Leaked document: How far does Nadine Dorries want to restrict abortion rights?
A document obtained by myself indicates that Conservative MP Nadine Dorries’ recently launched Right to Know campaign could be part of long-term strategy to secure the complete prohibition of abortion in the UK on any grounds.
Dorries recently put forward two abortion-related amendments to the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill.
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Exclusive: Labour MP warns over bailing out Eurozone countries
In a sign that not everyone within the Labour party is likely to remain quiet about Eurozone bailouts, one MP has spoken out.
A video passed on to Liberal Conspiracy from the recently launched People’s Pledge campaign shows John Cryer MP warning that there is likely to be increasing disquiet on the left and among trade unions over bailouts of Eurozone countries.
In the video, John Cryer says:
I think what’s going to happen over the next year or two is an increasing interest in a referendum, which is going to build and build. Because what we’re going to see next, on top of everything else that has happened in the past, we’re gonna see some sort of mechanism in which we’ll be involved for bailing out Eurozone countries that get into trouble.
We’re already seeing that starting to happen.. that’s going to happen more and more. From my point of view – I’m a life-long trade unionist and I’m a union MP – you will start to see trade union members and trade union leaderships start taking an interest in this when they see taxpayers – their members – are being told ‘you’ve got to pay out for bailing out other countries’.
Watch
From the People’s Pledge, via @MathiasBarrett
Westminster pushes for homeless ban as charity calls for defiance
Westminster Council have decided to continue with the process of preparing a by-law to criminalise rough sleeping and the distribution of food to homeless people in the Victoria area, Housing Justice, a charity that convenes the London Soup Run Forum learnt today.
Westminster Council closed a month long consultation on the by-law on Friday the 25th of March, after receiving over 500 responses and petitions.
The controversial by-law has been opposed by a diverse range of voices including the Methodist Church, Liberty, The Passage Day Centre in Victoria, the British Medical Association, Churches Together in Westminster and Church Action on Poverty.
Campaigners have staged two mass ‘lie down’ protests in Victoria, and hundreds gathered on the 20th of March for a street party against the by-law.
Alison Gelder, director of Housing Justice said today
We are deeply disappointed to learn that Westminster Council will continue with this draconian law which will criminalise compassion and conflict with the good work being done by the Greater London Authority and voluntary groups to end rough sleeping
Jad Adams, from Croydon homeless charity Nightwatch says that if the by-law comes into force
I would consider it a civic duty to defy an unjust law and encourage others to do the same
Meanwhile, members of the London Soup Run Forum are preparing a new code of conduct with which they plan to self – regulate their activities in the face of criticism from Westminster Council.
The proposed by-law will fine people in the Victoria area if they “lie down or sleep in any public place”, “deposit bedding” and distribute free food and drink.
This byelaw will affect the 1,600 people it is estimated sleep rough in Westminster each year, many of whom bed down in the Victoria area.
Many voluntary groups, ‘soup runs’, hand out food in the Victoria area, especially at Howick Place behind the House of Fraser. These groups will be facing the possibility of moving or being fined for their charity if the ban goes ahead.
Portugal serves as a warning for Osborne’s plans not a justification
This morning George Osborne claimed that Portugal provides a warning to the UK. He’s probably right – just not in the way he thinks he is.
Osborne seems to believe that events in Lisbon provide a rationale for his cuts package (the steepest amongst the major economies).
To listen to the Chancellor one would assume that the profligate Portuguese have been merrily spending away for the past few years and only now are being forced to adopt Osborne-style austerity measures – if only they’d had the foressight to start cutting earlier. This is abject nonsense.
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Toby Young unsure about #RallyAgainstDebt
Right-wing columnist Toby Young is a big supporter of the Rally Against Debt. He thinks the government needs to cut its debt.
This is odd coming from someone who is relying on the taxpayer and local community groups to support / fund his ‘free school’ in Hammersmith. Do right-wingers really want to be associated with such a scrounger?
But even more odd, Toby Young isn’t even that enthusiastic about the rally he’s promoting.
A few days ago he said:
and I for one will be marching at the Rally Against Debt on May 14.
Or is he really? In an interview on BBC London yesterday (starts at 0:49s) he said he probably wouldn’t be going to the rally because he’s going on a kids pirate exhibition trip.
But really, who gives a crap about the nation’s debt when there’s a pirate trip in sight?
At least we can appreciate that Toby Young wants to maintain a sense of fun and enjoyment in his life, preferring that to hanging out with dour-faced loons like Paul Staines.
In a blog-post today he says he may have to, “try and squeeze it in” – because so many people are anxious about his presence. There’s a joke in here somewhere.
