convince Lenovo owners that their software is produced by a trusted vendor, such as Microsoft.

That is a fundamental, the loss of a private key on your machine should only compromise you (which may be a big issue depending on who you are). If it can compromise every user with the same make of machine PKI is really really broken.

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

[TechnicalEphemera]

I think the whole Farage school thing is bollocks. Loads of kids have odd and extreme views in their teens. Just look at the number of SWP students who become successful Tory business people.

I really don't see it matters if Nigel was a bit of a fascist tosser in his teens. Really not worthy of Channel 4 and frankly a piss poor smear.

It is of course more of an issue he is a massive cock today.

[ohsocynical]

Labour’s real opposition
http://labourlist.org/2015/02/labours-real-opposition/

Good stuff from Emma Burnell.

When I go out on the doorstep, and people tell me they aren’t voting, they aren’t apathetic, they’re angry. And inconveniently, they aren’t angry to our script. Yes, they are deeply frustrated that the economy doesn’t work in their favour. But some of them blame immigration (and some of those Labour policies) and some corporatism (and some of those Labour being too close to business). They are angry that the world seems designed to work against the ambitions they have for themselves and their families and despite our efforts, so far they don’t yet believe Labour are different enough to get it. Certainly not different enough to change it....

The Tories are going to behave disgracefully in this campaign. We know this. We will not outspend them and we should not stoop to their level. Leave them to their gutter politics. But in the face of such an onslaught, we cannot simply hope to define ourselves against the Tories. In our desperation not to alienate we have accidentally failed to define ourselves. This is an error we may only now be trying to correct at the last minute. Michael Dugher’s incredibly welcome clarity over public ownership of the railways is a good example of primary colours politics.

More of this please. Good solid policy we believe in, supported by the public and done not because it creates dividing lines the Tories are on the wrong side of (that it does is a bonus not a focus) that speaks to what it means to be Labour...

Our PPC in Bracknell said when he's doorstepping he's found people are unsettled and uncertain.

It's no wonder. The Coalition has turned the country on its head. They've ignored and trampled on centuries of unwritten but ingrained beliefs and attitudes, with our Parliamentary code of behaviour and rules ignored.

There are thousands upon thousands of people that aren't that interested in the how, why and wherefore of politics. They'll probably vote because they always have done and it's their duty, but that's about as far as it goes. They get their news from the BBC.
They sense something rotten is happening to the country, but if family or friends haven't been hit by the reforms they'll be quite a few steps removed from the grim reality. In all likelihood they won't change their vote.

[rebeccariots2]

Talking of IT fiascos this one is spectacular.
Maude should work for Lenovo he would fit right in.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -superfish

It ticks all the boxes -

Install useless spyware on users PC - check
Lie about what it does for them - check
Introduce massive security hole by accident - check
Undermine fundamental security protocol https - check.
Make hole impossible to fix by deinstalling product - check.
Deploy in huge volume - check.

In particular this is stunningly incompetent.

Worse, if the private key of the certificate is stolen from any compromised Lenovo computer, it can be used to break the security on every compromised Lenovo computer. This would leave users essentially open to any eavesdropping if they were using the net on a public Wi-Fi account, and also enables future malware authors to convince Lenovo owners that their software is produced by a trusted vendor, such as Microsoft.

That is a fundamental, the loss of a private key on your machine should only compromise you (which may be a big issue depending on who you are). If it can compromise every user with the same make of machine PKI is really really broken.

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

Dear Tech Advisor,
Our sole local electrical goods shop only sells Lenovo TVs now (cheap as chips so they sell well apparently). Should we be covering everything but the screen in layers of tinfoil to make sure it isn't listening to and spying on us? We virtually live in one room - the kitchen / lounge where the TV is and everything happens there (well not quite everything that would be vulgar) - so it could get the full low down on us. We are very scared now - we are getting old so it will be very difficult for us to remember to stay out of range of the TV at all times.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Talking of IT fiascos this one is spectacular.
Maude should work for Lenovo he would fit right in.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -superfish

It ticks all the boxes -

Install useless spyware on users PC - check
Lie about what it does for them - check
Introduce massive security hole by accident - check
Undermine fundamental security protocol https - check.
Make hole impossible to fix by deinstalling product - check.
Deploy in huge volume - check.

In particular this is stunningly incompetent.

