Tuesday 30th June 2015

Post by **refitman** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 7:12 am

Morning all.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 7:48 am

refitman wrote:Morning all.

I'd hate to think that you might be feeling neglected -

Good morfternoon to you and everyone else here.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:20 am

PorFavor wrote:
refitman wrote:Morning all.
I'd hate to think that you might be feeling neglected -

Good morfternoon to you and everyone else here.

This is why I try to remember to thank refitman for his opening thread post! Morning you two and guests.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:40 am

Matt Chorley ‏@MattChorley 44m44 minutes ago
Maybe the heat's getting to me but I've just seen a man with a toilet - actual porcelain toilet - pushing in a buggy over Westminster Bridge

The wonder of London eh. That sort of incomprehensible but probably perfectly explainable scenario is definitely a part of city life I miss. (But west Wales can give it a run for the money with everyday wackiness of its very own type.)

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:41 am

Morning all.

The free schools that have been inspected and reported recently have nearly all been Good or Outstanding but there's an Inadequate one with serious weaknesses (but not placed in special measures) out this morning.

Robert Owen Academy is a very small 14-19 free school. It is part of a single school academy trust.
 It opened for students in Year 10 in September 2013 and now has students in Years 10 and 11. Post-16 provision is planned to start in September 2015.
 The academy has been situated on two sites and is due to gain access to additional vocational work areas before the end of this academic year. Three Principals have led the academy since it opened and the current Principal took up post in September 2014.

Well, it's not "part of a single school academy trust" - it is the only bit of it!

I noticed one of the Regional Commissioners yesterday saying that he doesn't think that single school converter academies are that great an idea because of the lack of support they can count upon - presumably that goes for single academy trust free schools too then?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:45 am

David Maddox: Labour’s SNP lesson as ‘Scots voice’
http://www.scotsman.com/news/david-madd ... -1-3816276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... The committee stage of the Scotland Bill, when the main changes can be made, is then the best opportunity for the 56 SNP MPs to justify their election slogan saying they are “a strong voice for Scotland”. Yet the bold statistics this week have suggested that in reality it is Labour “standing up for Scotland” and taking on the government.

The committee stage yesterday, which dealt with financial matters, saw 51 amendments from Labour, more than twice as many as placed by the SNP who managed 24 and signed some of Labour’s on top of that. In today’s committee stage on the welfare measures, key to the bill, Labour placed 21 amendments to the SNP’s 15.

Today’s Labour amendment on allowing Holyrood to top up all benefits, which has since been signed by the SNP, is crucial for making sure the spirit of the Smith Commission is met. So the 75 amendments to 39 suggest that, despite only having one MP from north of the Border, a leaderless Labour Party appears to be making the running on the Scotland Bill, not the SNP despite the Nationalists’ claims of being the Tories’ “principle opposition”...

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:52 am

Barry Sheerman ‏@BarrySheerman 51m51 minutes ago
A new concept "we will re-broker failing academies" Nicky Morgan @BBCr4today

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 8:54 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Barry Sheerman ‏@BarrySheerman 51m51 minutes ago
A new concept "we will re-broker failing academies" Nicky Morgan @BBCr4today

It's not new - they've been doing this for a while - something like 60 academies (IIRC) have changed sponsors.

AET handed back 8 academies because they couldn't cope with the geographical spread - shame they didn't point this out when they were handed to them eh?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 9:34 am

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... t-54713745" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Osborne wants to legislate to make surpluses a legal requirement in “normal times” but has failed to define what that means. He previously described an attempt in 2010 to enshrine such strictures into law as “vacuous and irrelevant”. He will be challenged to explain this.

This article from Umunna is worth a read, if only to contrast with the rubbish Liz Kendall comes out with. I'm not sure about Umunna's strategic approach to rehabilitating Labour's economic credibility, but at least he shows signs of understanding what he's talking about. I would trust him more than Kendall because he can demonstrate that he grasps basic economics in a way Kendall doesn't. She may understand but chooses to talk in terms she thinks the electorate will get, but the simplification of complex economics simply plays straight into the Tories' hands and for this I can't forgive her. As I have said before, the lack of a standout candidate for leader is somewhat compensated for by some good people coming through the ranks and I feel Ummuna could well be one of them. I feel a little sorry for Spinning Hugo, they were keen on Ummuna and I can at least see qualities that makes me see why. Kendall makes for a poor back up.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 9:36 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Barry Sheerman ‏@BarrySheerman 51m51 minutes ago
A new concept "we will re-broker failing academies" Nicky Morgan @BBCr4today
It's not new - they've been doing this for a while - something like 60 academies (IIRC) have changed sponsors.

AET handed back 8 academies because they couldn't cope with the geographical spread - shame they didn't point this out when they were handed to them eh?

Changed sponsors, maybe, but "re-brokered"? Sounds painful!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 9:50 am

Liz Kendall at the Labour Party leadership hustings (from the Guardian's Politics Blog (emphases mine)) -

She says what people want is much the same everywhere in the country. As she has said before, she says, people want somewhere to live, something to do, something to value, and someone to love.

and -

Q: You don’t like being described as a Blairite? How would you like to be described?

