Monday 18th May 2015

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:42 am

Hallelujah, Andrew has found a link to enable people become 'Registered Supporters'

http://www.labour.org.uk/w/labour-party-supporters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:44 am

Ah, yes. The great defender and protector of child abusers and, possibly, murderers. You must be so proud of your heroine...

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:46 am

: Mili.jpg (27.1 KiB) Viewed 6485 times

thatchersorphan · Post by **thatchersorphan** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:46 am

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ts-9195178" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; @Willow had a quick google, not found any yet, but I have found a missing postal votes in Wirral article
This will be investigated after the election. The council says to date it has had 39 requests for postal ballot papers to be reissued in this district. 795 people registered for postal votes in this district and 691 papers have already been completed and returned.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:52 am

thatchersorphan wrote:http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ts-9195178 @Willow had a quick google, not found any yet, but I have found a missing postal votes in Wirral article
This will be investigated after the election. The council says to date it has had 39 requests for postal ballot papers to be reissued in this district. 795 people registered for postal votes in this district and 691 papers have already been completed and returned.

Thanks thatchersorphan. That's more information than I've found anywhere. So an 86% return for Wirral. Of course, I can't compare to the national average from last time because the figure hasn't been adjusted for spoiled and disallows, but it does suggest turnout on postal ballots is around the same as last time. What I don't know is how the issue figure compares to last time, how many more people requested postal ballots to begin with. I'm still bemused why this info hasn't been collated and published. All the papers were giving figures for the number of postal votes shortly after the 2010 election, why not this time?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:55 am

Willow904 wrote:In 2005 the Tories won 198 seats with 8.7m votes

In 2015 Labour won 232 seats with 9.3m votes.

Comparisons with Labour defeats of the past are unhelpful, especially as multi-party politics appears to be here to stay. If the Tories were able to recover from 198 seats in 5 years, why can't Labour recover from 232? When the Tories won, I actually thought the papers might ease off on the Labour bashing for a bit, seeing as they're safe from Leveson implementation for at least 5 years now, but no, it's still going on. If Labour lost so convincingly, if Ed's move to the left so disastrous, what are they so afraid of that they have to keep up the anti-union, anti-left-wing propaganda? Are they actually afraid Labour might choose to stay where Ed pitched them and manage to win next time? God knows. But as one of very many Labour voters (1/3 of eligible voters) I'm fed up of people telling me my views and my choice of party is too left-wing/too right-wing. Clearly, for 9.3m voters it was just right. Surely that should be the starting point for rebuilding the party, by ensuring you keep the voters you already have, instead of pandering to those who voted for someone else at the expense of those who didn't? Labour needs to add to their core message and policies to embrace more views, not dump their current voters in favour of some hypothetical shangri-la voter that we don't even know exists. Those who wish to shift Labour to the right refuse to accept this. That Ed convinced many of us to stay who otherwise wouldn't have. That magical Tory-tending voters wouldn't have swept Labour back to power because they tend to vote Tory (unless their house price plummets). The challenge for Labour is re-engaging with those who have been wooed away by the nationalist parties of the SNP and Ukip. I see no other way to rebuild the party. A Blairite type would be toxic for such a project. I'm unconvinced by Andy Burnham's ability as a leader, but at the moment he seems the most likely candidate for the current job. I can forgive him dumping Ed's principled stand on an EU referendum if he sticks to Ed's policy of repealing the Health and Social Care Act. Meeting Kippers half way is much less anathema to me than meeting Blairites half way - I steadfastly refuse to support a party that is willing to allow the privatisation of the NHS.

Sorry for the ramble - I'm just getting my thoughts straight as much as anything else! (Still can't find those postal ballot turnout figures - am I going to have to wait until the Electoral Commission files its report in July?)

(my bold)
I love your ramble.
Labour, you're fine. Get out there & continue to do your thing. Keep going straight, steady on.
I didn't find an answer to your question about the postal ballot turnout figures. Check out the website below for more voter turnout data for the UK.
I posted late last night some of what I found.

UK GE 2015, 46,425,386 registered voters only 30,697,860 actually voted.
That's 15,727,526 registered voters not voting.
Given the new electoral registration rules, I find that figure of registered voters not voting a puzzle.
It doesn't look right. Why are these people registered but didn't vote?

http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?id=77" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:57 am

Q: But how will you fund seven-day access to GPs?

