Monday 24th August 2015

[tinyclanger2]

That is quite cross-making given what's "just" happened.

[citizenJA]

Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi lands job with oil firm Gulf Keystone
Iraqi-born MP takes part-time role as chief strategy officer and will advise the British oil exploration company on its operations in Kurdistan
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... f-keystone" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Since being elected to the solid Conservative seat of Stratford-on-Avon, Zahawi has retained his business interests, partly via his company Zahawi & Zahawi, which he co-owns with his wife, Lana. In the past year Zahawi & Zahawi has advised YouGov as well as oil and gas explorer Afren. Zahawi also owns shares in a recruitment company, SThree, and takes home £3,333 a month for seven hours’ work as a non-executive director for the firm.

I can't even bear to work out what that makes his hourly rate. And to think Osborne and the likes of Zahawi are crowing about raising the minimum wage to £7.20 ... but not for young people of course.

I saw this too, RR2.

The company declined to reveal how much he would be paid or the number of hours he would devote to the job, although the MP will have to disclose this information in September when the House of Commons register of members’ interests is updated.

Fossil fuel industry.

[rebeccariots2]

More from Rentoul. Sorry.

JOHN RENTOUL
Monday 24 August 2015
David Cameron genuinely wants to help the poor, but Iain Duncan Smith is standing in his way
Was George Osborne right when he said that Duncan Smith is 'just not clever enough'?
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 69804.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rubbish premise re Cameron - completely contradicted by his non action over IDS and by his use / acceptance of the bash those on benefits rhetoric used to get away with cuts, cuts, cuts.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Thanks to Ephemerid and Utopiandreams for their very interesting answers to my question about what an alternative to IDS might look like.

[LadyCentauria]

I suppose if we really want to fall out, a discussion on whether cleavage is acceptable in politics would be the way to do it.

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/l ... kbEtHEUbBl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Never on a man and especially not in the buttocks department - aka the Tory front-bench...

[TechnicalEphemera]

CAROLINE LUCAS
Monday 24 August 2015
My message to Jeremy Corbyn: I can help you build a progressive majority
Through potential electoral pacts, we have a chance of beating the Tories in 2020
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 69934.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 35m35 minutes ago
Laugh? I almost cried. Caroline Lucas to Corbyn: "I can help you build a progressive majority." @IndyVoices http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 69934.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Oddly I agree with Rentoul on this, not his later drivel.

A Corbyn Labour Party would probably mostly kill off the Green Party (as Farage suggests); although Lucas would no doubt hold her seat.

[rebeccariots2]

I had missed this story ... it's a shocker.

Labour has warned that the NHS could be forced to spend millions on competition lawyers after the UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demanded an immediate investigation into a decision to award an elective care contract to a local health trust.

Care UK has been branded a bad loser after lodging a complaint with the NHS watchdog Monitor over the management of a contract by commissioners in north London.

Monitor has now begun an investigation into the decision by four GP-led clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to award a contract to the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust said it was extremely disappointed by the investigation and warned that it would delay the opening of a care centre.

Andrew Gwynne, the shadow health minister, said the new competition rules could force the NHS to waste millions on competition lawyers.

“This is a worrying sign of what lies ahead for the NHS under the Tories,” Gwynne said. “David Cameron promised to put doctors in control, but his competition rules allow large private health companies to challenge the awarding of contracts to the NHS. It’s a ridiculous state of affairs that ministers need to urgently address.”...
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And Cameron also doesn't think the NHS needs exempting from TTIP?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Perhaps is Lucas hadn't read out George Osborne's completely bogus script, it would have helped.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Perhaps is Lucas hadn't read out George Osborne's completely bogus script, it would have helped.

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Why not? Should they have expected the others to lie?

[Tubby Isaacs]

http://www.cityam.com/214376/general-el ... er-snp-ifs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lucas pal Sturgeon- more austere than Labour over the full Parliament. And indeed more than the Lib Dems.

[rebeccariots2]

There are lots of 'perhaps ifs' but a left that doesn't find a way to work together constructively will be weak and let the Tories get away with even more murder.

Many of us have noted and been uncomfortable, sometimes furious, about the way that Labour has seemed to hedge its bets, prevaricated, not been clear about challenging things that the coalition and now the Tories have done. We've tried to allow some latitude ... acknowledging the way the media might choose to cherrypick, reinterpret ... or that the politics of the situation were tricky ... or that there were various factions in the party that wouldn't support particular stances and so on.

I was relieved - actually relieved - today when I saw that pretty unequivocal statement from Jeremy Corbyn on the WCA needing to go. That's clear. He'll argue for it. It gave me some hope. I contrast that with the statement from Kate Green which was flat and disappointing.