As a Kendallite, Kendall says

So she sees the Labour Party's future in the dating agency sector? It all sounds very romantic.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 9:54 am

Morning all.

Kendall. No.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 10:20 am

PorFavor wrote:Liz Kendall at the Labour Party leadership hustings (from the Guardian's Politics Blog (emphases mine)) -

She says what people want is much the same everywhere in the country. As she has said before, she says, people want somewhere to live, something to do, something to value, and someone to love.
and -

Q: You don’t like being described as a Blairite? How would you like to be described?

As a Kendallite, Kendall says

So she sees the Labour Party's future in the dating agency sector? It all sounds very romantic.

I think Kendall's just there to make Cooper look like the reasonable centrist candidate - and it's working! I'm even warming to Cooper myself. She's very clever and she has an edge Burnham lacks. She has baggage that will make it hard for some people to support her, like Atos, I know, but the future jobs fund and Surestart are a reminder that some New Labour experiments worked better than others. Not sure she can beat Burnham, though, I assume he's still favourite.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 10:21 am

Willow904 wrote: I'm not sure about Umunna's strategic approach to rehabilitating Labour's economic credibility,

Umunna:

We must be big enough to say all this not only because it is true, but because if we have the humility to make some concessions, we might get a better hearing when we turn to defending our record and arguing – as we should – that it was not profligacy on the part of the last Labour government that caused the global financial crash. We, after all, had reduced the national debt from the 42% of GDP in 1997 to 37% of GDP on the eve of the crash. Our response to the crash stopped many repossessions and saved many, many jobs.

More importantly, if we say all of this, people might be more willing to listen to the arguments we make now about the Tories’ current economic record.

I don't like it at all, I think there's been too much mea culpa already. People stop listening long before you get to the bit about what Labour did right, let alone what the tories are doing wrong now.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:25 am

Back from a meeting at school...and I;m watching the evidence session for the Education Bill.

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Inde ... 977df0ca3b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sadly I missed the first session with "Sir" Dan Moynihan which produced these tweets...

Schools Week ‏@SchoolsWeek 1h1 hour ago
.@NickGibbMP asks Sir Daniel Moynihan does at @HarrisFed in terms of improvement which is so different from others #edubill

and

Schools Week ‏@SchoolsWeek 1h1 hour ago
Gibb also sets Moynihan up to sing praises of school turned around by academisation which was opposed. People will see through that #edubill

and

Schools Week ‏@SchoolsWeek 1h1 hour ago
Now Gibb asking Moynihan about change in life changes of kids at school "turned around" by @HarrisFed. Is this an advert? #edubill

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:29 am

Oh...session's just finished and I missed most of it. Damn.

Gibb's just asked the question of one of them whether they'd rather be a HT in an academy or in a LA maintained school.

Given that she's a CEO of an academy trust, guess what her answer was.

and

Schools Week ‏@SchoolsWeek 26m26 minutes ago
Once again Gibb asks witness to promote the value of academies model. Seems he's been sent here to anchor the positive stories #edubill

Is that his only purpose? Academies work because we say they do.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:42 am

Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:47 am

Morning.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... scene.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cameron's stealth cut to disability benefits is obscene
Axing the Independent Living Fund without a plausible alternative will hurt vulnerable people while saving very little money

Julie Hartley-Brewer

Crocodile tears or am I being cynical.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:54 am

Thinking of you,ohsocynical.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 11:55 am

ohsocynical wrote:Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

Sorry to hear that, thoughts with you both. Apologies for the brevity.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:04 pm

@ohsocynical

Hello.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:09 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

Please give Mr Ohso my love.
I give you my love, Ohso.
xx
cJA

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:16 pm

Sorry to hear your news Ohso. Thinking of you both.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:33 pm

Good-afternoon, everyone.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:44 pm

"Would Greeks still be able to travel abroad and withdraw their money from the nearest foreign cashpoint, or are all their accounts completely frozen?"

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comme ... k/54627152" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anyone know the answer to this here?

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:47 pm

Sorry to hear your news ohso, will be thinking of you.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:56 pm

Rally in Athens on Monday against EU austerity and in favour of no vote in referendum.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/liv ... pras#img-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd like to visit Greece, I've never had the pleasure.
I've family here in the UK & they visit often.
They're non-political & little 'c' conservative, mostly.
Never a cross word from them about the Greek people & country.
They're beautiful people, Greeks, look at the beauty in the image - authentic beauty.
Looks like a pretty day too.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:57 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

Thinking of you both, fingers & toes crossed that it is the more manageable sort xxx

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 12:59 pm

Is anyone listening to the leader hustings ?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/hustings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:13 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

Sorry to hear that, hope things go well from now on.

Cancer is much more survivable now compared to when I was a young 'un (the very word was seen then as a virtual death sentence) Best of luck

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:27 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:Is anyone listening to the leader hustings ?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/hustings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kendall's up live!
I'm listening!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:28 pm

Lunch will be served!

