Thursday 28th January 2016

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 7:09 am

Osborne damned again. Surprised it's done via the BBC website.

"...In other words, we are still making less than we did before the recession or at the time of Mr Osborne's speech."

UK manufacturing: Whatever happened to the 'march of the makers'? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35414075" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 8:25 am

Morning.

Beth RigbyVerified account
‏@BethRigby Beth Rigby Retweeted BBC News (UK)
Guardian and Mail have totally different stories on front page as to whether PM will or won't take migrant children

Beth Rigby Retweeted
Yvette Cooper ‏@YvetteCooperMP 41m41 minutes ago
Yvette Cooper Retweeted Beth Rigby
Looks like Govt tried to spin this in opposite ways for different papers. V unwise on issue like this

Why we must refuse to take 3,000 migrant children, by the PM: Cameron says caving in would just encourage massive new influx of refugees
David Cameron was under pressure from charities, opposition MPs to act
He said UK was most generous nation in Europe in funding refugee camps
UK will work with UN to resettle children directly from conflict regions, rather than from mainland Europe
Labour tried to change law to force UK to accept the 3,000 migrant children
Tory MPs said Government should avoid making same mistakes as other EU countries
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... anean.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

British government makes U-turn over resettlement of Syrian children
Home Office announces it will take in vulnerable minors already in Europe following calls from politicians and charities
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... come-in-uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cameron being two faced as usual.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 8:38 am

Good morfternoon.

Tories accused of shortchanging public as £26bn privatisation haul revealed

Labour and unions charge George Osborne with ‘selling family silver’ for political reasons after 2015 disposals hit record, according to Press Association (Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... iation-dat

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 8:45 am

Morning all.

GDP figures due out at 9:30 for Q4 of last year. NIESR are saying 0.6%.

http://www.niesr.ac.uk/media/press-rele ... qnUyJp4amV

As ever the devil will be in the detail.

Always find it a bit odd that government accounting runs April to March in which case I'd expect Oct-Dec to be Q3 - not quite sure why GDP is reported differently.

Post by **refitman** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 8:58 am

SNP and Labour have called for the EU to investigate any sweetheart deals with Google.

John McDonnell
I’m asking the European Commissioner for competition, Margrethe Vestger, to look into the Google tax deal because, given the reports this week that other EU members seem to be clawing more money back from big multinationals like Google, then we need to ensure that the deal George Osborne struck was not one that undermines our tax system and is a deal that fires the gun on a new race to the bottom for corporation tax in Europe

Stuart Hosie
There is a palpable sense of scepticism amongst the public, experts and even within the Conservative Party, that the tax settlement reached with Google represents value for the taxpayer.

The truth is that we know very little about the settlement reached between the tax authorities and the company. These discussions have taken place in private, little detail has been revealed by the Treasury and the methodologies employed by HMRC are shrouded in secrecy.

The government must restore public confidence that they have acted in the best interests of the public and have secured a good deal for taxpayers across the UK. They must also answer the charges that the methodology used by the HMRC to calculate future liabilities is opaque, and a potential breach of very clear EU regulations on calculating the tax liabilities of large corporations. The only way to put these two issues beyond doubt, is to refer the settlement to the European Commissioner for examination. A commissioner who is independent of the UK Government, and who has a reputation for pursuing tax transparency.

Working people and small and medium businesses do not have the luxury of negotiating down the amount of tax they have to pay – and we must now have independent verification that Google has not been extended that luxury by this government.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:02 am

norman smithVerified account
‏@BBCNormanS
PM promises £1m PR campaign to get families to spend their Easter holidays in flood hit areas in the North

I'm sure that's very helpful ... but it's hardly the serious flood prevention help that is most required. PR all the way Dave.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:08 am

Was good to see that every news programme I watched yesterday - Channel 4 news, ITV news and Newsnight made a direct contrast between the bedroom tax judgement and the government's incredible determination to screw the most money they can out of the most vulnerable groups and the brazen mates rates tax deal for Google. These two stories featuring on the same day ... a really bad look for the Tories. A really clear indicator of what they are all about.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:31 am

GDP growth in final quarter = 0.5%

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/gva/gross ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Output increased in 2 of the main industrial groupings within the economy in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2015. Services increased by 0.7% and agriculture increased by 0.6%. In contrast, production decreased by 0.2%, while construction output decreased by 0.1%.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:33 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-35412551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hospitals with A&E departments around Bristol are back on black alert for the second time in a month amid "severe pressure" on services.......

