Jon Trickett MP, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office has written to the Chair of the Political & constitutional Select Committee ahead of their scrutiny of the Government’ lobbying proposals.
The creation of Europe’s largest trade union federation for industrial and manufacturing workers was agreed this week. National trade union leaders of three European trade union federations: the...
The main reason for a slower-than-average recovery is [...]
: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Tuesday 31st January 2012 The decision to strip Fred Goodwin of his knighthood is a capitulation to mob rule Politically , the news about Sir Fred Goodwin couldn't have come at a better time for the Prime Minister . He was on the back foot over Stephen Hester's decision to forego his bonus and he's just received a rough ride in the House of Commons over his backtracking in Europe . Now it'll be Goodwin who dominates the evening news and tomorrow's headlines , not the unusual spectacle of Ed Miliband giving a good performance at the Dispatch Box . Indeed , the convenient timing of this has already led to accusations that the fix was in . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND On my way to
The main reason for a slower-than-average recovery is [...]I have a piece on Left Foot Forward [...]
News from down town Athens, capital of the German Democratic Republic of Greece, is that any idea that Berlin can impose a Governor General (which is what Merkel wants) on the country will be totally.read more
: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Tuesday 31st January 2012 David Cameron's U-turn will advance the Eurosceptic cause I can understand the anger among Eurosceptic Tory MPs about the Prime Minister's U-turn over allowing the signatories of the Treaty on Stability , Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union to use the institutions of the European Union to enforce it . As Andrew Lilico points out , it renders last year's veto pointless since the only meaningful sense in which Cameron vetoed the original proposal was to block the signatories from doing this To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND RT alanmills405 Some people when they appear on TV shatter my calm in Clockwork Orange style promote violent
This evening I joined Labour Candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone and his team as they visited the historic Theatre Royal in Stratford.
Ken had been in Newham all day and had already gone on a Housing enforcement visit with Council officers and Newham Mayor Robin Wales in the morning. He...: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Monday 30th January 2012 Congratulations to Ed Miliband and Chuka Umunna on forcing Stephen Hester to forego his bonus you just cost the British taxpayer 329m RBS shares fell 2.5 this morning , partly on the back of Stephen Hester's decision to waive his bonus . As Alistair Heath pointed out on the Today programme this morning , investors are clearly worried that from now on RBS will be subject to frequent political meddling and will no longer be run as a commercial business . What this means is that , thanks in part to populist posturing of Ed Miliband and Chuka Umunna , as well as their anti-capitalist cheerleaders in the media , the bank is now worth 330m less than it was at close of play on Friday evening . So the leaders of the
On Friday I celebrated Burns Night at he Newham event in Stratford Town Hall. I had heard that the new General Secretary of the Labour Party, ain McNicol, was attending but I didn't know that he played the bagpipes. So I was astonished when he "Piped in the Haggis" (see picture)...."John Gray lives with his beautiful wife Susie Slumber, who unfortunately does not share his interest in plain oatmeal or overcast days. Wanting more, Susie leaves. Before John can figure out what to do, he is visited by the mischievous Rem. John must learn to look beyond his gray world fast before...: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Saturday 28th January 2012 Guardian attacks Michael Gove again and scores spectacular own goal Oh Dear . The Guardian is so intent on doing down Michael Gove that it has scored a spectacular own . goal In today's paper , there's a report that Gove , in his capacity as Secretary of State for Education , has awarded a 2m grant to the Community Security Trust , a charity that provides security to Britain's Jewish communities . The reason this is a story is because Gove has been on the advisory board of CST since 2007. To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND Do we trust Danny Boyle to get the opening ceremony of the Olympics right I think we do 4 hours ago Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Wikipedia IMdb: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Friday 27th January 2012 The BBC's next director-general should be a Tory I've been thinking about who should be the next director-general of the BBC , now that Mark Thompson has announced he'll step down after the Olympics , and one thing is clear : he should be a Tory . Not necessarily an out Tory that would play into the hands of those on the left who accuse the BBC of giving the Coalition an easy ride but a Tory nevertheless . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 1 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND The BBC's next director-general should be a Tory : I've been thinking about who should be the next director-gener . link 7 hours ago Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Wikipedia IMdb Email BEST OF THE WEB Profit need not be a dirtyBarnet UNISON are balloting for a further round of strike action to prevent the wholesale privatisation of Council services in their borough. Send the branch messages of support via the website
www.barnetunison.me.uk. During previous strike action when members of the branch finished their picket...
A rather topical debate on "Britain and Europe: Which way for Labour?" will take place 7.30pm on 21st February at the West Ham Supporters' Club (the football club not the Labour Party! NewhamTrades Council also use to meet here). Organised by the local branches of Newham Compass and the...Tonight (January 25) is the anniversary of the birth of cottish Baird, Rabbie Burns and is the traditional time to mark is life with poetry, haggis and a glass (or three) of whisky. However, like many people I will be celebrating his life over the weekend. My ather was born and...
