Monday 9th November 2015

[WelshIan]

Leveson's proposals are still there, waiting to be implemented.

One legitimate cause for disappointment in Jez is that he doesn't seem to show much interest in this stuff (unlike Ed)

Maybe that could change?

But Tom Watson is there and he is interested in this stuff.

If anyone hasn't read it, I'd recommend his book (written with Martin Hickman), Dial M for Murdoch.

Good afternoon, all.

[tinybgoat]

Listened to some Radio 4 discussion about the European Union and our relationship with it yesterday ... the point was made that behind the 'negotiation' demand that the EU recognises it will have more than one currency operating in it is Osborne and the City's determination to hang on to their role of being the financial centre of Europe. At the moment most of the trading of Euros is done here in the City. If we don't get the desired concession from the other EU states - and probably almost certainly if Brexit happens - that may well change and most of the trading in Euros and thus financial services hub may well shift to other European cities.

Meanwhile - as we hear today of a further 800 jobs being lost in the supply chain companies in the wake of the Redcar steel closure (and probably at least that amount gone in the small businesses that rely on the community being able to spend in their shop, cafe etc) - and the construction sector going backwards in terms of growth - it becomes ever more evident that the balancing of our economy has not been achieved. It may be even more out of kilter than in 2010 when Osborne and co insisted they were going to rebalance it and heralded the 'march of the makers'.

So - here is my heresy question. What do we think might happen to our economy if the banks / financial services shift away and we are no longer the clear financial services capital of Europe?

My bold.

Well, I'm no economist so couldn't say, but I fervently hope some of the 'bankers', piss off to whatever country takes over and the rest lose their jobs.

From distant memory (economics A level, and I was asleep a lot of the time) wording would be:-
Ceteris Paribus, some of the 'bankers' will piss off to whatever country takes over and the rest lose their jobs.

[rebeccariots2]

Listened to some Radio 4 discussion about the European Union and our relationship with it yesterday ... the point was made that behind the 'negotiation' demand that the EU recognises it will have more than one currency operating in it is Osborne and the City's determination to hang on to their role of being the financial centre of Europe. At the moment most of the trading of Euros is done here in the City. If we don't get the desired concession from the other EU states - and probably almost certainly if Brexit happens - that may well change and most of the trading in Euros and thus financial services hub may well shift to other European cities.

Meanwhile - as we hear today of a further 800 jobs being lost in the supply chain companies in the wake of the Redcar steel closure (and probably at least that amount gone in the small businesses that rely on the community being able to spend in their shop, cafe etc) - and the construction sector going backwards in terms of growth - it becomes ever more evident that the balancing of our economy has not been achieved. It may be even more out of kilter than in 2010 when Osborne and co insisted they were going to rebalance it and heralded the 'march of the makers'.

So - here is my heresy question. What do we think might happen to our economy if the banks / financial services shift away and we are no longer the clear financial services capital of Europe?

My bold.

Well, I'm no economist so couldn't say, but I fervently hope some of the 'bankers', piss off to whatever country takes over and the rest lose their jobs.

I suppose what I've been pondering on since I heard that programme is whether this - exit of many of the big banks / financial services - is what might actually be necessary to force a rebalancing of the economy. It would certainly change things in the London / rest of UK ratio. It would probably cause ripples in the housing market in London with property prices starting to come down at the top end. It may do something to lessen the gap between the top earnings and the median wage. And the UK government - even a Tory one - would actually have to propose and implement more pro active policies to develop other sectors and more regional development. It would be a big kick to the London-centric status quo.

[ephemerid]

This is at the heart of why I was asking a few weeks ago, " Where is all the money going?", because already existing or not that 'money' is being identified and removed from public view. THe above seems to indicate that GO calls the shots on this, in cahoots with Cameron, but it doesnt equate to normal accounting, watching a PAC meeting is a bizarre experience, few answer are ever extracted from ministers on real figures, and their frustration is palpable, especially on the subject of the sale of public assets. Don't ask for examples, I haven't that kind of memory, I retain a flavour of these meetings, not the meat and veg, but an obvious person who others will have watched is IDS, there was in coalition days Gove, but others too. I've got my own ideas on this, because theres something that is really not right about this, but would like to know what others think.

