Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Better than this


Labour’s record in selling Qinetiq. That went for £125m, the civil servants and advisers got £107m, and the company was promptly valued at over 10 times the initial offering: £1.3bn.

that doesn't count either!

Manuel and Hazy One.

Gordon is not in charge any longer but these BFs Cameron, Osborne and Cable are.

Also, relate gold sell to period and and reasons. (DYOH).


The present idiots are glorifying their actions like thatcher did flogging off oil contracts.

And attempting to cover up deficits and incompetence.

(The members of the Bulliingdon club must still be on cloud 9. I think even Fauxpage would make a better job even when drunk.)


(Again to cronies.)




North Sea Oil.



Her 'conviction' would have been nothing but folly without the North Sea's black gold. It was oil revenues that bankrolled the unemployment, the destruction of manufacturing, the high-exchange rate, the termination of British coal mining, and the big-bang that turned London into a capital of global neo-liberalism and pumped growth into the South-East in the early 1980s.

As North Sea Oil came on stream bringing in an estimated £70 billion in revenues, it turned the UK into an OPEC country, an oil-exporter, and it overturned a chronic balance of payments problem rooted in the post-war period of clinging to imperial over-stretch.





Must make you proud to be old tory right wing reactionaries!

so you mean because it happened several years ago "it doesn't count" unless of course it was something done by MT

well of course no one would ever expect you to admit an own goal, so no disappointment or surprise

Manuel are you forgetting Maggie sold off

1. North Sea Oil Tax revenues.......this in itself far bigger than gold Brown sold

2. Council House, 66% of them now in the hands of bent landlords

3. Public Utilitys for give away prices.

Now Take Osbourne into account aswel,

1. Royal Mail 40% too cheap

2. Lloyds 50% too cheap

Theirs far more aswel cant be assed to think of them.

Labour have a far better record than the lying Tories.

and your own goals ..... or do you also think they don't count?

Osborne promising full employment – is this an April Fool?
01
Tuesday
Apr 2014
Posted by Mike Sivier in Benefits.

The answer has to be in the affirmative. Conservatives can’t promise full employment because it simply isn’t part of their philosophy.
As this blog has stated many times, Tories need a discontented underclass fermenting away beneath the lowest-paid members of the working class, in order to create the level of fear necessary to keep wages down.

The argument is that a person will not ask for a pay rise if they know their boss will turn around and say, “There are hundreds out there who will work for less than you – pick up your cards on the way out!”

For a more easy-access disproval of Osborne’s claim, we only have to look a little further into his speech – from the part where he said: “For it’s no good creating jobs – if we’re also paying people to stay on welfare.”

Hang on! When did our great Social Security system change from being a safety net to help get people back into work to “paying people to stay on welfare”?

Oh yes, that’s right – when we had an unelected Conservative government foisted on us. Tories pay people to stay on welfare because they need that fermenting underclass. The aim is always not to pay enough (as you will see).

The next few lines contain unfounded claims and opinions. See for yourself:

“We inherited a welfare system that didn’t work.” According to whom?

“There was not enough help for those looking for a job – people were just parked on benefits.” But there isn’t enough help now. Come to that, there aren’t enough jobs. Where are all the jobs, George?

“Frankly, there was not enough pressure to get a job – some people could just sign on and get almost as much money staying at home as going out to work.” How many people, George? Five? Six? You make it seem as though more than a million jobseekers were sitting at home and drawing as much money in social security as at work. That would be a lie, George.

“That’s not fair to them – because they get trapped in poverty and their aspirations are squashed.” Whereas Conservative policy means what? Oh yes – they get trapped in poverty and their aspirations are squashed.

“It’s certainly not fair to taxpayers like you, who get up, go out to work, pay your taxes and pay for those benefits.” Tory divide-and-rule. You are different to them, because you have a job. If you are low-paid, it is because they are sucking down your tax money to pay for their extravagant lifestyles (I think we’ve all quite thoroughly killed that particular myth, haven’t we? It doesn’t exist outside the Tory political mind).

