Wednesday 1st April 2015

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ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

Ian ‏@Mancman10 6 mins6 minutes ago Manchester, England
Weds' YouGov/Sun poll:
LAB 36%
CON 35%
UKIP 12%
LDEM 7%
GRN 5%
#GE2015
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

ohsocynical wrote:And today went into Waitrose for some of their sausage meat [ Home made sausage rolls for this weekend] and they have a bin for food donations for our local food bank...Never, ever thought I'd see the day.

The John Lewis Partnership have a big charitable giving budget out of their profits, always have done.
The staff [partners in the business & profit share] can nominate charities they want to benefit.
But good to see them encouraging customers to donate as well.
That it should be necessary is shocking, obviously.
Last edited by yahyah on Wed 01 Apr, 2015 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

pk1 wrote:Sky news presenter has said he is with Osborne at Britvic factory in Pudsey, Leeds.

Osborne was introduced by the non-exec chairman Joel Corbett who is apparently another of the signatories to that letter.
Britvic factory? Never thought Osborne was a Pepsi man, always thought he preferred ........ ah, insert you own punchline! :lol!:
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

utopiandreams wrote:Sometimes I must really piss people off, perhaps I need company. I think it was Willow904 who mentioned business rates, which somewhat reminded me of something else. Many moons ago I had business premises in an adjacent county. The rent wasn't too bad considering but the rates... Bloody Hell!

One day one of my staff badly cut his finger and needed a suture. There was a nearby clinic so I took him there. Talk about hassle, he only needed stitches but because neither of us were residents of the county were told to go to A&E at Burton Hospital. Neither were we residents of Staffordshire btw, not that that mattered. They did sort him out once I'd told them I paid business rates locally, but I was still displeased with our reception.

You don't piss me off UD.

I like the social aspect of FTN. It is as important as the sharing of news and views.
A week can go by and it is only my husband, a neighbour or a sheep that I get to speak to.
So share away.
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

Have we had this ?

Generous welfare benefits don't discourage people from working, latest scientific evidence shows
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 49732.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope IDS is asked what he thinks about it.
utopiandreams
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

A final thought before some system maintenance; I was notified earlier that both my firewalls were turned off and then Firefox hung, stopping me from posting. I suppose I should turn off scripts for most sites but you do need them on some, especially where you log in. I get particularly annoyed by all the scripts that run on even msm pages... and no I do not wish to debug. Web developers apparently spend less time handling errors than application ones for example. There again without wishing to stereotype, they don't seem to have the same in depth knowledge. Maybe I shouldn't be too critical as they're usually under a lot of pressure given their time constraints.

Anyway less of the ramble, I wanted to follow on from ohsocynical's days of yore meme and others' comments on business-friendly Tories and anti-business Labour. We should not expect Cameron to bear the sins of his father vis-à-vis Blairmore Holdings but Tories are not what I'd call business-friendly more the friends of spivs, tax-evaders and corporations. 'And still being overly particular, I'm particularly pleased by Labour's intention to lower business rates by not reducing corporation tax.

Days of yore: what I'm referring to is that I remember fatherly bank managers that would get off their butt and visit you in your business premises. They were a font of knowledge and good advice... then there was bank deregulation, something the younger generations have always lived with. Banks rushed to pull their money away from small enterprise unless secured on residential property so that they could speculate on get rich quick schemes. 'And please remind me which government this was? (Rhetorical question of course). Now look at banks and the rip-off merchants they've become. Remember it was George that spent tax-payers money fighting their corner in Europe.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
utopiandreams
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

yahyah wrote:... You don't piss me off UD.

I like the social aspect of FTN. It is as important as the sharing of news and views.
A week can go by and it is only my husband, a neighbour or a sheep that I get to speak to.
So share away.
Thanks, yahyah, but I won't mention the last time I met a sheep. I did used to live in North Wales you know. Perhaps I should use emoticons on the odd occasion.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
minch
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by minch »

utopiandreams wrote:A final thought before some system maintenance; I was notified earlier that both my firewalls were turned off and then Firefox hung, stopping me from posting. I suppose I should turn off scripts for most sites but you do need them on some, especially where you log in. I get particularly annoyed by all the scripts that run on even msm pages... and no I do not wish to debug. Web developers apparently spend less time handling errors than application ones for example. There again without wishing to stereotype, they don't seem to have the same in depth knowledge. Maybe I shouldn't be too critical as they're usually under a lot of pressure given their time constraints.