Bill Gates yesterday addressed the Development Committee of the European Parliament, highlighting the Gates Foundation ‘Living Proof’ Campaign. In his address to the committee he focused on the need to continue aid despite economic pressures at home. Continue reading →
News of incurable cases of TB has cropped up in India, where at least 12 patients have died with what is being called "Totally Drug Resistant TB". Continue reading →
Recovered quite well last week from the 14 mile run the previous Saturday. Run of this week was a early morning 40 minute jog around Dublin City centre. I was in Dublin to elp make a ensions presentation to the NEC of the IBOA (the Irish Finance orkers union) nbsp;The...: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Tuesday 24th January 2012 The Tories' poll lead is bad news for Cameron because it may seal Miliband's fate I'm a little nervous about the opinion poll lead that's opened up for the Conservatives . This morning's ICM poll in the Guardian puts the Tories on 40 and Labour on 35 That echoes the Sunday Times YouGov poll that had the Conservatives on 41 and Labour on 36 Admittedly , the latest YouGov daily tracker in this morning's Sun gives Labour a one-point lead , but UKPollingReport's rolling average for the last 20 days has the Tories on 39 and Labour on 38 Whichever way you cut it , the Conservatives are out in front . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND The Tories' poll lead is bad news
Next Monday January 30th Labour candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, will be spending the day in Newham campaigning. In the evening 7pm to 8.30pm there will be a "TELL KEN" event at the Didsbury Centre, 2 Didsbury Close, East Ham, E6 2SX (5 minutes walk away from East Ham Town Hall). This...I've just taken part in the first ever election for the Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). You get a email with a unique security code and you cast your vote on-line at the independent Electoral Reform
Services website.
The Vice resident will become the President...: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Sunday 22nd January 2012 The Observer uncritically regurgitates Trotskyist smears against Katharine Birbalsingh There's a disgraceful attempt to smear Katharine Birbalsingh in this morning's Observer . Under the headline Katharine Birbalsingh criticised over wasteful' free school project the paper's policy editor Daniel Boffey tries to create the impression that there's growing local opposition to the Michaela Community School Birbalsingh's free school which is due to open in Wandsworth this September . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 1 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND cllrstevereed Jane Eades also says that only 55 of children of secondary school age in Lambeth are educated at Lambeth state schools 3 hours ago Twitter
I’ve had a comment ondering why I haven’t osted on the two Eds' recent pronouncements on cuts to spending and public sector pay.
I was thinking of writing something but I thought I will calm down a bit before doing so. Ironically I remember listening to a speech by Ed Miliband...
Quick update on the latest old nonsense from probably the most badly run and vindictive private monopoly in the land.
I tried to cancel my subscription on Jan 3rd to Virgin Media following the nasty and despicable
attack by their brand owner and chief private shareholder, Richard Branson, on...
The APPG hosts GCE's Send My Sister to School Exhibition at House of Commons Continue reading →
Check out and please support this petition calling for a Parliamentary ebate on Elder Abuse. nbsp;They need to get 100,000 supporters.
"This petition has come from the Retired Members of UNISON, but you don't have to be a trade unionist to sign it. It affects everyone and is...Good news that YouGov opinion polls have Labour Candidate, Ken Livingstone in the lead . Only just (39% Ken and 7% Boris) but it seems that Londoners are beginning to get fed up with "out of touch" Old Etonian Millionaire, Boris Johnson and the Labour Fair Fares campaign is also making an...“Unilever – not as clean as it claims” reveals how the world’s third largest consumer products company pays its CEO Paul Polman 285 times more than the average worker yet is forcing through plans that will see UK workers’ pensions fall by between 20 and 40 per cent. Unite says this is a...
Yesterday, during a isit to their headquarters in Dublin, Janice Turner, the Joint Chair of he Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) and I gave a 45 minute presentation to the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) National Executive Committee.
The IBOA represents 22,000...
Joanne s standing for the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC). Click here for a copy of her request for nominations. CLP's have until the 30 March 2012 to make nominations. Party members will receive ballot papers in June.
Joanne is the type of Labour Party member who you will...
On Tuesday 10th January a Westminster Hall Debate on ‘government policy after the MDG’s’, which end in 2015, was held by former shadow secretary of state for international development Gareth Thomas MP. Continue reading →
According to the training programme I had to either enter half marathon race or run 13 miles as fast as I can. I couldn't find a race this weekend so decided to make my own run. The 15 mile Epping Forest Centenary Walk starts nearby to where I live. Warren pond is about half way. So I...I made a complaint here on 4 January about anti-trade union boss Richard Branson and the treatment that you receive when you try and cancel our Virgin Media Contract. Following which Virgin Media apparently decided to cut off my land line o punish me for daring to make a...
Dr. Bobby John — Global Health Advocates India Sitting by a makeshift immunization booth in Baramati Taluka, Maharashtra, India, in an old government owned off-road vehicle with 4 vaccine carrier boxes, I was not thinking of halting wild polio transmission … Continue reading →
I wrote this article on behalf of the Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) last month which was published in Pensions Week.
I tried to answer the following question. "I have just been elected as a trade union employee representative on my local government pension scheme. What should I...
I've just sent a protest email to the President of the Republic of Lithuania, heir Prime Minister and the CEO of the Carlsberg brewery in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Courts have apparently "banned" a strike by Carlsberg brewery workers on the
grounds that beer production is an "essential...
An exciting partnership has formed to develop a new TB vaccine. The non-profit product development organisation, Aeras, will be collaborating with China’s largest biotech company, China National Biotec Grou (CNBG), on desperately needed research to develop a vaccine that will provide protection again TB. Continue reading →
In July 1892 Scottish trade union leader J Keir Hardie became he first Independent Labour MP when he was elected for West Ham South. He defeated the sitting Conservative candidate by 5,268 votes to 4,036. Following his election e made a speech to supporters from the outside balcony of...I saw this V advert from the British Heart Foundation BHF) featuring Vinnie Jones a few days ago and thought it was simply great. I have been trained in first aid off and on since I was a kid. 'm currently designated workplace first aider. During he...
hat tip thingy: Ken for London
In a victory for common sense UNISON elected lay eps have voted to continue with negotiations over Local Government and NHS pensions.
This morning there was a two hour Pension Summit with 250 senior lay reps present were it was clear that an overwhelming majority of branches, up and down the...