Cameron says having wider opening hours does not necessarily require extra funding.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 11:58 am

Willow904 wrote:
thatchersorphan wrote:http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ts-9195178 @Willow had a quick google, not found any yet, but I have found a missing postal votes in Wirral article
This will be investigated after the election. The council says to date it has had 39 requests for postal ballot papers to be reissued in this district. 795 people registered for postal votes in this district and 691 papers have already been completed and returned.
Thanks thatchersorphan. That's more information than I've found anywhere. So an 86% return for Wirral. Of course, I can't compare to the national average from last time because the figure hasn't been adjusted for spoiled and disallows, but it does suggest turnout on postal ballots is around the same as last time. What I don't know is how the issue figure compares to last time, how many more people requested postal ballots to begin with. I'm still bemused why this info hasn't been collated and published. All the papers were giving figures for the number of postal votes shortly after the 2010 election, why not this time?

Probably because there's mischief involved - intentional or inept, I don't know.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Mon 18 May, 2015 12:00 pm

@JolyonMaugham 3m3 minutes ago
Tory Manifesto contains hidden tax cut for those earning >£42,380. Not raising NICs ceiling means inflation erodes effect of NICs charge.

thatchersorphan · Post by **thatchersorphan** » Mon 18 May, 2015 12:01 pm

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey- ... al-9165029" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; also delays in surrey http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... re-9195580" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; cheshire west, errors in walsall http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015 ... tleground/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatn ... apers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; expats http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/updat ... -included/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; darlington
No idea if this idea of f' ups is normal, or if it was worse this time with more applying

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 18 May, 2015 12:05 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:

I think this is another effect of our electoral system wherein people are allowed to act as though a majority in parliament is the same as a majority of support. I've heard it said numerous times that the electorate has 'rejected' the left whereas it seems to me that it's the centre that's been rejected - bit odd considering the desperate calls for Labour to return to 'the centre'. A quick tot-up indicates that right-wing parties (including here for the sake of argument DUP and UUP) secured 15,515,244 votes and left-wing parties (including Sinn Fein) secured 12,414,112 while the only party that pitched itself as being of the centre scored 2,415,888 votes (down from 6,836,248 in 2010). So if you're allowed to write off the views of twelve million people then sure, the left has been rejected.

It's also a shame that the well-ingrained myths of the previous political 'era' are allowed to remain. For example, I've seen it repeated since the election that it takes 5% more votes to elect a Tory MP than a Labour one, whereas in this parliament, the Tory MPs generally got in with fewer votes than the Labour ones (don't know the percentage but it's about 6,000 more votes per Labour MP on average).

I agree. Votes have polarised to the left and right. They have also been split between more parties than ever before and the democratic deficit that has resulted is staggering when viewed in graph form. You can clearly see that the Tories now require the least amount of votes per seat than any other party and that FPTP has left many voters woefully under-represented:

: Votes per seat.jpg (34.94 KiB) Viewed 6460 times

Edited to add that I notice that the SNP require even fewer votes per seat than the Tories. Which really does raise questions about our whole democratic system and unfortunately our tiny majority Tory party on less than a quarter of eligible votes is no doubt going to impose its own partisan solution to the problem most likely to the detriment of the vast majority of voters who didn't support them in the election. Troubled times.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 18 May, 2015 12:12 pm

pk1 wrote:@JolyonMaugham 3m3 minutes ago
Tory Manifesto contains hidden tax cut for those earning >£42,380. Not raising NICs ceiling means inflation erodes effect of NICs charge.

That is always the problem with the Tory party. They keep giving me money but it still doesn't erase the stain on the soul.

In fact for normal people these sort of tax tweaks go unnoticed. Giving me a couple of hundred pounds a month makes sod all difference, compared to say not doing that and funding the state properly.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 12:30 pm

Willow904 wrote:In 2005 the Tories won 198 seats with 8.7m votes

In 2015 Labour won 232 seats with 9.3m votes.