Anyway less of the ramble, I wanted to follow on from ohsocynical's days of yore meme and others' comments on business-friendly Tories and anti-business Labour. We should not expect Cameron to bear the sins of his father vis-à-vis Blairmore Holdings but Tories are not what I'd call business-friendly more the friends of spivs, tax-evaders and corporations. 'And still being overly particular, I'm particularly pleased by Labour's intention to lower business rates by not reducing corporation tax.

Days of yore: what I'm referring to is that I remember fatherly bank managers that would get off their butt and visit you in your business premises. They were a font of knowledge and good advice... then there was bank deregulation, something the younger generations have always lived with. Banks rushed to pull their money away from small enterprise unless secured on residential property so that they could speculate on get rich quick schemes. 'And please remind me which government this was? (Rhetorical question of course). Now look at banks and the rip-off merchants they've become. Remember it was George that spent tax-payers money fighting their corner in Europe.
Does anyone know how 'project Merlin' is doing?
ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

yahyah wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:And today went into Waitrose for some of their sausage meat [ Home made sausage rolls for this weekend] and they have a bin for food donations for our local food bank...Never, ever thought I'd see the day.

The John Lewis Partnership have a big charitable giving budget out of their profits, always have done.
The staff [partners in the business & profit share] can nominate charities they want to benefit.
But good to see them encouraging customers to donate as well.
That it should be necessary is shocking, obviously.
They give you a token and the choice of three charities to drop your token in which is great, but the food bank thing is a new one.
It's rather tucked away as if they're ashamed of it. You only see it as you're through the tills and on your way to the exit.
I'd only bought a few things for my Easter baking session that I can't get in Aldi, and had nothing to leave, so I'm going to write to them and suggest they put it where people see it as they're entering. It'll increase sales so I can't see why they will refuse.

I wonder if it's because luvvies shop there and they're worried about their middle class image?
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

@YahYah

Although I live in an urban area Snap! Except substitute neighbour's cat [called Keats who comes in every morning for a slice of ham] for sheep.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

minch wrote:
utopiandreams wrote:A final thought before some system maintenance; I was notified earlier that both my firewalls were turned off and then Firefox hung, stopping me from posting. I suppose I should turn off scripts for most sites but you do need them on some, especially where you log in. I get particularly annoyed by all the scripts that run on even msm pages... and no I do not wish to debug. Web developers apparently spend less time handling errors than application ones for example. There again without wishing to stereotype, they don't seem to have the same in depth knowledge. Maybe I shouldn't be too critical as they're usually under a lot of pressure given their time constraints.

Anyway less of the ramble, I wanted to follow on from ohsocynical's days of yore meme and others' comments on business-friendly Tories and anti-business Labour. We should not expect Cameron to bear the sins of his father vis-à-vis Blairmore Holdings but Tories are not what I'd call business-friendly more the friends of spivs, tax-evaders and corporations. 'And still being overly particular, I'm particularly pleased by Labour's intention to lower business rates by not reducing corporation tax.

Days of yore: what I'm referring to is that I remember fatherly bank managers that would get off their butt and visit you in your business premises. They were a font of knowledge and good advice... then there was bank deregulation, something the younger generations have always lived with. Banks rushed to pull their money away from small enterprise unless secured on residential property so that they could speculate on get rich quick schemes. 'And please remind me which government this was? (Rhetorical question of course). Now look at banks and the rip-off merchants they've become. Remember it was George that spent tax-payers money fighting their corner in Europe.
Does anyone know how 'project Merlin' is doing?
Our quality of life is definitely worse than it used to be. Some things have improved but interaction, person to person even if it was a business transaction has worsened. Mr Ohso calls it eyeball contact. Youngsters in particular are very bad at it. They don't even seem to register faces when they're stuck doing a job they hate.

One thing I suddenly thought of when I was mulling over the old days, is that you don't seen men on bikes with their trousers tucked into their socks anymore. Not that I miss that particular thing..... :lol:
Last edited by ohsocynical on Wed 01 Apr, 2015 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
gilsey
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by gilsey »

Did you have this yesterday? Apologies if so, I was on a day trip to bonny Scotland so off line.

