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.

Where is Watford? I operate on a north of Hendon or North Circular basis.

edit

Apparently Watford is 'up north'.

Haystack Send an email to Haystack View Haystack's profile - 18 Nov 2014 19:05 - 50689 of 50693

Northern baiting is a very popular spectator sport down here in the south. The only drawback is that it is too easy. It is not often that there is any decent opposition. The final result is usually a walkover..........................ends


a certain team called Man UTD have proved you terribly wrong for the last 20 years Hays, carry on dreaming old boy.

What is Man UTD? Sounds like an STD!

‘JustGiving’ page to assuage Myleene’s ‘Mansion Tax’ outrage!18/11/2014

A JustGiving page has been set up to help Myleene Klass pay her mansion tax after she took Ed Miliband to task about the scheme on ITV’s The Agenda.

The Littlewoods designer seemed to think the Labour leader’s pledge to impose a £250/week tax on properties worth more than £2million was unfair: “In London, which is where 80 per cent of the people who will be paying this tax actually live, have you seen what that amount of money can get you? It’s like a garage.”

Here’s Mr Miliband’s deadpan response: “”I totally understand that people don’t like paying more in tax.”

Myleene’s ill-judged words sparked a swift backlash, and now a JustGiving page has been set up to help her pay the bill, if a Labour government is elected next year.

The text reads: “Help Myleene Klass pay her Mansion Tax. Myleene is a struggling mother with a fortune of £11m who needs our help. Please be generous.”

More seriously, on Twitter, another person wrote: “Myleene Klaas don’t like the idea of having to pay #mansiontax. Is she even aware of the effects of #BedroomTax?”

This is the heart of the matter, of course. The Bedroom Tax has forced many families out of London – exactly as intended by the Conservatives – leaving the UK’s capital to become a playground for the rich.

Labour’s mansion tax plan will redress the balance by making it just as hard for the rich to live there as it is for the poor – unless prices come down, allowing the poor back in.

Myleene clearly had not thought that far into the matter.

Named and shamed: The government MPs profiting from NHS sell-off18/11/2014


Sickening: These are some of the prominent government ministers who have profited from allowing private companies to provide NHS healthcare services. Meanwhile…

Here’s a new wrinkle on an old story: The social media have been publishing lists of MPs with shares in private healthcare companies – and therefore have their noses in the trough as these companies profit from NHS contracts – since before the Health and Social Care Act 2012 was passed. Now the Unite union has published its own list and the mainstream media have got involved.

Good for Unite – at last this corruption is receiving the attention it deserves.

Named on the list of 71 Coalition MPs (64 Tories; seven Liberal Democrats) are David Cameron and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, along with former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley – proving that corruption played a huge part in the introduction of private firms into NHS work.

Nick Clegg and Vince Cable are also named, providing a clear indication of why the Liberal Democrats colluded in this – we can only call it – crime. Even though none of the politicians mentioned in the list acted against current UK laws, they all acted dishonestly in claiming that the change was good for the country when in fact they meant it was good for themselves.

How many of them declared this clear conflict of interest while voting for the Health and Social Care Act in 2012? None seems the most likely answer.

According to the Daily Mirror, “All 71 MPs named in the dossier voted in favour of the Government’s controversial Health and Social Care Act in 2012, which opened up the NHS to more private firms.”

The revelation comes ahead of Friday’s vote on Labour MP Clive Efford’s Private Members’ Bill, which calls on MPs to scrap key sections of the Act.

This Bill is not to be confused with Labour’s plan to abolish the Act altogether, which could only happen after a Labour government is elected in May next year. The UK Parliamentary system works in such a way that the sitting government can never lose a whipped vote as its members outnumber all other groups in the House of Commons; it is a shame that this blog has to spell it out but some readers have demonstrated a lack of understanding in this regard.