[ephemerid]

Thanks to all for their best wishes.

Show is a bit subdued (and not because I've injected him with large quantities of horse tranquillisers to keep him down) and he is aware that I am not the only person who is deeply dis-chuffed with his behaviour. But he is fine, just a bit more sore than he needed to be. Lucky man.

OhSo - I hope His Nibs is OK and you get enough water for him. Lord knows there's enough leaking from the sky in Wales for any quantity of Mr.OhSo's to bathe in the stuff thrice daily....hugs to you both.

The nearly-son has arisen from the briny deep and is on the way home. His beard has now reached epic hipster proportions and is a disgrace to the Royal Navy. In fact, it's so huge it could probably provide beards to all rating in the Royal Navy......Daughter borrowed my pinking shears to cut some fabrics but I know what one Petty Officer is in for tomorrow.....snippety snippety snip.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On IDS - I actually think he is reaching a tipping point.

Most normal people know by now that he lies; until now many of them simply haven't cared.

They know about food banks and they have been willing to accept some cuts and a fair bit of propaganda - but there are not that many people who think the bedroom tax is fair now that they have seen its' impact; there are an increasing number who can see evidence of the draconian reforms and think they have gone too far; and as more and more people are being affected by the many different cuts and changes, there are more and more people who know someone who is suffering even if they aren't themselves.

It has been said in many places that people voted Tory because they supported the idea of £12BN in welfare cuts; actually, not that many people voted Tory (we were not that far from a hung Parliament) and they believed Cameron when he said tax credits would be safe.
As at least half of the working population must be on less than the median wage by definition, there are millions of people who are going to be affected by tax credit and child benefit cuts; they are also hearing bad things about Universal Credit from people who are claiming them now, and people are canny enough to know that going from WTC to UC is not going to help them.

This latest crapola today is not going to fool many people. Anyone who has had to take more than a few months sick in the last 5 years will know that what he is saying is utter tosh. He has lied today about certification, sick pay, benefit entitlement, and the reluctance of working people to go back to work, let alone the usual lies about the WCA itself. I hope this is the step too far - although I have hoped that before.

When the BTL comments on the Mail and Telegraph are very critical of his speeches, however much the ATL bilge misrepresents the factoids IDS spouts all the time, it seems to me that perhaps the tide of public opinion is turning. I hope I'm not being too hopeful. Hopefully...

[ephemerid]

There are lots of 'perhaps ifs' but a left that doesn't find a way to work together constructively will be weak and let the Tories get away with even more murder.

Many of us have noted and been uncomfortable, sometimes furious, about the way that Labour has seemed to hedge its bets, prevaricated, not been clear about challenging things that the coalition and now the Tories have done. We've tried to allow some latitude ... acknowledging the way the media might choose to cherrypick, reinterpret ... or that the politics of the situation were tricky ... or that there were various factions in the party that wouldn't support particular stances and so on.

I was relieved - actually relieved - today when I saw that pretty unequivocal statement from Jeremy Corbyn on the WCA needing to go. That's clear. He'll argue for it. It gave me some hope. I contrast that with the statement from Kate Green which was flat and disappointing.

Exactly, Ms.Riots.

[TechnicalEphemera]

CAROLINE LUCAS
Monday 24 August 2015
My message to Jeremy Corbyn: I can help you build a progressive majority
Through potential electoral pacts, we have a chance of beating the Tories in 2020
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 69934.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 35m35 minutes ago
Laugh? I almost cried. Caroline Lucas to Corbyn: "I can help you build a progressive majority." @IndyVoices http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 69934.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

This is the man who would rather have Cameron as PM than dilute his ideological purity by a single drop. Of course he hates the idea of any kind of Labour/Green pact. Personally, I welcome it. The idea of one party winning all progressive votes has gone, but the way Labour and Green supporters can talk about each other at the moment causes me physical pain. We're supposed to be on the same side.

A Corbyn Labour Party has to squeeze the Green vote to zero in all of their target seats, in reality there is always a dedicated base you can't get of 2-3%. So I rather doubt a pact is likely, unless the Greens just agree not to stand in seats they would otherwise expect to poll well in.

Even then, best case scenario is Labour at 30+5 national, assuming they don't lose centre party votes to a reviving Lib Dems and somehow stop Blue Labour voters deserting to UKIP.

[citizenJA]

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Why not? Should they have expected the others to lie?

It was obviously an Osborne trap, there was no reason whatsoever to walk into it

Are they stupid? Tory? Both? Why'd they 'merrily troop through the Aye lobby'?
I'm not angry and I ask for information on this because what Labour should or shouldn't have done hasn't been satisfactorily explained to me.