Comparisons with Labour defeats of the past are unhelpful, especially as multi-party politics appears to be here to stay. If the Tories were able to recover from 198 seats in 5 years, why can't Labour recover from 232? When the Tories won, I actually thought the papers might ease off on the Labour bashing for a bit, seeing as they're safe from Leveson implementation for at least 5 years now, but no, it's still going on. If Labour lost so convincingly, if Ed's move to the left so disastrous, what are they so afraid of that they have to keep up the anti-union, anti-left-wing propaganda? Are they actually afraid Labour might choose to stay where Ed pitched them and manage to win next time? God knows. But as one of very many Labour voters (1/3 of eligible voters) I'm fed up of people telling me my views and my choice of party is too left-wing/too right-wing. Clearly, for 9.3m voters it was just right. Surely that should be the starting point for rebuilding the party, by ensuring you keep the voters you already have, instead of pandering to those who voted for someone else at the expense of those who didn't? Labour needs to add to their core message and policies to embrace more views, not dump their current voters in favour of some hypothetical shangri-la voter that we don't even know exists. Those who wish to shift Labour to the right refuse to accept this. That Ed convinced many of us to stay who otherwise wouldn't have. That magical Tory-tending voters wouldn't have swept Labour back to power because they tend to vote Tory (unless their house price plummets). The challenge for Labour is re-engaging with those who have been wooed away by the nationalist parties of the SNP and Ukip. I see no other way to rebuild the party. A Blairite type would be toxic for such a project. I'm unconvinced by Andy Burnham's ability as a leader, but at the moment he seems the most likely candidate for the current job. I can forgive him dumping Ed's principled stand on an EU referendum if he sticks to Ed's policy of repealing the Health and Social Care Act. Meeting Kippers half way is much less anathema to me than meeting Blairites half way - I steadfastly refuse to support a party that is willing to allow the privatisation of the NHS.

Sorry for the ramble - I'm just getting my thoughts straight as much as anything else! (Still can't find those postal ballot turnout figures - am I going to have to wait until the Electoral Commission files its report in July?)

Yes!!!

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:11 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
mikems wrote:It will be interesting to see if the government is going to be the target of international condemnation for starving the sick and disabled into non-existent jobs. Also, if their supporters will be quite so keen when they see children starving in the streets...and not getting the treatment they need for their families.
I think the problems that seeingclearly was pointing out re the removal of housing benefit from under 25s (or is it under 21s?) will cause could make people who've been disinterested in the 'welfare' arguments start to care.

It puts parents / carers of young people in a very difficult position if they don't have money to spare and job opportunities are scarce where they live. There will be no support for a child who has already left home to get a job but is then made redundant ... or who wants to leave home to get a job but doesn't have the means to support themselves while they try. That's a real stuck situation for all concerned. It wouldn't matter so much if rents weren't so high - but they are and will be staying that way it seems.

RR - it's HB for under-25's who do not have children, and it's access to all/any benefit for under-21's.
I am hoping there will be exemptions for care leavers and young chronic sick.......don't know yet for sure.

Re - international condemnation. The UN is already considering whether the reforms of the past 5 years are in breach of the UN Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities (thanks to our tireless Canadian friend Samuel Miller) and various letters and so on are being considered by Special Rapporteurs. Raquel Rolnik will be doing something on her report on UK housing soon, I believe.

We don't know yet exactly how these cuts will fall. We've talked about it here a lot, so it's pointless going into it all again.

I suspect that Cameron is doing his "saving the NHS" routine now, so he can get public support (even if it is a pack of lies) for whatever it is that IDS and Osborne have cooked up - I also think that the Tories will engage in a sort of love-bombing of the electorate for the next few weeks or so, to soften them up for the oh so regretful announcement that if they do all the lovely things they will have to oh so regretfully remove X benefit and Y pensioner support etc.etc. and the July Budget will have it all in more detail.

One thing I do know in advance, for certain - it will not be good news for the poorest of us. I am willing to bet that there will also be some stuff like "the economy is doing so well we can cut taxes" and "things are a bit difficult so if we want our NHS etc. we will have to increase VAT" - at the same time. They've done it before.....they're not just psychotic, they've got split personalities.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:16 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:FFS people, we had a vote on this. It was decided that troll posts would not remain in the main thread, and as far as I'm concerned that means not responding to them IN ANY WAY. Why do you think it keeps coming back?

Agreed - we did say we were going to stop responding.

Maybe todays' offending posts can't be sorted until one of our lovely Admins gets the time.

Meanwhile, we should just ignore them.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:24 pm

I see Cameron's being a lying shit again:

We’re the ones that had to clear up the appalling mess at Mid-Staffordshire.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:31 pm

Dave Jones @WelshGasDoc · 1h 1 hour ago
If we don't have a 7-Day NHS, why have I been turning up to work most Saturday and Sundays for the last 10 years?

Dave Jones @WelshGasDoc · 1h 1 hour ago
Lazy GPs, letting the side down. They need to up their game. Pronto.