The list includes Andrew Lansley’s now-infamous £21,000 donation in November 2009 from John Nash, the former chairman of Care UK, and Jeremy Hunt received more than £20,000 from hedge fund baron Andrew Law, a major investor in healthcare firms.


the same government ministers support a benefit system that denies the seriousness of conditions like fibromyalgia. The imagerepresents how people’s bodies would appear if fibromyalgia was visible and is therefore how Mrs Mike would appear.

the same government ministers support a benefit system that denies the seriousness of conditions like fibromyalgia. The imagerepresents how people’s bodies would appear if fibromyalgia was visible and is therefore how Mrs Mike would appear.

Here’s the full list – can you find your own MP on it?

1. David Cameron – Prime Minister

Handed a peerage to nursing and care home tycoon Dolar Popat, who has given the Tories more than £200,000 in donations.

2. Andrew Lansley – Former Health Secretary & architect of privatisation

Received a £21,000 donation in Nov 2009 from John Nash, the former chairman of Care UK.

3. Harriet Baldwin – Tory whip

Former executive at JP Morgan, a major player in private healthcare.

4. Greg Barker – former Energy Minister

Held shares in Quester VCT 5 plc ,a venture capital firm with multiple investments in healthcare companies.

5. Henry Bellingham

Former director of Lansdowne Advisory Ltd, which has shares in private healthcare company Circle.

6. Jake Berry

Has registered interests in legal firm Squire Patton Boggs, which workd with multiple NHS trusts on PFI and PPP programs.

7. Graham Brady

Former advisor to PA Consulting, a management consultancy company which has worked with the NHS’s new Clinical Commissioning Groups.

8. Simon Burns – former Health Minister

Attended an oncology conference paid for by Aventis Pharma – a five-day trip to the US funded by a leading drug firm.

9. Nick de Bois

Was the majority shareholder in Rapier Design Group, an events management company heavily involved with the private medical and pharmaceutical industries.

10. Steve Brine

Received almost £15,000 in donations from James Lupton, the chairman of investment bankers, Greenhill Europe which has a global network of corporate relationships in the healthcare sector.

11. Aidan Burley

Received six bottles of wine from Hitachi consultants for a speech in 2011. Hitachi Consulting UK built an online ‘portal’ for NHS commissioners to help them monitor performance.

12. Damian Collins

Spent almost a decade working for marketing agency M&C Saatchi, whose clients include PPP healthcare, AXA insurance, Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Merck

13. David Davis – former shadow home secretary

Received a payment of £4,250 for a six-hour speaking engagement for private health insurance company Aviva.

14. Jonathan Djanogly

Received £1,900 from Huntleigh Healthcare Ltd, which manufactures medical and orthopaedic equipment and instruments.

15. Richard Drax

Received £14,000 in a series of donations from Derek Luckhurst, chief executive and owner of care home group Agincare.

16. Iain Duncan-Smith – Work and Pensions Secretary

Has shares in hygiene technology company Byotrol plc, which sells products to the NHS.

17. Philip Dunne

Was a non-executive director for investment firm Baronsmead VCT 4 plc, which had multiple investments in private healthcare companies.

18. Michael Fallon – Defence Secretary

Former director of Attendo AB, – a Swedish private health company.

19. Mark Field

Was a board advisor to Ellwood and Atfield; a recruitment firm which recruit for NHS positions and private healthcare.

20. Liam Fox – former Defence Secretary

Received £5,000 from investment company IPGL Ltd, who purchased healthcare pharma company Cyprotex.

21. George Freeman

Has shares in Hill House Assets Ltd, formally private health firm 4D Biomedical Ltd.

22. Mike Freer

Provided marketing advice to Care Matters, a financial planning company for care homes.

23. Richard Fuller

Worked for L.E.K consulting, which has six ‘partners’ in European healthcare.

24. Richard Graham

Received £3,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

25. William Hague – Leader of the Commons

Received a £20,000 donation from MMC Ventures, which parts owns The Practice plc which runs 60 GP surgeries.

26. Philip Hammond – Foreign Secretary

Beneficiary of a trust which owns a controlling interest in healthcare and nursing home developer Castlemead Ltd.

27. Mark Harper

Received £5,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

28. Nick Herbert

Received £15,000 in donations from Caroline Nash, wife of former Care UK chairman John Nash.

