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.

I am sure that the government is on the right track:

Tata Steel 'set to cut 1,200 jobs'
17 minutes ago
From the section Business
Scunthorpe steel plantImage copyrightPA
Tata Steel is to announce 1,200 UK job cuts next week.
The firm is expected to significantly reduce the workforce at its Scunthorpe steel plant, which employs 3,000 people and is one of the UK's biggest.
Tata may also cut jobs in Scotland, at Clydebridge in Cambuslang and Dalzell in Motherwell.

The company declined to confirm the job cuts, but said it had been facing challenges in the UK such as a surge in steel imports, and the strong pound.

A spokesman said: "We've made a number of structural changes to our UK business over the last months and years to make us more competitive. Like all companies we continue to review the performance of our business."

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union, said it would seek talks with Tata Steel to discuss ways that jobs could be saved.



-=-=-=-=

Congratulations to Osborne and Cameron.

=--==--=-=-=

Quick sell it to the Chinese.

It will look good on the books.

Even Jeremy Corbyn can't save Labour in Scotland

The SNP is still riding high in the polls, despite Labour electing an "anti-austerity" leader, suggesting the party needs a much broader message





By Asa Bennett

1:34PM BST 16 Oct 2015

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Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader was meant to revive his party's fortunes in Scotland. His supporters often argued that would offer a "clear anti-austerity platform". This is meant to be a tonic for Scottish voters, after Labour lost 40 seats in Scotland to the SNP in May, after a general election campaign which saw Nicola Sturgeon mercilessly paint Ed Miliband's Labour as "Tory-lite".




However, despite Mr Corbyn launching a Caledonian love-bombing campaign by pledging to spend at least one day a month north of the border, Scots don't seem to be feeling the Corbynmania.


Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader has failed to dent the SNP's popularity, according to YouGov, with over half (51 per cent) of Scottish voters still intending to back Nicola Sturgeon's party.


Labour, by contrast, has slipped down a percentage point in the polls, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have risen by a point each. Such slips may be well within the margin of error, but given that a new leader normally enjoys a "honeymoon" bounce in support, Mr Corbyn's election has failed to make its mark.

The new Labour leader is hoping to puncture the SNP's popularity by trying to undermine their "anti-austerity" reputation. In his first appearance on the Andrew Marr show, he insisted that “anti-austerity” was only a “headline” for the SNP. "Yes they [the SNP] have an anti-austerity badge, but where is the economic strategy behind it which doesn’t either continue the austerity that is happening now?" he scoffed.



0%10%20%30%40%50%60%Voting intentionSNPLabourConservativesLib Dems Pre-CorbynNow
Powered by Factmint














Pre-Corbyn poll carried out 7-10 September, current one from Oct 9-13

YouGov

Labour, by contrast, has slipped down a percentage point in the polls, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have risen by a point each. Such slips may be well within the margin of error, but given that a new leader normally enjoys a "honeymoon" bounce in support, Mr Corbyn's election has failed to make its mark.

The new Labour leader is hoping to puncture the SNP's popularity by trying to undermine their "anti-austerity" reputation. In his first appearance on the Andrew Marr show, he insisted that “anti-austerity” was only a “headline” for the SNP. "Yes they [the SNP] have an anti-austerity badge, but where is the economic strategy behind it which doesn’t either continue the austerity that is happening now?" he scoffed.



After the SNP inflicted its "Ajockalypse" on Labour by riding a wave of anger against the "red Tories" at Westminster, Mr Corbyn may be hoping to woo Scots with his anti-austerity rhetoric. However, YouGov's polling suggests they are even more sceptical about him than they are in England.

When asked if Mr Corbyn's election would make them more or less likely to vote Labour, 50 per cent of Scots said they "wouldn't have" in an case. By contrast, only 37 per cent of English voters said they would rule out voting Labour.



The loyalist vote seems smaller in Scotland too, as a smaller proportion (11 per cent) said they "would have" voted Labour regardless of Mr Corbyn's election than voters based in England (16 per cent).