I'm a bit discombobulated by it all too, SC.

Universal Credit is a case in point - it was supposed to cost £2 Billion. Just £2 Billion - to completely change the social security system, involving not just DWP benefits (JSA, ESA/IB, and IS) but also to change how Housing Benefit and in-work benefits are paid, and by which department - this shake-up has been estimated by IT experts to be likely to cost more than £12 Billion.
It was also - originally - said by Freud that it would bring £50 Billions'-worth of "benefits" to the economy; he has since said £7 Billion....
by "benefits" I assume he means profits, as he certainly doesn't mean what's paid to what he calls "stock".
Since the whole debacle started, there has been no real accounting as far as I can see. There have been write-offs, write-downs, re-sets, various tranches of roll-outs that were supposed to happen and didn't - and nobody knows what it has all cost.

PIP is another one - Atos and Capita were given £650 Million to get it started, long before any actual PIP was paid (which will be accounted for separately, apparently) and I wonder what they've spent the money on.
The project started in April 2013; by June 2014 the PAC described it as "nothing short of a fiasco"; the Disability News Service reported last August that PIP claimants were waiting 5 times longer in areas where Atos has the contract than those in Capita's areas.
CAB have had 150,000 requests for help about PIP in the past year - from queries on eligibility to support for appeals.

Why has Maximus been given double the money Atos got for conducting Work Capability Assessments - £650 Million over 3 years - and Atos is still getting £10M for supplying the IT to Maximus for this as it owns/leases the LIMA software.
Maximus inherited a backlog of 700,000 people who had not had their first WCA when they took over in October 2014 - DWP had already stopped repeat WCAs the previous April; there are no recent figures for Maximus that I can find.
This left many people stuck on Assessment Phase rates much longer than would usually be the case - as it probably saved millions, where did all that cash go?

When you add it all up - and include the Work Programme (£7 Billion), Universal Jobmatch (£17 Million start-up plus an annual fee of £5 Million), all the above, and stuff I can't think of right now, IDS has spent billions and billions on all this and not one penny of it has gone to a claimant.
By the end of 2014, IDS spent £150 Million on legal representation for the many appeals he has lodged with various courts - in 2013, 6 months after he brought in the Under Occupation Penalty, he sent a round-robin email to all local authorities instructing them to inform DWP if any claimant appealed against their bedroom tax so that he could lodge a counter-appeal.

I watch the PAC - and the SSSC - sometimes. I get so angry I have to turn it off - the committee members do not ask tough enough questions as a rule, and on the odd occasion when one slips through IDS or one of his apparitchiks treats it with utter contempt or a mouthful of total bollockspeak. How I miss Anne Begg, Sheila Gilmore, and Glenda Jackson.

Assuming this sort of nonsense goes on in the scrutiny of other departments, there's a lot of creative accounting gong on.....

[TobyLatimer]

I can kind of see why Gideon is getting his knickers in a twist over IDS, throwing good money after bad at something totally undeliverable.

[TobyLatimer]

Not to mention his underpants and bloody wet wipes

[LadyCentauria]

Listened to some Radio 4 discussion about the European Union and our relationship with it yesterday ... the point was made that behind the 'negotiation' demand that the EU recognises it will have more than one currency operating in it is Osborne and the City's determination to hang on to their role of being the financial centre of Europe. At the moment most of the trading of Euros is done here in the City. If we don't get the desired concession from the other EU states - and probably almost certainly if Brexit happens - that may well change and most of the trading in Euros and thus financial services hub may well shift to other European cities.

Meanwhile - as we hear today of a further 800 jobs being lost in the supply chain companies in the wake of the Redcar steel closure (and probably at least that amount gone in the small businesses that rely on the community being able to spend in their shop, cafe etc) - and the construction sector going backwards in terms of growth - it becomes ever more evident that the balancing of our economy has not been achieved. It may be even more out of kilter than in 2010 when Osborne and co insisted they were going to rebalance it and heralded the 'march of the makers'.

So - here is my heresy question. What do we think might happen to our economy if the banks / financial services shift away and we are no longer the clear financial services capital of Europe?