[LadyCentauria]

@ohso: I sincerely hope that Mr. ohso's op was successful and has a good outcome for him. And that you and he both have a comfortable night, even though you are apart - and that he comes home safely to you, tomorrow

Too many ands in that. Let's hope they make light work

[AngryAsWell]

Perhaps is Lucas hadn't read out George Osborne's completely bogus script, it would have helped.

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Genuinely lost here. What Aye lobby did they walk through & when ?

[rebeccariots2]

Brian May threatens legal action against the Government if more badger culls go ahead
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/br ... st-6312009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brian May has threatened to take the Government to court if they go ahead with another badger cull.

The Queen guitarist says his Save Me Trust planned to challenge the lawfulness of the cull if pilot schemes continue in Somerset and Gloucestershire, or if it's rolled out to new areas.

It is thought that Natural England will soon announce the licensing of a third year of culling in Somerset and Gloucestershire and may extend the pilot to Dorset.

A spokesperson for the Save Me Trust said: "Lawyers instructed by the Save Me Trust have today written to the chief executive and the chief legal advisor of Natural England warning them that if any licences to cull badgers are either activated in Gloucestershire and Somerset or any new licences granted for this purpose anywhere, then the lawfulness of the decisions to do so will be challenged by a judicial review in the High Court.

"To continue the culling of badgers is unlawful as it does not rationally serve the statutory purpose which permits the killing of badgers only to achieve the aim of preventing the spread of disease.

[AngryAsWell]

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Genuinely lost here. What Aye lobby did they walk through & when ?

The 'charter for budget responsibility'. Which didn't stop the Tories attacking Labour for being spendthrift but gave ammo to the SNP et al for Labour 'signing up to £30bn cuts'. The charter wasn't in itself a bad thing except that it was an Osborne trap and gave everyone opposing Labour a weapon. There was no reason to sign up to it.

Got ya thanks, yes it was a daft thing to do & unnecessary, agreed. I really don't think Balls was thinking right there. He certainly did not expect - or was prepared for - the 30k cuts mem that followed.

[rebeccariots2]

Press release
Bees: Friends of the Earth mounts legal challenge over pesticide decision
https://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_re ... n_24082015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Our public transport is facing its biggest crisis since Dr Beeching
Bus travel in London may be in rude health, but across the country Tory cuts have led to a massacre of routes and services – leaving thousands of low-income passengers isolated

John Harris

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

[Tubby Isaacs]

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Genuinely lost here. What Aye lobby did they walk through & when ?

The 'charter for budget responsibility'. Which didn't stop the Tories attacking Labour for being spendthrift but gave ammo to the SNP et al for Labour 'signing up to £30bn cuts'. The charter wasn't in itself a bad thing except that it was an Osborne trap and gave everyone opposing Labour a weapon. There was no reason to sign up to it.

@CJA they could have just stayed away. Like they did on the Welfare bill recently.

Giving a "weapon" here meaning allowed them to lie about it?

[citizenJA]

Perhaps if Labour hadn't merrily trooped through the Aye lobby...

Genuinely lost here. What Aye lobby did they walk through & when ?

The 'charter for budget responsibility'. Which didn't stop the Tories attacking Labour for being spendthrift but gave ammo to the SNP et al for Labour 'signing up to £30bn cuts'. The charter wasn't in itself a bad thing except that it was an Osborne trap and gave everyone opposing Labour a weapon. There was no reason to sign up to it.

@CJA they could have just stayed away. Like they did on the Welfare bill recently.

(my bold)

Labour got pelted for that.

[AngryAsWell]

Smile time

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

Frisky baby goat playing with puppies

[rebeccariots2]

Britain’s badger cull is back – despite all the evidence against it
Patrick Barkham
The government’s chaotic, secretive killing plan is far more costly, and far less efficient, than simply vaccinating these animals
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good piece.

There is a lot going on - in a lot of quarters - as usual.

The Riots household is yet again, sigh, preparing for our duty in the fields and footpaths. We'd love not to have to do it again. But - fuck this government - we will do it again if they insist on continuing with this senseless, unethical and unscientific slaughter. Each year we start and end with improved knowledge of the terrain and tactics. It's an unhappily acquired knowledge though.

[rebeccariots2]

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 1h1 hour ago
Jim Pickard retweeted Guido Fawkes
I'd expect to see Mandelson on advisory board of the Yes campaign...watch this space

Oh dear.

[LadyCentauria]

Smile time

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

Frisky baby goat playing with puppies

Poor puppies - mind, they wo'n't go taking goats on when they're older...

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone.
love
cJA