Thursday 14th January 2016

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 2:16 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
David Cameron ‘facing major rebellion’ over council cuts
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics ... 56646.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... David Cameron is facing his first major rebellion of 2016 as angry Tories threaten to oppose swingeing funding cuts for councils.

One potential rebel told the Standard there are a “significant number” of Conservative MPs prepared for a fight.

Graham Stuart MP also warned ministers it was important to improve their offer when the Government “has a majority of 12”.

The row centres on a historic funding gap between urban and rural councils, with rural areas represented by dozens of Tory MPs arguing they are not treated fairly.

The new settlement to be voted on in February will make the situation substantially worse, the MPs claim. ...

.
Sounds good at first, then you realise it's the shire counties whinging because austerity's finally got to them, while the northern cities have been cutting for 5 years already.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 2:37 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ng-britain

'Hardworking Britain'
The personal stories behind the politics

It's an article category now, from the Guardian.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 2:46 pm

gilsey wrote:
NonOxCol wrote:
refitman wrote:RIP Alan Rickman
I'd quite like to be back in 2015 again. Fourteen days of utter rubbish so far.
Ben Stokes.

I'm very sad about Alan Rickman, he was brilliant. Sheriff of Nottingham.

I loved his Snape, but I could watch him in the Sheriff of Nottingham role over and over again.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 2:52 pm

Charlie Hebdo back in the news. The latest cover won't convince any of their opponents, and it's rather tasteless so I've not posted it directly.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/new-charlie ... m6893.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unless you take satire literally, it doesn't "suggest" that, no. I find the framing of Charlie Hebdo very frustrating. But I'm pleased to note that at least one person who shat on the dead before has recanted.

Richard Seymour
‏@leninology

Wherein Charlie Hebdo draws out the logical consequence of much bien-pensant thinking about Cologne:

It's not a racist cartoon- it's satirising the racist way the refugees are seen. It's tasteless, and I can see why people might strongly dislike it on those grounds, but that''s a different point. Chris Morris is tasteless but doesn't get attacked like Charlie Hebdo does.

Said this before, but it's very important.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 2:57 pm

nickyinnorfolk wrote:Clegg was paid £150 a minute by Goldman Sachs for a recent talk he gave. That's Clegg who once claimed to want to 'wring the bankers' necks', and yet also kept blaming Labour for a global banking crash. It was the same evening that he also managed to vote to bomb Syria, although he's otherwise been noticeable by his absence in the HoC.

He really is beneath contempt ....

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ni ... an-7174707" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Clegg ought to be very marketable, in the "liberal mugged by reality" way.

"I had to take the tough decision when I saw the mess lefty Gordon Brown had left"

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 3:03 pm

Most of the audience won't know about the Orange Book, and that Clegg had been leading an organizational take over all along. It'll be "see, even Clegg understands what we have to do!"

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 3:36 pm

Worth a look here, the EU pages on TTIP.

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-foc ... dex_en.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The ISDS which has been a big source of concern has been changed a lot.

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/ ... fm?id=1364" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the ability of investors to take a case before the Tribunal would be precisely defined and limited to cases such as targeted discrimination on the base of gender, race or religion, or nationality, expropriation without compensation, or denial of justice;
governments’ right to regulate would be enshrined and guaranteed in the provisions of the trade and investment agreements.

Take that as you wish, but I get frustrated that so many of its opponents don't seem to have noticed this, which was posted 4 months ago.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 3:38 pm

Whoopsie-doo. Rejoice mere mortals. Maria Miller is back on the scene.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:02 pm

jack johnson ‏@jackjoh01219520 14 mins14 minutes ago

The study by Oxford and Liverpool
universities shows that the Tories
WCA was responsible for 590
suicides,279,000 mental ill health
cases.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:04 pm

RobertSnozers wrote: Your interpretation is reasonable. But I think their timing stinks. Presenting a dead child and 'depicting the suggestion', however satirically, that he would have grown up to be an 'ass groper', may amuse a few sophisticates, but in order to do that it has to piss on the memory of a dead child and effectively taunt a large number of THE most vulnerable people in the world. I'm sorry, but I hate the smug rag, claiming superiority and arguing logic-inverting special treatment while insulting millions of people who've already had the worst of life (and 'it's not aimed at them' is not an excuse). Does it change the way the racist bandwagon jumpers think? No. Is it intentionally racist? Probably not. Does it end up hurting the people it claims it's not supposed to be attacking anyway? Probably. Did they know that when they published it? Of course. Tasteless doesn't even begin to describe it.