Why is Nick Clegg attacked for doing the right thing on social mobility?
contribution by George Potter
Nick Clegg is being called a hypocrite for daring to want to improve social mobility when he benefited from unfair advantages himself in the past.
The principle people behind this attack are the Labour leadership and accusation of hypocrisy has been taken up by the media – both left and right wing. Labour should ask themselves why it is that, while Libcon linked to an article attacking Nick Clegg in the Independent, the Daily Mail’s front page is calling Nick Clegg a hypocrite.
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The reality behind Boris Johnson’s police cuts
Everyone knows that police forces are facing major budget reductions. Yet, the Mayor of London has said he is both increasing police numbers and boosting the frontline, claiming London will be “the envy of every police force in the country” and will “buck the trend”.
The reality behind the Mayor’s claims is a little different.
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Right-wingers attack Osborne’s growing debt
Looks like right-wingers might finally be picking up on Osborne’s gift to British households: ballooning debt.
The head of the hard-right Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood, said this on press release yesterday:
The truth is that the coalition government will add nearly £500bn to our national debt over this Parliament, nearly £19,000 per household. This vast sum of money we are spending on ourselves today will have to be paid off by our children and grandchildren.
The belt tightening we are engaged in is small beer compared to the bill faced by the next generation for our largesse.
Where the government can help households is to think again on tax. Tax rates are so high that government revenue could be increased by cutting them. The 50p top rate is a political stunt, which is almost certainly losing the Exchequer money. The hike in VAT may also cost money.
It’s laughable they still claim cutting the tax-rate at the top would increase revenue. Given that raising the rate to 50p actually increased revenue, its obvious which side of the laffer curve we are on.
But I’ll agree with them on VAT – that should be reduced.
That aside, it’s excellent that even the right are realising that Coalition government policies are adding to our debt.
I might even use that quote for a placard at the Rally Against Debt.
Update: I’ve clarified myself a bit more in the comments below.
Why does the paid interns debate always have a London bias?
Yesterday, in a massively generous concession to the youth workforce currently suffering a 20%+ unemployment rate, the Lib Dems have said they will now pay for lunch and travel expenses for their parliamentary interns.
But a major problem with MPs isn’t just that they are often middle or upper-class millionaires who don’t live with the problems of the struggling majority, but they also seem unable to conceive of the idea that some people don’t actually live in the Greater London area.
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Irish policemen joke about rape after arresting protesters
Updates below
An audio recording has emerged of a policeman in Ireland joking about rape with women protesters they had just arrested.
The women were arrested by the Gardaí (as police are referred to in Ireland) over their protest at a Shell Oil compound last Thursday (March 31st, 2011), near a Shell compound at Aughoose in the Republic of Ireland.
The police seized their video camera but inadvertently allowed the camera to continue recording in the squad car, as they travelled 20km to Belmullet Garda station.
The two women travelled in two other Garda cars in the same convoy. They have now released athe video and audio from the time they got arrested.
One of the women is now holding a press conference tomorrow morning (7th April) regarding the comments and treatment of protesters by the police there.
An investigation is also under way.
The captured recording starts with the women being arrested and the camera been taken by Gardaí. The discussion in the Garda car includes the Gardaí talking about threatening to rape one of the women in their custody and laughing.
Hat-tip Indymedia Ireland
Transcript of the relevant section
Unidentified Garda: “ Is she a Yank?
Garda A: “It sounds like it, it sounds like it, the accent anyway
Unidentified Garda: “Sounds like a Yank or Canadian.”
Garda A: “Well whoever, we’ll get Immigration fucking on her.”
Sergeant: “She refused to give her name and address and told she would be arrested.”
Garda A: “…….and deported”
Sergeant: “And raped.”
Garda A: “I wouldn’t go that far yet….. She was living down at that crusty camp, fuck sake, you never know what you might get.”
Sergeant: “Give me your name and address or I’ll rape you.”
Unidentified Garda: “Hold it there, give me your name and address there, I’ll rape you.”
Sergeant: “Or I’ll definitely rape you.”
Unidentified Garda: “Will you be me friend on Facebook?”
Video / Audio recording
The relevant segment starts around 13m 30s in.
Update: At a press conference today, the campaigners released another recording of police making sexual comments about the wife of a protester.
Mr Monaghan: “Do you see the XL on the thing — that’s his mouth.”
Garda: “It’s my c**k and your f***ing wife will know all about it. I hope you’re recording all that now, John.”
Mr Monaghan: “Any more comments about my wife?”
Garda: “I don’t know the woman.
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» Revealed: govt to restrict abortion counselling despite Nadine Dorries vote
» Would raising the tax threshold actually help the poorest?
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