Does more diversity really lead to unhappiness?
Excitingly for data-mining weirdos, the Department for Communities & Local Government has released data on various happiness-related statistics broken down by local authority. What else is broken down by local authority, that I’ve written about recently? – yup, ethnicity statistics.
One of the questions asked in the poll is “% who agree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together”. If the theory that BNP voters are driven by fear of gangs of steaming Somalis, murderous mullahs and crack-dealing Caribbeans were correct, then you might expect there to be some kind of negative correlation between Nick Griffin’s multi-ethnic nightmares and the belief that ’round here things are pretty much OK’.
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David Cameron’s new EU alliance of bigots crumbling already
On a good day to bury bad news, while the Speaker was being elected, David Cameron announced a new alliance of European parties straddling the centre-right to the far-right. The alliance included Poland’s openly homophobic Law and Justice party, a concern that Cameron’s deputies dismissed.
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London deputy Mayor reported to the police
The news of Ian Clement’s departure and the fraud he perpetrated under the nose of Mayor Boris Johnson has finally reached the national press. Clement was actually ousted two days ago. Keep in mind this is the third deputy and fourth senior aide the London Mayor has lost in a year.
Concerns about Celement were raised as far back as last year and yet the Mayor did nothing until persistent digging by Dave Hill and further echoes by Adam Bienkov and BorisWatch became too great.
Update: Turns out Boris personally approved Clement’s expenses.
(news coverage now below the fold)
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How can we convince the public of re-distribution?
My entirely apolitical buddy Nick – we played in a band together in the early eighties – puts the the fact that I am a socialist down to some inexplicable quirk I picked up while I was a wanky student and he was already doing a proper job of work in a bathroom supplies warehouse.
While I subsequently swanned around doing non-jobs and trying to foment world revolution, he knocked his bird up, secured a council flat which he was then able to buy ridiculously cheaply courtesy of Shirley Porter, climbed the property ladder and eventually established his own bathroom supply business, doing a roaring trade knocking out plush bog seats to the Bishop’s Avenue set at two grand a time.
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Banning the BNP from classrooms?
I doubt this’ll work for everyone, but before deciding whether or not to support some new legislation, I like to set a few simple tests. First, the proponents would need to convince me that the problem they wish to address is important enough to require legislation, that only legislation could solve this problem and that the proposed legislation will actually work.
Next, you’d have to be pretty circumspect in ensuring that the ’solving’ of this problem wouldn’t then create a chain of unintentional negative consequences in the months & years to come, and that it doesn’t further restrict the liberty of people whose behaviours aren’t bothering or harming anyone.
By those standards, I’m not yet convinced by the recent call from the NASUWT to ban members of the BNP from the teaching profession.
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What homelessness crisis? BBC take note
by the blogger A Homelessness Officers Point of View
I recently received an email pointing out an article on the BBC website by Mark Easton. The article is titled “Map of the Week: Homelessness crisis? What homelessness crisis?”.
It appears that Mr Easton has seen the government statistics (our old friends the infamous P1e’s) and on the basis of these has not questioned the truth behind them but has just followed them blindly. I hope to correct some of his observations here. Homelessness is not falling, what is happening is that councils are doing all they can to prevent people from making homelessness applications thats all.
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Three interesting stories today
1. Axed Boris Johnson aide lied over lover
“A deputy mayor sacked by Boris Johnson lied about expenses claims he made over meals with his lover, it was revealed today. Ian Clement, 44, was forced out of office yesterday over charges made on his City Hall credit card. Today an Evening Standard investigation confirms that on at least three occasions Mr Clement claimed for lunch and dinner with “guests” who now say they were not present.”
And yet the national media continues to ignore the London Mayor’s stupidity and earlier attempts to defend Clement.
Update: Adam Bienkov has done more digging to find that Bexley Cllrs did not declare meals with Ian Clement until they were caught out. There are good grounds for Clements to be charged for fraud now. He may also have used the credit card for party political purposes.
2. Nadine Dorries continues her campaign to undermine new speaker John Bercow.
Bercow ‘only got three Tory votes’
New Speaker to move young family into rent-free flat at Commons
3. BNP dismisses legal action threat over membership
This, I believe, should have been pushed through earlier. But anything that highlight’s the BNP’s racism has got to be a good thing.
Thoughts on reducing poverty
The Fabian Society and Joseph Rowntree Foundation have just published the findings of research about public attitudes to reducing poverty and inequality.
Some of the key findings:
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Bercow is new Speaker
John Bercow has been elected to the office of Speaker of the House of Commons after defeating Sir George Young in the final round of voting by 322 votes to 271.
Sunny adds: I’m pleased for two reasons. First – Bercow was the rare sane voice on the Tory side on the HFE bill last year. Second, because it looks like all that frantic briefing against Bercow by Nadine Dorries MP, Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes had no impact and perhaps even strengthened him. Brilliant result.
Boris’s Deputy resigns over credit card claims
Another day, another disposable deputy wheeled out of the spinning doors at City Hall.
“Ian Clement, Deputy Mayor for Government and External Relations, has resigned from the Greater London Authority (GLA) with immediate effect. He tendered his resignation to the Mayor of London this morning following the discovery of further discrepancies in the use of his corporate credit card. The Mayor has accepted Mr Clement’s resignation. His position will be filled in due course.”
You do have to wonder just what has been going on in Boris Johnson’s administration.
The man walks in dishing out vanity titles to any local big-wig, financial whizz kid, or snake-oil salesman who wants one, and then stands in amazement as they fall down around him. continue reading… »
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