29. Jeremy Hunt – Health Secretary

Received £32,920 from hedge fund baron Andrew Law, a major investor in healthcare firms.

30. Margot James

Had a key role at marketing giant WPP Group, which had a long list of healthcare clients.

31. Sajid Javid – Culture Secretary

Received £11,000 from Moundsley Healthcare Ltd last year.

32. Jo Johnson – Downing Street policy adviser

Received £6,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

33. Kwarsi Kwateng

Worked as an analyst for for Crispin Odey’s hedge fund Odey Asset Management.

34. Mark Lancaster

Former adviser to property venture capital firm Company Palmer Capital Partners Ltd, a funder of Danescroft Commercial Developments, which has worked in the healthcare sector.

35. Dr Phillip Lee

Has worked as a freelance or Medical Solutions Ltd, which provided medical cover for events.

36. Oliver Letwin – former shadow chancellor

Was a non-executive director of N.M. Rothschild Corporate Finance Ltd, which invests heavily in healthcare.

37. Peter Lilley

Non-Executive director of management software firm Idox plc, which provides services to the NHS Health Libraries Group and NHS Education for Scotland.

38. Tim Loughton

Received £350 for training sessions with Cumberlege Connections, a political networking firm that works “extensively” with the pharmaceutical industry.

39. Mary Macleod

Was a senior executive at Andersen Consulting/Accenture, which has profited from big PFI deals.

40. Francis Maude – Cabinet Office Secretary

Was a director of PR firm Huntsworth plc, which was part of lobbying group Healthcare Communications Association.

41. Maria Miller – former Culture Secretary

Former director of Grey’s Advertising Ltd, an advertising and brand company which worked extensively with clients in the healthcare sector.

42. Andrew Mitchell – former International Development Secretary

Was a strategy adviser to global management firm Accenture, which has worked extensively with private healthcare companies and the NHS.

43. Penny Mordaunt – Communities Minister

Worked for lobbying firm Hanover, where she had a range of healthcare clients.

44. Brooks Newmark – former Charities Minister

Partner in the Allele Fund, which invests in healthcare startups.

45. Jesse Norman

Received £5,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

46. Stephen O’Brien

Received payments totalling £40,000 from Julian Schild, whose family made £184million in 2006 by selling hospital bed-makers Huntleigh Technology.

47. George Osborne – Chancellor

Received donation through Conservative Campaign Headquarters from Julian Schild – see above.

48. Priti Patel – Treasury Minister

Worked for lobbying firm Weber Shandwick, which does PR for big healthcare and pharmaceutical firms.

49. John Redwood – former Cabinet Minister

Advised the private equity company which runs Pharmacy2u, the UK’s largest dedicated internet and mail order pharmacy.

50. Jacob Rees-Mogg

Partner of Somerset Capital Management LLP, which has healthcare investor Redwood Emerging Markets Dividend Income Fund as a client.

51. Sir Malcolm Rifkind – former Foreign Secretary

Chairman of advisory board at L.E.K. Consulting LLP, which helps private healthcare firms identify “new business development” and “opportunities with the Government”.

52. Amber Rudd – Energy Minister

Received £3,000 from hedge fund baron Andrew Law, a major investor in healthcare firms.

53. David Ruffley

Received £10,000 in donations from Caroline Nash, wife of former Care UK chairman John Nash.

54. Mark Simmonds – former Foreign Minister

Was paid £50,000 a year as a “strategic adviser” to Circle Health.

55. Chris Skidmore

Received £3,500 for speeches to STAC Consultancy, which specialises in the launch of pharmaceutical products.

56. Julian Smith

Received a £2,500 donation from Principle Healthcare Ltd in September 2014.

57. Nicholas Soames

Received £2,000 from asset manager Crispin Odey, a major investor in Circle.

58. John Stanley

Consultant on financial services to FIL Investment Management Ltd, which invests in healthcare.

59. Andrew Tyrie – select committee chairman

Attended the Ryder Cup as Secretary of the Parliamentary Golf Society, with travel and accommodation paid for by U.S. healthcare services company Humana Europe.