Dave Jones retweeted
The NHA Party @NHAparty · 1h 1 hour ago
Cameron conflating urgent OOH care (which already exists) and convenience 24/7 care (which wd need extra funding). #NHS

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:42 pm

Tom Blenkinsop ‏@TomBlenkinsop 1m1 minute ago
Skinner "I've been here 45yrsate" SNP member to Dennis Skinner, "44 to long" #TartanTories #SNP

Looks like we might have some 'pithy' exchanges to look forward to over the next 5 years.

Editing to add: He's amended his tweet with a bit more explanation ... I had wondered if it was about seating plans.

Tom Blenkinsop ‏@TomBlenkinsop 1m1 minute ago
As SNP try to take trad Labour Miners bench...Skinner "I've been here 45yrs mate" SNP MP to Dennis Skinner, "44 to long" #TartanTories #SNP

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 18 May, 2015 1:51 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Tom Blenkinsop ‏@TomBlenkinsop 1m1 minute ago
Skinner "I've been here 45yrsate" SNP member to Dennis Skinner, "44 to long" #TartanTories #SNP
Looks like we might have some 'pithy' exchanges to look forward to over the next 5 years.

Editing to add: He's amended his tweet with a bit more explanation ... I had wondered if it was about seating plans.
Tom Blenkinsop ‏@TomBlenkinsop 1m1 minute ago
As SNP try to take trad Labour Miners bench...Skinner "I've been here 45yrs mate" SNP MP to Dennis Skinner, "44 to long" #TartanTories #SNP

The man has more class in his little finger than any of those 56, separately or together.

Of the SNP’s possible encroachment on his territory, [Skinner] said defiantly: “I was there before them, and I’ll be there when they’re gone.”

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 2:21 pm

ephemerid wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
mikems wrote:It will be interesting to see if the government is going to be the target of international condemnation for starving the sick and disabled into non-existent jobs. Also, if their supporters will be quite so keen when they see children starving in the streets...and not getting the treatment they need for their families.
I think the problems that seeingclearly was pointing out re the removal of housing benefit from under 25s (or is it under 21s?) will cause could make people who've been disinterested in the 'welfare' arguments start to care.

It puts parents / carers of young people in a very difficult position if they don't have money to spare and job opportunities are scarce where they live. There will be no support for a child who has already left home to get a job but is then made redundant ... or who wants to leave home to get a job but doesn't have the means to support themselves while they try. That's a real stuck situation for all concerned. It wouldn't matter so much if rents weren't so high - but they are and will be staying that way it seems.

RR - it's HB for under-25's who do not have children, and it's access to all/any benefit for under-21's.
I am hoping there will be exemptions for care leavers and young chronic sick.......don't know yet for sure.

Re - international condemnation. The UN is already considering whether the reforms of the past 5 years are in breach of the UN Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities (thanks to our tireless Canadian friend Samuel Miller) and various letters and so on are being considered by Special Rapporteurs. Raquel Rolnik will be doing something on her report on UK housing soon, I believe.

We don't know yet exactly how these cuts will fall. We've talked about it here a lot, so it's pointless going into it all again.

I suspect that Cameron is doing his "saving the NHS" routine now, so he can get public support (even if it is a pack of lies) for whatever it is that IDS and Osborne have cooked up - I also think that the Tories will engage in a sort of love-bombing of the electorate for the next few weeks or so, to soften them up for the oh so regretful announcement that if they do all the lovely things they will have to oh so regretfully remove X benefit and Y pensioner support etc.etc. and the July Budget will have it all in more detail.

One thing I do know in advance, for certain - it will not be good news for the poorest of us. I am willing to bet that there will also be some stuff like "the economy is doing so well we can cut taxes" and "things are a bit difficult so if we want our NHS etc. we will have to increase VAT" - at the same time. They've done it before.....they're not just psychotic, they've got split personalities.

A while back Osborne said there has to be cuts, because the interest rates on money Labour spent but didn't have [or words to that effect] have to be paid otherwise they won't be able to give the NHS any more money.

I read that as: if you're poor you're going to be even poorer if you want an NHS and they've got a good excuse if they don't invest in it. And when it fails it's ours and Labour's fault.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 2:45 pm

Gracie Samuels-Pleb ‏@GracieSamuels 3 mins3 minutes ago
@angelaeagle @MaryCreaghMP @andyburnhammp

Looking for a proper comprehensive programme for the disabled and the abolition of WCA etc

Really looking, or making themselves look good?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:05 pm

@fedup59.