It will be fairly likely to tank. And the countries and foreign companies who invest in manufacturing or services here because they regard us as 'the gateway to Europe' will probably change their minds and go elsewhere. In the meantime, whoever is in government will have to spend fortunes and a lot of time negotiating new trade treaties with other countries and renegotiating our existing treaties.

[WelshIan]

Afternoon,
Apologies if this would be better posted in the pub,
(but scared of all the spitting in beer, currently going off there)

Whilst prevaricating before getting round to some paperwork yesterday, I found some letters home from ww1, from a gt.gt uncle, to his mother.

So slightly bizarrely, but fittingly for the day, spent early morning reading them.

They were eloquent & gentle, mentioning but making light of his own experiences, worrying about bombing raids back home (ramsgate), concerned for the declining health of a brother (discharged with injuries), and in his final letter, comforting words on hearing of his brothers death.

I didn't think he'd have been allowed to give any view on the rights/wrongs of the war but in his penultimate letter he mentions '.. needless waste of lives and property'.

I've searched on web & found other more recent uses of the phrase, but wondered where the original quote comes from. Please, does anyone know?

It's used in the Statement of a Proper Military Policy for the United States, published by the Army War College (US) in 1916. However, the context suggests that it may have been used in an earlier report on US military engagement.
I haven't been able to find anything earlier, and David Kennedy in Daedalus - Military and War (http://docslide.us/documents/daedalus-m ... d-war.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) seems to think it originated in the above.

I really should have been doing some work instead of looking that up.

[TobyLatimer]

The crowd went wild at the leaving do.

Camartra.jpg (84.42 KiB) Viewed 10261 times

2A56E62C00000578-3153638-The_Work_and_Pensions.jpg (49.59 KiB) Viewed 10247 times

[seeingclearly]

London Winter Shelters list, 2015/6.

http://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/blog ... -published" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tinybgoat]

Listened to some Radio 4 discussion about the European Union and our relationship with it yesterday ... the point was made that behind the 'negotiation' demand that the EU recognises it will have more than one currency operating in it is Osborne and the City's determination to hang on to their role of being the financial centre of Europe. At the moment most of the trading of Euros is done here in the City. If we don't get the desired concession from the other EU states - and probably almost certainly if Brexit happens - that may well change and most of the trading in Euros and thus financial services hub may well shift to other European cities.

Meanwhile - as we hear today of a further 800 jobs being lost in the supply chain companies in the wake of the Redcar steel closure (and probably at least that amount gone in the small businesses that rely on the community being able to spend in their shop, cafe etc) - and the construction sector going backwards in terms of growth - it becomes ever more evident that the balancing of our economy has not been achieved. It may be even more out of kilter than in 2010 when Osborne and co insisted they were going to rebalance it and heralded the 'march of the makers'.

So - here is my heresy question. What do we think might happen to our economy if the banks / financial services shift away and we are no longer the clear financial services capital of Europe?

My bold.

Well, I'm no economist so couldn't say, but I fervently hope some of the 'bankers', piss off to whatever country takes over and the rest lose their jobs.

I suppose what I've been pondering on since I heard that programme is whether this - exit of many of the big banks / financial services - is what might actually be necessary to force a rebalancing of the economy. It would certainly change things in the London / rest of UK ratio. It would probably cause ripples in the housing market in London with property prices starting to come down at the top end. It may do something to lessen the gap between the top earnings and the median wage. And the UK government - even a Tory one - would actually have to propose and implement more pro active policies to develop other sectors and more regional development. It would be a big kick to the London-centric status quo.

Think the short term effect would probably be to hit GDP & balance of payments, but long term may be good thing if it encourages investment in manufacturing.
Think some lack of investment may due to it not being easy money, some due basic stupidity.

Some parts of the Steel industry would have been in a better state if we'd had proper investment over the years.

We've had some periods where we've only been allowed to invest if there was a 1 year payback.
Other times we've been told we're not viable unless we return greater profit than could be made from using site for warehousing, etc.

Thirty years on we're still going (just) so something's been missed.


Presume same short termism exists elsewhere in British industry.

