Tuesday 14th April

A home from home
Forum rules
Welcome to FTN. New posters are welcome to join the conversation. You can follow us on Twitter @FlythenestHaven You are responsible for the content you post. This is a public forum. Treat it as if you are speaking in a crowded room. Site admin and Moderators are volunteers who will respond as quickly as they are able to when made aware of any complaints. Please do not post copyrighted material without the original authors permission.
AnatolyKasparov
Prime Minister
Posts: 15626
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:26 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

pk1 wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:Well, I think we know which way the G is going.
"Labour’s focus on cutting the deficit, means progressive voters will have to look elsewhere for inspiration."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... cit-voters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wouldn't pay too much attention to Monbiot - he's been against Labour for as long as I've been reading the Graun.
Yep, he is no canary in the coalmine. Thankfully ;)
"IS TONTY BLAIR BEHIND THIS???!!!!111???!!!"
User avatar
danesclose
Whip
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:06 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by danesclose »

Latest YouGov:

Latest YouGov poll (13 - 14 Apr):
LAB - 35% (+1)
CON - 33% (-)
UKIP - 13% (-)
LDEM - 8% (-)
GRN - 5% (-1)

Apologies if already posted
Proud to be part of The Indecent Minority.
User avatar
RogerOThornhill
Prime Minister
Posts: 11115
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 2h 2 hours ago
By my count 4.5 of the government's new schools have closed down within two years of opening. Can anyone name them all? Or add some?


and then...

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 2h 2 hours ago
Well done @Tubby_Isaacs. Closure list is: Discovery, Durham, Al-Madinah (half), Hackney UTC &, now, Black Country.


:clap:
If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.
User avatar
LadyCentauria
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2437
Joined: Fri 05 Sep, 2014 10:25 am
Location: Set within 3,500 acres of leafy public land in SW London

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by LadyCentauria »

ErnstRemarx wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:I note that the pound is down against every other currency following the Tories' manifesto launch. Could just be coincidence of course.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business/market ... efault.stm
From a selfish POV, I want a hellishly strong pound until early August, as the three of us are going to Kos (first time abroad for the WeeBundle) and I intend to punish the local tavernas. When I'm being sensible, this subsides, but also the pseudo/amateur economist in me tells me instinctively that the markets are probably as unimpressed by the Tory manifesto as the folk at FTN Towers, its associated bars and speak easies, and of course its peerless cafe (today's special: Grilled Newt Au Lait).
Hurrah! I've been awaiting Newt Season with bated breath and just know this new recipe will be a stunning success :rock:
Image
This time, I'm gonna be stronger I'm not giving in...
PaulfromYorkshire
Site Admin
Posts: 8329
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 7:27 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

onebuttonmonkey wrote:Oh good grief. Despite a universal negative response, including from their own columnists, the Telehraph has led tomorrow's front page with "Return of The Good Life."

Here's my rant from earlier, tidied up a little and with some additional bile. I've pretty much run out of swearwords for how dumb politics has been today:

The Party for Ordinary People http://onebuttonmonkey.com/obm/2015/4/1 ... eople.html

Or, in short: bloody hell.

Edit: because hyperlinks aren't magic, they actually need to be pasted. I'm an eedjit.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 22.41.51.png
Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 22.41.51.png (31.81 KiB) Viewed 8496 times
User avatar
rebeccariots2
Prime Minister
Posts: 14038
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by rebeccariots2 »

Gove on Newsnight defending the Right To Buy nonsense again .... Maitliss is challenging him on the unfairness of it - and the poor track record of house building under this government.

Gove is unstoppable in his mouth flapping flim flam.
Working on the wild side.
Tubby Isaacs
Prime Minister
Posts: 9949
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 11:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

RogerOThornhill wrote:Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 2h 2 hours ago
By my count 4.5 of the government's new schools have closed down within two years of opening. Can anyone name them all? Or add some?


and then...

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 2h 2 hours ago
Well done @Tubby_Isaacs. Closure list is: Discovery, Durham, Al-Madinah (half), Hackney UTC &, now, Black Country.


:clap:
Thanks very much. You'd have beaten me to it, but were at the Orient, I presume?
User avatar
rebeccariots2
Prime Minister
Posts: 14038
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by rebeccariots2 »

danesclose wrote:Latest YouGov:

Latest YouGov poll (13 - 14 Apr):
LAB - 35% (+1)
CON - 33% (-)
UKIP - 13% (-)
LDEM - 8% (-)
GRN - 5% (-1)

Apologies if already posted
No apologies required - helps to antidote the ghastly Gove wittering in the background behind me ..... we're on to the other unfunded promises in their manifesto ... 18 billion (according to Maitliss) with no indication of how they will be funded or where the cuts will fall.
Working on the wild side.
pk1
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2314
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:58 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by pk1 »

OT but I recall there used to be some stargazing posters here & just wondered if they managed to get a glimpse of the Dragon supply ship to the ISS tonight ?