The stuff of Tory nightmares: what if Ed Miliband connects?
Rafael Behr

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... n-campaign" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Issues the Conservatives once counted on to attract votes for them have lost some of their magnetism. To talk about immigration means skirting around the broken pledge to bring numbers down. Boasting about benefit cuts exudes indifference to poverty as much as budget discipline. Promising to “finish the job” of eliminating the deficit contains a reminder that the job was due to be finished already.
Miliband, however, has been written off many times and he keeps writing himself back on again. He is nothing if not resilient, which suggests that a prolonged stare at Labour may not achieve everything the Tories need. The Miliband that people see may not tally with the monstrous caricature of Conservative creation. Then those who currently say they will vote Labour – and there are enough of them, on some measures, to unseat Cameron – could carry that intention all the way to the polling booth and not blink when they get there.
One world, like it or not - John Martyn
PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

@ minch

Project Merlin -

I'd forgotten all about that. As has everybody supposedly involved in it, I think. Bank of Big Society?
minch
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by minch »

PorFavor wrote:@ minch

Project Merlin -

I'd forgotten all about that. As has everybody supposedly involved in it, I think. Bank of Big Society?
Wasn't there a green bank too?

Someone should check how all of these schemes are meeting their goals.
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

Yipeee....

I might moan about Plaid but Prof. Roger Scully has updated his analysis after the latest Welsh poll.

''Up-Date (01/04/15; and this is not an April Fools’ joke…): Apologies for being rather slow on the analysis this week, but I was away at a conference on Monday and Tuesday. Anyway, as has become customary, I have also computed Ratio Swing seat projections for the latest Barometer poll. These are:

Labour: 28 seats (keeping the 26 they won in 2010, and gaining both Cardiff Central from the Liberal Democrats and Cardiff North from the Conservatives);

Conservatives: 8 seats (losing Cardiff North to Labour, but gaining Brecon & Radnor from the Liberal Democrats);

Plaid Cymru: 4 seats (keeping all three seats that they currently hold, and gaining Ceredigion from the Liberal Democrats);

Liberal Democrats: 0 seats (losing Cardiff Central, Brecon & Radnor, and Ceredigion).

As I’ve explained previously, Ratio Swing tends to produce numbers that are particularly unfavourable to a party that has lost a significant proportion of support since the last election – just the position that the Lib-Dems are in.''

:dance: :dance: :dance:

Maybe no Welsh seats left for the Liberals in Wales !
Scully has previously maintained Ceredigion would be safe for the Libs.


http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/electionsinw ... indings-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

gilsey wrote:Did you have this yesterday? Apologies if so, I was on a day trip to bonny Scotland so off line.

The stuff of Tory nightmares: what if Ed Miliband connects?
Rafael Behr

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... n-campaign" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Issues the Conservatives once counted on to attract votes for them have lost some of their magnetism. To talk about immigration means skirting around the broken pledge to bring numbers down. Boasting about benefit cuts exudes indifference to poverty as much as budget discipline. Promising to “finish the job” of eliminating the deficit contains a reminder that the job was due to be finished already.
Miliband, however, has been written off many times and he keeps writing himself back on again. He is nothing if not resilient, which suggests that a prolonged stare at Labour may not achieve everything the Tories need. The Miliband that people see may not tally with the monstrous caricature of Conservative creation. Then those who currently say they will vote Labour – and there are enough of them, on some measures, to unseat Cameron – could carry that intention all the way to the polling booth and not blink when they get there.
I'm going to say LibDem and spit as I go into the Polling station... And I'm sure there are many more like me
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

George Osborne has admitted he would find it “very difficult” to live on a zero-hour contract, even though the Conservatives do not think they should be banned or further restricted.

The chancellor also acknowledged that the contracts are a sign of job insecurity for workers, but said they were not as bad having no work at all. (Guardian)
For some people it's probably worse than having no job at all.
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

Before I go to work, a little constituency quiz for you, I had a measly 7/10.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32086606" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PaulfromYorkshire
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
pk1
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by pk1 »

ohsocynical wrote: I'm going to say LibDem and spit as I go into the Polling station... And I'm sure there are many more like me
Bracknell is a safe Tory seat isn't it ?