Labour's confusion this week over George Osborne's fiscal charter awkwardly undermined Jeremy Corbyn's efforts to offer an alternative to austerity, after his Shadow Chancellor threw his party behind it two weeks ago - and then abruptly U-turned.

The SNP mocked Mr Corbyn for his party's last-minute opposition, with Stewart Hosie saying: "While we welcome every vote against austerity, it will count for nothing if Mr Corbyn cannot take his MPs with him."

Jeremy Corbyn cast his party as "the progressive voice for Scotland" in his conference address last month, but his credentials as an anti-austerity warrior aren't proving to be enough to dent the SNP's popularity. Despite his promises to fight the cuts, the latest polls still show the SNP is Scotland's party of choice.

If Mr Corbyn wants Scots to take notice of his message, he'll have to offer them more than promises to hate "Tory cuts" more than the SNP do.

if the scots had another referendum today, it's a racing certainty they wouldn't jump over a cliff in their eagerness

even the scots aren't so dimwitted that they haven't noticed the collapse of oil and the appalling effect that that has had in aberdeen alone, yet oil is about the only true asset that scotland has - or should i say had

and sturgeon would get rid of trident as well would she?
so what will all those skilled workers do then?
and what about the ancillary trades and shops and everything which will be decimated without the workers income?

great idea this anti-austerity, but who would pay for it?

They could park Trident in the Thames valley and the Scot skilled workers could migrate to that area.

You mean, that they could sorta kinda, do a "Get on your bike"?

Hmmm? Are you moving towards the right? That's amazing!

EVERY CLOUD! :0)


Scots MPs ‘could not be PM again’ under Eve





by
DAVID MADDOX



published 00:38 Wednesday 14 October 2015


131 comments



Have your say


A Scottish MP could not be Prime Minister or Speaker again with Tory plans for English votes for English laws (Evel), Labour’s shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant has warned.

Giving evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee, Mr Bryant warned the UK Government’s plans to impose Evel will “undermine” the Union and claimed the Speaker would need to “quadruple” the legal advice to decide if Bills are English only.

Asked if it would prevent Scots MPs taking senior positions in the House, he said: “There is a real danger that there would never be another Scottish Speaker again or Welsh one.” When SNP committee chairman Pete Wishart said that it would prevent Scots or Welsh become Prime Minister again, Mr Bryant said: “You make a very strong argument.”


Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/scots-mps-could-not-be-pm-again-under-evel-1-3916236#ixzz3okmoUC5K
Follow us: @TheScotsman on Twitter | TheScotsmanNewspaper on Facebook


comments


Sadly I think we have seen the last of influential and powerful Scots. The days of Brown, Keir Hardie, Alistair Darling, Douglas Hume, Balfour, Charles Kennedy, Tam Dalyell etc are over. No more Scots PMs, Defence Secretaries, Home Secretaries, Chancellors of the Exchequer. The highest position a Scot can expect to hold now is First Minister in a nation of five million people.

But this is the tragic, narrow, limited, low aspiration, small minded future we have chosen for ourselves. Back to the world's margin.


So, Nic Sturgeon wee Al Salmond and the likes of Mhrairi Black and co won't ever make it to number ten, thank god!


But a Scottish individual standing for an English constituency could be PM.

After Messers Blair and Brown is anyone surprised?

Better Together to blame for Labour woes - Corbyn

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/better-together-to-blame-for-labour-woes-corbyn-1-3903826#ixzz3okqkdXT2
Follow us: @TheScotsman on Twitter | TheScotsmanNewspaper on Facebook







by
DAVID MADDOX



published 00:12 Thursday 01 October 2015



147 comments



Have your say


New Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has blamed the Better Together campaign for his party’s woes in Scotland.

His comments come ahead of his first visit north of the Border as party leader today for a Labour gala dinner in Glasgow where he will pledge that Scottish leader Kez Dugdale will be the boss on Scottish matters.

“ Too many people think Labour has lost its way
Jeremy Corbyn

Mr Corbyn’s visit coincides with a hardening of Labour’s position on constitutional matters as shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has told The Scotsman that he can think of “no conceivable circumstances” it would agree to support a 
second independence referendum.





