• Nick Clegg is once again taking the British people for fools - Leslie

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Chris Leslie MP, Labour's Shadow Treasury Minister, responding to The Guardian splash on Nick Clegg's tax proposals, said:

  • Government must act to protect investment in UK business and infrastructure

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Labour has today warned that isolation and marginalisation in Europe could leave the UK vulnerable to new regulation that does not suit the needs of its economy, and called on the Government to report on the steps it is taking to protect UK interests.

  • Stephen Twigg response to the Pearson report 'Future Teacher Workforce'

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Stephen Twigg MP, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, responding to the Pearson Think Tank's commissioned report, 'Future Teacher Workforce', said:

  • A year has been wasted because the Government rejected Labour's offer of cross-party talks on aviation - Maria Eagle

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Maria Eagle MP, Labour’ Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to Justine Greening's backing for a cross-party approach to aviation, said:

  • Disappointing forecasts suggest short-term boost from Olympics will not be enough - Reeves

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’ Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to the CBI’ quarterly economic forecast, said:

  • Homeowners around the country are concerned about squatters and rightly want assurances from this Government - Slaughter

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Andy Slaughter MP, Labour's Shadow Justice Minister, commenting on a new law on squatting coming into affect on Saturday, said:

  • We’ve seen the Home Secretary ramping up her rhetoric on a tougher immigration system but rhetoric is all it is - Bryant

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Chris Bryant MP, Labour’ Shadow Immigration Minister, commenting on migration statistics published today, said:

  • We support the honours system recognising people from every walk of life and to do so on merit - Dugher

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Michael Dugher MP, Labour's Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, responding to the Public Administration's Select Committee report on honours, said:

  • It will not come as a surprise that more and more patients are writing formal complaints - Gwynne

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:38:57
    Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour's Shadow Health Minister, in response to official figures showing the NHS is now receiving more than 3000 written complaints per week, said:

  • New study reveals shocking levels of extremely drug resistant tuberculosis

    Updated: 2012-08-31 16:06:35
    A study published yesterday by the Lancet has found much higher rates of drug resistant TB than previously estimated in eight countries around the world. The study found that among patients with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), 43 percent of cases were resistant to at least one second-line drug used to treat MDR-TB. Continue reading →

  • Unison Scotland: New Police Authority chair should put force needs ahead of political targets says police staffs union

    Updated: 2012-08-31 13:35:00
    : skip to main skip to sidebar UNISON Scotland Scotland's biggest and liveliest trade union , representing more than 160,000 members delivering public and related . services Friday , August 31, 2012 New Police Authority chair should put force needs ahead of political targets says police staffs union Friday 31 August 2012 UNISON the union for police staffs congratulated Vic Emery on his appointment as chair of the new Scottish Police Authority SPA but warned that he faces a near impossible challenge in maintaining the effectiveness of policing given current plans to cut back staffing in the new national force . UNISON has concerns that the new national structure will decrease not just democratic accountability but may not be flexible enough to meet local needs . Of even greater concern are

  • Dave Watson: The case for local democracy

    Updated: 2012-08-31 10:55:00
    As CoSLA leaders meet today to debate the Scottish Government's latest centralising proposal on care integration, I want to make the case for local democratic accountability.  ocal democracy is.read more

  • Jon's union blog: At last - the Anorak's chapter

    Updated: 2012-08-31 10:47:00
    Since I don't intend to blog about Chapter 11 of the report of the General Council to next month's TUC (which lists obituaries) this brief post about Chapter Ten brings us to the end of my attread more

  • Unison Active: Private Equity’s parasitic grip on social care

    Updated: 2012-08-31 10:34:00
    'Non-NHS homes are twice as likely to be uncaring or unsafe' was the profound finding of a Care Quality Commission investigation into learning disability care following unannounced inspections of 150.read more

  • The World of Nick Venedi: TUC Conference season

    Updated: 2012-08-31 09:15:57
    The TUC will be holding a number of seminars and conferences during the autumn. On 18 September the TUC will be holding a seminar exploring the changing relationship between women, the labour...

  • Stronger Unions: SA unions shocked by murder charges against striking miners

    Updated: 2012-08-30 23:10:35
    The decision by South African police to charge [...]