....Three hospitals in Cornwall also went on black alert this month, as did two in Somerset.

I've only seen local stories about how hospitals are coping with winter pressures so have no idea if other areas are struggling as much as Bristol. Our local hospital, the RUH in Bath, isn't on black alert but I've heard from people who use it regularly that it's extremely busy.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:33 am

Labour Whips
✔
@labourwhips

2 UQs granted today from 10.30 in @HouseofCommons: 1. Bedroom Tax - @OwenSmith_MP. 2. Arm sales to Saudi Arabia re: Yemen - @hilarybennmp
9:00 AM - 28 Jan 2016 (Politics Live, Guardian)

Glad to see that the Yemen\Saudi Arabia issue is being pursued - although I'm not expecting much of an answer.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 9:45 am

Here'e the 'devil in the detail'...only Services is back past its 2008 level. Everything else hasn't yet reached that seven years on.

Rebalancing the economy? March of the makers?

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:12 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:Here'e the 'devil in the detail'...only Services is back past its 2008 level. Everything else hasn't yet reached that seven years on.

Rebalancing the economy? March of the makers?

Thanks for that Roger, I've taken the liberty of highlighting that elsewhere.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:39 am

: Bunch Of Creeps.jpg (44.96 KiB) Viewed 7006 times

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:49 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
norman smithVerified account
‏@BBCNormanS
PM promises £1m PR campaign to get families to spend their Easter holidays in flood hit areas in the North
I'm sure that's very helpful ... but it's hardly the serious flood prevention help that is most required. PR all the way Dave.

I bet the owners of the hotel on the bridge that collapsed, are thrilled to bits to hear that...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:50 am

Graham Jones has actually tweeted something not attacking Corbyn?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:52 am

Sorry that this is the Sun ... got to it via a tweet ...

Thousands of low-paid Brits on the breadline after tax credits wrongly turned off EXCLUSIVE: 2.3 million claimants could be affected by the scandal
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... d-off.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THOUSANDS of low paid workers are being left on the breadline for up to four months after bungling government contractors turned off their tax credits, a senior MP claims.

The state’s salary subsidy is being suspended when claimants notify the HMRC of personal changes, such as a new relationship or a house move.

Campaigning Labour MP Frank Field has discovered that it has taken up to four months for some hard up workers to start receiving their cash again.

The senior backbencher - who also chairs the Commons Work and Pensions Committee - said he has been “bombarded” by cases of strivers wrongly left on the breadline.

The mess - blamed on private contractor Concentrix employed by the HMRC - is the latest in a long series of controvseries to hit the department...

I'm wondering whether this is actually a bungle or not .... we know that a 'change of circumstances' is going to be the default way that the government makes sure claimants lose out - the sly way.

Quizzed by The Sun, tax bosses admitted a paperwork backlog of “thousands” built up before Christmas which they are now tackling, but refused to admit how many people have been effected by it.

Mr Field last night demanded Treasury ministers launch a full investigation.

A total of 2.3 million tax credit claimants reported a change of circumstances last year, leading to fears that the scale of the scandal could be huge.

The Birkenhead MP said: “The Government talks about getting people into work and lifting them out of poverty.

“But the taxman is doing the complete opposite by throwing untold numbers of strivers out of work and into a desperate state of hunger.

“Either the department has these figures and is hiding them, or it is not even collecting them.

“On either scenario, they are negligent and ministers must urgently came clean on what they know and get to the bottom of this terrible mess."

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 10:58 am

Is anyone else noticing a pattern in The Sun?

They'll feature an outragous lying article against Corbyn, and then they'll have a true 'expose' about something the government's done.

I reckon sales have dropped off so much, and people are so disgusted with them, that they have to draw readers back in every so often.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:03 am

Owen Smith ‏@OwenSmith_MP 6m6 minutes ago
'We think it is a good policy': The shameful, rotten response from the Tories to the Courts ruling that the Bedroom Tax is illegal.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:04 am

Double U turn. Otherwise known as deception and lies.

Yvette Cooper ‏@YvetteCooperMP 9m9 minutes ago
@patrickwintour @BethRigby Gov briefing last night said they would help children in Italy&Greece - but seem to have then denied that later

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:17 am

Extremely easy to make exemptions,contrary to their lies;of course they have spent far more in maintaining discrimination than "saved".

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:20 am

If the bedroom tax has been declared illegal by the high court does that mean it cannot be applied in those circumstances?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:43 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Sorry that this is the Sun ... got to it via a tweet ...