“Next Monday is when we do more to encourage people without jobs to find them… Benefits will only go up by 1 per cent – so they don’t go up faster than most people’s pay rises, as used to be the case.” This means people on benefits will start to become much worse-off than they are already. Jobseekers’ allowance used to be pegged at around one-sixth of average pay but will now drop to a far lower proportion, because the Tories lied to you when they said benefit rises were far greater than pay rises. One per cent of Jobseekers’ Allowance at a weekly rate of £71 is 70p; one per cent of the average weekly wage in April 2013, which was £517 per week, is £5.17. You see the difference? Oh, and one more thing: Where are all the jobs, George?

“When I took this job, some people were getting huge payouts – receiving £50,000, £60,000 even up to £100,000 in benefits. More than most people could get by working.” How many people, George? Five? Six? One, perhaps?

“So we’ve capped benefits, so that a family out of work can’t get more in benefits than the average working family.” I’m not actually opposed to ensuring that people on benefits can’t take home more than people in work. However, while accurate, this line is disingenuous. George has ensured that a family out of work takes home at least £5,000 less, per year, than an average working family because of the way he and his Tory friends rigged the system. He’s lying to you.

“And we are bringing in a new Universal Credit to make sure work always pays.” He means “pays more than benefits”. He doesn’t mean “pays a living wage”. Spot the difference?

Now here comes some more oppression, based on a really big lie.

“From this month we’re also making big changes to how people go about claiming benefits. We all understand that some people need more help than others to find work.” What work? Where are all the jobs, George?

“So starting this month we’ll make half of all people on unemployment benefits sign on every week – and people who stay on benefits for a long time will have to go to the job centre every day so they can get constant help and encouragement.” Help and encouragement, is it, George? Have you witnessed the kind of “help and encouragement” they get at the job centre? DWP employees should face harassment charges for the disgraceful way they treat their fellow citizens.

“We’re going to require people to look for work for a week first before they get their unemployment benefit. From now on the deal is this: look for work first; then claim the dole. Not the other way around.” Why? In order to drive people into grinding poverty as early as possible? Forcing people to wait until they claim means they could be without money for food, accommodation and utilities for up to a month, while the system processes them. This is not fair. It is cruel and demeaning – especially when Tory George knows there’s no work to be had.

“When people turn up at the job centre they’ll be expected to have a CV ready and to have started looking on our new jobs website.” This is the Universal Jobmatch website that is habitually used by criminals for identity theft, or to offer jobs in the sex industry. It’s so bad that the government itself is planning to ditch it when the contract with its provider runs out in two years’ time. Why would anybody in their right mind use that?

And now here’s the clincher:

“We will ask many of the long term unemployed to do community work in return for their benefits – whether it is making meals for the elderly, clearing up litter, or working for a local charity.”

In other words, they will ensure that fewer jobs are available by making jobseekers do the work for nothing. Brilliant idea, George – you are wrecking our economy.

“All of this is bringing back the principles that our welfare state was originally based on – something for something, not something for nothing.” A lie, couched in truth. The Welfare State is based on the principle that people on hard times were able to take advantage of benefits because, when in work, they paid into the system via taxes and National Insurance. That’s the “something for something”. It is not based on the idea that jobseekers have to take jobs off the market by doing them for free. That’s just plain silly.

In fact, George, you are just plain silly.

So, returning to the question in our headline, it’s clear to see the answer.

If anyone here is an April Fool, it’s George Osborne.

Labour sold gold too cheaply theirs no denying that but at the time Brown was being advised prices wouldnt rise like they subsequently did.

Fact is Tories have sold far more Family Silver than Labour by a Country Mile.

you two are such muppets and so easy to tease ...... you rise like trout to mayfly

frankly, i don't much care who did what or when, as whoever did what and when would have done it with the best of intents and almost certainly with whatever best professional advice and similar was available at the time

Well you and Hays are getting a reputation for being a pair of clowns, the CHUCKLE BROTHERS they call you.