  • John's Labour blog: London Paralympics 2012

    Updated: 2012-08-30 21:50:00
    I watched the opening ceremony on TV last night and like pretty much everyone else who saw it I thought it was brilliant.read more

  • 2012 NSW Local Government Elections

    Updated: 2012-08-30 01:00:48
    NSW Local Government election on 8 September - visit Antony Green's ABC Election webiste for lists of the candidates as well as a results service on election night.

  • Твердый с твердым и мягкий с мягким — swapping the orthographies for Gaelic and Russian

    Updated: 2012-08-29 22:46:24
    Blackhouse Originally uploaded by IrenicRhonda Scottish Gaelic has a lot in common with Russian on a phonological level: Most consonants have two variants: a plain (or perhaps somewhat velarised) one and a palatalised one. However, their orthographies handle this situation in different ways: In Gaelic, any consonant is palatalised (“slender”) if it is next to [...]

  • Search the Money

    Updated: 2012-08-29 20:20:00
    "Search the Money" s a great new website that scrutinises donations to the Conservative Party, ospitality to MPs and constituency parties. It also allows you to check if "your MP has been doing some private work on the side". While I think it is orrupt and corrupting that...

  • September action announced! Creating ‘Champions for change: Demanding an education for disabled people everywhere

    Updated: 2012-08-29 15:05:27
    We are pleased to announce that our September action call will take place next Tuesday, 4th September at 8pm. Continue reading →

  • Skotsk for danskere 1: vokalerne

    Updated: 2012-08-28 23:22:14
    Skotsk udtale kan være vanskelig at mestre for danskere, men til dels skyldes det, at vi i skolen lærer engelsk engelsk, og det forvirrer os. Her er en oversigt over vokalerne på skotsk engelsk (ikke scots, omend forskellene er små): Fonem Eksempler Ligheder på dansk i meet mild e mate midt ɛ met mæt ɐ [...]

  • Parliamentary delegation to Zambia highlights high risk of TB in prisons

    Updated: 2012-08-28 16:14:27
    Last Thursday saw the conclusion of a health fact-finding mission to Zambia, where senior British Parliamentarians called on the Government, international development agencies and civil society members to urgently improve the state of the country’s prisons amid shockingly high rates … Continue reading →

  • Target TB release ‘stop TB in my lifetime’ video

    Updated: 2012-08-28 15:44:20
    Brighton based Target TB, an NGO working on TB advocacy, treatment and care around the world, have released a great new campaign video called 'stop TB in my lifetime' the video is short, under four minutes, and clearly sets out the challenges faced in the fight against TB. Continue reading →

  • A Right to Die? Not yet

    Updated: 2012-08-27 19:31:00
    When I heard the news on the car radio last week that Tony Nicklinson had died of natural causes, I am sure that like everyone else, I was relived that his suffering had finally finished and he had got his wish to die. Tony as paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005....

  • The GCSE results and the need for uncertainty

    Updated: 2012-08-26 22:42:20
    Michael Gove at Conference Uploaded by conservativeparty Most people in the UK will be aware of the recent GCSE results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (but not in Scotland, where there is no such thing as the GCSE): Results fell by a modest 0.4 percentage points across the board but there was intense consternation [...]

  • Wansfell and Troutbeck Walk

    Updated: 2012-08-26 17:30:00
    Off message but  spent last week walking and sightseeing in the Lake District. he weather was just a little ropey at times but it's such a beautiful part of the world. Picture is from the summit of Wansfell ooking down at ake Windermere. A short but relatively tough climb...

  • UNISON members Vote by 90% to accept new LGPS!

    Updated: 2012-08-24 18:08:00
    Great news. UNISON has announced that members voted in a secret ballot by 90% to accept the new Local Government Pension Scheme 2014. Ignoring the moanie, fibbing misrabalist rejectionists who for selfish sectarian reasons wanted them to turn down a good offer to indulge n pointless strike...

  • Anne Wafula Strike to carry Paralympic torch – come and support her!

    Updated: 2012-08-24 16:51:11
    Next Wednesday, the 29th August, RESULTS friend and partner Anne Wafula Strike, the first ever East African to compete in a Paralympic wheelchair sprint, will be taking part in the Paralympic torch relay in central London. Anne will be carrying … Continue reading →

  • Bank of England investigates itself and finds its "Not Guilty" over QE

    Updated: 2012-08-23 22:00:00
    Well, that's okay then. Never mind perfectly sound pension schemes are closing left, right and centre. The Bank of England has looked into whether its ongoing policy of Quantitative Easing (QE) has any negative effects and has concluded the good outweighs the bad. Apparently the fact that QE has...

