tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post4521506370227589099..comments2023-12-20T19:39:29.865+00:00Comments on Munguin's Republic: ELECTORAL COMMISSION WANTS CLEAR ALTERNATIVES LAID OUTMunguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16475165830302054002noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-18818788513154611982013-09-27T14:21:14.494+01:002013-09-27T14:21:14.494+01:00What about people who have paid for years for thes...What about people who have paid for years for these benefits. Folk in their 50s who've been paying NI all these years to keep other people on the dole, and when they get cast aside they have to do slave labour for the pittance that they were due.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-59622567347293547382013-09-26T23:09:36.465+01:002013-09-26T23:09:36.465+01:00Now that the LaConDems are beginning to see their ...Now that the LaConDems are beginning to see their killer bedroom tax begin to unravel have no fear they have a backup plan!<br /><br />http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2434182/Now-work-benefits-Ministers-unveil-tough-crackdown-payments-jobless.htmlArbroath 1320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-88003802270998870772013-09-26T21:16:47.286+01:002013-09-26T21:16:47.286+01:00Thanks for that Niko.
Well, I expect the Tories ...Thanks for that Niko. <br /><br />Well, I expect the Tories couldn't expect support from Labour this time, but the Liberals will probably be forced to vote with them, and the Ulster Unionists seem to hate everybody that isn't busy bashing a bible (and having affairs with kids young enough to be their grandsons) so they will probably vote with them for retrospective legislation. Whether Labour, NP and Plaid with Caroline Lucas will be enough to defeat this, who knows.<br /><br />I'd love to see it totally defeated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-56756840272388840432013-09-26T20:38:52.110+01:002013-09-26T20:38:52.110+01:00Permission was granted on Wednesday for lawyers re...Permission was granted on Wednesday for lawyers representing adults and children with disabilities who are challenging the bedroom tax to take their fight to the court of appeal, after losing a high court challenge in July.<br /><br />Unfortunately in a similar situation the Torys used retrospective legislation<br />to reverse a detrimental legal ruling and the Labour THE LABOUR PARTY<br />voted with them.<br /><br />one hopes this may be the portend of the turning of the tide<br />but who knows????<br /> nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-13009052616286830292013-09-26T20:34:30.740+01:002013-09-26T20:34:30.740+01:00Westminster council said it had previously invited...Westminster council said it had previously invited him to apply for a discretionary payment from a £190m fund made available by the government for disabled and other vulnerable tenants in order to make up the shortfall, but he was turned down.<br /><br />Lall said his case clearly demonstrated that an additional room used for equipment required by a disabled person fell outside the scope of the regulations and should stop local housing departments simply using the term bedroom in tenancy agreements to cut benefits.<br /><br />Westminster stressed it had based its decision to cut his benefit on the information supplied by his landlord, which had classified the equipment room as a bedroom until shortly before the tribunal hearing.<br /><br />Coral Williams, a solicitor who assisted Lall with his case, said local authorities and social housing tenants should look closely at the decision.<br /><br />It follows recent successful appeals against the bedroom tax in Scotland, where arguments about the use of rooms by disabled people have been similarly deployed. Questions have also been raised about the extent to which councils should rely on housing association data when imposing the government's penalty for supposed under-occupation.nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-75009445836995566572013-09-26T20:33:42.513+01:002013-09-26T20:33:42.513+01:00The hearing came as the UN insisted that its speci...The hearing came as the UN insisted that its special rapporteur, who was highly critical of the government's policy during an official visit earlier this month, said she had acted properly and not broken any rules. The Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps, had written to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, criticising Raquel Rolnik's intervention and accusing her of political bias.<br /><br />Jane Connors, an aide to the UN high commissioner for human rights, said: "Ms Rolnik serves in an independent capacity and in accordance with a code of conduct adopted by the council. She is not a staff member of the UN, is neither accountable to nor appointed by the secretary general." She added that Rolnik's visit had been planned and organised over many months in consultation with the government and in compliance with rules and procedures.<br /><br />Around 80,000 London households are affected by the bedroom tax, of which more than 50,000 comprise or include disabled people. Lall, who qualified as a barrister in 1988 and lost what remained of his sight in the same year, would have had his housing benefit cut by £12 a week.nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-16393233817475575292013-09-26T20:32:43.443+01:002013-09-26T20:32:43.443+01:00tris
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/...tris<br /><br />http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/26/bedroom-tax-westminster-council-defeat<br /><br /><br />A housing association tenant in central London has won an appeal against the imposition of the bedroom tax by Conservative-run Westminster city council, in what is thought to be the first such victory in England.<br /><br />Surinder Lall, who is blind, argued successfully to a tribunal that a room in his flat classified as a second bedroom had never been used as one and had always been where equipment helping him to lead a normal life was kept.<br /><br />In his decision notice, the judge wrote: "The term 'bedroom' is nowhere defined [in the relevant regulations]. I apply the ordinary English meaning. The room in question cannot be so defined."<br /><br />The council, which had decided in March to cut what the government calls the spare room subsidy element of Lall's housing benefit, did not attend the hearing and will not appeal, although the Department for Work and Pensions has said it may do so.nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-4751930577325855342013-09-26T20:22:27.845+01:002013-09-26T20:22:27.845+01:00The first link doesn't work Niko.