Chris Morris's Brass Eye special on paedophiles got FAR more stick than Charlie Hebdo ever does, in this country anyway. Even his relatively mild Radio 1 show back in the mid-90s got taken off the air twice due to a barrage of complaints.

Smug rag? I don't know what smugness means to you, but it doesn't mean having 10 of your pals murdered.

That's a bit stronger than people complaining about Chris Morris. What I was thinking of is that there are still people determined not to "get" Charlie Hebdo who would have laughed at the media reaction to Chris Morris's Paedogeddon.

I think the comparison between the two is crucial. Why is the Aylan reference- awful thing happening to real person- worse than eg Morris' joke about (real person) Sydney Cooke being locked in a rocket with a young child and blasted off to the moon? Timing, maybe, but I can't say that Jason Swift's or Mark Tidlesley's family wouldn't be upset by it. You could argue the way Swift and Tildesley died was far worse than Aylan's. Swift's treatment by the media was a further outrage- nobody said Aylan had died because he was having a gay orgy.

Charlie Hebdo isn't taunting the most vulnerable people in the world. That is wrong. Unless you think Chris Morris was taunting victims of child abuse there, which I don't.

Do people who it isn't attacking see it as attacking them? In lots of cases, they probably do. But is that the point of the cartoons? Absolutely not. Does it partitcularly go after Muslims? Not at all. Biggest targets (by far) are the FN and the Catholic Church.

Lots of Muslims are secular. There's a very prominent ex-Muslims organization. What do they make of Charlie Hebdo? Has anyone even asked them?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:30 pm

Labour's Health Team ‏@LabourHealth 25m25 minutes ago
Jeremy Hunt criticised over junior doctor fiasco – by his own chief negotiator http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 12521.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:35 pm

Oh dear.

Camilla Long has been found to have said that she "wept" to Earth Song. She tells us unconvincingly that she was being ironic.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:35 pm

Megan Dunn ‏@megandunn116 3h3 hours ago
Government have passed their motion to scrap grants by 10 ayes to 8 nos through back door procedure in tiny committee. We will not forget.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 4:41 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Oh dear.

Camilla Long has been found to have said that she "wept" to Earth Song. She tells us unconvincingly that she was being ironic.

Did she really imagine nobody would think of going over her past social media output?? Ah, bless

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:02 pm

John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 14m14 minutes ago
The collapse of the Corbyn project is going to scorch the earth as far as the eye can see.

Sounding like some crazed seer in a Monty Python film. What would he do if he didn't do hyperbolic disdain?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:03 pm

Hilariously, I see leftwing Eurosceptic, Kelvin Hopkins, has been nominated Parliamentarian of the Year by... the Freedom Association. This is the bit they liked. Seriously.

“Like the hon. Member for Stone, I have deep reservations about the European Union. We have constant talk about Europe, and I have to say over and again that this is about not Europe but the European Union, which is a political structure imposed on some of the countries of Europe. Europe is a wonderful place that I love dearly. I am very Eurocentric: I go there for my holidays, I drink European wine, and I love European culture, history, language – everything. But it is Europe I love, not the European Union.”

"Imposed" (by whom?) and some Partridge rubbish.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:06 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Hilariously, I see leftwing Eurosceptic, Kelvin Hopkins, has been nominated Parliamentarian of the Year by... the Freedom Association. This is the bit they liked. Seriously.

