Xann Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Quote Scottish police are assessing whether to launch a criminal investigation into the failure of two government ministers to address a coroner’s concerns about the safety of the “fitness for work” test, a failure which may have caused “countless deaths”. Disabled activist John McArdle, co-founder of the user-led campaign network Black Triangle, lodged a complaint with police in Edinburgh last month about the actions of former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) and former employment minister Chris Grayling. McArdle believes the two Conservative politicians are guilty of the Scottish criminal offence of wilful neglect of duty by a public official, because they failed to take steps to improve the work capability assessment (WCA) in 2010 after being warned by a coroner that its flaws risked causing future deaths. Disability News Service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Quote Tax havens 'have no economic purpose', say economists David Cameron is under mounting pressure ahead of hosting an anti-corruption summit after hundreds of the world's top economists called on the UK to take the lead in tackling tax havens. A letter signed by 300 economists has derided the low tax jurisdictions as serving "no economic purpose" and called for new measures to prevent them from being used to help the rich and powerful avoid paying their fair share. It says that poor countries are "the biggest losers from tax havens" and that not doing more has undermined global governments' apparent drive for sustainable development. "Tax havens basically allow companies and certain individuals to free-ride on the rest of humanity," signatory Dr Ha-Joon Chang, of the University of Cambridge, told the BBC The letter also calls for the introduction of new international rules designed to force companies to report taxable activities on a country by country basis, allowing duties to be applied where money is made rather than where it is reported. To help achieve this, they want low-tax havens to be forced to publish details of who owns the companies and assets held there. The economists, including almost 50 professors from British universities as well as Nobel prize-winner Angus Deaton, say the UK is in a "unique position" to take the lead as it has sovereignty over around a third of the world's tax havens. About half of the companies revealed in the Panama Papers documents are based in British overseas territories. The Week 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Quote The government’s academisation programme is already in chaos. Now its flagship academy trust has collapsed. The executive head of Perry Beeches – held up by the Conservative government as a poster child for academisation – has resigned amid allegations of financial mismanagement, leaving five schools and hundreds of children facing an uncertain future. The departure of the head and the governing board came in the wake of an explosive investigation into financial mismanagement at the trust. The five schools it runs in Birmingham, four of them free schools, will now be managed by the Department for Education until new sponsors can be found. The trust has racked up an estimated £1.8m in debt under the stewardship of Liam Nolan, who became head of the struggling Perry Beeches school in 2007 before turning it around and going on to open four further Perry Beeches schools. If there has been a poster child for the Conservatives’ education agenda, it is Nolan. Although a committed Labour supporter, Nolan has spoken at Conservative party conferences, and his schools have been hailed as “a real success story” (David Cameron), “the best schools in Birmingham” (former Education Secretary Michael Gove) and used as an example of academies that deliver “truly extraordinary outcomes for young people” (current Education Secretary Nicky Morgan). But, all the while, Nolan – who once complained that his £120,000 a year salary was “much less than other industry bosses” – appears to have been milking public money for personal gain. A damning report by the Education Funding Agency found that: Nearly £1.3m was paid to a private firm called Nexus – with “no evidence of a formal procurement exercise”. Nexus, in turn, paid £160,000 to Liam Nolan’s company, Liam Nolan Ltd, over two years as “an additional salary”. Records were erased, in breach of academies rules, meaning that £2.5m in free school meal funding could not be confirmed. The schools are still under investigation over their hiring, admissions and exclusions practices – and over allegations that the trust inappropriately used funds to pay three local Labour MPs £5000 each (they have since repaid the money). The Canary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Electoral Commission statement (my emphasis on third para): Quote The Electoral Commission has today (12 May) announced that as part of its investigation launched on 18 February 2016 into Conservative Party campaign spending returns, it has made an application to the High Court for a document and information disclosure order. The application, which names the Conservative and Unionist Party as the Respondent, is made under paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 19B to the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000. Why the Commission is taking this action Using its powers under PPERA, and in line with its Enforcement Policy, the Electoral Commission may issue a statutory notice requiring any person, including a registered party, to provide us with specific documents and/or information as part of an investigation. This places the recipient under a legal obligation to provide the required material. However, if the recipient does not comply with this statutory notice, the Commission may apply to the High Court for a disclosure order which if granted would be the court compelling the Respondent to release the required documents and information to the Commission. The Commission issued the Conservative and Unionist Party with two statutory notices requiring the provision of material relevant to its investigation. However, the Party has only provided limited disclosure of material in response to the first notice (issued on 18 February 2016) and no material in response to the second notice (issued on 23 March 2016). That follows the Commission granting extensions of time to comply. Bob Posner, Director of Party and Election Finance & Legal Counsel at the Electoral Commission said: “If parties under investigation do not comply with our requirements for the disclosure of relevant material in reasonable time and after sufficient opportunity to do so, the Commission can seek recourse through the courts. We are today asking the court to require the Party to fully disclose the documents and information we regard as necessary to effectively progress our investigation into the Party’s campaign spending returns.