Iain Duncan Smith Should Be Put On Trial Over The Work Capability Assessment Deaths
Posted on March 29, 2014 by johnny void | 132 comments

The tragic death of severely unwell Mark Wood, who died of malnutrition just five months after he was found ‘fit for work’ by Atos and the DWP, was not just ‘wrong’ as the Government have today admitted – it was grossly negligent. Whether this negligence was criminal must be urgently investigated.

Morally, and almost certainly legally, the DWP have a duty of care when making decisions which can potentially devastate the lives of those called ‘vulnerable adults’ by care professionals. The Work Capability Assessment, which led to the death of Mark Wood, has already been found unfair for people with mental health conditions in the courts. Instead of halting the assessments based on this judgement, Iain Duncan Smith has brushed it aside – convinced he knows better than the courts, the medical establishment and the thousands of sick and disabled people themselves driven to despair by the current system.

Mark Wood’s death is far from the first linked to welfare reforms. A recent report by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (PDF) highlighted another suicide which they found was directly linked to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). In a damning report, the charity surveyed 56 psychiatrists who had treated patients facing one of these crude, computer based assessments. Their findings are both horrifying and desperately sad:

“85% of the 52 respondents to this question told us about an increased frequency of appointments. 65% had at least one patient who required an increased dose of medication and 35% reported at least one patient who had changed medication. 40% had at least one patient who had self-harmed after the WCA. 13% of respondents reported that a patient had attempted suicide and 4% (two RMOs) stated that a patient had taken his/her own life. 35% said that at least one of their patients had been admitted to hospital as a consequence of the WCA and 4% told us about a patient being detained under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.”

The Work Capability Assessment must be brought to an immediate halt. Even the company in charge, the notorious Atos, finally seem to have realised this, confirming this week they will pull out of the contract early. This is the only way to stop any more deaths, and it needs to happen now, as in this week. Otherwise more people will die.

It is no longer enough however to call just for the Government to scrap every aspect of the bungled and brutal welfare reforms that are destroying so many lives. People are dying in one of the richest countries in the world as a direct result of this horrifying attack on the very poorest people. The politicians in charge know this, but are happy to let these deaths continue as part of the ideologically driven obsession with proving that people on benefits are scroungers or fakes and that unemployment is caused by unemployed people.

According to the Daily Mail, David Cameron has backed an urgent review into the Work Capability Assessment. This review should not just look into the failures in the process but assess whether negligence has taken place and if so who is culpable and whether criminal charges can be brought. If Iain Duncan Smith. Atos or the DWP, can be put on trial over these shameful deaths it will not bring anyone back. But at the very least it will send a message to every politician, today and long into the future, that the UK’s legal system will not tolerate reckless cost-cutting experiments that put human lives at risk.

Follow me on twitter @johnnyvoid

is that so? ...... i'm sure you get a massive mailbag saying so ...... well if so, it's an awful lot more complimentary than many things people call me

Hey Cyners have you heard the breaking news, bet hays as, General Strike coming soon.

Trade Unions Unite For Militant And Sustained General Strike Len McClusky Announces
Posted on April 1, 2014 by johnny void | 91 Comments

“Fuck the law … I’ll go to jail if I have to” said McCluskey"

In a genuinely historic move, every trade union in the UK has signed up to a sustained general strike against austerity which could begin in the next few days Unite leader Len McCluskey has confirmed.

The shock announcement comes after months of secret meetings by union bosses in which agreement was reached to take decisive action to fight back against the demolition of the welfare state and NHS. In a statement released early this morning McCluskey said: “We are tearing up the rule book. Fuck the law, I’ll go to jail if I have to. It’s time to take a decisive stand and we call on everybody, in or out of work, to join a sustained militant campaign to support the strikes.”

Every union is believed to have agreed to take part and to adopt old style tactics, such as squads of flying pickets, to strengthen the strike. They have called on non-union members to help them blockade workplaces and picket the homes of scabs. Only those staff involved in essential services, such as emergency healthcare and processing pensions and benefit payments will remain at work.

