This Government continues to show itself as incompetent, by rushing through legislation that is badly flawed. The Gagging Bill, is another piece of nonsense cobbled together by this Government, in an attempt to silence NGOs, Charities, Community groups, environmental campaigners and even Trade Unions.
Why the TUC is wrong on benefit sanctions…..
The TUC supports the Governments stance on benefit sanctions. Who do the TUC and the Labour Party really represent?
Official – DWP announce pre-1996 position is true and thousands have had bedroom tax imposed in error!
The Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) got it wrong, many housing benefit claimants had money deducted in error, spread the word.
Britains low pay economy as the HB figures explain
Final Words on Sharon By Miko Peled
Some truths about Ariel Sharon.
Ariel Sharon, visit to the Temple Mount, October, 2000
I never understood how people could rejoice at the news of a person’s death. I happened to be in the UK when Margaret Thatcher died so I witnessed the celebrations. The expressions of joy as the news of the Iron Lady’s death spread around the country shocked me at first, as people were actually throwing parties to celebrate her death. As I visited different parts of the country, particularly Wales and Ireland, it occurred to me that when Ariel Sharon dies we may see similar outbursts of joy taking place.
Sharon has been in a coma since January 2006 when he suffered several brain hemorrhages that left him in a vegetative state. But now there is news that his kidneys are failing and concerns are expressed in Israel that there is a chance he will die soon.
One can imagine the…
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Let’s follow Germany with a renewable gas strategy instead of fracking
The International Energy Agency‘s ‘Redrawing the Energy-Climate map report‘, state there are 4 policies countries should pursue, to prevent a Global 2°C temperature rise. The UK’s Government support and subsidies for ‘fracking’, run counter to what is required:
The policies in the 4-for-2°C Scenario have been selected because they meet key criteria: they can deliver significant reductions in energy-sector emissions by 2020 (as a bridge to further action); they rely only on existing technologies; they have already been adopted and proven in several countries; and, taken together, their widespread adoption would not harm economic growth in any country or region. The four policies are:
Adopting specific energy efficiency measures (49% of the emissions savings).
Limiting the construction and use of the least-efficient coal-fired power plants (21%).
Minimising methane (CH4) emissions from upstream oil and gas production (18%).
Accelerating the (partial) phase-out of subsidies to fossil-fuel consumption (12%).”
This post is by Dr Bruce Tofield, associate consultant at the Adapt Low Carbon Group, University of East Anglia.
In launching Next steps for shale production, energy minister Michael Fallon said that fracking “is an exciting prospect, which could bring growth, jobs and security”. There is, however, great concern about the damaging local environmental impact of fracking in Britain. Less remarked upon is fossil fuel lock-in, highlighted recently by Rachel Cary. As Michael Liebreich, CEO of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, has pointed out “If the UK ever becomes dependent on shale gas, it will never be able to kick the fracking habit.”
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Why circa 100,000 men women and children are exempt from the Bedroom Tax..and the consequences!!
The ‘Bedroom-tax’, is not only morally wrong, it has always been a badly thought out directive, driven by the morally corrupt Iain Duncan Smith. Someone who had spent time being jobless and whose fortunes changed after his marriage. If an ex-officer of the British Army, could not find employment, how does he expect other to find work?
Whistle While You Work (For Nothing): Positive Affect as Coercive Strategy – The Case of Workfare
The present UK Government is attacking those less able to protect themselves, whilst giving tax-breaks to large corporation. We are back in Edwardian England, not the 21st century.
In this post, Lynne Friedliand Robert Stearnlook at the role of psychological coercion, notably through the imposition of positive affect, in UK Government workfare programmes. There has been little or no debate about the recruitment of psychology/psychologists into monitoring, modifying and/or punishing people who claim social security benefits. This silence raises important ethical questions, including about the relationship of psychology to the medical humanities.
Whistle while you work (for nothing): positive affect as coercive strategy
– the case of workfare [1]
The growth and influence of discourses of positive affect in systems of governance and ‘technologies of the self’ has been widely observed.[2] ‘Strengths based discourse’ is a significant policy imperative in health and welfare reform[3] and underpins ‘the application of behavioural science and psychology to public policy’ via the UK government’s Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) or ‘nudge unit’. Positive affect plays an important supporting…
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The demise of the mutual sector? We don’t think so.
The Co-operative Group started to loose it’s way in the 80s, when it decided it would pursue ‘Growth’. It shut down their large stores, which were very popular with those who were on low-incomes. The Co-op divi, was a form a savings for those on low incomes, this was also stopped. Even their attitude towards organic foods leaves a lot to be desired. Being one of the UK’s largest farmers, they insist on large fossil-fuel, intensive industrial farming methods and promote GMOs. This in itself, shows they are not thinking in a sustainable way, but thinking as any corporation, that pursues profit at any costs. Thankfully, as the article below suggests, there are plenty of small co-operatives around to fill the vacuum left by the larger Co-operative Group.
Prof Kevin Anderson (Tyndall #Manchester) writes open letter to EU boss about #climate policy
We in the Global North are not doing enough to reduce our carbon emissions, instead pressurising the Global South, to make the cuts?
Professor Kevin Anderson has written an open letter to the President of the European Commission about the EU’s climate policy. In the letter, Professor Anderson expresses his “serious concerns that the process for determining the EU’s 2030 decarbonisation target is being conducted in a vacuum of scientific evidence.” He also puts the view that the proposed target “fails to quantify honestly the EU’s high-level statements and international obligations on climate change.”
The letter (click on the images!) hopes to influence the forthcoming European White Paper on climate policy, and states that the already-published Green Paper contains both an “abuse of probabilities” about the (fast disappearing) ‘two degrees’ target and an unfair division of labour between developing and developed countries on carbon dioxide emissions.
It is a typically robust, clear and scientifically-grounded letter, as anyone who has encountered Professor Anderson will expect. Sadly, it will probably have little effect. Scientists can…
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patricktsudlow 