[tinybgoat]

Afternoon,
Apologies if this would be better posted in the pub,
(but scared of all the spitting in beer, currently going off there)

Whilst prevaricating before getting round to some paperwork yesterday, I found some letters home from ww1, from a gt.gt uncle, to his mother.

So slightly bizarrely, but fittingly for the day, spent early morning reading them.

They were eloquent & gentle, mentioning but making light of his own experiences, worrying about bombing raids back home (ramsgate), concerned for the declining health of a brother (discharged with injuries), and in his final letter, comforting words on hearing of his brothers death.

I didn't think he'd have been allowed to give any view on the rights/wrongs of the war but in his penultimate letter he mentions '.. needless waste of lives and property'.

I've searched on web & found other more recent uses of the phrase, but wondered where the original quote comes from. Please, does anyone know?

It's used in the Statement of a Proper Military Policy for the United States, published by the Army War College (US) in 1916. However, the context suggests that it may have been used in an earlier report on US military engagement.
I haven't been able to find anything earlier, and David Kennedy in Daedalus - Military and War (http://docslide.us/documents/daedalus-m ... d-war.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) seems to think it originated in the above.

I really should have been doing some work instead of looking that up.

Thank you!
I'm intrigued how he'd have heard it & why he'd use it, will dig further:)

[WelshIan]

Thank you!
I'm intrigued how he'd have heard it & why he'd use it, will dig further:)

No problem - it looks as if it was reported on quite widely in the US newspapers at the time, so might have been picked up by the UK press or he was posted near some US troops? Happy digging

[seeingclearly]

Listened to some Radio 4 discussion about the European Union and our relationship with it yesterday ... the point was made that behind the 'negotiation' demand that the EU recognises it will have more than one currency operating in it is Osborne and the City's determination to hang on to their role of being the financial centre of Europe. At the moment most of the trading of Euros is done here in the City. If we don't get the desired concession from the other EU states - and probably almost certainly if Brexit happens - that may well change and most of the trading in Euros and thus financial services hub may well shift to other European cities.

Meanwhile - as we hear today of a further 800 jobs being lost in the supply chain companies in the wake of the Redcar steel closure (and probably at least that amount gone in the small businesses that rely on the community being able to spend in their shop, cafe etc) - and the construction sector going backwards in terms of growth - it becomes ever more evident that the balancing of our economy has not been achieved. It may be even more out of kilter than in 2010 when Osborne and co insisted they were going to rebalance it and heralded the 'march of the makers'.

So - here is my heresy question. What do we think might happen to our economy if the banks / financial services shift away and we are no longer the clear financial services capital of Europe?

It will be fairly likely to tank. And the countries and foreign companies who invest in manufacturing or services here because they regard us as 'the gateway to Europe' will probably change their minds and go elsewhere. In the meantime, whoever is in government will have to spend fortunes and a lot of time negotiating new trade treaties with other countries and renegotiating our existing treaties.

I agree. I also think an inevitable result of such a scenario will be before any credit rate uprating which is likely to be needed there will be the kind of restructuring that has happened in other countries. Having watched the things that bring nations to such a point over quite a long time there seem to be political concessions that are required too. Greece only confirms that, Theres a long long list of countries this has happened to that goes way back. They arent all obscure places, it happened to NZ a couple of decades ago and was devastating for ordinary people. Yet it should be an economically secure place, small population, good exportmarket, and good producer. Something just wanted a piece of it. Thats whhat it looks like here too. All the fast changes to facilitate it. So before the treaties the deals will be done.

[citizenJA]

The spokesperson told The Huffington Post UK: "The Sun front page is a reflection that many on social media, including Labour MPs Graham Jones and Simon Danczuk, thought Jeremy Corbyn's behaviour at the Cenotaph yesterday was unacceptable.

"Although there are plenty on social media who won't like The Sun front page, there are just as many on social media and further afield who feel that Britain's heroic war dead deserved more respect."

I hope those Labour MPs will reflect on the fact that their words are being used by the rightwing press to justify their attacks on the party leader.

I am fuming that the Sun dares to install itself as the arbiter of what constititutes sufficient respect for the dead, and yet would use Remembrance Day to score political points. That paper is of the sewer.