Mine is too & I know my vote won't change that but if it comes to claiming 'legitimacy' I want my vote to count toward Labour's overall total.
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by pk1 »

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
I saw it, nodded my amusement & meant to comment but forgot :oops:
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

If anyone's tweeting for FTN, please can you tweet Roger Scully's Lib Dem 0 seats in Wales projection.
PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

pk1 wrote:
PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
I saw it, nodded my approval & meant to comment but forgot :oops:
Me too. I think I even laughed. I think PaulfromYorkshire must have fallen foul of one of my arbitrary and extremely short lived attempts to stop being so thankful. So - thanks, PaulfromYorkshire.


Edited to add a comma
Last edited by PorFavor on Wed 01 Apr, 2015 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
Oh - and I still smile when I think of the mug production! That really tickled me.
ohsocynical
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

Martin Rowson is going to post Tweets of his cartoons right from when Dave got in...Today there is a nice one of baby Dave stretched out on a fat cat rug in the nuddy, having his photo taken by nearly complete wooden puppet Clegg.

My goodness we've come a long way since then. I don't think there was even a Clegg fingernail in his latest.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
yahyah
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by yahyah »

Comment on Cif from Michael Rosen...election fever has taken me back there temporarily.

''MichaelRosen 7m ago
Contributor
Has anyone pointed out that it's dead easy for bosses to put some of their earnings through the firm so that they end up paying corporation tax rather than income tax?
Of course bosses are dead chuffed that corporation tax went down.''
PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

@ PaulfromYorkshire

I take a very dim view of your not yet having thanked me for thanking you.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

utopiandreams wrote:I didn't expect to start a conversation about customer or personal service from small operations, but having read ohsocynical's and Rebecca's posts am pleased that I did. Anyway I asked my son about tomorrow's rate of pay, to which he replied 60p per hour. Of course I knew he was joking and he is in fact getting the full rate. He'd also realised why I asked, knowing me, but did explain that this was still connected to the agency, though he did add that he wondered whether they gained additional funds for these training days. Should they, let's hope Boots are footing the bill and that it isn't some government scheme that's being taken advantage of. You never know with such terminology; an 'apprenticeship' day?

Edit: sorry it was yahyah that brought up local independents... and a mention for Willow904.
Glad to hear that your lad is going to be paid the full rate rather than the apprenticeship rate, @utopiandreams! Hope he'll do well. A lot of companies outsource their training, these days, rather than doing it in-house, as of yore. Boots might well be taking advantage of Government funding for training but other than looking at their full Company Accounts, I don't know how you'd find out.
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PorFavor
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PorFavor »

Mirror letter signed by 100 "working people" backs Labour

Labour have released their own 100 signatory letter about economic policy. Published in The Mirror, the letter is signed “by shelf stackers, firefighters and retired farm hands”, as well as by business owners and public figures such as Wayne Hemingway, Trevor Beattie and Peter Duncan, the paper’s political editor Jason Beattie reveals.(Guardian Election Blog)
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TechnicalEphemera
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

Am I the only one suffering Guardian Live blog time warp.
4.58am 18:58
Nick Clegg has refused to rule out cutting the 40p tax threshold, one day after shadow chancellor Ed Balls came under pressure to do the same. While the Lib Dems have ruled out increasing VAT, national insurance and income tax, Clegg declined three times to rule out lowering the 40p tax threshold. As my colleague Frances Perraudin reports:
First off why 4.58am and I am sure the Balls row was today.

Spooky.
Release the Guardvarks.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

PFY, #SignaTories was a good 'un, I would have gone with that one on Twitter but for the #100Sociopaths hashtag.

In other news ..... I won't link to it either, but I guess people will be less than surprised to hear that Havisham Hodges has called it for the Tories for the third day running!! I'm looking at sometime in early May for the "I am, with great reluctance, voting Tory announcement", certainly if he has inherited any of his mum's talent for dramatic timing.
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
mikems
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by mikems »

ohso
I'm going to say LibDem and spit as I go into the Polling station... And I'm sure there are many more like me
If it is a choice between Liberals and Tories, you may as well vote Labour or whatever else you fancy. The Libs are the only party willing to go into coalition with the tories, so one fewer of them, and one more tory, makes no overall difference.