Thousands of low-paid Brits on the breadline after tax credits wrongly turned off EXCLUSIVE: 2.3 million claimants could be affected by the scandal
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... d-off.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If people get wind of this, they'll delay notifying changes but that will only risk a fine. If the delay isn't sorted by April, everyone on tax credits will surely be affected as the process for generating a new claim when there is a change of circumstances is the same process that is applied to renew claims on an annual basis. Labour would get hammered for this level of incompetence. Cameron just keeps getting away with it. Even cock-ups at DVLA, that affect "deserving" Tory voting taxpayers get very litte attention in the media, with blame placed on civil servants for any issues. No government decision is ever held accountable when things go wrong, just the poor souls who have to try to implement their poorly thought through, slap dash policies. Whose decision was it to outsource part of the tax credit system in the first place? I doubt the Sun even bothered to ask.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:47 am

Good-morning, everyone.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 11:59 am

.@UKSupremeCourt confirm that appeals from yesterday's #bedroomtax cases will be heard alongside existing MA appeals from 29 February.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 12:50 pm

Osborne: Would be irresponsible to crack on (Politics Live, Guardian)

Well, it amused me . . .

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 12:57 pm

@RobertSnozers

To that all you can say is it takes one to know one.

Rupes just promoted her. Or so it said on Twitter...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:10 pm

Did they interview Abby Tomlinson in this doc for her views on LM, I wonder?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:28 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Did they interview Abby Tomlinson in this doc for her views on LM, I wonder?

She did some Tweets about what Mensch had written to her...

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:34 pm

The public displays of quintessential psychological projection from the right are astounding.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:40 pm

The Yorkshire Post ‏@yorkshirepost Jan 26
Open letter to David Cameron: Why you can’t ignore this floods nightmare. #floods http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/env ... z3yM0un2Rz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

This is from the beginning of the week. It's strong stuff.

The PR campaign to help tourism in the area is one of the things they ask for. Another is the feasiblility study that Liz Truss has miraculously just found the money for down the back of the Defra sofa - having told them the week before they didn't have a bean to pay for it.

They point out that the Thames Valley had new flood defences built PDQ after the flooding there 2 years ago whilst the Leeds scheme - proposed prior to the flooding in the Thames area - was scrapped due to lack of funding. I hope they're going to keep Truss on her toes.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:41 pm

I wanna smack George Osborne every time I hear him say 'I wanna'.

Who does he think he is ... one of the Spice Girls?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:45 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:I wanna smack George Osborne every time I hear him say 'I wanna'.

Who does he think he is ... one of the Spice Girls?

I wish he were a Spice Girl.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:45 pm

Plans to start the process to close the BIS office in Sheffield (St Paul’s Place) by 2018 have been announced today (28 January 2016) by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Permanent Secretary Martin Donnelly.

The move will create a combined central HQ and policy centre in London.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bis- ... eld-office

As someone said "So much for the Northern Powerhouse".

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:50 pm

CARELESS WHISPER
IDS Gets Junior To Defend Bedroom Tax, While 'Whispering In His Ear' Behind Him
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01 ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 1:56 pm

The Shipping News Says the World Economy Is Toast
10 JAN 28, 2016 1:00 AM EST
By Mark Gilbert
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2 ... y-is-toast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:03 pm

Jeremy Hunt Ordered To Delete 'Highly Inappropriate' Manslaughter Trial Tweet Over Death Of Frances Cappuccini
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01 ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:38 pm

Ben Bradshaw Retweeted
Western Morning News ‏@WMNNews 2h2 hours ago Exeter, England
Frustration mounts over lack of Govt commitment on South West rail funding http://po.st/8r1NCV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; @SWRailTaskforce

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:39 pm

Roger Godsiff MP ‏@RogerGodsiff 12m12 minutes ago
Disgraceful that ESA & PIP assessment centres lack disabled toilets & ramps. I will raise with Govt http://bit.ly/1PD2QRR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; @benefitsandwork

Vordy · Post by **Vordy** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:47 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Roger Godsiff MP ‏@RogerGodsiff 12m12 minutes ago
Disgraceful that ESA & PIP assessment centres lack disabled toilets & ramps. I will raise with Govt http://bit.ly/1PD2QRR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; @benefitsandwork

Get Sue Marsh onto it,she works for Maximus in customer relations.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:51 pm

Kerry McCarthy ‏@KerryMP 3m3 minutes ago
Kerry McCarthy Retweeted Labour Press Team
UK could get millions for Cumbria floods through EU Solidarity Fund - deadline approaching and still hasn't applied.