“Like the hon. Member for Stone, I have deep reservations about the European Union. We have constant talk about Europe, and I have to say over and again that this is about not Europe but the European Union, which is a political structure imposed on some of the countries of Europe. Europe is a wonderful place that I love dearly. I am very Eurocentric: I go there for my holidays, I drink European wine, and I love European culture, history, language – everything. But it is Europe I love, not the European Union.”
"Imposed" (by whom?) and some Partridge rubbish.

"Some of my best friends are European," he added.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:08 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
John Rentoul ‏@JohnRentoul 14m14 minutes ago
The collapse of the Corbyn project is going to scorch the earth as far as the eye can see.
Sounding like some crazed seer in a Monty Python film. What would he do if he didn't do hyperbolic disdain?

I'm hoping the mixed metaphor is intentional.

It's like Eric Idle in The Rutles.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:25 pm

In other news, it snowed here for hours up to about 3pm. 3-4" lying, there were fieldfares in our tiny orchard for the first time in 2 years. They're always around but only come in the garden when there's snow.

It makes a change from rain.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:30 pm

Read it and weep.
Lin Homer, Dame Disaster, puts in a classic display before MPs
John Crace
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... e-disaster" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:32 pm

gilsey wrote:In other news, it snowed here for hours up to about 3pm. 3-4" lying, there were fieldfares in our tiny orchard for the first time in 2 years. They're always around but only come in the garden when there's snow.

It makes a change from rain.

Where's (roughly) "here", please?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:35 pm

Robert, it's not true that "the most polemical" covers of CH were against Muslims.

Pope as a prostitute/participant in Rio Carnival:

Pope saying he'll let off a paedophile priest if he makes films as good as Polanski.

Jesus sodomizing God, and being sodomized by the Holy Spirit:

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 5:37 pm

Afternoon all.

We're having internet problems yet again.
Our internet provider has booked a BT engineer for Monday, they say there's some sort of line fault.
This is the longest I've managed to stay online since yesterday, nearly half an hour.

We went for a long walk up around Cilcennin hill fort, fabulous views of the sea, countryside and snow-capped Snowdonia. Cleared the stress levels a lot.

Have decided to definitely go to the local Ceredigion Labour hustings and member ballot for next year's Assembly seat candidate on Saturday.
If Ephie's reading, it's being held at Aberaeron, a place I know you love.

Was wavering after all the awful so called 'moderates' causing so much trouble, thinking 'what's the point ?'.
But the point is to meet Labour people, like minded people, hear the debate, vote, and try and find ways I can feel confident to help for next May's fight.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:04 pm

Roger Godsiff MP ‏@RogerGodsiff 10m10 minutes ago
We deserve right to know how companies like Serco and G4S are spending public money. Sign petition to extend FoI: http://bit.ly/1VPxZa4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:10 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Roger Godsiff MP ‏@RogerGodsiff 10m10 minutes ago
We deserve right to know how companies like Serco and G4S are spending public money. Sign petition to extend FoI: http://bit.ly/1VPxZa4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've already signed it. Thanks for spreading the word, though - something I should have done.

Edited to amend an absolutely appalling mess.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:12 pm

Good to see rebuttal of the rumour.

Ex-Scottish Labour MP – now Jeremy Corbyn's aide – will not be imposed on Wales, says senior party source
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/polit ... --10731569" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Senior Labour sources have strongly denied a suggestion that one of Jeremy Corbyn’s top aides is being lined up for a safe seat in Wales.

Westminster has been awash with the rumour that former Scottish Labour MP Katy Clark is going to be parachuted in to Ogmore, where sitting MP Huw Irranca-Davies will be quitting to stand in May’s National Assembly election in the same seat.

The Daily Telegraph has reported concerns that Ms Clark will be imposed on local party members as a by-election candidate, but a senior Labour source told us emphatically that she has no interest in the Ogmore vacancy...

I wonder which source - moderate or otherwise - planted the seed at the Telegraph?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:13 pm

Chris Hewitt ‏@ChrisHewitt 5h5 hours ago
Alan Rickman, never nominated for an Oscar, completely overshadowing the Oscar nominations. I like to think that would have amused him.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:19 pm

''David Dimbleby is set to front the BBC’s coverage of the EU referendum results despite reports that he would step back from big political broadcasts after the general election last year.''