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Dodgy Tories playing fast and loose with the rules when it suits them. Entitled rocket polishers, the lot of them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted May 12, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted May 12, 2016 I'd love the Culture Secretary to sit down and explain what he means by the requirement for the BBC to produce 'distinctive content'. I genuinely don't think any Western broadcaster could produce 'distinctive content' if their lives depended on it. And the only reason any other broadcaster could is due entirely to the sheer difference in cultural background. And I'm not sure many people will see the value for their licence fee when the BBC starts turning out innovative ideas from Japan, for instance. Like locking a man in a room for months and seeing what happens for comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted May 13, 2016 Author Moderator Share Posted May 13, 2016 21 hours ago, Chindie said: explain what he means by the requirement for the BBC to produce 'distinctive content' I think he means "stop making copycat programmes" - like if ITV has on X-Factor, then the BBC decided it needs a singing programme too, and comes up with "the voice". If that is what he means, then I agree with the baby-eating sadist's view. Trouble is, as written, it's kind of imprecise and open to interpretation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_c Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Big Brother was considered ground breaking when it was first broadcast in Holland. The MTV 'scripted-reality' shows were innovative at the time. Doesn't mean they're not a load of old shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 On 5/12/2016 at 15:21, Chindie said: I'd love the Culture Secretary to sit down and explain what he means by the requirement for the BBC to produce 'distinctive content'. I genuinely don't think any Western broadcaster could produce 'distinctive content' if their lives depended on it. And the only reason any other broadcaster could is due entirely to the sheer difference in cultural background. And I'm not sure many people will see the value for their licence fee when the BBC starts turning out innovative ideas from Japan, for instance. Like locking a man in a room for months and seeing what happens for comedy. It would be a good thing if the BBC and other broadcasters returned to making programmes which challenge the consensus and not just echo the official opinion of whatever government happen to be in power. The BBC is a hot-bed of lefties and social justice warriors these days and a turn to the right would make a change. The BBC is just about un-watchable these days and other channels seem to compete to be exactly like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 They're a bunch of lefties who just echo the official opinion of the government? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted May 13, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted May 13, 2016 The BBC is about as leftwing as a Tory party conference. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrisp65 Posted May 13, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted May 13, 2016 and next up tonight. Laura Kuenssberg on why the weekend weather in Florida will be an absolute disaster for Jeremy Corbyn and next up tonight, Laura Kuenssberg on why the delayed release of the i-phone 7 will spell a collapse in support for Jeremy Corbyn and next up tonight, Laura Kuenssberg on why food colouring in angel delight in the 1970's could mark the end for Jeremy Corbyn 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 1 hour ago, chrisp65 said: and next up tonight, Laura Kuenssberg on why food colouring in angel delight in the 1970's could mark the end for Jeremy Corbyn I bet he's the reason I can no longer buy toast toppers as well , the bastard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 And the bloody reason why I haven't won the lottery too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 1 hour ago, Demitri_C said: And the bloody reason why I haven't won the lottery too So it was him that decided you've got to be "in it to win it"? word removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 20 hours ago, MakemineVanilla said: It would be a good thing if the BBC and other broadcasters returned to making programmes which challenge the consensus and not just echo the official opinion of whatever government happen to be in power. The BBC is a hot-bed of lefties and social justice warriors these days and a turn to the right would make a change. The BBC is just about un-watchable these days and other channels seem to compete to be exactly like them. The BBC has degenerated into populist drivel. It's news tends to follow the lead of tabloid journalism. It's content has increasingly emulated that of ITV. It's debate programs are nothing more than shouting contests, favouring panelists who are experts in soundbites rather than the facts. The BBC is in a truly awful state. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 I still don't get this witch hunt against Laura Kuenssberg. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzap24 Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 22 hours ago, MakemineVanilla said: It would be a good thing if the BBC and other broadcasters returned to making programmes which challenge the consensus and not just echo the official opinion of whatever government happen to be in power. The BBC is a hot-bed of lefties and social justice warriors these days and a turn to the right would make a change. So they echo the position of a distinctly right wing government, but are a bunch of lefties and social justice warriors? Must be hard for them to square that circle! I agree they could make better programmes, not sure about the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 24 minutes ago, wazzap24 said: So they echo the position of a distinctly right wing government, but are a bunch of lefties and social justice warriors? Must be hard for them to square that circle! I agree they could make better programmes, not sure about the rest. Or, just maybe, I don't actually think the present government is particularly right wing compared with New Labour. But I am aware that when it comes to some lefties anything other than the abolition of property rights, the dictatorship of the proletariat and a five-year plan, is considered right-wing. We'll never agree terms so it is a futile circular argument. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzap24 Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 I'm not arguing for left or right. In the same post you are saying that the BBC echo the current Government's position, but are also a bunch of lefty, social warriors. It's a bit of a contradiction? This government is not left leaning, so I assume you think the lefty employees of the Beeb are being forced to pedal a conservative message? What the fox New Labour has got to do with it I don't know, but the current lot are centre right at best (at least the public face is). If what your saying is they should shun all political influence and produce independent factual programming (plus, just better programming in general) then I agree. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts