Friday 12th September 2014

[Hobiejoe]

Evening all.

Quick voxpop from behind the bar - felt able to discuss politics a lot tonight, mainly prompted by Indyref conversations, and chatting with visitors I've used the phrase "come the revolution" in a light-hearted way at least four times with regard to our glorious government, and have been pleasantly surprised by the supportive response.

Nothing empirical, weighty or otherwise, but a comforting straw in the wind.

[rebeccariots2]

Evening all. I am staying up late hoping for a sighting of the Northern Lights - as hinted at by letsskip earlier. So far, nothing.

Now ...

Ted Jeory ‏@TedJeory 48m
So my mate Andrew Gilligan moves one step closer to Alastair Campbell's old job tonight..

Please don't tell me the old job is that of press and media co-ordinator for the Labour party / Ed Miliband. Tell me I'm barking to even think it might mean that - please.

[ErnstRemarx]

I've figured out what's really irritating me about the yes campaign after a lot of thinking.

Scots (probably like the rest of us) like to think of themselves as a proud, resourceful and above all brave nation of people (as I say, the rest of us of whatever nationality probably share the same self image. What's more, the media/popular image of Scots is fairly similar to said image, apart from a few scabrous and largely unfair attempts at national stereotyping - although Scots seem happy to accept a positive national stereotype, as would I, truth be told.

And yet. This image of the plucky and determined Scot, intelligent, wise and the powerhouse of Empire is entirely at odds with what I've seen and read, or heard over the past few weeks. The responses I've seen in the Graun and elsewhere from yes supporters have absolutely convinced me that they are simply impervious to argument for the most part, and it flies so much against the image of what may imagine to be 'Scottish virtues' that it leads me to think that either the praise heaped upon Scots past and present is sycophancy (possible), or else that the yes camp cannot be reasoned with.

Much has been made elsewhere of just how brave Scots are; and I'm sure they are, but I can't think of a more singularly craven act than trying to persuade you fellow countrymen to ditch a political union of 300 years standing rather than to fight to reform and redeem it. English, Welsh and Northern Irish progressive activists don't have the luxury of a separatist party with which to indulge themselves, so they have to get right on with the issues at hand and engage. Scottish separatists, it seems to me, have pretty much bottled it in a rush to leave, and hence the abject lack of detail - or even a coherent view - over how Scotland might function if it gained independence.

As I've said previously, were I Scottish, the only things that might persuade me to vote yes were if I were loaded (and my savings held in a bank that had a lender of last resort), my house paid off in full and my line of work writing misleading and evasive speeches for Alex Salmond.

[LadyCentauria]

http://disabilitynewsservice.com/2014/0 ... la-to-pip/


"Claimants missing out on thousands in transfer from to DLA to PIP"

Hard to not think this was part of the design,perhaps I'm being too cynical.Regardless,it should be addressed.

Perhaps I'm too cynical too but I find it hard to imagine what would persuade me that it wasn't part of the design – and part of the way to make the planned/claimed savings. I might be persuaded if they announced that that a) it was an oversight, b) that it would be rectified in Regulations/by Statutory Instrument within the next month, c) that everyone affected will have their proper award backdated to date of claim/notification-of-change-of-circumstances, and d) that they will take on extra staff to ensure that everyone is paid any monies outstanding (including to the Estates of any deceased claimants) within the following four months. Preferably with an Urgent Notice going out to all Benefits Offices, instantly, to stating that 'it wasn't the intent of the Government' for it to be working as it is and telling them how to proceed with current cases until the Legislation/Regulations have been corrected.

After all, they were quick enough to work through Urgent Notice when they finally accepted that they should not have been charging Under-Occupancy Penalty to people who had 'both lived at the same address and been claiming Housing Benefit continuously since before Jan 1st 1996' and to refund any that had been charged. Although, they were swift enough to close that loop-hole by regulations within weeks!