The good news keeps on coming

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:22 pm

I'm not left-wing, and a student grant got me where I am today. Cameron axing grants is a betrayal
As a former student who did not sway to the left during my time in education, and relied on student grants to pay for vital things such as food, water and rent, I find this rather troubling
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/im- ... 12206.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How to get the arguments against this mean policy all wrong.

Hint: you don't need to pose it as left / ring wing dependent - you don't have to pitch it as old versus young generation - you don't have to talk about the grant being used to go on Saturday night sprees ....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:29 pm

Philip Dilley was unfit to lead. So why was he given a public post?
Sir Philip didn’t understand that at the Environment Agency he was doing something for the nation
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/phi ... 10626.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Truss appointed him. Say no more.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:41 pm

Hossylass @Hossylass
@Debbie_abrahams DLA too generous? Perhaps there is a reality check needed re the extra costs of care, mobility and additional expenses.

Debbie Abrahams ‏@Debbie_abrahams 4 hrs4 hours ago
Debbie Abrahams Retweeted Hossylass

Couldn't agree more Debbie Abrahams added,

Um. Am I reading this wrong?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:42 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Philip Dilley was unfit to lead. So why was he given a public post?
Sir Philip didn’t understand that at the Environment Agency he was doing something for the nation
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/phi ... 10626.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Truss appointed him. Say no more.

'A nice little earner' as Arfur would say.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:45 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Robert, it's not true that "the most polemical" covers of CH were against Muslims.

Pope as a prostitute/participant in Rio Carnival:

Pope saying he'll let off a paedophile priest if he makes films as good as Polanski.

Jesus sodomizing God, and being sodomized by the Holy Spirit:

Three examples, OK (one of which was quoted in one of the articles I cited above). One of those is pretty insulting to all Christians, sure. The other two are insulting to Catholics, at least one of them intentionally. (I can see how the Polanski one might be satirising hypocrisy in attitudes to paedophile priests vs Roman Polanski). None of them cross lines that are specifically forbidden to all Christians and therefore a very particular kind of taboo. The most deliberately provocative cartoons were aimed at Islam and more frequently than other targets. Which at a time when Islamophobia is rife makes me question their much-vaunted 'equal opportunities offensiveness'.

Moreover, it seems to me that at least the first and third are deliberately baiting Christians/Catholics in a particularly crude way rather than some deeply sophisticated satire on hypocrisy or whatever.

I think it's a nasty little rag. Just because it's sometimes nasty to even nastier people doesn't justify it. I'm bloody glad we don't have anything like it in the UK.

Where's your evidence Islam was targeted "more frequently than other targets"?

A site was put up immediately after the attacks, which broke down the targets. Catholicism was much more attacked than Islam. And politicians much more than religion. Frustratingly the domain has just expired. I can't vouch for it but this is in line with what I've been told about it.

If depicting Mohammed is indeed a taboo- there's plenty of Islamic art that does so- I don't see that breaking that is "nasty".

And "even nastier people"'?
Even nastier than basically leftwing antiracist cartoonists?

Btw, the anti-Christian cartoons are responding to topical contraversies. The last one is a response to a homophobic bishop in the news.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 6:46 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Philip Dilley was unfit to lead. So why was he given a public post?
Sir Philip didn’t understand that at the Environment Agency he was doing something for the nation
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/phi ... 10626.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Truss appointed him. Say no more.
'A nice little earner' as Arfur would say.

I think Arfur had a much better grasp of good and bad PR though Ohso.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:03 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Hossylass @Hossylass
@Debbie_abrahams DLA too generous? Perhaps there is a reality check needed re the extra costs of care, mobility and additional expenses.

Debbie Abrahams ‏@Debbie_abrahams 4 hrs4 hours ago
Debbie Abrahams Retweeted Hossylass

Couldn't agree more Debbie Abrahams added,
Um. Am I reading this wrong?