It was bloody amazing ! Watched the lift off in Florida live on NASA TV then watched it sail over my house 20 mins later - a-bloody-mazing !!

If you didn't see it, here's a really good photo somebody managed to take:
Attachments
image.jpg
image.jpg (25.49 KiB) Viewed 8481 times
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

Govey's been badgered on Newsnight and accused Emily Maitlis of moving the goalposts.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
User avatar
danesclose
Whip
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:06 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by danesclose »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
danesclose wrote:Latest YouGov:

Latest YouGov poll (13 - 14 Apr):
LAB - 35% (+1)
CON - 33% (-)
UKIP - 13% (-)
LDEM - 8% (-)
GRN - 5% (-1)

Apologies if already posted
No apologies required - helps to antidote the ghastly Gove wittering in the background behind me ..... we're on to the other unfunded promises in their manifesto ... 18 billion (according to Maitliss) with no indication of how they will be funded or where the cuts will fall.
Couldn't bear to watch it. Gove & Maitliss together was just too much for me.
If Emily is giving him a shoeing then things must be bad.
Proud to be part of The Indecent Minority.
User avatar
rebeccariots2
Prime Minister
Posts: 14038
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by rebeccariots2 »

Tim Montgomerie ن ‏@montie 24m24 minutes ago
Tim Montgomerie ن retweeted David Jack
Labour lead by 2% tonight. Let's wait until the weekend and start panicking if Labour is still ahead then
Working on the wild side.
User avatar
AngryAsWell
Prime Minister
Posts: 5852
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 7:35 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by AngryAsWell »

Daniel France retweeted
Dan Hodges ‏@DanPHodges · 6m6 minutes ago
Now Gove is using Cameron's dead son Ivan to score political points. Bad enough when Cameron does it #newsnight
User avatar
TheGrimSqueaker
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2192
Joined: Thu 28 Aug, 2014 12:23 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

pk1 wrote:OT but I recall there used to be some stargazing posters here & just wondered if they managed to get a glimpse of the Dragon supply ship to the ISS tonight ?

It was bloody amazing ! Watched the lift off in Florida live on NASA TV then watched it sail over my house 20 mins later - a-bloody-mazing !!

If you didn't see it, here's a really good photo somebody managed to take:
They tried the rocket recovery again, apparently managed to get it on the barge this time but too hard, and it went over the side. An interesting company, SpaceX.
Last edited by TheGrimSqueaker on Tue 14 Apr, 2015 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
User avatar
rebeccariots2
Prime Minister
Posts: 14038
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by rebeccariots2 »

Bonnie Greer ‏@Bonn1eGreer 4m4 minutes ago
Said this before & I'll say it again-even if Madame Gove chastisizes me again:
Need a reason not to vote #Tory?
It's called #MichaelGove
Working on the wild side.
User avatar
RogerOThornhill
Prime Minister
Posts: 11115
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Thanks very much. You'd have beaten me to it, but were at the Orient, I presume?
Yes.

:roll:
If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.
User avatar
TechnicalEphemera
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2967
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 11:21 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

Tubby Isaacs wrote:None of these tax rises would affect demand or output or anything like that, OhSo.
And of course all those poor people driving fuel inefficient cars would be able to replace them for the latest hybrids.

I think all we can say about the Green Party manifesto is that it is more realistic than the Tory one.
Release the Guardvarks.
User avatar
adam
First Secretary of State
Posts: 3210
Joined: Wed 27 Aug, 2014 9:15 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by adam »

