We need more rigorous apprenticeships for young people - Twigg and Marsden
Updated: 2012-02-08 00:01:05
Stephen Twigg MP, Labour’ Shadow Education Secretary, responding to David Cameron’ article on apprenticeships, said:
Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said:"It is a step forward that the Government is taking our proposals to criminalise stalking seriously and we welcome the apparent change of heart between this afternoon in the Commons and this evening in the Lords about the pace of action needed to support victims.
Karen Buck MP, Labour’ Shadow Minister for Young People responding to the Barnardo’ Report on the 16-19 Bursary Fund
Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the announcement on Abu Qatada
Birmingham Trades Union Council are holding a Saltley Gate 40th Anniversary Rally at 11am Friday 10th February at the site Near Saltley Gate Roundabout.read more
Tomorrow I shall attend the nineteenth Annual General Meeting of the UNISON Greater London Regional Council, where I shall be proud to support the candidates of the left in the elections for Regional read more
: SEARCH Blog Journalism Books Film Radio Toby's School Tuesday 7th February 2012 George Monbiot's worst-ever Guardian column and that's saying something George Monbiot has outdone himself in the Guardian today . Citing the recent Canadian study that purports to show a link between conservative views and low intelligence reported in the Mail last week he claims that the current government was elected by misinformed , suggestible voters It feels crude , illiberal to point out that the other side is , on average , more stupid than our own , he writes . But this , the study suggests , is not unfounded generalisation but empirical fact . To read more , click here COMMENT COMMENTS SO FAR : 0 FIXED LINK EMAIL TO A FRIEND RT JohnRentoul Niall Ferguson on why the arguments against military action
On Wednesday 7th March, the day before International Women's Day, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Microfinance (for which RESULTS provides the Secretariat) will be holding a parliamentary event titled 'Women are useful to microfinance: how can we make microfinance more useful for women?' The meeting will be addressed by Dr Linda Mayoux, a leading expert on gender and social development, and Inez Murray, Vice-President of Women's World Banking, the world's only microfinance network with a focus on women. Continue reading →
I've just watched "Bomber Boys" on BBC 1 which you can watch here on BBC IPlayer. eaturing the actor Ewan McGregor and his brother Colin (who was a RAF fighter pilot during the first Iraq war). The programme as pretty moving and made a genuine ttempt to explain the total war...
The picture College is from the "Tell Ken" event in Newham on Monday Evening (sponsored by London UNISON Labour Link).
Labour Party candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone has held "Tell Ken" events at all of the London 32 boroughs. His last one was in Newham on Monday which is of course a...
Off message but some lunchtime Friday Frippery. We have all been here. s victims and prepretrators. Hat tip Normblog.
My Union Branch AGM takes place on Thursday 16 February 2012 at the new UNISON headquarters in Euston (5 minutes walk from ither Euston or Kings Cross station). I have been re-elected unopposed as Branch Secretary. We will hold two separate meetings during the day and evening to try and...
This is an article I wrote n behalf of the AMNT in defence of Defined Benefit Pension schemes for all. It was published in ngaged Investor n its December edition.
"While the Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) has no formal view on the dispute between the...
In Scotland we use different voting systems for every single election – First-past-the-post for Westminster, AMS for the Scottish Parliament, STV for Scottish council elections, and d’Hondt for the elections for the European Parliament. I personally prefer d’Hondt and don’t mind AMS, but I really don’t like STV (the Single Transferable Vote). On paper it’s [...]
: 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
: 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
: 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 dirty
Barnet 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 →
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...
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 37% 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...
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 →