The Leader of the House, Chris Grayling (

) attempted to justify the PIP consultation by saying that DLA was "too generous".

Debbie Abrahams is opposed to the idea that people who use aids should - potentially, allegedly, so it will happen - get less benefit.
That's what the (latest) PIP consultation is about.
Hossylass was responding to Abrahams' Tweet about what Grayling had said - the reality check she speaks of is aimed at anyone who thinks DLA is generous, or even enough to pay for all the stuff she mentioned.

Hossylass is one of the co-authors of the "Spartacus" reports, and a very nice person. Looks like Abrahams is doing good work.

Hope that clears up any confusion!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:07 pm

Meet the conservationists who believe that burning is good for wildlife
Our national park authorities are vandals and fabulists, inflicting mass destruction on wildlife and habitats, then calling it conservation
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... ains-moors" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:16 pm

ephemerid wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Hossylass @Hossylass
@Debbie_abrahams DLA too generous? Perhaps there is a reality check needed re the extra costs of care, mobility and additional expenses.

Debbie Abrahams ‏@Debbie_abrahams 4 hrs4 hours ago
Debbie Abrahams Retweeted Hossylass

Couldn't agree more Debbie Abrahams added,
Um. Am I reading this wrong?

The Leader of the House, Chris Grayling ( ) attempted to justify the PIP consultation by saying that DLA was "too generous".

Debbie Abrahams is opposed to the idea that people who use aids should - potentially, allegedly, so it will happen - get less benefit.
That's what the (latest) PIP consultation is about.
Hossylass was responding to Abrahams' Tweet about what Grayling had said - the reality check she speaks of is aimed at anyone who thinks DLA is generous, or even enough to pay for all the stuff she mentioned.

Hossylass is one of the co-authors of the "Spartacus" reports, and a very nice person. Looks like Abrahams is doing good work.

Hope that clears up any confusion!

Ah. Thanks. I thought I must be, but the brain wasn't connecting all the dots.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:20 pm

-

An inability to deal with “issues of connection” like immigration and benefits

I can quite believe that one. We lost a lot of voters to UKIP because of it. Mind you, as far as I'm concerned [still] it was no loss.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:25 pm

Another for @RR2

Fourfoot
‏@fourfoot
"And then we said they pissed on the dead footy fans!"
"Ooh I love it when you talk dirty Rupie."

: murd.jpg (44.03 KiB) Viewed 5283 times

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:46 pm

Was there a council by-election today Anatoly?

Vordy · Post by **Vordy** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:55 pm

What’s the mainstream media on about, then?

In an ideal world, we might well expect the media to focus its efforts on sharing new information, debating issues of importance, and exposing lies. But the reality is very different.

Greg Philo, who is research director of Glasgow University Media Unit, compares press coverage today with how Labour was treated back in the 1980s – when media outlets spoke of “trouble and turmoil” being created by “dominating” left-wing groups and of the right-wing as the sensible “majority”. Like today, he argues, left-wing views were consistently regarded to be “deeply subversive” and “unacceptable” by the corporate media. And studies at the university, he says, show that the BBC in particular has shown a “very narrow range of perspectives” on economic issues.

And while anti-Corbyn propaganda could always have been expected from the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and The Sun, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has insisted that, during Corbyn’s leadership campaign:

Source:

http://www.thecanary.co/2016/01/14/stat ... sed-media/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 7:57 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Another for @RR2

Fourfoot
‏@fourfoot
"And then we said they pissed on the dead footy fans!"
"Ooh I love it when you talk dirty Rupie."

murd.jpg

Must be like being kissed by a deflating football

Earlier today on Twitter there was a Rowson sketch of a nude Murdoch ... It was truly horrible.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:00 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Was there a council by-election today Anatoly?

See my review last week

OK then, yes there is one - in Cornwall. There is no Labour candidate, disappointingly.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:00 pm

The Guardian view on fair play in politics: a Conservative coup
Editorial
From trade union reform to parliamentary process, the Tories show a pattern of contempt for the protocols of democracy
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ative-coup" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:04 pm

Radio 4 programme on Momentum starts with 'nobody has a neutral view of Jeremy Corbyn'. Then goes on to talk about heads are going to roll.