I've private messaged you....

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:18 pm

LabourPartyMember retweeted
The SNP ‏@theSNP 21 minutes ago
#ScotMAWeek15:

Funding for 500 apprenticeships welcomed as SNP call on UK Gov to increase min wage for young people

http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/20 ... g-welcomed

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:19 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Gracie Samuels-Pleb ‏@GracieSamuels 3 mins3 minutes ago
@angelaeagle @MaryCreaghMP @andyburnhammp

Looking for a proper comprehensive programme for the disabled and the abolition of WCA etc
Really looking, or making themselves look good?

Burnham's plans for the NHS included proper integration of health and social care; this looks like an extension of that kind of thinking so, I suspect, it is the former rather than the latter. If so, it is to be heartily applauded.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:23 pm

@Ephie

Have you seen this?

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... s-and-wins

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:25 pm

Sarah Boyack MSP ‏@SarahBoyackMSP 1h1 hour ago
My call for SNP to vote to keep ban on fox hunting in England | Herald Scotland http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/ ... .126306419" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @heraldscotland @scottishlabour

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:48 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sarah Boyack MSP ‏@SarahBoyackMSP 1h1 hour ago
My call for SNP to vote to keep ban on fox hunting in England | Herald Scotland http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/ ... .126306419" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @heraldscotland @scottishlabour

Thank you, Sarah Boyack, sincerely.

Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour's Environment and Rural Affairs spokeswoman, said:
"Scotland knows what is right and wrong" and called on the SNP to end its "confusion" on the issue of fox hunting in England. Scotland's moral voice as part of the UK doesn't end at Berwick upon Tweed and the SNP must make clear they will vote against any bill which would repeal the hunting ban."

I cried with relief after reading that - it moved me & surprisingly I burst into tears.
Another here wrote yesterday repealing the hunting ban now is a calculated, Tory obscene finger gesture at regular people, most who'd never contemplate hunting with dogs on horseback tearing up the Welsh & English countryside.
I'm scared for the people & country.
I fear Tory government.

I'm putting the kettle on.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:52 pm

Bladeless wind turbines generate electricity by shaking, not spinning
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 57275.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fascinating stuff. Hope they do get developed and brought into play as planned.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 3:56 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Bladeless wind turbines generate electricity by shaking, not spinning
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 57275.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Fascinating stuff. Hope they do get developed and brought into play as planned.

Yep, I agree.

"Vortex, a startup from Spain, has developed the tall sticks known as Bladeless — white poles jutting out of the ground, that are built so that they can oscillate. They do so as a result of the way that the wind is whipped up around them, using a phenomenon that architects avoid happening to buildings and encouraging it so that the sticks shake."

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 4:12 pm

Torcuil Crichton ‏@Torcuil 3m3 minutes ago
Scotland Bill to be laid before the Commons on May 28th, day after Queen's speech as a "priority measure" along with EU referendum bill.

I'm guessing that will lock the SNP out of voting on anything that Cameron decides should be out of their range ... such as fox hunting in England and Wales.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Mon 18 May, 2015 4:21 pm

citizenJA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Bladeless wind turbines generate electricity by shaking, not spinning
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 57275.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Fascinating stuff. Hope they do get developed and brought into play as planned.
Yep, I agree.
"Vortex, a startup from Spain, has developed the tall sticks known as Bladeless — white poles jutting out of the ground, that are built so that they can oscillate. They do so as a result of the way that the wind is whipped up around them, using a phenomenon that architects avoid happening to buildings and encouraging it so that the sticks shake."

Sounds like an automatic watch I had before quartz watches were the norm. It had half a flywheel inside which acted like a pendulum. As you moved your arm it kept the watch wound up. I hope the turbines are more reliable. (The watch tended to stop during the night)!

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 18 May, 2015 5:25 pm

ohsocynical wrote:@Ephie

Have you seen this?

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... s-and-wins

I have now! Thank you very much - have Tweeted it.

I wonder what, if anything, Sue March is doing about this? I've been saying for some time that Maximus have been insisting people come to a WCA without sending them the ESA50 first - that is not the procedure they are contractually bound to comply with.

I'll contact Sue and let you know what happens.

Thanks for the link, OhSo - this needs to be widely shared.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 5:27 pm

Another poor soul...This is happening far too frequently.

