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davieG

The Good News thread, local jobs, economy etc

By davieG, in General Chat

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Dr The Singh

Dr The Singh

Posted
Posted

Thanks ken. It's great when hard work and perseverance starts to pay off. I'm happy to live in a country where everyone has the opportunity to work themselves to a better life.

To be fair Moosey, this year you have been less of a twat then previous years.

Your still a ugly git, and still need to improve on the body odour.

Anyway, well done, Ken could learn a thing or two from

Oh by the way, your still a tight arse, the Least you could do is buy Ken the beer you owe him

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Guest MattP

Guest MattP

Posted
Posted

Stephen Fry is getting married. I read the story yesterday and raised an eyebrow.

 

I didn't actually have a clue who his boyfriend was but this looks a bit weirder than when first reading the story now when you see he's 27 going on 14.

 

rs_634x1024-150106070617-634.Stephen-Fry

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Rincewind

Rincewind

Posted
Posted (edited)

A report shows UC as unworkable in its present form but IDS has hidden results. Something I have said all along. It is being rushed through to make the books look better but it is costing millions to implement.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iain-duncan-smith-accused-of-hiding-bad-news-on-universal-credit-after-damning-report-is-hushed-up-9428732.html

 

Iain Duncan Smith has vetoed the publication of a damning internal assessment of universal credit that laid bare the problems facing his scheme, The Independent has learnt.

Today the Government published its annual review into the progress of around 200 projects representing £400bn of public spending – and rated each on a risk scale of green, red or amber.

The only project not to get a rating, as part of the Government’s drive to increase transparency, was universal credit. The Independent understands that the Major Project Authority (MPA) had rated universal credit as “red”, signifying that it is “unachievable within reasonable timescales and to a reasonable budget without urgent remedial action”.

Iain Duncan Smith has vetoed the publication of a damning internal assessment of universal credit that laid bare the problems facing his scheme, The Independent has learnt.

Today the Government published its annual review into the progress of around 200 projects representing £400bn of public spending – and rated each on a risk scale of green, red or amber.

The only project not to get a rating, as part of the Government’s drive to increase transparency, was universal credit. The Independent understands that the Major Project Authority (MPA) had rated universal credit as “red”, signifying that it is “unachievable within reasonable timescales and to a reasonable budget without urgent remedial action”.

 

But Mr Duncan Smith succeeded in an internal Whitehall battle in stopping the scale of universal credit’s problems being made public. It was also agreed with Downing Street to release the MPA’s report on the day of the local election results to minimise adverse publicity.

 

Anne Begg, chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said omitting universal credit from the assessment was deeply troubling.

“There is a worrying ‘good news culture’ in Mr Duncan Smith’s department where problems are not addressed and there is a lack of basic transparency,” she said.

Edited by Rincewind
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Guest MattP

Guest MattP

Posted
Posted (edited)

IDS deserves a knighthood, what a man.

 

In other good news UKIP have today been declared a 'major political party' by Ofcom. Means they are entitled to two spots on the debates if they happen.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11333183/Ukip-is-now-a-national-major-party-regulator-rules.html

 

Nigel Farage has received a huge boost after a Government regulator said the UK Independent Party would be ranked as a “major party” at May’s election.

In practice the decision by media regulator Ofcom guarantees airtime for Ukip for two party election broadcasts on commercial radio and television broadcasters for the first time during the campaign.

But it means that Ukip will be on the same footing as the other national parties: the Conseratives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, formally endorsing an era of four party politics in the UK.

It will also make it almost impossible for the major broadcasters to deny Mr Farage, the Ukip leader, a place in the televised leaders’ debate.

Mr Farage told The Telegraph: “This is the first time nationally that Ukip has been recognised as a major party. I am very pleased indeed.

“Fruitcakes are in. There have been certain by-elections where we have been classed as a major party in a particular constituency.

“As far as the negotiations for the TV election debates are concerned it puts us in a very much stronger position.

“It is an important recognition that Ukip has arrived as a real political force."

Edited by MattP
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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted

Capitalism to the rescue in North Korea?