Haven't noticed this linked here but I found it picked up on the Daily Politics at the graun - UKIP Northern Ireland have jumped the gun on the party's manifesto launch tomorrow and launched their one today. You can read it here
I still believe in a town called Hope
User avatar
citizenJA
Prime Minister
Posts: 20648
Joined: Thu 11 Sep, 2014 12:22 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by citizenJA »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Tim Montgomerie ن ‏@montie 24m24 minutes ago
Tim Montgomerie ن retweeted David Jack
Labour lead by 2% tonight. Let's wait until the weekend and start panicking if Labour is still ahead then
What you damn Tories need to panic for? It's not like you'll be homeless or hungry if Tories fail to get a majority this time too.
User avatar
TechnicalEphemera
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2967
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 11:21 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Tim Montgomerie ن ‏@montie 24m24 minutes ago
Tim Montgomerie ن retweeted David Jack
Labour lead by 2% tonight. Let's wait until the weekend and start panicking if Labour is still ahead then
Tim is quite a thoughtful Tory, you do have to wonder what he thinks of Cameron just throwing unfunded promises around like confetti. The housing association right to steal thing looks like a car crash, which will probably cost more votes than it gains. I can't believe he is comfortable with this sort of insanity at the heart of the Tory campaign.
Release the Guardvarks.
User avatar
refitman
Site Admin
Posts: 7692
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 7:22 pm
Location: Wombwell, United Kingdom

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by refitman »

It looks like Labour aren't finished releasing manifestos:
Labour is to launch a women’s manifesto tomorrow, and the party claims it will set out:
  • New plans to consult on allowing grandparents – who want to be more involved in caring for their grandchildren – to share in parents’ unpaid parental leave, so enabling them to take time off work without fear of losing their job.
  • A plan to help the 60% of low paid workers who are women with a minimum wage of more than £8 by October 2019, as well as promoting the Living Wage.
  • Say they plan to tackle discrimination at work, by abolishing the employment tribunal fee system, as well as requiring companies with more than 250 employees to tackle their hourly gender pay gap, and by strengthening the law on maternity discrimination.
  • Pledge 25 hours free childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds, as well as protecting the Sure Start budget, and say they will guarantee a of wraparound childcare at primary schools that will be delivered through a new National Primary Childcare Service.
  • The party says it will take action on violence against women and girls by: preventing unacceptable attitudes and behaviour through age appropriate compulsory sex and relationship education; and appointing a new commissioner to set minimum standards on tackling violence against women and girls.
  • Plans to retain the use of all women shortlists for Labour Party Westminster parliamentary selections, and also set a goal for 50% of ministerial appointments to public boards to be women.
From the Graun blog.
User avatar
rebeccariots2
Prime Minister
Posts: 14038
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by rebeccariots2 »

A lose-lose policy
http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/0 ... se-policy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Back to the housing associations who will not take this lying down. They have billions in loans with institutions which since the financial crash have wanted to reduce their lending to the sector. The forced sale of these mortgaged properties will result in the formal breach of many of the lender’s loan covenants, meaning the loans will be called in and the housing associations technically made insolvent. At best, this default will be used to massively increase the cost of existing and future borrowing to the housing association sector – and thus fewer social and affordable homes being built. At worst we could see insolvencies ripple across the housing association sector.

The Treasury is rumoured to have argued against this policy for good reason. The United Kingdom needs massively more social and affordable homes – all parties agree on that. For every £1 of state money, the housing associations have levered in much more at very low cost. This RTB policy reduces the leverage and increases the cost – the result is that fewer homes will be built. A lose-lose policy.
Working on the wild side.
User avatar
RogerOThornhill
Prime Minister
Posts: 11115
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by RogerOThornhill »

adam wrote:Haven't noticed this linked here but I found it picked up on the Daily Politics at the graun - UKIP Northern Ireland have jumped the gun on the party's manifesto launch tomorrow and launched their one today. You can read it here

UKIP will scrap the target of 50% of school leavers going to university

What target?

There's never been one that said this and the one that did have a 50% (in FE or training for 16-24 y.o IIRC) was under Blair years ago.

Schools will be investigated by the NI Education and Training Inspectorate on the presentation of a petition signed by 25% of the parents or Governors.

Someone pointed out that an inspection can be triggered with far less now!
If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.
User avatar
RogerOThornhill
Prime Minister
Posts: 11115
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Incidentally, if we leave the EU, how exactly are they going to maintain the borders in NI given that Eire will still be an EU country?
If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

rebeccariots2 wrote:
A lose-lose policy
http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/0 ... se-policy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Back to the housing associations who will not take this lying down. They have billions in loans with institutions which since the financial crash have wanted to reduce their lending to the sector. The forced sale of these mortgaged properties will result in the formal breach of many of the lender’s loan covenants, meaning the loans will be called in and the housing associations technically made insolvent. At best, this default will be used to massively increase the cost of existing and future borrowing to the housing association sector – and thus fewer social and affordable homes being built. At worst we could see insolvencies ripple across the housing association sector.