Worse, if the private key of the certificate is stolen from any compromised Lenovo computer, it can be used to break the security on every compromised Lenovo computer. This would leave users essentially open to any eavesdropping if they were using the net on a public Wi-Fi account, and also enables future malware authors to convince Lenovo owners that their software is produced by a trusted vendor, such as Microsoft.

That is a fundamental, the loss of a private key on your machine should only compromise you (which may be a big issue depending on who you are). If it can compromise every user with the same make of machine PKI is really really broken.

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

The article suggests the beginnings of a fix for removing the cert on a windows machine. However it might be worth searching the web for more info. I suspect there is (or soon will be) a Microsoft knowledge base article on it.

They have installed a man in the middle on your machine, so it needs killing and cleaning up.

[FuriousGeorge]

If you were able to, I would recommend backing all your personal files up (photos, documents, spreadsheets etc etc), formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system again.

You get rid of all the bloatware that comes with a new laptop these days, which also speeds up the PC.

But I appreciate not everyone wants to, or has the know how to do this.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Talking of IT fiascos this one is spectacular.
Maude should work for Lenovo he would fit right in.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -superfish

It ticks all the boxes -

Install useless spyware on users PC - check
Lie about what it does for them - check
Introduce massive security hole by accident - check
Undermine fundamental security protocol https - check.
Make hole impossible to fix by deinstalling product - check.
Deploy in huge volume - check.

In particular this is stunningly incompetent.
That is a fundamental, the loss of a private key on your machine should only compromise you (which may be a big issue depending on who you are). If it can compromise every user with the same make of machine PKI is really really broken.

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

Dear Tech Advisor,
Our sole local electrical goods shop only sells Lenovo TVs now (cheap as chips so they sell well apparently). Should we be covering everything but the screen in layers of tinfoil to make sure it isn't listening to and spying on us? We virtually live in one room - the kitchen / lounge where the TV is and everything happens there (well not quite everything that would be vulgar) - so it could get the full low down on us. We are very scared now - we are getting old so it will be very difficult for us to remember to stay out of range of the TV at all times.

Dear Mrs Trellice,

No, it is only the latest Samsung smart TVs that listen to your every word. Since these are large flat screen TVs you will need quantities of sound absorbing material. However be advised any webcams you have purchased must have a non-default password set by you. Furthermore as GCHQ can install software on PCs at will you may wish to cover up your PC webcam before wandering around semi clothed in front of your PC (if that is your bag).

Also Smartphones can record and listen in if GCGQ so desire - unless you take the battery out; which these days you mostly can't.

Big Data is watching you.

[citizenJA]

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

Benefits and suicide: 'You have to be strong to ask for help'

Yes.

Asking for help, admitting to needing help for a problem beyond personal control, is one of the hardest things a person will ever do. I'm sorry. I'm sorry this time is so difficult. It doesn't have to be this way. Bad leadership, indifferent, poorly trained & arrogant government is a disaster for the people they're supposed to represent.

[TechnicalEphemera]

If you were able to, I would recommend backing all your personal files up (photos, documents, spreadsheets etc etc), formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system again.

You get rid of all the bloatware that comes with a new laptop these days, which also speeds up the PC.

But I appreciate not everyone wants to, or has the know how to do this.

Also mostly you get an OEM recovery disk. Which of course will happily install it all again for you. In the Lenovo case it will probably reactivate the software that they had half killed.

Buy a new copy of whatever OS you want, nuke your machine and install that, but it seems extreme.

[FuriousGeorge]

If you were able to, I would recommend backing all your personal files up (photos, documents, spreadsheets etc etc), formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system again.

You get rid of all the bloatware that comes with a new laptop these days, which also speeds up the PC.

But I appreciate not everyone wants to, or has the know how to do this.

Also mostly you get an OEM recovery disk. Which of course will happily install it all again for you. In the Lenovo case it will probably reactivate the software that they had half killed.

Buy a new copy of whatever OS you want, nuke your machine and install that, but it seems extreme.

Usually on Laptops these day you get the recovery disk, but also there will be a Windows 8 key. Sometimes a shiny sticker on the bottom. But you can download a "clean" copy of Windows from microsoft these days, then use you key to activate it, which is handy.

[ohsocynical]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ur-MP.html
Margaret Hodge says PricewaterhouseCoopers takes part in 'tax avoidance on industrial scale' as figures show it was Labour’s biggest non-union donor

The Telegraph appears to be a little desperate to prove they are happy to investigate tax avoiders with this story. Isn't this pretty old news though?