It's possible those Labour MP have critisied Corbyn in the way the spokesperson from Huffington Post UK has stated they have. Until I receive context and corroboration from those Labour MPs it's gossip and nothing more.

Media lies.

[citizenJA]

Apologies...good-afternoon, everyone.

[seeingclearly]

patriometer

http://i100.independent.co.uk/image/18137-4pxxdl.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

My bold.

Well, I'm no economist so couldn't say, but I fervently hope some of the 'bankers', piss off to whatever country takes over and the rest lose their jobs.

I suppose what I've been pondering on since I heard that programme is whether this - exit of many of the big banks / financial services - is what might actually be necessary to force a rebalancing of the economy. It would certainly change things in the London / rest of UK ratio. It would probably cause ripples in the housing market in London with property prices starting to come down at the top end. It may do something to lessen the gap between the top earnings and the median wage. And the UK government - even a Tory one - would actually have to propose and implement more pro active policies to develop other sectors and more regional development. It would be a big kick to the London-centric status quo.

Think the short term effect would probably be to hit GDP & balance of payments, but long term may be good thing if it encourages investment in manufacturing.
Think some lack of investment may due to it not being easy money, some due basic stupidity.

Some parts of the Steel industry would have been in a better state if we'd had proper investment over the years.

We've had some periods where we've only been allowed to invest if there was a 1 year payback.
Other times we've been told we're not viable unless we return greater profit than could be made from using site for warehousing, etc.

Thirty years on we're still going (just) so something's been missed.


Presume same short termism exists elsewhere in British industry.

I think lots would agree about short termism. But I'm not sure that's helped by losing business from the City.

The importance of the City isn't just speculative banking, it's all sorts of legal services too, which are basically like exports.

Coming back to the original question, I don't know how this aspect of leaving the EU would pan out.

[seeingclearly]

Just to say, Thank you, UD for your posts yesterday, you have been missed.

[LadyCentauria]

Just to say, Thank you, UD for your posts yesterday, you have been missed.

Strongly seconded

[Tubby Isaacs]

Some rail news. East Midlands Trains paid £150m to extend their franchise for 2.5 years. It was subsidized before, so that's a good quids in for the government.

I'd guess that the "running cost" subsidy to private train operators must be close to zero now. The shift towards that came in 2007, with the Labour Government wanting to spend more on rail infrastructure and not wanting to raise taxes.

The system "works" in this sense. But it doesn't work in terms of rail travel being affordable to everyone. That'll involve going back to subsidies for running costs. Though Corbyn can improve the structure, no doubt about that, I remain sceptical he'll be able to find much money for that.

[seeingclearly]

I suppose what I've been pondering on since I heard that programme is whether this - exit of many of the big banks / financial services - is what might actually be necessary to force a rebalancing of the economy. It would certainly change things in the London / rest of UK ratio. It would probably cause ripples in the housing market in London with property prices starting to come down at the top end. It may do something to lessen the gap between the top earnings and the median wage. And the UK government - even a Tory one - would actually have to propose and implement more pro active policies to develop other sectors and more regional development. It would be a big kick to the London-centric status quo.

Think the short term effect would probably be to hit GDP & balance of payments, but long term may be good thing if it encourages investment in manufacturing.
Think some lack of investment may due to it not being easy money, some due basic stupidity.

Some parts of the Steel industry would have been in a better state if we'd had proper investment over the years.

We've had some periods where we've only been allowed to invest if there was a 1 year payback.
Other times we've been told we're not viable unless we return greater profit than could be made from using site for warehousing, etc.

Thirty years on we're still going (just) so something's been missed.


Presume same short termism exists elsewhere in British industry.

I think lots would agree about short termism. But I'm not sure that's helped by losing business from the City.

The importance of the City isn't just speculative banking, it's all sorts of legal services too, which are basically like exports.

Coming back to the original question, I don't know how this aspect of leaving the EU would pan out.

its also not about us, meaning the UK. Yesterday I mentioned the empire of influence still existing, and it does. The daily transactions of the city are staggering sums, we barely figure and all of our cuts would be small change. A lot of the product of our erstwhile territorial empire is still traded in the city. We no longer produce much but they do. The tiny transaction tax, which has never got anywhere, would cover our current shorrtfalls but failed to make any headway. I keep wondering about that 'something else' too. It can't be about the deficit and austerity, because austerity has been discredited for quite a while and even America has decided against it. So why push on? This is not a government looking for solutions, if it was they are there.