The Treasury is rumoured to have argued against this policy for good reason. The United Kingdom needs massively more social and affordable homes – all parties agree on that. For every £1 of state money, the housing associations have levered in much more at very low cost. This RTB policy reduces the leverage and increases the cost – the result is that fewer homes will be built. A lose-lose policy.
Something I haven't seen mentioned yet amongst all this furore is that housing associations are suffering enough already with the fallout of the bedroom tax, the arrears and larger properties being left empty. I may have a dig later to see if I can find any recent figures.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
User avatar
LadyCentauria
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2437
Joined: Fri 05 Sep, 2014 10:25 am
Location: Set within 3,500 acres of leafy public land in SW London

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by LadyCentauria »

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lo ... ny-5519640
Cameron had five years to prove he was on the side of working people. He didn't. He made life harder, vindictively worse, for working people.
Shaking a magic money tree to conjure phantom promises is Tory desperation.
Cameron broke Tory promise after promise made at the last election.
On the NHS. On VAT. On child benefit. On grants for hard-up college and sixth form students.
I won't believe a word he says before this one until he explains where the £12bn social security axe will fall.
^ And that's just the polite bit – article by Kevin Maguire in Wednesday's Mirror...
Image
This time, I'm gonna be stronger I'm not giving in...
User avatar
TechnicalEphemera
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2967
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 11:21 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

RobertSnozers wrote:
pk1 wrote:OT but I recall there used to be some stargazing posters here & just wondered if they managed to get a glimpse of the Dragon supply ship to the ISS tonight ?

It was bloody amazing ! Watched the lift off in Florida live on NASA TV then watched it sail over my house 20 mins later - a-bloody-mazing !!

If you didn't see it, here's a really good photo somebody managed to take:
I didn't even know about it :-(

I find it ever so difficult keeping up with everything these days. Ever get the feeling your life is so out-of-control you might never get back on top of it?
Yep, every time I get on a horse.
Release the Guardvarks.
pk1
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2314
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:58 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by pk1 »

Most of the mornings papers don't mention the Good Life but those that do predictably go waaaay overboard:
Attachments
image.jpg
image.jpg (128.07 KiB) Viewed 8402 times
image.jpg
image.jpg (160.67 KiB) Viewed 8402 times
image.jpg
image.jpg (172.37 KiB) Viewed 8402 times
pk1
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2314
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:58 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by pk1 »

Times:
Attachments
image.jpg
image.jpg (150.32 KiB) Viewed 8402 times
User avatar
RogerOThornhill
Prime Minister
Posts: 11115
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Yes, that's definitely the way to defend a really dodgy policy...go and rake over the personal lives of the people that oppose it rather than actually have any thoughts about whether it's a great idea or not.

The DM in defensive mode...
If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.
pk1
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2314
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:58 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by pk1 »

RobertSnozers wrote:
pk1 wrote:OT but I recall there used to be some stargazing posters here & just wondered if they managed to get a glimpse of the Dragon supply ship to the ISS tonight ?

It was bloody amazing ! Watched the lift off in Florida live on NASA TV then watched it sail over my house 20 mins later - a-bloody-mazing !!

If you didn't see it, here's a really good photo somebody managed to take:
I didn't even know about it :-(

I find it ever so difficult keeping up with everything these days. Ever get the feeling your life is so out-of-control you might never get back on top of it?
I had no idea either but happily I follow @VirtualAstro. It should have happened last night but there was a storm so was cancelled & I was as chuffed as hell because it was so foggy here that I couldn't even see a star, let alone the ISS & Dragon.

VA said we were watching history happen. I can't verify that but I'm more than happy to trust his judgement :)
User avatar
citizenJA
Prime Minister
Posts: 20648
Joined: Thu 11 Sep, 2014 12:22 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by citizenJA »

Goodnight, comrades.
love
cJA
Hobiejoe
Minister of State
Posts: 448
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 7:46 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by Hobiejoe »

I see that The Graun, after a whole day, is still flagging up the utter non-story that a Russian destroyer and a couple of support vessels are passing along the Channel on their way back home from the Med. Apparently a frigate has been despatched, and a helicopter "helped monitor the ships".

I notice that all the quotes are from MoD "sources". Presumably the RN were too embarrassed to comment, leaving it to some spad to try and whip up some Ruskie threat hysteria to fuel the Ed-vs-Putin meme. Frankly shocking "journalism".