Just a thought.
Spacedone
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by Spacedone »

Chesham&AmershamUKIP ‏@UKIPCANDA 36 mins36 minutes ago
How does the obnoxious, incompetent, champagne socialist @mrjamesob get a tv show? Private school socialist media network @LBC

James O'Brien ‏@mrjamesob 27 mins27 minutes ago
@UKIPCANDA I've completely forgotten the 'private school socialist media network' secret handshake! Can you give us a clue?

Al Murray FUKP ‏@almurray 24 mins24 minutes ago
@mrjamesob @UKIPCANDA typical EUSSR BBC PC brigade answer.
:lol:
PaulfromYorkshire
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

PorFavor wrote:
PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
Oh - and I still smile when I think of the mug production! That really tickled me.
Thanks for reminding me ;-)
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

RobertSnozers wrote:
PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
By thanking for that post I was indicating that I did find it funny and apposite, but it occurred to me that it might be taken as agreement that it was not funny, which is not the case. The latter, not the former. Er...
:lol: :lol:

Thanks I'm thoroughly cheered up now.

Well, well we had Ed in our constituency today, announcing the zero hours policy.

So, high command obviously think our excellent candidate Jane East is in with a decent chance. Thanks Ed!
PaulfromYorkshire
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

Ouch!
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citizenJA
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by citizenJA »

TechnicalEphemera wrote:Am I the only one suffering Guardian Live blog time warp.
4.58am 18:58
Nick Clegg has refused to rule out cutting the 40p tax threshold, one day after shadow chancellor Ed Balls came under pressure to do the same. While the Lib Dems have ruled out increasing VAT, national insurance and income tax, Clegg declined three times to rule out lowering the 40p tax threshold. As my colleague Frances Perraudin reports:
First off why 4.58am and I am sure the Balls row was today.

Spooky.
No, you're not the only one.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

Another Labour policy that has been announced this afternoon, and a very welcome one!!
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citizenJA
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Labour getting rid of tribunal fees is huge & welcome.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

yahyah wrote:Have we had this ?

Generous welfare benefits don't discourage people from working, latest scientific evidence shows
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 49732.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope IDS is asked what he thinks about it.
I don't expect he does think about it as it goes against his belief, sadly.
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pk1
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by pk1 »

Jason Beattie from the Mirror has a 100-sig letter of people from all walks of life, endorsing Labours plans.
@JBeattieMirror: Letter to Mirror signed by 100 people backing Labour. Includes cafe workers, business leaders and celebrities #GE2015 http://t.co/88lJqGJV2H" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It includes people like Dale Vince, Ecotricity; Wayne Hemingway; Peter Duncan (I'm assuming it's the ex Blue Peter fella) as well as loads of workers on ZHCs and ex-ZHC workers.

I can't replicate the list because it's too big to display but the smart folks in the Mod dept will probably be able to do it ;)
55DegreesNorth
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by 55DegreesNorth »

Evening folks,
Yet another story to make you angry.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... om-8962858

BTW
Just watched the LibDem PPB. They will be exterminated - there was a story I read the other day about some canvassing done in County Durham, in a ward where they polled 18% last election. Out of 2000 doors, they found 2 LibDems.
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

gilsey wrote:Did you have this yesterday? Apologies if so, I was on a day trip to bonny Scotland so off line.

The stuff of Tory nightmares: what if Ed Miliband connects?
Rafael Behr

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... n-campaign" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Issues the Conservatives once counted on to attract votes for them have lost some of their magnetism. To talk about immigration means skirting around the broken pledge to bring numbers down. Boasting about benefit cuts exudes indifference to poverty as much as budget discipline. Promising to “finish the job” of eliminating the deficit contains a reminder that the job was due to be finished already.
Miliband, however, has been written off many times and he keeps writing himself back on again. He is nothing if not resilient, which suggests that a prolonged stare at Labour may not achieve everything the Tories need. The Miliband that people see may not tally with the monstrous caricature of Conservative creation. Then those who currently say they will vote Labour – and there are enough of them, on some measures, to unseat Cameron – could carry that intention all the way to the polling booth and not blink when they get there.
I read that in the wee small hours (between waking up after falling asleep in the wheelchair – not recommended as very uncomfortable – and going to bed properly) and thought it a good article. Forgot to post it, though.
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by refitman »