Man dies after being hit by train in Twyford

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local- ... it-9276437

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:11 pm

Just out today.

Understanding Average Earnings for the Continuously Employed - Using the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2014
Part of Understanding average earnings for the "continuously employed", Using the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings - 2014 Release ONS - 18 May 2015

- This article discusses differences in median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees and the sub-set of full-time employees who remained in their job for at least 12 months – referred to as the continuously employed.

The key findings are:
- the difference between the growth in median gross weekly full-time earnings of 4.1% in 2014 for the continuously employed group and of 0.1% for all full-time employees is driven by the low growth in median earnings for all full-time employees

- the figure of 0.1% growth in median earnings for all full-time employees is the lowest reported since 1997, and is in turn driven by some changes in the composition of employees and relatively low earnings for the remainder group of employees in 2014.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/unde ... ain-points" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And the fact remains median wage growth for all full-time employees sampled from 2007-2014 has increased by a great big 0.1%.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:14 pm

Clare Hepworth OBE retweeted Unbelievable!

The Independent @Independent

The command centre for Britain's heavily armed nuclear police just got outsourced to Capita http://ind.pn/1QXfLRR

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:25 pm

Political Scrapbook ‏@PSbook 1h1 hour ago
Doyen of Labour blogging @Markfergusonuk quits LabourList after five years as editor http://labourlist.org/2015/05/thank-you-and-goodbye/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … Big shoes to fill!

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:25 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Clare Hepworth OBE retweeted Unbelievable!

The Independent @Independent

The command centre for Britain's heavily armed nuclear police just got outsourced to Capita http://ind.pn/1QXfLRR

Unbelievable?

No, entirely predictable...Cameron said in 2010 everything up for grabs apart from the security services and the judiciary.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:28 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Clare Hepworth OBE retweeted Unbelievable!

The Independent @Independent
The command centre for Britain's heavily armed nuclear police just got outsourced to Capita http://ind.pn/1QXfLRR

"The outsourcing giant is to play a support role at the command centre of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, a heavily-armed special police service that protects nuclear power plants, waste dumps, and nuclear material in transit.

Last year it was reported that a Capita-run army recruitment project beset by IT disasters and missed targets had made the firm over £100m of public money in a two-year period. In February of this year the Independent also revealed that Whitehall officials were looking into concerns regarding a contract taken by Capita and the outsourcing giant’s effect on smaller suppliers."

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:30 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Clare Hepworth OBE retweeted Unbelievable!

The Independent @Independent

The command centre for Britain's heavily armed nuclear police just got outsourced to Capita http://ind.pn/1QXfLRR
Unbelievable?

No, entirely predictable...Cameron said in 2010 everything up for grabs apart from the security services and the judiciary.

Quite, Roger.

He would argue that the protection of our nuclear bases isn't actually "security" as such. The plan for armed police being managed by Capita will be brushed off as "backroom" stuff or admin or whatever.

I wonder when the new shiny crapita managers will opine that these armed police are paid too much and they could do it much cheaper and much much more efficiently......like the Olympics.

That was good. G4S, but good. Oh yes indeedy.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:33 pm

John McDonnell MP

Let's transform this leadership election into a real debate about the future of socialism, our party and our country

At the moment the choice of a new Labour leader is looking like a glamour contest between a group of candidates with little ideologically to choose between them.

To submit a paper to Radical Labour, send contributions of no more than 1000 words to the below email address along with your name, title and organisation. Should you prefer to remain anonymous, make this clear in the email.

RADICAL-LABOUR@HOTMAIL.COM

http://www.radical-labour.co.uk/

Anyone?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:35 pm

And to think they were so worried - in a flat panic actually - about someone looking after our nuclear defence who had apparently stabbed his brother in the back in a competition ... eh?

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:39 pm

Next - National Service!

Prince Harry - Gawd dontcha just love these royals - has let us all know that being in the army stopped him from a life of some sort of generalised debauchery or whatnot. Well done, Sir! Glad you have saved the nation from embarrassment.
I read somewhere today that he thinks national service would be a good thing (obviously, he may well have said nothing of the kind). I doubt any such thing would involve being an officer with the surname of a country....

Anyway - now that Hammond and that twerp Fallon have failed to attract anyone to their Reserves, they need some bods in boots to make it look as though they have been very very successful indeed.