If you want to see the whole sorry story, it's here: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... vy-channel. Don't worry, it won't take you more than a minute or two.
pk1
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2314
Joined: Mon 25 Aug, 2014 9:58 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by pk1 »

Mirror decimates the HA RTB proposal. Great graphs too:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/rig ... es-5516866" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
LadyCentauria
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2437
Joined: Fri 05 Sep, 2014 10:25 am
Location: Set within 3,500 acres of leafy public land in SW London

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by LadyCentauria »

pk1 wrote:Times:
Mwahahaaa :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: – of course, Juncker is probably only pointing out how the EU policy works rather than coming up with a one-man on-the-hoof rebuff to OGRFG's much-vaunted plans for magically making the EU cogs, gears, wheels, etc., grind at super-speed to allow a possible referendum possibly in 2017 or possibly sooner, possibly.

In other 'wheels-falling-off' the Blue Team's manifesto; I found this on page 27:
And because working families with children
under school age face particularly high childcare costs,
in the next Parliament we will give families where all
parents are working
an entitlement to 30 hours of free
childcare for their three and four year-olds
(my bold)

So, not for all parents of three and four year-olds nor for all three and four year-olds. Just the ones with (at least two?) working parents. Why couldn't they have said 'both' parents? Might the eye not have skipped so easily past it, as mine did on the first couple of readings?

Or, do they intend ensuring that a child with a mother, father, and step-father – or mother, step-mother, and father, can't benefit from this if the absent parent is out of work? Or, perhaps, they're thinking of biological and adoptive parents, sperm-donors, or....

I'm sorry. That sketch was getting silly ;)
Image
This time, I'm gonna be stronger I'm not giving in...
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

LadyCentauria wrote:
pk1 wrote:Times:
Mwahahaaa :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: – of course, Juncker is probably only pointing out how the EU policy works rather than coming up with a one-man on-the-hoof rebuff to OGRFG's much-vaunted plans for magically making the EU cogs, gears, wheels, etc., grind at super-speed to allow a possible referendum possibly in 2017 or possibly sooner, possibly.

In other 'wheels-falling-off' the Blue Team's manifesto; I found this on page 27:
And because working families with children
under school age face particularly high childcare costs,
in the next Parliament we will give families where all
parents are working
an entitlement to 30 hours of free
childcare for their three and four year-olds
(my bold)

So, not for all parents of three and four year-olds nor for all three and four year-olds. Just the ones with (at least two?) working parents. Why couldn't they have said 'both' parents? Might the eye not have skipped so easily past it, as mine did on the first couple of readings?

Or, do they intend ensuring that a child with a mother, father, and step-father – or mother, step-mother, and father, can't benefit from this if the absent parent is out of work? Or, perhaps, they're thinking of biological and adoptive parents, sperm-donors, or....

I'm sorry. That sketch was getting silly ;)
Which rather begs the question, LadyCentauria, weren't single parents given such support? You would expect them needing more, support that is.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

Not that I've read it yet but I have found this from the National Housing Federation dated January 2015, Welfare reform impact assessment: Final report: http://www.housing.org.uk/publications/ ... al-report/.

The report itself: http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pub.h ... report.pdf

Edit: nipping out shortly but I shall read it when I'm back and be making some comment in today's offerings both here and in the G. Of course I shouldn't expect Tories to be concerned as the National Housing Federation shall be likened to lobbyists.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

Watched the first episode of Black Mirror last night and thought, 'Bloody hell, Charlie Brooker, you're one sick ....' But catching sight of Fat Dave on the news this morning realised what a fool he had been over the TV debates. No need to have reneged on them the way he did, he could simply have staged a national emergency, one where he was kidnapped on his way to them and through his own heroic deeds engineered his own escape.

Edit: typo! Fat Dave had become Fast.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
utopiandreams
Speaker of the House
Posts: 2306
Joined: Mon 16 Mar, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Tuesday 14th April

Post by utopiandreams »

Conclusion

It is clear that the greatest impacts have so far been felt by the tenants who are directly affected by the bedroom tax. There is strong evidence of the negative effects the policy has had on tenants’ household finances and overall wellbeing. To date, the impact on housing associations has been less severe. Associations have coped well with the challenges; it would seem that the significant investment made in supporting tenants and preparing their businesses has helped to mitigate the worst of the impacts.

However, associations have always believed that Universal Credit and the introduction of direct payments to tenants would prove to be the biggest challenge. In the baseline survey 81% of housing associations thought that direct payments would significantly impact their business, compared to 61% who though the same of the bedroom tax...
It should be noted however that with regard to the bedroom tax, discretionary housing payments are falling and may thereby cause another increase in arrears should the Tories stay in power.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
Locked