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's an interesting paradox- if Keynsianism saves capitalism, why do so many capitalists oppose it strongly?

[citizenJA]

Here's the rest of that particular section of the email ... because there's a lot of food for thought in there.

... The PM has his own speech at the CBI this morning and will set out his own backing for the Chancellor. Still, as the Sunday Times made plain yesterday, some ministers are holding out and have submitted spending cuts of less than the requested 25% (let alone the 40% higher poker bid): Nicky Morgan and Theresa May among them.

And IDS is still not happy at suggestions his Universal Credit could be tapered to provide cash to bail out the Treasury over tax credits cuts. Philip Hammond yesterday didn’t deny IDS was upset:
“We all have robust discussions with the Chancellor…Of course, people fight their corner and seek to sway the agenda.” I’m told IDS isn’t going to walk but will dig in.

On tax credits, note that Osborne is sticking to his 2019 surplus plan today too - so that’s one option for wriggle room removed. But the FT reports something very significant: Whitehall and Treasury sources say low interest rates have handed Osborne a windfall that means his cuts won’t have to be as severe to get a surplus...

In a way I almost hope Osborne does really wreck UC ... once the punitive clawback on many workers and those not in work starts to bite it won't be pretty - should be another bite mark on his arse.

If his cuts won't have to be so severe ... what the hell are Defra, DCLG, DoT and the Treasury doing offering up 30% cuts ... and why does he need to go after UC and those on tax credits? His narrative is swaying all over the place. Please Labour - get preparing the attack responses to his Autumn fantasy statement.

This is at the heart of why I was asking a few weeks ago, " Where is all the money going?", because already existing or not that 'money' is being identified and removed from public view. THe above seems to indicate that GO calls the shots on this, in cahoots with Cameron, but it doesnt equate to normal accounting, watching a PAC meeting is a bizarre experience, few answer are ever extracted from ministers on real figures, and their frustration is palpable, especially on the subject of the sale of public assets. Don't ask for examples, I haven't that kind of memory, I retain a flavour of these meetings, not the meat and veg, but an obvious person who others will have watched is IDS, there was in coalition days Gove, but others too. I've got my own ideas on this, because theres something that is really not right about this, but would like to know what others think.

The abstraction of money not even in solid currency form is easy enough to shift here and there.

Reading ONS and NAO reports, I've discovered monetary amounts are counted or not counted on spreadsheets from different departments within public or private sector. These organisations typically do a fine job of explaining their methods clearly. Because these organisations have explained appropriately, I understand an unscrupulous minister can use layers of absraction to hide or find large sums of monetary value existing on spreadsheets as their need occurs.

Is it seasonally adjusted? Is it in real terms? What's being measured? That last item alone is a treasure trove to someone wanting to deliberately obfuscate the information the public reads or hears about. Different layers of abstraction are created and something can be made true by changing terms, classifications or what is being measured.

Ephemerid's post on the thread http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=77703#p77703 today gave an excellent example of context revealing reality and not an editorialised account. Tory government pay huge sums for their projects they've decided must be done. The amounts of money spent on this or that isn't transparently explained. What govenrment decides to spend money on is there without question. Leaves more questions than answers about what 'living within our means' means.

[citizenJA]

It's an interesting paradox- if Keynsianism saves capitalism, why do so many capitalists oppose it strongly?

It cooks the goose laying golden eggs for them alone.

[rebeccariots2]

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 1h1 hour ago
Old police funding formula to be retained for another year government has announced after Home Office got all its calculations wrong.

This government really have got a nerve - lecturing everybody else about getting their finances in order etc etc - when they've got such serious form on not being able to sort their own calculations out. This made me remember that almighty climb down over the rail franchise bid where they hadn't been able to work out their own contract calculations and had accepted a contract on the basis of seriously duff figures.