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:29 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:Is anyone listening to the leader hustings ?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/hustings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They are back at 2:00pm for the deputy leaders debate

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:35 pm

Roger, have you seen Warwick's column today? As a pal on another board summarises.

nspiration Trust school application form: "The mathematics curriculum will be academic led, developed with and supported by Cambridge University, King’s College mathematics department."

King's College: "They were obviously confused when they filled in their application form. Their association is through the Cambridge Mathematics Education Project, a DfE-funded project based at the university’s centre for mathematical studies." Neither the university nor King’s College, Cambridge, had been involved in writing the school’s curriculum.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... -education" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:38 pm

Was the 50p top tax rate a vote loser? I'm wondering what evidence based conclusion is being used when Leslie (who I generally have a lot of time for) is saying this is a dead duck.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:41 pm

Damn.
Just got the last thirty seconds of Kendall.
It was the best I've heard her say ever.

The live stream is back up at 2.30 pm.

Apologies - I'm a Labour party member & supporter.
Missed Burnham, Cooper, Corbyn & most of Kendall live.
I've been reading about Greece.
There's only so much time to each day & I need to remember to use mine wisely.
The G live Political Blog is covering the Labour hustings - I've posted that link below.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blo ... itics-live" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:41 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh...session's just finished and I missed most of it. Damn.

Gibb's just asked the question of one of them whether they'd rather be a HT in an academy or in a LA maintained school.

Given that she's a CEO of an academy trust, guess what her answer was.

and

Schools Week ‏@SchoolsWeek 26m26 minutes ago
Once again Gibb asks witness to promote the value of academies model. Seems he's been sent here to anchor the positive stories #edubill

Is that his only purpose? Academies work because we say they do.

Once it's backed up you should be able to watch from the beginning in the archive. On the older version of the site, you could scroll back to the beginning but I don't know whether or not that's still true.

What do you think to the announcement that secondaries with fewer than 60% of pupils attaining A-C at GCSE, or primaries where fewer than 85% pass at KS4, and who do not have an 'improvement plan acceptable to the Regional Schools poobahs, will be given over to academy chains? I think it's crackers...

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:42 pm

If you read nothing more of mine, please read the following:
Bookmark the website posted below, everyone.
It's way better than Labour's yourbritain website.

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/hustings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

edited to correct

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:44 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Just back from the hospital with Mr Ohso. Unfortunately he has bladder cancer. Booked in for an op on 17th, Hopefully it will be the more manageable sort.

Hospital were brilliant this morning. I just wish treatment could be quicker.

So sorry to hear that, Ohso. Fingers crossed that it can be managed and that the hospital continue to be brilliant. Love to Mr. Ohso, too. xxx

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:48 pm

StephenDolan wrote:Was the 50p top tax rate a vote loser? I'm wondering what evidence based conclusion is being used when Leslie (who I generally have a lot of time for) is saying this is a dead duck.

Leslie had a good campaign, but I have not been impressed with him as SC post-election.

When will the party's "revisionist" tendency realise that wholesale rubbishing of Miliband's platform doesn't give Labour "credibility", it just makes us look shifty and unprincipled.

There needs to be criticism, but it has to be nuanced and objective (as both Burnham and Cooper are at least attempting, tbf to them)

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 1:55 pm

LadyCentauria wrote: What do you think to the announcement that secondaries with fewer than 60% of pupils attaining A-C at GCSE, or primaries where fewer than 85% pass at KS4, and who do not have an 'improvement plan acceptable to the Regional Schools poobahs, will be given over to academy chains? I think it's crackers...

It's been pointed out elsewhere that grammar schools, even if they are above the floor target could be regarded as coasting given their intake.

The other thing it relies upon is this Progress8 measure which is between KS2 English and Maths and the GCSEs. That is not only GCSEs in English and maths but a whole lot of others too. There was a blog post which went through why this wasn't actually very useful.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 2:15 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:Is anyone listening to the leader hustings ?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/hustings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They are back at 2:00pm for the deputy leaders debate

Back up with the DL debates

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 2:32 pm

Greek Bailout Fund

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 2:33 pm

Eurostar and Eurotunnel services cancelled for the rest of the day
Ferry services to and from Dover are also suspended as striking ferry workers blockade French port and set fire to the track in Calais

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... lais-again" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 3:33 pm

Internet connection keeps going on & off here in Stoke.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 4:07 pm

Tbf to Liz Kendall in the last 24 hours she came out with one of her best lines of this contest - "Britain has become world class at creating jobs - low paid jobs"

She's still coming fourth, though (both - almost certainly - in my personal preferences and also, I strongly suspect, in the actual voting)

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 4:10 pm

hello all
still plugging away
full re-emergence probably closer Aug than July but best wishes to all here (and not here)

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 4:15 pm

I miss Ed.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 4:30 pm

citizenJA wrote:"Would Greeks still be able to travel abroad and withdraw their money from the nearest foreign cashpoint, or are all their accounts completely frozen?"

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comme ... k/54627152" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anyone know the answer to this here?

Assume there are daily limits outside Greece.

Cyprus had capital controls- finally lifted a couple of months ago.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 30 Jun, 2015 4:49 pm

Greek Bailout Fund now at 203,838EUR

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;