NHS is safe under the Tories?

No its not.

Right wing plonker, "idiot" and moron Alex Jones on BBC Sunday Politics

By chance this morning I watched live the American radio "Shock Jock" Alex Jones make an utter fool of himself and his kind on the the BBC Sunday Politics Show. Jones is a complete and utter moronic "conspiracy theorist".

He even makes the other guest on the show, controversial London Times columnist David Aaronovitch seem moderate, sensible and reasonable!

I don't think I have ever agreed with presenter Andrew Neil either but today I did agree that he had an "idiot" for a guest.

What is wrong with these people? I suspect that it is nothing to do with the issue in hand but all about "bigging" themselves up and feeding their gigantic egos. Vulnerable people with similar personality disorders are just their fodder.

Not sure in a free society what we can do about it? I suspect nothing but just treat them all as just plain stupid dipsticks. I believe in free speech and understand being stupid is not catching, so who really cares what they say I suppose?

RIP Emily Wilding Davison 100th Anniversary

 















The 4th June was the 100th anniversary of the death of Suffragette Emily Davison who stepped in front of the Kings horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. Hat tip video Captain Swing.

Newham Councillors Bike Ride

The picture collage is from this mornings bicycle ride of Newham Councillors and local residents which was led by members of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC). I think there was in total 14 Newham Councillors that turned up for the ride which started at the View Tube cafe which overlooks the Olympic Park in Stratford.

The ride had been organised by Newham Cycling Tzar, Cllr David Christie.  The weather was lovely (as it always is in Newham of course) and cycling around the beautiful waterways and historic buildings of our borough was great fun and fasinating.

I had cycled into work from Forest Gate to Bow for over 10 years and I had thought that I knew all the good cycling routes but I was totally wrong.

We ended up at with tea and coffee at the "Docklands Community Boat" in Cody Dock (named incredibly after American cowboy and showman Buffalo Bill).

I think that Newham has a fantastic future not only a place that people want to work, live and stay but also visit, explore and enjoy.

I will post more pictures on Facebook next. Update: Check link here for album.

Ed Miliband Speech on One Nation Social Security at Newham Dockside

Yesterday I was at the Newham Council Dockside building to hear the keynote speech by Labour Leader, Ed Miliband on "One Nation Social Security" (it's not to be called "welfare" anymore).

The backdrop behind Ed is London City airport and (out of photo) the Tate and Lyle sugar factory. Local and London wide residents, Councillors and journalists were present as was our MPs Lyn Brown and Steve Timms, as well as local London Assembly member, John Biggs.

Newham Mayor, Robin Wales, welcomed and introduced Ed as our next Prime Minister, who in turn was very complimentary about all the good things being done by the Flagship Labour Council in Newham.

You can check out the full speech on Labourlist here but I will concentrate on some of the things I found particularly interesting.

Ed reminded us that "Labour", the clue is in the name, is the Party of work and that social security spending went up more under recent Tory government than new Labour because we got people into work.  Labour made work pay by introducing tax credits. Just because there is a small minority who don't want to work - there is a far greater majority who are simply desperate for work.

He spoke about the people who work hard, long, long hours but who live in poverty due to low wages. If a local authority can demand that its contractors can pay a living wage why can't a private company do the same?

For every pound that employers pay above the minimum wage towards a living wage, government would save 50 pence in lower tax credits and benefits and higher revenues.

We can’t afford to pay billions on ever-rising rents, when we should be building homes to bring down the bill. Thirty years ago for every £100 we spent on housing, £80 was invested in bricks and mortar and £20 was spent on housing benefit. Today, for every £100 we spend on housing, just £5 is invested in bricks and mortar and £95 goes on housing benefit.

He also I think appealed to "white van man" by arguing that the self employed and others should get more national insurance benefits depending on how long they have been contributing. Which I think is a very attractive policy politically (which the Tories may well nick - the problem for Labour of announcing policies 2 years before an election)

His key argument is only Labour can tackle the growing cost of social security because only Labour will deal with the underlying causes. Labour will get people into work and off unemployment benefits, increase real wages and shift from housing "benefits to building".  Good stuff Ed.

My question to Ed was that it great to hear his plans on the living wage to tackle employers who pay poverty wages but surely there is a logic that there should be a living pension and sickness benefits as well? Since while it would be marvellous if everyone had a living wage, if people then retire and have no living pension, they will be in poverty again and the taxpayer will have to make up the difference? He gave a cautious response about the need to investigate further around the whole living wage issue.

Overall, even though I had reservations about some issues I was convinced by many of the arguments and felt this was really a clever thoughtful speech of real substance.

Hat tip picture Cllr Ayesha Chowdhury.

Green Mean Hypocrite Machine - Support Brighton Cityclean workers

hat tip SERTUC "Dear Colleague

I am writing to you as you recently signed our petition against pay cuts for staff employed at Brighton & Hove City Council. As you may be aware the union is currently balloting for industrial action, and the result of the ballot will be announced this Friday 7th June.