[TobyLatimer]

CTWzt49WcAAXQIf.jpg (129.59 KiB) Viewed 10110 times

[rebeccariots2]

Seema Malhotra ‏@SeemaMalhotra1 25m25 minutes ago
Deeply sad news. RT @guardiannews: Caparo steel boss Angad Paul dies after falling from London flat http://d.gu.com/ChYrQT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

From the other day, interesting.

Christian Wolmar ‏@christianwolmar Nov 7

Sources in Tory party tell me that going for 3rd runway is done deal to be announced at a busy time before Xmas. Problem for @ZacGoldsmith?

Might not be a problem- it would give him a nice gloss of being independent.

Whatever else Heathrow Expanision achieves, it'll make regional imbalances worse.

[rebeccariots2]

Kevan Jones MP ‏@KevanJonesMP 44m44 minutes ago
Home Office told Speaker that Police Funding shambles not a subject for urgent question. Speaker ruled otherwise & forced minister to answer

[Tubby Isaacs]

Just as an aside, corporations can probably sue the British Government anyway- we've signed an investment treaty with Hong Kong, which is how Philip Morris is sueing Australia.

[citizenJA]

I can kind of see why Gideon is getting his knickers in a twist over IDS, throwing good money after bad at something totally undeliverable.

You're right, a rational, reasonable Chancellor would think this. Osborne isn't rational. Everything Tory government does makes no good economic sense. I'm not just critising Tory government writing this. Tory government have bought and sold taxpayer assets to benefit a few while disregarding the needs of many people. Osborne acts to implement his party's ideological objectives.

[LadyCentauria]

Just remembered that, in his CBI speech, Cameron said summat along the lines of, "...by which time we'll have seen about 9 or 10 years of consecutive growth." (with me thinking, of course, there could have been 12 or 13 had they not stalled the growth we already had with their first budget and wider policies - and given the outlook...) Then, moments later, either he or the presenter mentioned the 'clouds gathering on the world's economic horizon.' Which tickled me. In an evil sort of way..

[howsillyofme1]

From the other day, interesting.

Christian Wolmar ‏@christianwolmar Nov 7

Sources in Tory party tell me that going for 3rd runway is done deal to be announced at a busy time before Xmas. Problem for @ZacGoldsmith?

Might not be a problem- it would give him a nice gloss of being independent.

Whatever else Heathrow Expanision achieves, it'll make regional imbalances worse.

so when will he resign his seat/whip?

[citizenJA]

From the other day, interesting.

Christian Wolmar ‏@christianwolmar Nov 7

Sources in Tory party tell me that going for 3rd runway is done deal to be announced at a busy time before Xmas. Problem for @ZacGoldsmith?

Might not be a problem- it would give him a nice gloss of being independent.

Whatever else Heathrow Expanision achieves, it'll make regional imbalances worse.

Yes, I agree with you.
It's not a good project from either a short or long-term perspective for many reasons.

[TobyLatimer]

12208652_1663151290636056_1464983778948322381_n.jpg (89.32 KiB) Viewed 10078 times

[citizenJA]

Seema Malhotra ‏@SeemaMalhotra1 25m25 minutes ago
Deeply sad news. RT @guardiannews: Caparo steel boss Angad Paul dies after falling from London flat http://d.gu.com/ChYrQT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm sorry.

[Tubby Isaacs]

From the other day, interesting.

Christian Wolmar ‏@christianwolmar Nov 7

Sources in Tory party tell me that going for 3rd runway is done deal to be announced at a busy time before Xmas. Problem for @ZacGoldsmith?

Might not be a problem- it would give him a nice gloss of being independent.

Whatever else Heathrow Expanision achieves, it'll make regional imbalances worse.

Yes, I agree with you.
It's not a good project from either a short or long-term perspective for many reasons.

If London were the poorest region, I'd say it was a good project. But it's the richest, with the second richest all around it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

From the other day, interesting.

Christian Wolmar ‏@christianwolmar Nov 7

Sources in Tory party tell me that going for 3rd runway is done deal to be announced at a busy time before Xmas. Problem for @ZacGoldsmith?

Might not be a problem- it would give him a nice gloss of being independent.

Whatever else Heathrow Expanision achieves, it'll make regional imbalances worse.

so when will he resign his seat/whip?