60. Robin Walker

His office received a £2,000 donation from Redwood Care Homes, which owns multiple care homes.

61. David Willetts – former Universities Minister

Has shares in Sensortec, a company that owns Vantix which was working on a contract for a new product to detect MRSI.

62. Rob Wilson

Had registered shares in Vital Imaging, a private screening company.

63. Tim Yeo

Also attended the 2008 Ryder Cup, courtesy of Humana Europe.

64. Nadhim Zahawi

Non-executive director of recruitment company SThree, which specialises in the Ppharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.

65. Menzies Campbell – former leader

Non-executive director of Scottish American Investment Company plc, which took over one of the care homes when Southern Cross collapsed.

66. Vince Cable – Business Secretary

Received a donation of £2,000 from Chartwell Care Services, which is 100% owned by Chartwell Health & Care PLC. It also owns Chartwell Private Hospitals plc, which provide day case surgery to NHS patients.

67. Nick Clegg – Deputy Prime Minister

Received a donation to his constituency office for £5,000 from Alpha Medical Consultancy.

68. Simon Hughes – Justice Minister

Received £60,000 donation to his constituency party from the founder of Alpha Hospitals, a private hospital firm.

69. Stephen Lloyd

MP for Eastbourne. Received £544.92 aggregated over time for office equipment from Platon Medical Ltd – who provides Ear, Nose and throat devices.

70. Robert Smith

Has shares in pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.

71. Jo Swinson – Business Minister

Received a donation of £2,000 September 2013 from private optician firm, Peter Ivins Eye Care.

Fred1new Send an email to Fred1new View Fred1new's profile - 18 Nov 2014 19:16 - 50691 of 50699

Manue;
fred - oh hahaha! ...... in your dreams in your utopian water bed .....
as i wrote previously, generations of previous gov'ts have done no more than tinker at the edges, usually for political gain, and every 5 years

It has been said over the years about tax reforms.

Check back to 1900.

-======

In 1945, the tories said no to changes in the Welfare System, the setting up of th NHS. the changes in Education system and the necessary or society needed nationalisation of worn out Private Industries.

In a democracy a bloodless change you need the majority of the voters to create that change.

Better slowly and addressing mistakes at the same time.

One thing which would aid it is the muzzling of a "bought" press. I doubt possible or acceptable.

===========


Hairy One,

The tax man commeth!

Hope you have your knickers on.


-=-=-=-=-

ROCHESTER, ROCHESTER, ROCHESTER.


I wonder if David Davies is going to put his hat in the ring!!!

Would consider voting for him!

goldfinger

Your sausages are burning and scotland have scored a goal

I see Haze has had his batch of mail from Party Central office to-day.

Is he salivating waiting for his next feed.

He will be having a blue rinse next!

=========

ROCHESTER,ROCHESTER,ROCHESTER

Tory candidate in Rochester byelection demands action on immigration

Kelly Tolhurst, who trails Ukip’s Mark Reckless in polls, says she will go straight to PM with her concerns if she wins



Rowena Mason, political correspondent


The Guardian, Tuesday 18 November 2014 19.35 GMT



David Cameron and Kelly Tolhurst in Rochester. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/AP




David Cameron has been berated by his own candidate in the Rochester & Strood byelection over the “hurt” caused by immigration to her area and the need for “action, not just talk” on controlling the number of new arrivals.

In a leaflet distributed to voters, Kelly Tolhurst, the 36-year-old businesswoman standing for the Tories, said she would go straight to the prime minister and “demand something is done” if she won the byelection.

Tolhurst is lagging behind the favourite, Mark Reckless, the former Tory MP whose defection to Ukip triggered the byelection. The officially approved flyer, headlined Kelly Talks, appears to be an attempt by the Conservatives to portray their candidate as someone with Ukip-style views on immigration who will take a tougher line than her party and Cameron himself.

“I wanted to bring the prime minister to this constituency to show him that uncontrolled immigration has hurt this area. I told him we need action, not just talk … At the moment, migrants can have access to social housing after just two years of living here. I’m campaigning to get that extended to five years and, if elected, I’ll make sure that happens immediately,” she wrote.



