If the Tories were not already planning new laws to prohibit mind bending legal highs then Osborne’s speech to the London banker’s dinner last night would force their hand. It seems as if more…Read more…
Political Repression is All in the Game, When Big Money is in Play
BIG OIL lubricated way for Azerbaijan, but protesters steal the light.
THE European Games are due to open in Baku, the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan, on Friday, but the Azerbaijani…Read more…
Tip of the iceberg
The newly elected Tory government has wasted no time in implementing its latest dose of austerity, with chancellor George Osborne putting forward £3bn in spending cuts yesterday (June 4), which are…Read more…
Investment better than paying off debt
A group of International Monetary Fund economists say some governments should spend more investing in public infrastructure and spend less time obsessing about running up higher levels of public…Read more…
Common cause
Ahead of what’s set to be the largest grassroots protest in a generation, Unite today (June 4) hosted a press conference for the People’s Assembly anti-austerity march to be held on June 20. …Read more…
Down a dark path
Politics is a battle of ideas and if the voters don’t agree with yours they can let you know in no uncertain terms. We should all be thankful for that, even if as a Labour MP that message hurts right…Read more…
Work un-fair
New government threats to force another 50,000 unemployed 18-21 year olds onto Workfare placements with charities and voluntary groups is facing a fresh storm of protest. Volunteers Week,…Read more…
Soaring bills
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today (June 2) a pledge to clamp down on the health service’s soaring agency staff bill – a bill that’s spiralled out of control after his own government’s…Read more…
Will the doctor see you now?
Committing to a seven-day health service in the queen’s speech last week (May 27), the government echoed its manifesto pledge to provide GP access all days of the week from 8am to 8pm. …Read more…
Some home truths about Tory “Pensions Freedoms”: UNISON National Delegate Conference Composite 2015
My UNISON branch have agreed to composite (merge) this motion with similar ones at this years’ National Delegate Conference.
Millions of Brits face double trouble.
Firstly, employers are not putting enough into most pension schemes which means worker…Read more…
Caledonia Investments Tory cash drop 2
I’ve blogged previously about Caledonia Investments continuing to give the company’s money to the Conservative Party, this time without shareholder approval. I’ve just spotted that actually they have done it twice in the past few months, first in Eastl…Read more…
“Height of insanity”
The Tories’ latest right-to-buy housing scheme will spell disaster for London’s already beleaguered housing market. A key part of the Conservative manifesto, extending right-to-buy to housing…Read more…
Queen’s speech: We may have lost a battle – There is still a war to fight
“Where there is discord may we bring harmony. Where there is error may we bring truth. Where there is doubt may we bring faith. And where there is despair may we bring hope.” Remember that…Read more…
The seven deadly bills
The Tories may have run a vague and convoluted election campaign, but now that they’re in with a wafer-thin majority, prime minister David Cameron laid out his policy plans yesterday (May 28) , as…Read more…
Bash, slash, cut and freeze
Bash the unions, slash welfare spending, cut benefits for the young, freeze in-work benefits and add a generous helping of deep austerity cuts. The Queen’s Speech shows the Tories are nasty again….Read more…
The Common People (Remember this is what tories do)
There is huge anger tonight inside and outside Parliament about Cameron’s first full Tory Queen Speech. There are also bad tempered (but tiny) protests outside Downing Street and of course lots of noise on social media. People seem genuinely shocked.
Tory ‘toothless’ hours law
A key coalition government measure came into force on Tuesday (May 26) – the banning of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. Now, employers cannot block workers who are on the…Read more…
People are not your priority, Mr Cameron
Commenting on today’s Queen’s Speech, Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said, “Given the profound challenges facing this nation, it is staggering that a priority for this government is…Read more…
Tories put your rights in peril
The Tories want to abolish the Human Rights Act and replace it with a watered down Bill of Rights. Their first try was attacked by former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve who said it was…Read more…
Tories’ high rise of housing woe
Only a week after the Tories have begun their latest five-year reign of power, new, record-breaking figures released last Thursday (May 14) from the first few months of 2015 have shown the massive…Read more…