PWC are the auditors alleged to have a very close relationship with HSBC and make frequent trips to Switzerland.
Are also alleged to have helped HSBC work out some of the most outrageous tax avoiding schemes.

[yahyah]

Dan Hodges ✔ @DPJHodges
Massive problem for Labour now. Will surely have to give PWC donation back. Especially after Hodge comments.



I bet that made his day.

[citizenJA]

The Mentally Healthy Society: The report of the Taskforce on Mental Health in Society

The independent Taskforce on Mental Health in Society, chaired by Sir Stephen O’Brien CBE, was established by Ed Miliband to look at how we can improve the mental health and wellbeing of our nation.

Labour has published the final report of the independent taskforce, which sets out some of the key next steps we need to take to become a mentally healthy society – on prevention, early intervention and better opportunities and support for those living with mental health problems.

http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/uploads/e ... ociety.pdf

Well written, in-depth research report & policy recommendations from O'Brien & team. Miliband commissioned this report in 2012 for Labour. It was published in January 2015. It's about 74 pages. Referenced.

[citizenJA]

Dan Hodges ✔ @DPJHodges
Follow
Massive problem for Labour now. Will surely have to give PWC donation back. Especially after Hodge comments.

I bet that made his day.

His heart's not in it. I wasn't even vaguely annoyed with his tweet. He's going to have to do better than that.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Dan Hodges ✔ @DPJHodges
Massive problem for Labour now. Will surely have to give PWC donation back. Especially after Hodge comments.

I bet that made his day.

Hampstead Village still missing their idiot then?

[citizenJA]

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

Dear Tech Advisor,
Our sole local electrical goods shop only sells Lenovo TVs now (cheap as chips so they sell well apparently). Should we be covering everything but the screen in layers of tinfoil to make sure it isn't listening to and spying on us? We virtually live in one room - the kitchen / lounge where the TV is and everything happens there (well not quite everything that would be vulgar) - so it could get the full low down on us. We are very scared now - we are getting old so it will be very difficult for us to remember to stay out of range of the TV at all times.

Dear Mrs Trellice,

No, it is only the latest Samsung smart TVs that listen to your every word. Since these are large flat screen TVs you will need quantities of sound absorbing material. However be advised any webcams you have purchased must have a non-default password set by you. Furthermore as GCHQ can install software on PCs at will you may wish to cover up your PC webcam before wandering around semi clothed in front of your PC (if that is your bag).

Also Smartphones can record and listen in if GCGQ so desire - unless you take the battery out; which these days you mostly can't.

Big Data is watching you.

Whatever.
I'm not very interesting.
It's rather liberating, you know?

[rebeccariots2]

I'm just back from putting a T shirt on and finding an old sticking plaster to put over the eye thing on my laptop.

[citizenJA]

Ian Davidson, Labour/Co-op MP for Glasgow South West:

"...the committee wanted to speak to other relevant members of Sports Direct’s management, those members could not stand in for Ashley. “Mike Ashley is clearly the guiding influence behind the group and we want to have him there.” he said. “We have had people in the past who didn’t have enthusiasm for coming in front of the committee and eventually they understood that the reputational damage from not coming along was much greater than not coming … Eventually he will realise that he is not bigger than parliament.”'

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(my bold)

Well said, I agree with Mr. Davidson.
Do most people feel the same way about Parliament & government's responsibilities maintaining lawful conduct from business owners & the citizens employed by them?

[rebeccariots2]

John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 4m4 minutes ago
“What happens when renewable energy runs out?” Victoria Ayling, UKIP candidate for Great Grimsby. Times Diary £ http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/a ... -559-0-0-0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

I don't normally post tweets from Rentoul ... but that quote is genuinely funny.

[citizenJA]

18 Feb 2015 Wednesday
Morning Star

Scapegoating immigrants is a way to distract attention from the economic crisis and who caused it
- BILLY HAYES

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-f9 ... n-the-book

"Billy Hayes is the general secretary (GS) of the Communication Workers Union (CWU). The CWU is the seventh largest union in Britain with around 199,862 members."

http://www.cwu.org/billy-hayes-gs.html

[ohsocynical]

Thanks TE. My husband bought a Lenovo desktop last year, had been very happy with it for ease of use etc.
Am making him aware of that.