It has now come to our attention that the Council is planning 'contingency measures' to attempt to bust GMB members taking industrial action. You can find out more about this at  http://www.gmb-southern.org.uk/brighton-green-council-planning-strike-busting-measures/

We are absolutely appalled that a Green administration, which stood on a platform of fighting cuts and supporting workers rights could be taking such action. We are therefore asking for your help:

What can you do to help?

1. Please sign the petition again - All comments made on the petition are sent directly to Brighton & Hove Councillors. You can sign the petition at www.gmb-southern.org.uk/bhcc

2. If you live in Brighton, please print off the attached poster and place it in your window, to show your support to our members;

3. Please consider making a donation to the regional dispute fund. This fund is used to support members in dispute throughout the region, and it is likely that members in Brighton will need to call on it heavily when the dispute begins. You can make a donation via paypal at www.gmb-southern.org.uk/bhcc

Thank you again for your support

Rob Macey & GMB Cityclean workers

Mathematics by Hollie McNish

This is so very, very good. Please click, look, listen and maybe learn. 

Legal aid cuts - will you please help?

Great post by Ellie on Shelter Website about the slashing by this government of the legal aid budget.

"YouGov polling released today shows that over 50% of people feel that it should be possible to claim legal aid to pay for legal advice and representation if faced with eviction. At a time when so many people are struggling financially and are at risk of losing their home, Shelter is deeply concerned by the most recent legal aid consultation which will make this harder.

As described previously in this post, the government is proposing a worrying set of changes which will leave those facing immediate homelessness with limited access to support. Here is a typical scenario of someone who turns to Shelter for help:

• A family is faced with the horrifying prospect of homelessness. This can happen surprisingly quickly, as a small thing – like job loss – can rapidly create a spiral that leads to arrears and possession proceedings. They approach their local council to ask for help.
• Despite their legal obligation to find the family a place to stay, the local authority refuses. In desperate circumstances the family turns to Shelter for help, because they don’t know where they’ll be sleeping that night or the next.
• Shelter advisors ask council officers to reconsider but the local authority sticks to their guns, so Shelter issues a Judicial Review. At which point either the local authority concede and accommodate the family, or the Court issues an emergency injunction forcing them to do so. The family now have a roof over their heads and are safe for the night so the Judicial Review is withdrawn.

The government’s new proposals would remove the funding for a case like this; where permission to proceed with the Judicial Review (JR) is not granted by a judge. We describe the consequences of this in a letter to the Guardian. While it’s true that a significant number of JRs are either refused permission or withdrawn, this is because many cases, like the one outlined above, are settled in favour of the claimant before the case needs to go that far. The effect of these proposals is to remove funding from cases that are too strong, rather than too weak.

Under other aspects of the changes, many other people will not be eligible for legal aid at all, regardless of how desperate their situation. The proposals demand people prove they have lived in the UK for 12 months – even if they are British citizens, refugees, victims of trafficking or destitute children.

According to the Lord Chancellor, these reforms are driven by two key factors: reducing cost, and improving public confidence. In his Ministerial Foreword, the Lord Chancellor says expenditure on legal aid has “spiralled out of control”. In fact, expenditure has fallen by 25% since its historic peak a decade ago.

In addition, successive opinion polls, like the one today, have found widespread public support for legal aid.  Perhaps in recognition that it is a vital safety net, and that most of us are only a short step – loss of a job, a sudden serious illness, eviction from rented accommodation – from needing it ourselves. In May 2013, a Comres poll for the Bar Council found that 68% agreed that “at less than 0.5% of annual government spending, legal aid is a worthwhile investment in our basic freedoms” and only 11% disagreed.

Every night families across the UK turn to organisations for help, including around 15,000 who approach us a year under legal aid contracts. We are calling on the Minister to abandon these proposals so those families who find themselves homeless can find the defence they need to secure a safe place to stay that night.

The consultation closes today, see our consultation response for more info on the issue"

(sign the e-petition to Save UK Justice here)
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Equal Marriage Victory in House of Lords

Excellent news! a wreaking amendment to oppose Equal Marriage was tonight soundly defeated in the House of Lords.

While I respect the principled opposition of those who genuinely believe that Equal (same sex) Marriage is under minding their faith in some way.

Much of the opposition is actually motivated by sheer homophobic hatred and bigotry - and should be shown up as such.

The Bill still has several stages to go in the House of Lords, it would appear that there is overwhelming support.

While I think that Equal marriage is really important and removes a stain on our society, I suspect in a few years people will think, what on earth was all the fuss and bother about? and why wasn't this introduced decades ago.

Cockney Heritage Fesitival 2013

Check out this Tower Hamlets Council local history site for further details!