More panic here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/18/tory-candidate-rochester-byelection-immigration

Labour vows to clamp down on in-work tax credits for EU migrants

Shadow work and pensions secretary says social security system was never designed for current levels of migration



Patrick Wintour, political editor


The Guardian, Tuesday 18 November 2014 16.51 GMT





The shadow work and pensions secretary, Rachel Reeves. Photograph: David Gadd/Allstar Picture Library



The shadow work and pensions secretary, Rachel Reeves, has said for the first time that Labour would clamp down on in-work tax credits claimed by EU migrants, and that “the UK social security system was never designed for the levels of migration we are now seeing”.

Reeves said the proposal had the support of European social democrats, and that she would not give up the fight with Brussels on the issue.

She put the cost of paying in-work tax credits to about 252,000 EU migrant households at £1.6bn a year.

Reeves also said Labour would extend the period for which EU migrants are debarred from claiming out-of-work benefits from three months to two years, a move that might deter some coming to the country even if they had a job offer.

Along with the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, Reeves is a shadow cabinet voice representing a northern seat and believes the party has to do more to recognise key Labour voters’ concerns about immigration and welfare.



Even more panic here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/18/labour-clamp-down-in-work-tax-credits-eu-migrants

Fred1new Send an email to Fred1new View Fred1new's profile - 18 Nov 2014 20:29 - 50702 of 50704

I see Haze has had his batch of mail from Party Central office to-day.

Is he salivating waiting for his next feed.

He will be having a blue rinse next!

=========

ROCHESTER,ROCHESTER,ROCHESTER


Good post Fred.

With apologies to the Eagles, welcome to the Hotel Intifada...



On a South London ring road,

Diesel fumes in my hair,

Warm smell of samosas,

Rising up through the air.

Up ahead by the Poundshop,

I saw a flickering light,

Completely knackered and I needed a drink.

Thought I’d stop for the night.





As I entered the doorway,

Something’s wrong, I could tell,

The young man at reception said:

‘We’ve been expecting you, infidel.’

Then he pulled out a pistol,

And showed me to my cell.

There were voices down the corridor,

I thought I heard them yell:



Welcome to the Hotel Intifada,

Such a nasty place,

Such a nasty place,

Cover up your face.

Plenty of room at the Hotel Intifada.

Any time of year,

Any time of year,

We can make you disappear.



His mind was definitely twisted,

They called him Jihadi John,

He’s got a lot of pretty stupid boys,

Hell-bent on martyrdom.

Cleaning guns in the courtyard,

Black masks soaked in sweat,

Some full of adventure,

Some filled with regret.



So I called up my captor,

Please bring me my wine.

He said: ‘We don’t have any vino here,

Not even lager and lime.’

And still those voices were calling,

From far away,

Screaming out in the middle of the night,

In a blood-curdling way:



Welcome to the Hotel Intifada,

Such a nasty place,

Such a nasty place,

For the Master Race.

It’s a living hell at the

Hotel Intifada,

Get me out of here,

Get me out of here,

I just want a beer.



Shackles on the ceiling,

Bed sheets full of lice.

And he said: ‘We are all just prisoners here,

On our way to Paradise.’

I just want a Full English, a soft bed for the night.

So put away your steely knife,

I could murder a nice pint.



Last thing I remember,

I was flying through the door.

The place was smashed to kingdom come,

By American shock and awe.

‘Relax,’ said the madman, ‘Don’t look so relieved.

You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave...’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2838653/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-Welcome-Hotel-Intifada.html#ixzz3JSOQOIYE
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

On a South London ring road,

Diesel fumes in my hair,

Warm smell of samosas,

Rising up through the air.

Up ahead by the Poundshop,

I saw a flickering light,

Completely knackered and I needed a drink.

Thought I’d stop for the night.

No wonder H/S feels at home there.

lol Stan :-)

Friday night and Saturday morning.

Had to wait in line at the hair dressers this afternoon, which was quite amusing, really.

:-)

..Now get down shep, where do you get them from E/L -):