I think I've got the flavour.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:06 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:Leaked report into why Labour lost the GE

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... s-benefits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In its four main conclusions, the report found:

-A failure to shake off the myth that the last Labour government was responsible for crashing the economy.
-An inability to deal with “issues of connection” like immigration and benefits.
-A fear among voters of the SNP propping up a minority Labour government.
-Miliband was judged to be not as strong a leader as David Cameron.

The study also found that leftwing policies – such as the energy price freeze, and greater potential to bring railways back into public ownership – were some of the most popular put forward by Miliband, but that there was a lack of a coherent overall narrative.

Little of that is surprising.

Though I note that those stated reasons do not include "hostility to aspiration/wealth creators" which Mandelson assured us had been the principal reason - thanks to that wicked left winger Ed - in that infamous BBC appearance the weekend after the GE (complete with his ventriloquists dummy Chuka of course)

Surprise, surprise - and another one in the eye for his tendency with the (again, unsurprising) finding the left wing bits of Labour's programme tended to be the most popular

(of course, Mandy's confident assertion last month that over 30,000 had left the party since Corbyn won has been shown to be rubbish this week too)

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:13 pm

Under-40s worse off as result of state pension changes, data shows
According to government figures, while many older people will benefit in the coming years, millions now in their teens, 20s and 30s will lose out
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/j ... s-says-dwp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Amid a growing row over the way older women have been affected by changes to the state pension age, the DWP said the new regime would provide a financial boost to many women retiring over the next few years.

But several commentators were quick to highlight how many losers there would be from the shake-up.

Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at pension firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “By the time we reach the middle of this century, nearly 70% of those retiring will be worse off than under the present system, seeing a reduction of nearly 10% in their state pension income.”...

... Chris Noon, a partner at pensions consultancy Hymans Robertson, said 75% of those reaching state pension age in the next 15 years would apparently be better off, which amounted to about 20% of the entire workforce. He added: “What about the other 80% who will generally be significantly worse off?”

Noon said ministers were continuing to focus on the relatively small numbers of winners. “Far greater numbers across the whole workforce stand to lose out ... Surely it’s more important to tell those who are set to lose out that they will, so that they can make up the shortfall – and have time to do so.”

The DWP paper emerged a day after MPs on the Commons work and pensions committee launched a major inquiry into intergenerational fairness ...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:17 pm

As I always say, well done Steve Webb!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:18 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:Leaked report into why Labour lost the GE

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... s-benefits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In its four main conclusions, the report found:

-A failure to shake off the myth that the last Labour government was responsible for crashing the economy.
-An inability to deal with “issues of connection” like immigration and benefits.
-A fear among voters of the SNP propping up a minority Labour government.
-Miliband was judged to be not as strong a leader as David Cameron.

The study also found that leftwing policies – such as the energy price freeze, and greater potential to bring railways back into public ownership – were some of the most popular put forward by Miliband, but that there was a lack of a coherent overall narrative.
Little of that is surprising.

Though I note that those stated reasons do not include "hostility to aspiration/wealth creators" which Mandelson assured us had been the principal reason - thanks to that wicked left winger Ed - in that infamous BBC appearance the weekend after the GE (complete with his ventroloquists dummy Chuka of course)

Surprise, surprise - and another one in the eye for his tendency with the (again, unsusprising) finding the left wing bits of Labour's programme tended to be the most popular

(of course, Mandy's confident assertion last month that over 30,000 had left the party since Corbyn won has been shown to be rubbish this week too)

I'm remembering that unattractive rush by 'grandees' and 'senior' people in the party to tell the media why we had lost ... almost instantly they knew. I always felt the leadership contest was marred by not actually having some solid research into the reasons why and contributing factors to the loss. The contest was very long - but really lacked convincing substance and vision. Another reason why Corbyn swung it.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 14 Jan, 2016 8:24 pm

It's incredibly depressing though.

The Tories lie about all of those, and they win on them.