McCluskey confirms that unions will ballot on a strike within two weeks, however walk-outs could start to take place in the next few days: “We will not wait. This Government would make all trade union activity illegal if they had their way. It’s time to show them that no matter what laws they introduce we will resist them and we are millions strong. The fightback starts now and it stops only when we win, We will bring this country to a standstill.”

He was joined in the announcement by Mark Serwotka of the PCS Union which counts thousands of Jobcentre staff amongst their members. In a surprise move Serwotka apologised to claimants for the union’s inaction to date: “We got it wrong,” he said “we should have acted much earlier. The leadership of the PCS Union can only issue a sincere apology to all who have suffered under this regime and we are desperate to make amends. From today we are instructing our members to refuse to impose benefit sanctions or administer the Work Capability Assessment. We hope to have a full strike in place, with every Jobcentre and DWP office closed, by the end of the week.”

McCluskey continued: “All of us took our eyes off the ball, there is no doubt about that and it is time to rectify that situation. We cannot stand another five years of neo-liberal reforms”

On the subject of the Labour Party, McCluskey continued: “The modern Labour Party is pathetic and the party political system is broken. Unless they stand behind this strike in both word and deed then the Labour Party will not see another penny from any trade union”. Senior Labour Party figures were said to be reeling from the news. Owen Jones, for once, was unavailable for comment.

Instead unions are set to pour millions into grassroots campaigns which are committed to using direct action tactics to fight back against austerity policies. “Close motorways, occupy public buildings, be creative and most of all cost the bastards money” said McCluskey, “whatever you need, we will pay, details of how to apply for funding will be available on our website from tomorrow.”

Unions are believed to have taken action to protect cash reserves to protect against government attempts to sequester or block funds. Detailed secret contingency plans are in place should union leaders be jailed.

The move comes as over 100 anti-poverty and disability charities signed a statement pledging non-cooperation with this, or any government until every single welfare reform introduced by Iain Duncan Smith is revoked. Some of the biggest organisations in the country are even set to give up charitable status to allow them to campaign more vigorously against government policy. A spokesperson for the Leonard Cheshire Foundation confirmed the news: “Enough is enough, it’s time to fight back, by any and all means necessary.”.

Senior Tories have yet to comment on the move, but McCluskey is unrepentant. Revealing his personal motivation for the strikes he explained: “I did not come into trade unionism to see everything that working class people have fought for over the years destroyed whilst we stand on the sidelines. History will not forgive us if we do not act now. We will not go back to work until a radical new settlement is reached or until the whole rotten neo-liberal charade comes crashing down. I’m proud to be part of this great initiative which will place trade unions right back where they should be – at the heart of working class struggle.”

Cynic,

Whenever I think of tory cuts to "welfare" and the abuse which many tories apply to the unemployed I think of this as the standards of the political elite:

In May 2009 Jenkin was reported by the Daily Telegraph to have used £50,000 in expenses in order to pay his sister-in-law rent on the property he uses as his constituency home. Jenkin claimed that he was just paying "an honest and reasonable rent" for the property.[3]

On 27 October 2009 it was initially recommended that Bernard Jenkin pay back £63,250 by expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg. This is the highest amount known to have been recommended after an audit of MPs' claims on second homes expenses.[4][5] This amount was reduced to £36,250 following an appeal.[6]




If somebody who was unemployed and claiming benefits had made "false" claims for the same amount he would probably be doing time.

mccluskey must be a tory plant for he assuredly plays right into their hands

the labour party must be holding its head in grief and pain for this is exactly the sort of militant trades unionism that the general public loathe and perceive as part and parcel of the labour party itself

I think most working class people have been praying for this.

This is a DAY to mark the fight back.

i truly think you're wrong
were it not so, why would the labour party attempting to distance itself insofar as it can from the trades unions?
surely if what you say is correct, the labour party would want to cosy up even more to show how closely it felt allied to what you quaintly call the champions of working class people?

UMMMMMMH,

It is April 1st!

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

You saw my clue Fred..ie DAY.............

cynic - 01 Apr 2014 16:55 - 39090 of 39100

you two are such muppets and so easy to tease .....................................

whose the TOOL now Manuel ????? LOL LOL he he ha ha ho ho.