  • Aeras launches new clinical trials for TB vaccine

    Updated: 2012-08-23 18:19:30
    Yesterday Aeras and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announced the start of the Phase I trial of vaccine candidate ID93. This trial is significant for a number of reasons. It is the first clinical trial of this candidate TB … Continue reading →

  • Pension Myths

    Updated: 2012-08-22 21:50:00
    This post has nothing to do with moanie Ultra left pension miserablists. Instead I was checking out what the Pension Regulator has on its website about auto enrolling and came across this:- 　 "Pension myths Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension will make it easier for people to start saving...

  • Civil Society: A key partner in ensuring access to vaccines for all

    Updated: 2012-08-22 18:14:42
    As seen in this YouTube video from the GAVI Alliance, a number of vaccine experts and politicians travelled to Bangladesh last year to see the progress underway in delivering GAVI vaccines, and discussed the powerful role that civil society has … Continue reading →

  • Reflections upon Breivik and our own Far Right

    Updated: 2012-08-21 18:21:00
    Picture is from the front page of this month’s “Searchlight” (the anti-fascist magazine). It’s just over a year since the massacre in Norway and the verdict on Breivik is due out on Thursday. Searchlight has commissioned a number of articles on about him and the Far Right. Some very good (some a...

  • RESULTS welcomes Dan Jones as Campaigns Manager

    Updated: 2012-08-20 18:05:21
    Hi folks, My name’s Dan and I’m on Day One here at RESULTS UK! I’ve taken on the role of Campaigns Manager. I’ll be leading our campaigning and advocacy work around global education, and particularly the focus on inclusive education … Continue reading →

  • GMB vote 95% in favour of LGPS: Further Misery for Miserablists

    Updated: 2012-08-20 17:51:00
    GMB member's of the Local Government Pension Scheme have voted by 95% in a secret postal ballot to support the new look scheme. "Brian Strutton, GMB Public Services National Secretary, said “GMB members have spoken loud and clear. The new LGPS 2014 proposals represent a fair and balanced...

  • After the Olympics, BoJo has Britain's Mojo

    Updated: 2012-08-20 09:14:38
    , : SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Monday 20th August 2012 After the Olympics , BoJo has Britain's Mojo Poor David Cameron . Britain’s Prime Minister was hoping the Olympic Games would serve as a firebreak” , containing the political woes that have beset his administration and enabling him to make a fresh start in the fall . No such luck . Britain’s strong showing in the Medal Table has indeed led to an outbreak of national euphoria , with more Union flags flying than at any time since the Falklands War , but there’s been no political bounty for Cameron . The Conservative party still trails Labour by 10 points in the polls . Instead , the main beneficiary has been BoJo Boris Johnson , London’s Conservative mayor and Cameron’s arch rival . To read more , click here

  • Maintaining Useful Volunteers

    Updated: 2012-08-19 15:11:00
    (Guest post) "Volunteers play a unique role in the work of non-profit organisations. Often they are not there for the long term and lack positions of authority. It is difficult to include volunteers as leaders. At the same time, volunteers cannot be counted as employees because there is usually...

  • My column in today's Sun

    Updated: 2012-08-19 10:33:05
    : SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Sunday 19th August 2012 My column in today's Sun By rights , I should be quite sympathetic to Julian Assange , the fugitive currently holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy . As the man behind Wikileaks , he’s shone a light into some of the murkiest areas of the military-industrial complex , exposing corruption and wrongdoing at the highest level . Most journalists regard him as a champion of free speech and he’s received numerous prizes for his fearless pursuit of the . truth Yet it’s becoming increasingly clear that the man isn’t equal to the cause he represents . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND RT TaraDH1 WalaaIdris Clegg wants Super-rich must give more link but they do already , just

  • DOWN WITH THE TORY DOGS!

    Updated: 2012-08-18 20:03:00
    ...and Vote for Cara! In the 2012 Westminster Dog of the Year ompetition. West Ham Labour MP Lyn Brown's et Cara is up against dastardly Tory and Lib Dem opposition. Cara is a one year old Yorkshire Terrier and is often seen out campaigning for Labour in West Ham and other parts of...