The second ...The first link doesn't work Niko.<br /><br />The second one, however is good news. <br /><br />I'm concerned though that people who are obliged to have gardening equipment because they have to maintain the garden as part of their tenancy agreement should have somewhere to store it.<br /><br />No one wants the lawn mower and weed killer in their bedroom. <br /><br />I'm sure Iain Duncan Liar wouldn't like a lawnmower in his living room...oh sorry, his wife's father's living room, nor a fork and spade in his bathroom.<br /><br />But I suppose it's all right for the servant classes.<br /><br />I wonder how the slap head is getting on living on £57 a week? Oh, I forgot; he declined to put our money where his mouth was.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-18147336780655619132013-09-26T20:12:13.538+01:002013-09-26T20:12:13.538+01:00I saw that.
Incredible. They will sell off our he...I saw that.<br /><br />Incredible. They will sell off our health service to the highest bidders. What else, get rid of our universal free prescriptions. I'll never forget one woman I worked with having to decide which medications she was going to take because she didn't have enough money to buy them all...not to mention those who were on the dole, who didn't dare get sick..<br /><br />Will they envelop our education system too so that all our kids can spend £9,000 a year on tuition fees?<br /><br />Vote no, become part of England.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-90864673413912920682013-09-26T20:10:47.057+01:002013-09-26T20:10:47.057+01:00http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/26/bed...http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/26/bedroom-tax-westminster-council-defeat<br /><br />http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/regulation/full-details-of-first-bedroom-tax-tribunal-rulings/6528701.article<br /><br />Four out of five appeals brought with the assistance of Fife Law Centre have been upheld.nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-58332409224057245222013-09-26T20:08:54.473+01:002013-09-26T20:08:54.473+01:00Ha Ha. I see I didn't sort it too well!!!Ha Ha. I see I didn't sort it too well!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-34417347423647884922013-09-26T19:27:19.659+01:002013-09-26T19:27:19.659+01:00Reading Labour comments re devolution it has been ...Reading Labour comments re devolution it has been a complete failure as they have lost power in Scotland and wish to have a One Nation health policy as Scotland should not differ from the Westminster policies in any way! <br /><br />So vote No and get devo minus- a talking shop nothing more is the destiny of Holyrood.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.holyrood.com/2013/09/burnham-sets-out-vision-for-whole-person-service/" rel="nofollow">Burnham sets out vision for “whole person service”</a>cynicalHighlanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06034325908473006163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-66368421548455098572013-09-26T19:18:04.337+01:002013-09-26T19:18:04.337+01:00And the cow jumped over the moon allegedly.
And the cow jumped over the moon allegedly.<br /><br />cynicalHighlanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06034325908473006163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-31186864275287326992013-09-26T18:19:51.352+01:002013-09-26T18:19:51.352+01:00Like you I do not disrespect the armed forces, in ...Like you I do not disrespect the armed forces, in fact I have the greatest of respect for them especially when you consider the s**** they are dealt by Westminster.<br /><br />I think the file and rank in the armed forces do realise they are being used by Westminster like pawns but being servicemen and women there is not a great deal they can do about it.<br /><br />Thththththanks for sorting out my ststststststutter Tris. lolArbroath 1320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-75593590361226956662013-09-26T18:19:45.415+01:002013-09-26T18:19:45.415+01:00Like you I do not disrespect the armed forces, in ...Like you I do not disrespect the armed forces, in fact I have the greatest of respect for them especially when you consider the s**** they are dealt by Westminster.<br /><br />I think the file and rank in the armed forces do realise they are being used by Westminster like pawns but being servicemen and women there is not a great deal they can do about it.<br /><br />Thththththanks for sorting out my ststststststutter Tris. lolArbroath 1320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-38455107765150712842013-09-26T17:21:28.839+01:002013-09-26T17:21:28.839+01:00PS... I sorted your stutter!PS... I sorted your stutter!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-69713500892228929892013-09-26T17:21:11.583+01:002013-09-26T17:21:11.583+01:00That is sneaky, underhand and despicable.