Lord Levy on the Tory and Labour letters, from Sky News: http://www.snappytv.com/tc/534827/114547" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by refitman »

pk1 wrote:Jason Beattie from the Mirror has a 100-sig letter of people from all walks of life, endorsing Labours plans.
@JBeattieMirror: Letter to Mirror signed by 100 people backing Labour. Includes cafe workers, business leaders and celebrities #GE2015 http://t.co/88lJqGJV2H" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It includes people like Dale Vince, Ecotricity; Wayne Hemingway; Peter Duncan (I'm assuming it's the ex Blue Peter fella) as well as loads of workers on ZHCs and ex-ZHC workers.

I can't replicate the list because it's too big to display but the smart folks in the Mod dept will probably be able to do it ;)
You rang?
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

PorFavor wrote:
George Osborne has admitted he would find it “very difficult” to live on a zero-hour contract, even though the Conservatives do not think they should be banned or further restricted.

The chancellor also acknowledged that the contracts are a sign of job insecurity for workers, but said they were not as bad having no work at all. (Guardian)
For some people it's probably worse than having no job at all.
Cable said, earlier, that Zero-Hours Contracts only affected about 700,000 people (and quoted whatever small proportion of all workers that is) so intimating that ZHCs are really not a problem. Well, it has a major effect on those 700,000 people and their families! And, regarding Osborne's comments, for some people they are exactly the same as having no work at all – and are likely to be treated that way under UC – and where there's an exclusivity clause, some people don't feel free to go and find another job.
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Before I go to work, a little constituency quiz for you, I had a measly 7/10.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32086606" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I got six. And was a bit disappointed by the quiz itself as I'd assumed that, first, I'd have to pick my constituency and then answer questions about it...
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by LadyCentauria »

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Nobody has yet picked up on my #SignaTories thing - maybe not that funny? :twisted:
It raised a chuckle, here :)
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by citizenJA »

Labour tonight publishes a letter from working people including some in business and others on zero hours contracts and still more from public services and the arts or entertainment industry, backing Labour’s better plan for a better future. It is a letter which shows how Labour’s plan commands support from all walks of life – because Britain, and British business, succeeds when working people succeed. The text of the letter which has also been sent to the Guardian newspaper appears below:
Dear Sir,

We all care about Britain’s economy and we all have a stake in the future.
We are all working people. Some of us run businesses, large and small. Some of us used to work on zero hours contracts, some of us still do.
We come from all walks of life; this is what Britain looks like.
We believe that the fundamental choice at this election is: who does this country work for? Does it work only for those at the very top or does it work for working people – those trying to make ends meet, working in British businesses across the country to create wealth and support their families?
A symbol of the failure of this Government’s economic plan is the proliferation of zero hours contracts which has helped fuel the low wage, low skill economy that is letting down working people and letting down Britain.
Britain only succeeds when working people succeed. We need a better plan for prosperity. We need a better plan and a better future. We need a Labour Government to put working people first.

Yours faithfully,

[many people signed their name to this letter here]

APRIL 1, 2015 (7:02 PM)
http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1152243 ... ing-people
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Re: Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by Spacedone »

LadyCentauria wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
George Osborne has admitted he would find it “very difficult” to live on a zero-hour contract, even though the Conservatives do not think they should be banned or further restricted.

The chancellor also acknowledged that the contracts are a sign of job insecurity for workers, but said they were not as bad having no work at all. (Guardian)
For some people it's probably worse than having no job at all.
Cable said, earlier, that Zero-Hours Contracts only affected about 700,000 people (and quoted whatever small proportion of all workers that is) so intimating that ZHCs are really not a problem. Well, it has a major effect on those 700,000 people and their families! And, regarding Osborne's comments, for some people they are exactly the same as having no work at all – and are likely to be treated that way under UC – and where there's an exclusivity clause, some people don't feel free to go and find another job.
As was pointed out on R4 PM, that 700,000 figure comes from employees self-identifying their jobs as zero hour contract jobs. When the question was put to employers the answer they got for the number of ZHCs was 1.8million. Now who is in the better position to know their jobs are ZHC than the people who wrote the contract?
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