  • "Keir Hardie and moral purpose"

    Updated: 2012-08-17 22:53:00
    Hat tip Dave Watson "The Keir Hardie Society held a meeting in Hamilton last night in conjunction with the South Lanarkshire Branch of UNISON. This was the day after Hardie’s birthday. The rooms above the library are excellent and the library service did a fine job with their display on Hardie and...

  • New declaration on TB and mining to be signed, Saturday 18th August 2012

    Updated: 2012-08-17 18:20:15
    Following on from months of discussions on the impact of TB and mining in Southern Africa, leaders from the South African Development Community(SADC), led by health ministers from South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, will be signing a declaration tomorrow, Saturday … Continue reading →

  • But why is Ecuador protecting a rape suspect?

    Updated: 2012-08-16 22:58:00
    Julian Assange. What is going on? Why is anyone pposing the extradition of a suspect accused of assualt and rape to Sweden? Sweden that well known CIA Client state? Sweden??? of all places??? Left is from the British Government nbsp;Foreign office website on travel to Ecuador....

  • Pensions: Wakey, Wakey Community and Voluntary sector!

    Updated: 2012-08-16 21:51:00
    This initial advice below was sent out yesterday by UNISON Community national officer, Simon Watson. We met up with the Pension Trust last week (with Unite and the UNISON pension officer Alan Fox).  "Pensions: Auto enrolment and scheme changes UNISON is aware that many employers are...

  • "Barclay pay AGM vote round-up"

    Updated: 2012-08-15 23:18:00
    Hat -tip Tom at Labour & Capital" "Being the sad man that I am, I've been collecting asset manager voting decisions on Barclays' remuneration report at this year's AGM. Here are the scores on the doors so far - FOR - Goldman Sachs, Standard Life ABSTAIN - OPPOSE - Aberdeen, AXA,...

  • Octavia Hill, Housing, the Diffusion of Beauty (& other things)

    Updated: 2012-08-15 21:45:00
    On Monday it was the 100th anniversary of the death of Octavia Hill. She was one of those remarkable, talented, passionate strong willed, Victorians whose influence is still live and kicking a 100 years on. While I don't actually agree with everything she did or believed in  if you work or...

  • Far til en skolepige

    Updated: 2012-08-15 16:35:34
    Anna’s first day at school Originally uploaded by PhylB I dag var det første skoledag i East Renfrewshire Kommune, og da Anna blev født i december 2007, skulle hun begynde i P1 (1. klasse). Hun har glædet sig meget, og det var en meget stolt og glad pige, der pilede ind i skolegården. Vi måtte [...]

  • LGPS 2014 - Ballot helpline now open

    Updated: 2012-08-15 08:00:00
    "Dear colleague  ou should have received your ballot paper for the UNISON ballot on the new proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). If not, the ballot helpline is now open: if you have not received your ballot paper, or need a replacement, call the helpline straight away...

  • Mail Online Apology

    Updated: 2012-08-14 08:00:00
    Apologies to Uncle Sam.

  • Shifting borders

    Updated: 2012-08-14 00:32:26
    Last year I blogged about a program I had written to calculate the nearest capital. It just occurred to me that once the area being the closest to a given capital has been established, the capital can then be moved to the centre of this area, and the process can be repeated. In this way, [...]

  • "London 2012 – The People’s Olympics"

    Updated: 2012-08-13 22:51:00
    Hat tip David Christie on Labourlist "So the curtain has closed on what must surely be celebrated as one of the greatest ever Olympic Games. Lord Coe told the world “we did it right” and even hardened Games-Scrooges and doubters are looking just a little sheepish. But, this has been a Games where...

  • One Housing Group...Shaping Local Communities by cutting pay?

    Updated: 2012-08-13 22:19:00
    Inside Housing magazine report here on an attack by Unite on One Housing Group for planning pay cuts to its care and support workers. I note that One Housing claims to be "building affordable homes and shaping local communities". I wonder where they think their own workers will be able to afford...

  • London Olympics 2012: Thanks for the Warm-Up

    Updated: 2012-08-12 21:00:00
    I'm about to start watching the closing ceremony on TV. Will stick head out of window later to look for fireworks. Hat tip Ellie.