Why do ...That is sneaky, underhand and despicable.<br /><br />Why do these people have to fight dirty? It seems to me if you ahve something to sell, you don't have to be underhand to sell it if it is any good.<br /><br />Count me in for advertising it. And probably count me in for attending it. Not that it makes a lot of difference, but one more is one more.<br /><br />I don't disrespect the armed forces, although there's an awful lot of twaddle written about them, and politicians of all colours use them, then discard them as soon as their political point has been made.<br /><br />I do hope they realise that they are being used here.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-85154388954722104232013-09-26T17:19:09.125+01:002013-09-26T17:19:09.125+01:00Dean
Ed Miliband won't deliver on his ambitio...Dean<br /><br />Ed Miliband won't deliver on his ambition to tackly the fuel companies as his promises, if they are in fact that, are labour admitting they will not win in 2015 because they know that London and South East will reject these policies. He will however, be able to go to the voters or whoever replaces him, will be able to go to the members of the red tories and say look. The voters have rejected these policies we will have to shift even more to the right to get elected and then the rest of us can truly bury the Labour coffin, and that will be a good thing. So he is not challenging the compaines at all, he is challenging the sheep who might be trying to cling to the left in his party. In fact he is undertaking his own form of social cleansing of the labour party, he is getting rid of the old left in anticipation of the liberal middle who will joing the party as a result of Cleggs one man war against the liberal movement. Maybe Miliband is not as stupid as I though he was but people like yourself will only have the SNP to turn to and they may not want you then where will you go. If it's a No vote Im afraid you better be starting to think about a new party or actually join a socialist movement like the SSP.<br /><br />BruceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-64754553483279522222013-09-26T17:14:02.238+01:002013-09-26T17:14:02.238+01:00Not sure, Dean. I believe they were given a free v...Not sure, Dean. I believe they were given a free vote. There are some religious people who can't vote for because of their faith. I think you have to accept that.<br /><br />I imagine that it is the same with Labour. I seem to remember Brown had to give them an 'out' over some legislation he introduced in England because a couple of ministers were devout catholics (Browne and maybe Spud?).<br /><br />That said, I'm not trying to make a party political point over it. There is a tendency to suppose that Tories will be against this, while Liberals, Labour, Green, SNP will be for it. Probably based on the idea that Tories are conservatives who want the status quo for ever... and the Cof E used to be called the Tory Party at Prayer!<br /><br />But it's not a party matter. Ruth herself is gay and I assume she is voting for. But there will be people in her party who just can't vote for equality.<br /><br />I think it's terrible that in 2013 anyone should think that religion should be a force in making the laws of the country.<br /><br />To me religion is a personal thing, a faith, a personal belief. I don't have it, but I respect people who do. I just don't want it dictating policy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-69842072713145921542013-09-26T16:30:27.482+01:002013-09-26T16:30:27.482+01:00Thought you'd be interested in this Tris.