Good question.

Nice few weeks of personal publicity if he does?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yep.

And one of the points about capitalism is that it buys influence. It doesn't say "we're not donating to political parties because that goes against capitalism as defined in my theory book".

[citizenJA]

National Audit Office (NAO), 5 November 2015

From 2010-11 to 2014-15, fire authorities cut numbers of whole-time firefighters by 14%, while carrying out 30% fewer audits of business premises and 27% fewer hours spent on home fire safety checks. Authorities have also changed the scope of their emergency response, sometimes sending fewer firefighters to incidents.

...some fire authorities have indicated their capacity to respond to major incidents might be compromised by further funding reductions. Given the savings made to date, a number of authorities anticipate that further savings will only be possible via further reductions in firefighters...While protecting the sector relative to local authorities overall, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has reduced funding most to fire and rescue authorities with the highest levels of need.

DCLG now relies on local scrutiny – from local councillors, the public, and fire chiefs themselves – to safeguard service standards and value for money.

The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to assure Parliament on the standards of fire and rescue authorities, but DCLG’s evidence to support these statements is limited. DCLG is almost entirely reliant on authorities to self-certify they are in compliance with their mandated duties. The NAO warns that if funding reductions were to continue...further reductions in operational capacity....may lead to risks such as to firefighter safety, the potential shrinking of the service as a whole, and the possibility of industrial action.

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/financial ... -services/

[citizenJA]

I haven't done the NAO's complete report of the fire and rescue service justice in my post. The linked webpage above contains a short and succient summary.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Mad centralizing dinosaur statism. From Not Corbyn.

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/ebacc-not-appropriate-for-all/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Government to make Ofsted force schools to put 90% of pupils through the Ebacc.

[yahyah]

''Greg Miskiw's confirmation that another NOTW executive was subverting a high profile murder inquiry on behalf of the prime suspects demands a full investigation by the Metropolitan Police''
https://www.byline.com/column/2/article/571" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But I'm sure the NOTW executive does a good angle downward when he bows.

[yahyah]

Off topic -

But is anyone suffering with tiny black flies coming in from outside after dark ?
Must be because of the warm-ish weather for the time of year, but we are getting hosts of what seem like fruit flies coming in if I open the window when cooking when it is dark.
Never had them before.

[rebeccariots2]

Off topic -

But is anyone suffering with tiny black flies coming in from outside after dark ?
Must be because of the warm-ish weather for the time of year, but we are getting hosts of what seem like fruit flies coming in if I open the window when cooking when it is dark.
Never had them before.

Yes - you're not alone yahyah. Pesky little critters seem to be everywhere.

On the more positive side of this exceptionally mild weather ... I'm still cropping red peppers and courgettes. Extraordinary.

[ohsocynical]

Within the last couple of weeks I've had house flies, a wasp [Queen?] and various other creepy crawlies in...And little black flies.

[ephemerid]

Off topic -

But is anyone suffering with tiny black flies coming in from outside after dark ?
Must be because of the warm-ish weather for the time of year, but we are getting hosts of what seem like fruit flies coming in if I open the window when cooking when it is dark.
Never had them before.

Yes - I thought it was my windowsill basil and parsley (they seemed to be congregating there) but the plants weren't the culprits.

(Bit of a pisser - I use those herbs a lot...)

Don't know what they are, the little blighters.

Off to look - will let you know if I find out owt.

[yahyah]

Good to know it's not just me.
They are darn pesky in the kitchen, tend to pop their clogs on everything.
Have told my husband it's black pepper !

[ohsocynical]

Off topic -

But is anyone suffering with tiny black flies coming in from outside after dark ?
Must be because of the warm-ish weather for the time of year, but we are getting hosts of what seem like fruit flies coming in if I open the window when cooking when it is dark.
Never had them before.

Yes - you're not alone yahyah. Pesky little critters seem to be everywhere.

On the more positive side of this exceptionally mild weather ... I'm still cropping red peppers and courgettes. Extraordinary.

I've still got a hollyhock in bloom, the mexican orange is flowering again, one of my lilacs has swollen buds as if it's spring. And I have a rose out.