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30812237

Early days but this could turn out to be another great triumph for capitalism.

 

Fantastic news. Hopefully this could lead to greater rapproachement with other nations, too. Isolationism isn't the answer, not in these times.

 

The fewer modern absolute dictatorships/oligarchies like North Korea around, the better.

 

Let's hope so, in 2015 citizens of no country should be eating grass or dying of starvation.

 

Agreed, and yet it's still the case, in more countries than North Korea too. Again, power mongers to blame.

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Guest MattP

Guest MattP

Posted
Posted
Agreed, and yet it's still the case, in more countries than North Korea too. Again, power mongers to blame.

 

Of course, but North Korea shouldn't be compared to a lot of other countries, the situation in North East Asia isn't comparable to places like Africa.

 

North Korea could be as rich as the south if it embraced capitalism.

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted

Of course, but North Korea shouldn't be compared to a lot of other countries, the situation in North East Asia isn't comparable to places like Africa.

 

North Korea could be as rich as the south if it embraced capitalism.

 

They've got the resources for it, that's for certain. Lot of natural wealth there, which is going to have to be utilised if reunification ever occurs.

 

That being said, don't think that the South is some kind of libertarian capitalist nirvana either - there's a nasty streak of authoritarianism still running through here from the good old days of military dictatorship. It may be less visible but it's there.

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MooseBreath

MooseBreath

Posted
Posted

That was an interesting look at inequality last night. Almost a bit strange in how it felt like a call to arms, promoting the idea of violence as the only solution, even showing the London riots and trying to make out that they were a justified expression of anger against inequality, and not just some young chavs who fancied a new pair of trainers.

Some very poor quality points made as well. Describing rising inequality as a "plan" on the basis that an American investment fund (which was open to all) set up to take advantage of the increased trade in luxury goods. That's a reaction not a plan.

Talking about how bank 'bailouts' "all went to the super rich" and then using television/radio presenter Chris Evans buying a luxury car as an example. Pretty sure he made his money from his job not from bank 'bailouts'. Obviously they didn't describe what the bailouts actually were as it has become standard BBC practice not to do so.

No mention either, when they tracked inequality from the 70s through to the present day, of the unprecedented increases in the standard of living throughout that time.

All in all a bit weak and notable mostly for how misleading and bias it was and how it seemed to revel in the idea of inequality leading to a civil war. I thought raising social tensions was a crime of some sort?

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Webbo

Webbo

Posted
Posted (edited)

UK unemployment falls to 1.9 million

The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 58,000 to 1.91 million, its lowest level for more than six years, in the three months to November, official figures indicate.

The unemployment rate now stands at 5.8% of the adult working population, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

In total, there are now 30.8 million people in work.

The ONS said wage growth had also continued to outpace inflation.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30913960

Edited by Webbo
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Guest MattP

Guest MattP

Posted
Posted

Ed Miliband is literally going to have nothing left to campaign on in May except just randomly shouting 'NHS, Tories and privatisation' in the same sentence over and over.

Labour absolutely hemorrhaging support to the Greens now. Greens on 10% and Labour dipped to 29% in one poll. (Something even Brown's labour didn't hit)

I'm having a proper read of the green party manifesto tonight.

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MooseBreath

MooseBreath

Posted
Posted

The greens manifesto is wacky almost beyond belief. They'll hand lots of votes back to labour once people have time to digest some of those policies. I do admire the boldness of it, and in some ways it's a shame they couldn't have come up with something along those lines only a bit less like the incoherent rantings of a 15-year-old high on LSD waiting for Hendrix at Woodstock. The left really lacks for credibility at the moment and socially speaking that is a bit of a shame.

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Benji

Benji

Posted
Posted

The greens manifesto is wacky almost beyond belief. They'll hand lots of votes back to labour once people have time to digest some of those policies.

I hope I'm wrong but I have little faith that the majority of people who vote spend any time whatsoever digesting party policy and rather vote on stereotypes. I really wouldn't be that surprised if Labour find a way into power off the back of a lot of people, rightly or wrongly, just thinking right I've had enough of cuts let's go Labour.

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