Step forward all you not-allowed-to-be-benefit-scroungers-any more 18-21 year-olds!
Your Fallon needs you!
Anyway, your parents can't afford to keep you and if you bugger off on exercises for a few months that nice Mr.Smith can charge your parents bedroom tax and that will help us to pay down the deficit which was Labours fault as was the Great Recession.

Do your bit! No uni for you! By the left, quick march!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:39 pm

Labour Left ‏@LabourLeft 13 minutes ago

You don't have to be a member of Labour to vote in our leadership elections. Actually, you can register to vote here

https://supporters.labour.org.uk/leadership/1

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:41 pm

Dennis Skinner warns SNP MPs trying to take his seat: “This is one victory – it will be a battle”
Green with bench envy.
http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/20 ... -be-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Skinner's main gripe isn't even the breaking of tradition. It's that he believes the SNP MPs are slavishly following instructions. "They don't understand what they're doing on behalf of the leadership," he says. "The rota system might work for a while, but they are just being lobby fodder for their leader. They might get fed up of that. I would. I've always been a backbencher; I've never been lobby fodder."

Classic Skinner.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:43 pm

Sky NewsVerified account
‏@SkyNews

Waste company fits security cameras to bin lorries to cut the number of rough sleepers killed http://trib.al/omFgfcE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:56 pm

Me chard has bolted. (Best to hear that in the rolling Somerset burr I had as a child ... and lost very quickly when we went to a new school). So Mr Riots is going to get a veritable feast of chardiness tonight ... I've picked as much as I can in a fit of waste not want not, it will be a while before the new crop is ready, itis.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 6:58 pm

Would you believe it ... Cameron has sent one of the top bods from the Countryside Alliance to be a minister in Defra? What a surprise - not.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Mon 18 May, 2015 7:05 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Dennis Skinner warns SNP MPs trying to take his seat: “This is one victory – it will be a battle”
Green with bench envy.
http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/20 ... -be-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Skinner's main gripe isn't even the breaking of tradition. It's that he believes the SNP MPs are slavishly following instructions. "They don't understand what they're doing on behalf of the leadership," he says. "The rota system might work for a while, but they are just being lobby fodder for their leader. They might get fed up of that. I would. I've always been a backbencher; I've never been lobby fodder."
Classic Skinner.

He's right:

THE SNP was last night accused of a “Stalinist” approach to politics after passing rule changes that will block new MPs from speaking out against party policy.
A controversial change to standing orders was overwhelmingly agreed at conference yesterday and states that no MPs shall “publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group”.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3732693

(I was going to add a comment about another Nat party that were 'just obeying orders' - but I won't).

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 7:08 pm

George Eaton @georgeeaton · 9m 9 minutes ago
Kinnock gave Burnham a warm pat on the back outside tonight's PLP meeting. Endorsement to come?

joncraigSKY ‏@joncraig 20m20 minutes ago
Andy Burnham leaves PLP chatting to Neil Kinnock, who puts his arm round him & pats him on the back. Endorsement? We've got our party back?

Why are the media finding this contest quite so fascinating? Was it always like this - the intense scrutiny, grubbing around for stories and nuance that aren't really there, blowing every little gesture and remark up into something more?

I can't really remember - was it like this when the Tories appointed Cameron?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 18 May, 2015 7:14 pm

Eric_WLothian wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Dennis Skinner warns SNP MPs trying to take his seat: “This is one victory – it will be a battle”
Green with bench envy.
http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/20 ... -be-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Skinner's main gripe isn't even the breaking of tradition. It's that he believes the SNP MPs are slavishly following instructions. "They don't understand what they're doing on behalf of the leadership," he says. "The rota system might work for a while, but they are just being lobby fodder for their leader. They might get fed up of that. I would. I've always been a backbencher; I've never been lobby fodder."
Classic Skinner.
He's right:

THE SNP was last night accused of a “Stalinist” approach to politics after passing rule changes that will block new MPs from speaking out against party policy.
A controversial change to standing orders was overwhelmingly agreed at conference yesterday and states that no MPs shall “publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group”.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3732693
(I was going to add a comment about another Nat party that were 'just obeying orders' - but I won't).

He has a way of putting his finger, or his words, on the most important point - doesn't he just. This pledge the SNP MPs had to make re not speaking out against party policy seems to be completely against the image / brand - firebrand politics, speaking out, radical and bold, free thinking. I presume it was also why they didn't select Craig Murray as a candidate ... they must have known such a rule change was coming and it would have been a pledge too far for him.