  • My column in today's Sun

    Updated: 2012-08-12 09:15:29
    : SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Sunday 12th August 2012 My column in today's Sun I took my family to Stratford in East London this week and we were lucky enough to witness an historic Olympic moment . No , I’m not talking about 19-year-old Jade Jones winning a gold in Taekwondo . The event we saw was only an 800m heat and the athlete in question came . last I’m referring to Sarah Attar , the first women’s track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics . As the crossed the finish line wearing an Islamic headscarf , the stadium rose as one to give her a standing . ovation It was a fitting tribute to a young woman whose mere presence at these Games will have huge repercussions in her ultra-conservative country . She may have trailed a full lap behind all the

  • Campaigning for republic, neutrality or the euro

    Updated: 2012-08-11 14:36:27
    ‘When did you last say yes’? Originally uploaded by mia! Yes Scotland and the SNP both try to appeal to the majority of Scottish voters. This makes sense — if you adopt a minority position (for instance with regard to the monarchy, NATO or the currency of Scotland), you’re likely to scare away more potential [...]

  • Vote ACCEPT to protect your LGPS pension

    Updated: 2012-08-11 09:27:00
    I'm about to start watching the closing ceremony on TV. Will stick head out of window later to look for fireworks. Hat tip Ellie.

  • Free Olympic Park tickets for Newham Residents (Saturday 11 August)

    Updated: 2012-08-10 21:01:00
    Stop Press: Good News! Free tickets tomorrow (Saturday 11 August only) to the London 2012 Olympic Park or Newham Residents. "The Mayor of Newham has secured 1,000 FREE tickets for Newham residents to enter the Olympic Park in Stratford tomorrow (Saturday 11 August).Tickets are available...

  • "Landlords hit with extra £30m in pension costs"

    Updated: 2012-08-10 19:32:00
    "Inside Housing" magazine today reports hat he Pensions Trust has told 700 employers who are part of the Social Housing Pension Fund (SHPS) hat they are facing a rise in pension contributions of £30 million. The Pension Trust runs schemes for "over 2,400 charitable, social,...

  • Should we allow profit-making schools?

    Updated: 2012-08-10 00:37:40
    : SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Friday 10th August 2012 Should we allow profit-making schools Rick Muir , an associate director of the IPPR , has just published a paper called Not For Profit : the Role of the Private Sector in England’s Schools in which he argues against allowing commercial companies to play a greater role in the delivery of taxpayer-funded education . As a contributor to a recent book published by the IEA called The Profit Motive in Education : Continuing the Revolution which takes the opposite view I feel duty bound to respond . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND RT TaraDH1 WalaaIdris Clegg wants Super-rich must give more link but they do already , just not to government Cha 2 days ago Twitter

  • London 2012 Olympics - visit to Park for Hockey

    Updated: 2012-08-08 23:28:00
    Yesterday evening I finally went into the Olympic Park during Games to watch the Men's Hockey quarter final, GB verses Spain. I went with fellow Newham Councillors and members of the Newham Youth Council (and the current Young Mayor Abraham Male). We came in via Eton Manor Gate at 5pm. I bumped...

  • Heffron By-election Background Posted

    Updated: 2012-08-07 00:59:41
    Voters in the Sydney seat of Heffron face a by-election on Saturday 25 August following the resignation of former Premier Kristina Keneally.

  • Buchwider Bräu δ₁ is a failure

    Updated: 2012-08-04 21:12:11
    I had hoped to be able to announce my 4th successful brew — an Irish red called Buchwider Bräu δ₁. Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong: Already when I was bottling it, I noticed the brew was strangely thick, like thin syrup. I’ve no idea what caused this, but I think it must have been a [...]

  • Gotham Midtby

    Updated: 2012-08-03 23:51:25
    Gotham City Originally uploaded by the star trader Flere københavneraviser har rapporteret, at Peter Bjerre Rosa (som jeg i øvrigt kender fra dk.kultur.sprog) har oversat “Gotham Downtown” til “Gotham Midtby” i den nye Batman-film. Som århusianer fra 1990 til 2002 er det ikke en oversættelse, der generer mig. Hvad der generer mig er derimod Dansk [...]

Current Feed Items | Previous Months Items

Jul 2012 | Jun 2012 | May 2012 | Apr 2012 | Mar 2012 | Feb 2012