Can someone tell me why the govt doesn't seem keen to apply? Is it just because they'll have to stump up some money too?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 2:54 pm

Kerry McCarthy comments on the Government’s support package to boost tourism in Cumbria

Kerry McCarthy MP, Shadow Environment Secretary, commenting on the Government’s support package to boost tourism in Cumbria:

“With water levels rising again and more homes and businesses at risk, all resources are welcome. But with damage in the county estimated at in excess of half a billion pounds, this is a drop in the ocean.”

“Up to £23 million more could be made available immediately to British homes and businesses devastated by the floods through an EU insurance fund. Tory Ministers have so far refused to make a claim, even though we have paid in £300 million since the fund was set up.

“With only a 12 week window to apply, David Cameron urgently needs to make a claim and rethink his approach to protecting homes, businesses and communities from future floods.”

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:15 pm

Jon StoneVerified account
‏@joncstone
this is AMAZING: an animation showing how Tory MP Lucy Allan changed the email she was sent about Syria https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... lide=id.p3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:25 pm

Robert Hutton ‏@RobDotHutton 3m3 minutes ago
The words "TAPERED EMBARGO" in my inbox are filling me with a sense of delight that it would be quite hard to explain outside the Lobby.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:26 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Kerry McCarthy ‏@KerryMP 3m3 minutes ago
Kerry McCarthy Retweeted Labour Press Team
UK could get millions for Cumbria floods through EU Solidarity Fund - deadline approaching and still hasn't applied.
Can someone tell me why the govt doesn't seem keen to apply? Is it just because they'll have to stump up some money too?
Wouldn't this be exactly the sort of thing that the government could point to and say 'hey, the EU also helps when bad stuff happens'?

Or is the strategy 'the EU was entirely awful until Dave swept in and made it entirely wonderful with his beauteous renegotiation'?

Yes - I just don't get it. I think Rory Stewart was questioned on this ... and can't remember what he answered except it wasn't very clear or convincing.

You'd have thought it would be just the sort of PR Dave would love to claim for himself.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:47 pm

Morfterning all...

...so Uncle Rupert's not happy about the Google 'sweetheart' deal?...but what's this?...

“Further research reveals that Mr Murdoch's main British holding company, Newscorp Investments, has paid no net corporation tax within these shores over the past 11 years. This is despite accumulated pre-tax profits of nearly £1.4bn”. “Pay like the rest of us”? “Local businesses who pay”? “Politicians easily awed”? F*** off and pull the other one.

http://zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2016/ ... crite.html

...and who can forget this little stunner?...

Rupert Murdoch’s media group received a $882m tax rebate from Australia last year in a revelation that is likely to reignite the debate over how much tax is paid by international corporations.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/f ... tax-rebate

Can it be that he's jealous because his once faithful pets are supercharging their corporate sycophancy?

...and my flabber is truly ghasted at the Scums' 'exclusive'...after spending the last 6 years screeching about scroungingshirkingfreeloadingsingleforeignmumbenefitclaimingparasites, all of a sudden, they've decided that the policies they've happily and wilfully misrepresented might not actually be so clever

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:57 pm

What's happened to the Somalia\Saudi Arabia Urgent Question? Is it scheduled for later or have I missed it?

Harley · Post by **Harley** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 3:59 pm

citizenJA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:I wanna smack George Osborne every time I hear him say 'I wanna'.

Who does he think he is ... one of the Spice Girls?
I wish he were a Spice Girl.

Sneery Spice ?

Sniffy Spice ?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 4:02 pm

Rachel Reeves Retweeted
Paul Wilding ‏@Paul_Wilding1 2h2 hours ago
@RachelReevesMP DWP have issued advice to Local Authorities today to say they should ignore the CoA decision yesterday!!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 4:05 pm

Owen Jones Retweeted
Ellie Mae O'Hagan ‏@MissEllieMae 4h4 hours ago
Can't really believe the government is taking a rape survivor to court so it can charge her for having a panic room.

Harley · Post by **Harley** » Thu 28 Jan, 2016 4:05 pm

PorFavor wrote:What's happened to the Somalia\Saudi Arabia Urgent Question? Is it scheduled for later or have I missed it?

You missed it but you can catch up on Parliament TV, from 11.07.31

http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/bc ... fa058d8065" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;