He added that the constitution “is last year’s debate, we need to concentrate on public services and what parties will do with the new powers now”.



In an interview at the end of the party conference in Brighton, Mr Corbyn was asked what went wrong for Labour in Scotland. He said: “I think what went wrong was the Better Together campaign.”

Labour had worked with the Tories in the successful pro-UK campaign, alienating some of its supporters north of the Border.

Mr Corbyn also said “what went wrong was UK-wide failure to oppose the principles behind austerity in the last two general elections”.

In his speech tonight he will promise to end the party culture which former Scottish leader Johann Lamont complained made Scottish Labour “a branch office” for the UK party.

Mr Corbyn will say: “Under my leadership there will be no question about who is in charge of the Scottish Labour Party. Kezia Dugdale is leader of our party in Scotland and I will be working alongside her to win back support for Labour.

“Kez has said that she wants to make absolutely clear what the Labour Party stands for and who we stand with. That is also my mission across the UK. Too many people have told me that they think Labour lost its way.

“We need to win back their trust by showing them exactly what difference a Labour Government would make to their lives.”


comments


That's because the Better Together campaign was led by the Tories and they used their Labour puppets effectively.

Westminster will be Tory led for at least 15 years. And no doubt Scotland will continue to reject them at the polls.

"Too many people think Labour has lost its way". No! Too many people know that Labour has lost its way.

Just as a postscript to this thread and to JC's attempts to change the Labour Party we in Scotland had this same conversation throughout the referendum campaign except the Labour Party was then standing full square with the Tories. The move towards Independence had nothing to do with anti English sentiment as the Tories tried to imply it was about common decency and a compassionate society. JC is right to come North he will always be welcome here but his party has no resonance any longer.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says Sepp Blatter should remain in charge of Fifa despite facing corruption charges.

Blatter, who is suspended, is under criminal investigation over a payment made to Uefa boss Michel Platini in 2011. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Ecclestone said: "I don't think he should have ever stepped down. I don't think he should have been challenged.

"If people allegedly have been corrupted to make things happen in their country, it's good."

Sounds as if Ecclestone has been advising Cameron and the tory party leadership.

As they say, theres no fool like an old fool.....


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11938289/50-shades-of-grey-gp-cleared-of-assault-tycoon-spanking-session.html

ranting woman on QT
i watched neither the programme nor any follow-ups, but i do wonder whether or not she was a plant
whatever .....
the interesting fact is that it would seem that she will not be hit at all by the proposed cuts, so it was a totally unwarranted rant

however, after 2017, a family earning just £20,000 a year and deciding to have 4 children after that date, will receive £2,000 a year less in benefits, which sounds a bit harsh
is that fair?
on balance, i think it is, as there is no compulsion to have any children, let alone 4 of them, so is there good reason why the taxpayer should subsidise such a family should it choose to do so?

These days, having kids is a lifestyle choice, it doesent happen by accident.

imo, there is too much emphasis placed on "rights" and not enough placed on duty/obligation.

The problem with tax credits is that it is device for keeping low pay. Brown brought in tax credits as a sweetener for Blair to win an election.
It enables employers to pay low wages and the employee gets topped up by the government. If we are to change this then the wages have to rise.
The only solution seems to be to gradually decrease tax credits. The government has given tax breaks to businesses to enable higher pay.
The whole process is going to be difficult but there seems to be little alternative.

ComRes’s monthly poll for the Independent on Sunday is out today and has topline figures of

CON 42%(nc), LAB 29%(-1), LDEM 7%(nc), UKIP 13%(nc), GRN 3%(nc).

a daft question i'm sure
if you are unemployed, surely tax credits are no use to you at all

================

hays - your observation is correct, but if the low(est) paid are not subsidised in some way, then surely prices across the board must go up - eg food in supermarkets
that being so, (fred would no doubt say) that it legislates against the poorest

of course tax credits and like are no more than a hidden tax, and yes, people should be paid a "proper wage" though subsidising the poorest segments should and will always continue