htt...Thought you'd be interested in this Tris.<br /><br />http://www.clans2014.com/2014-when-good-councils-go-bad/<br /><br />I saw the link in a post over on Wings and got to wondering about what sort of response we could/should make. After some time thinking, a few seconds actually, I thought the best response would be to spread the word as far and wide as possible about Bannockburn and the gathering of the clans 2014. Let's turn the gathering into another Calton Hill. I don't mean speeches etc purely numbers wise. Let's get 20,000+ people to the gathering. Let's SWAMP the Armed Forces day, not because I'm anti Armed Forces, far from it, but just to stick two fingers well and truly up the noses of the Tory/Lab Stirling council! Arbroath 1320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-89226383147066930172013-09-26T15:54:06.553+01:002013-09-26T15:54:06.553+01:00Written to the 9 MSPs who are out to vote against ...Written to the 9 MSPs who are out to vote against giving gay people like me the right to marry come March. Most I've ever used the Royal Mail... <br /><br />Only one Labour MSP is voting for homophobia, the rest are Tories (quelle surprise) and a handful of SNP backwoodsmen... are the SNP split on this?Dean MacKinnon-Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221192592535723681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-38979721235691698412013-09-26T11:35:14.901+01:002013-09-26T11:35:14.901+01:00Well, Niko, Alex always points out that he cannot ...Well, Niko, Alex always points out that he cannot speak for other parties which may form governments in Scotland. Surely he's not referring to the Tories?<br /><br />I'm not sure I'd be wanting a unionist skin for my sporran, I mean not if it was like Iain Davidson's or Terry Kelly's.<br /><br />So if you are in favour of a socialist superstate (which I'm not) why did you scorn the giving away of sovereignty to the EU? I repeat of course that we would only cede some sovereignty, not it all, and far less than is ceded to London now, And it would be to a far more left wing organisation than any British government has been since 1979. <br /><br />Remember I've lived in England Niko. I've been on the receiving end of people talking about Scots "come dome here to take our jobs". And I know a lot of people resent the better living conditions for poor here. The way the government has found money to alleviate some of the worst of the Tory's/Labour's social security reforms.<br /><br />In fairness, there are decent Tories. They may be slightly condescending, and they certainly aren't in the majority in today's party of SPIVS and shysters but they can be found.<br /><br />I put that down to a loss of YOUR usual composure, shall I?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-65171655683022992552013-09-26T10:33:32.148+01:002013-09-26T10:33:32.148+01:00tris
No Labour will never form a government in S...tris<br /><br />No Labour will never form a government in Scotland<br />as the snp Loch Lomond conference has decided<br />what final solution to the remaining unonists will be.<br /><br />Slave labor in the butter mines in Banff and buchan <br />why i even heard ther was a proposal to use Unionist<br />skin to make fancy sporrans.<br /><br />As a socialist i am all for a socialist super state<br />in which national identity is just a strand of the overall<br />supranational state.<br /><br />And as for <br /><br />' to be honest, many working class Labour voters in the North of England, who plain hate the Scots '<br /><br />You are better than that comment which is one i shall put down<br />to lose of your usual composure<br /><br />Decency not a word found in the Tory lexicon sticks in the collective Tory throat..<br /> nikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-48635832238489131342013-09-25T22:58:56.524+01:002013-09-25T22:58:56.524+01:00Excellent link CH...
I loved this:
Ms Flint want...Excellent link CH...<br /><br />I loved this:<br /><br />Ms Flint wants to change that, saying: “The energy companies will be forced to open their books. And do all their electricity trading on the open market, in a pool.<br /><br />Making electricity in a pool sounds like a shocking idea to Munguin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092475090824666694.post-13936971064586275942013-09-25T22:53:57.444+01:002013-09-25T22:53:57.444+01:00I wouldn’t deny, Dean, that the electricity and ga...I wouldn’t deny, Dean, that the electricity and gas companies can afford to lose some profit.<br /><br />I argue that the shareholders, used to a certain level of profit, will not want them to bother with the UK. Most of them run companies abroad. Many of them are I think largely foreign owned.<br /><br />They are a load of greedy unprincipled bastards. They don’t give a damn if people are freezing to death as long as they make a massive profit.<br /><br />I salute Miliband for taking them on, but he will almost certainly lose.<br /><br />Because if they see their profits diminishing then they will refuse to invest a red cent in the infrastructure.<br /><br />The English electricity generation is falling to pieces. Scotland is ok, but unfortunately we must share our excess gas and electricity with the grid. So if the companies refuse to invest, either the government has to, or there will be no electricity.<br /><br />I think that we have to import most of the gas now. So the price is dependent on what is charged by foreign countries, some in the Middle East, and some in the Old USSR, mainly Russia. So stable not.<br /><br />Again Scotland has enough gas for many years to come, but not when it has to be shared over the UK grid. So it is possible that we will be without.<br /><br />Renationalisation is a possibility. Or as CH says, massive subsidies, like are given to the train companies, to keep the directors and shareholders happy.<br />Once again, I salute Labour for appearing to tackle this, but I don’t think for a second it will work. And Miliband saying he won’t tolerate it is just plain silly.<br /><br />Added to that, if he tried to be too left wing, he won’t be elected in England. Simples.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com