DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived post-Murdoch era

nb

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/news/pubs-show-how-they-can-help-to-get-britain-working

i support Tim Martin's "everybody gets pissed" approach to wealth creation

Boycott Workfare do an excellent job of highlighting both the participating employers (when they picketed a bunch of Superdrug branches, Superdrug tried to say they were 'scaring the staff', pathetic 'is it suitable for my servant to read?' bullshit) and the way fitness for work tests will have the sick and disabled working in exchange for their benefits for a potentially unlimited amount of time. Definitely worth a like or a bookmark or a follow.

My own personal favourite irony (and one I've never seen pointed out) is that the MPs who decry the Sky dishes of the undeserving poor the most are the most likely (and accomodating) political slaves of Rupert Murdoch.

6,242 people put their religion down as Heavy Metal in the census
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2012/dec/11/census-data-released-live-coverage?intcmp=122

Hey everyone! The Conservative Party would like to know what you think about benefit reforms:

http://www.conservatives.com/Get_involved/Benefits_HaveYourSay

"Do you think it’s fair that people can claim more in benefits that the average family earns through going to work?"

... nice one

Fucking hell - 'Queen Elizabeth Land'?!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20757382

... cold, frosty and unwelcoming

... distant and dangerous

...full of smelly, formally-dressed waddling things?

... disputed by several nations and at risk from rapid changes in climate

...currently being explored by Ranulph Fiennes

'Queen Elizabeth Land'

Build a few roller-coasters and the tourists will be queueing up round the block (of ice).

The 90-day consultation period before large-scale redundancies can take place is to be cut to 45 days, under government plans.

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said the move was aimed at helping workers and businesses.

workers primarily tho

http://i.imgur.com/tEvwV.jpg

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said the move was aimed at helping workers and businesses.

Well done Jo, vote Lib Dem eh?

My knee jerk response is there must be something bad about it cos tories, but as someone who's been made redundant twice I'm not sure why this is bad? I hated the long consultation periods, fuck 90 days of uncertainty looming over you, just get it fucking over with, give me my redundancy pay and I'll be off to something else.

I'd go with your knees on this one

With your knees or on your knees, it's a' one to yer Tories

90 days > 45 days because a) more money from the company, b) more time to find something else, c) gives enough time for unions to negotiate.

That last one is important. Strike rules require 7 days' notice of ballot, 14 days for voting, then 7 days' notice of strike. With 45 days of total consultation time that doesn't leave a lot of room to try and find a negotiated settlement. Unions would have to try and go from 0 to strike ballot as soon as redundancies are announced, and not many places are that militant.

I guess a) is somewhat understandable, but I don't get b). I read that as a complaint somewhere else. Is it normal to start looking for a new job when you might be laid off in 90 days? Seems like any prospective employers wouldn't look on that very favourably.

Didn't think of c) cos not like there's any union I could join so negotiation's never been an option.

Prospective employers don't need to know that you're looking because you're being made redundant. Concern about the viability of your current employer is a reasonable reason to want to leave a company, anyway.

Also, the guideline for finding a new gig is 30 days searching for every 10k salary you want to earn, so 45 days isn't enough time to find a job > 15k (yes, that's what redundancy pay is for, but it's easiest to find work if you're currently employed).

Seems like every job I went for wanted someone to start ASAP and wouldn't wait 90 days but ymmv.

Anyway, your point c) covers why the tories are in favour of this. Anything to get one over on the unions.

the guideline for finding a new gig is 30 days searching for every 10k salary you want to earn

what the shit

That's the average, apparently. Seems about right in my limited experience.

Actually it was misleading when I said "searching" - time included in interviews is included.

I've never heard this before, but it clicks with my brother going for some megajob, and he's been being interviewed since September ferxsakes.

It sounds about what I'd expect, in this climate at least.

theo walcott is about to face fifty years wandering the desert

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/21/david-davies-gay-marriage-interview

oh my god

OH MY GOD

everything about this interview is a TREAT

where do i even start c/ping

why is he so fixated on erasure

Maybe all this is a long-game PUA 'negging' strategy so Davies can get a date with the bloke from Erasure.

Or more likely: homophobe can't explain why he's homophobic.

Now I've got Boy George's greatest hits, and I love it!

That's like the homophobe's equivalent of a racist claiming that they can't be racist because they own a copy of Whitney Houston's greatest hits.

That interview is 100% Peter Mannion. The interview works even better if you imagine Roger Allam saying that stuff.

come on, Erasure were great

no they weren't, they were terrible. that quote is absolutely amazing though.

Erasure are completely still going you utter bastards.

i was joking, jed is crazy talking

erasure are awesome

who is this
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m15fil3Lw11qdlh1io1_400.gif

"Gonna be a Tory Hero...
 gonna wreck some. lives. to-day!"

Graham Evans, from March last year.

Lord Heseltine, the former Conservative deputy prime minister, said Britain had constantly underestimated Europe's determination to make the EU and the euro work. "They read the British press, they read the speeches, they know what's being said and they don't detect in us a partner for the venture they have undertaken. And therefore they are faced with a dilemma. They want us there. But they want us there as partners with commitment. There is the fear that our initiatives are not to strengthen the venture but to act contrary to it."

Heseltine said he feared that Britain's semi-detached status allowed Germany to dominate the EU. "I just see the German chancellor becoming more and more the leader of Europe. And I'm not in the business of that happening at the expense of this country. I have no criticisms of the German position. They're doing what I would do in their position."

EU situation feels grim. mb i should emigrate

The dire economic consequences of the government's austerity programme are now being suffered by millions of families.

As leaders of some of the largest cities in England, we recently wrote to Eric Pickles to warn him that the cuts in local government services have now gone too far. Rising crime, increasing community tension and more problems on our streets will contribute to the break up of civil society if we do not turn back.

The One Nation Tory brand of Conservatism recognised the duty of government to help the country's most deprived in the belief that economic and social responsibility benefited us all. What we have today is a brand of Conservatism that has no social conscience, taking us back to a Dickensian view of the world. The unfairness of the government's cuts is in danger of creating a deeply divided nation.

We urge them to stop what they are doing now and listen to our warnings before the forces of social unrest start to smoulder.

Nick Forbes

Leader, Newcastle City Council

Julie Dore

Leader, Sheffield City Council

Joe Anderson

Mayor of Liverpool

just released.

erics official response :

http://cdn.labourlist.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/eric_pickles1.jpg

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/exclusive-treat-white-workingclass-boys-like-ethnic-minority-willetts-tells-universities-8436087.html

Idk if that is necessarily a terrible idea or an OK idea presented in a silly way. There is a strong case for saying that all universities should be compelled to do everything that they can do widen access but that would also apply, to a fair extent, to any working class ppl. Although, that said, the penalty being a potential refusal of the right to charge an extra three grand a year tells you where the real priorities are.