Dear Tech Advisor,
Our sole local electrical goods shop only sells Lenovo TVs now (cheap as chips so they sell well apparently). Should we be covering everything but the screen in layers of tinfoil to make sure it isn't listening to and spying on us? We virtually live in one room - the kitchen / lounge where the TV is and everything happens there (well not quite everything that would be vulgar) - so it could get the full low down on us. We are very scared now - we are getting old so it will be very difficult for us to remember to stay out of range of the TV at all times.

Dear Mrs Trellice,

No, it is only the latest Samsung smart TVs that listen to your every word. Since these are large flat screen TVs you will need quantities of sound absorbing material. However be advised any webcams you have purchased must have a non-default password set by you. Furthermore as GCHQ can install software on PCs at will you may wish to cover up your PC webcam before wandering around semi clothed in front of your PC (if that is your bag).

Also Smartphones can record and listen in if GCGQ so desire - unless you take the battery out; which these days you mostly can't.

Big Data is watching you.

On the other hand when you're as old as Mr Ohso and I, it might be a jolly good idea to place all your gadgets in one room and skip. or in our case hobble around the room in the Nuddy singing Oh to be in England now that spring is here. Oh, and discuss in loud voices your plans for an over eighty orgy club once a week, teeth optional. That might solve the problem.

[citizenJA]

John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 4m4 minutes ago
“What happens when renewable energy runs out?” Victoria Ayling, UKIP candidate for Great Grimsby. Times Diary £ http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/a ... -559-0-0-0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

I don't normally post tweets from Rentoul ... but that quote is genuinely funny.

Edited to clarify, please, I just read the quote itself & stopped there to post what I've written below. I don't think UKIP & Yanis Varoufakis are similar at all, okay? Please let that be clear. I liked the funny quote about when will the renewable energy run out?

- it's something a commentator by the name of JimNolan wrote about once. He posts simple, clear truths pointing out the reality of situation. A commentator bent out of shape by renewables wanted an end to wind turbines & it insisted it was just anther way of big energy to profit. JimNolan asked how Lord So&So would manage to keep all the wind for himself & his turbine alone.

The UKIP candidate making that comment in earnest hasn't been enlightened by JimNolan's post. Thanks for reading this additional commentary. My original post is below.

For some reason, this reminds me of the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, when he said it's impossible to talk someone vested in an old paradigm into a new one. The best thing to do is to confront 'the powers that be' with the realities of their own system & (non-violently) thrash out a new deal as equals.

I love the 'ah ha' moments, when the lights go on & we can all see clearly what the truth is.

Renewable energy doesn't run out.
It's totally cool.

[citizenJA]

I'm just back from putting a T shirt on and finding an old sticking plaster to put over the eye thing on my laptop.

No laughing smileys adequate, RR2, to post here but maybe whomever's spying on us will give you a recording of my laughter after my finally fully taking in your post in as it's placed on the thread.

[rebeccariots2]

Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 1m1 minute ago
Not one but 3 Tory donors in latest stats turn out to be on @guardian HSBC client list. See http://politicshome.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for deets

[rebeccariots2]

Iceland is jailing bankers – we’re still giving them bonuses
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/

Iceland’s Supreme Court have sentenced four bank bosses from Kaupthing bank to serve jail time, according to yournewswire.com.

Bankers Sigurdur Einarsson, former chairman of the board, Hreidar Mar Sigurdsson, the former chief executive, Magnus Gudmundsson, the former chief executive of the Luxembourg branch and Olafur Olafsson, one of the majority owners, were sentenced to jail time of between four and five and a half years each.

The court found that they hid the fact that Qatari investor Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Bin Hamad al-Thani bought a stake in Kaupthing, using money borrowed illegally from the bank itself.

[rebeccariots2]

Older and with a sickness history? Is your best hope to lie about it.
http://www.katebelgrave.com/2015/02/old ... -about-it/

[rebeccariots2]

Ian Dunt retweeted
James Hallwood ‏@jhallwood 11m11 minutes ago
DUP seek judicial review of decision to exclude from TV debates. Like them or not they have good reason to contest it. 4th largest party.

Looks like the Cameron / Crosby plan to throw a terminally delaying spanner in the works ... is playing out as anticipated.

[AnatolyKasparov]

It will be settled well before the GE (as it was with the SNP last time, and almost certainly with the same result)

Believe me on this, Cameron won't ultimately be able to dodge these debates without doing terrific damage to himself.