If Euro is to blame for our troubles, what about other EU countries?
Here’s a question: if the UK’s economic woes are caused by problems in the Eurozone, why isn’t this afflicting other countries in the EU but not in the Euro?
Over the past couple of weeks, Duncan Weldon and yours truly have highlighted evidence against the government’s latest excuse for economic incompetence.
Now there’s more.
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‘Real George Osborne’ comedy series debuts
Chancellor George Osborne is being re-imagined in a new internet comedy series starring Rufus Jones (Holy Flying Circus) which premiered this week.
The Real George Osborne follows George and his long-suffering advisor, Vicki, as he tries to raise his political profile in a bid to become the next Prime Minister.
Filmed in 14 parts and airing between now and Christmas, it sees him undertake a number of ill-advised PR stunts in order to compete with Boris Johnson as the most recognised Tory and unseat David Cameron.
Watch the first episode
The comedy series has been created for The World Development Movement to focus on food speculation.
WDM say George Osborne, backed by the City of London, is doing all he can to stop EU proposals for regulation of food speculation from being implemented.
They’d like people to take action and put pressure on the government to stop food speculation.
The hilariously embarrassing report against the 50p tax today
The Telegraph today puts on its front page the shocking news that the ‘50p tax band will cost Britain £1bn a year‘.
Damn! Not bring in money but actually cost us! Scandal! The Telegraph is a serious newspaper that rates this “influential research group” highly, so this must be big news.
So I thought I’d look at the actual piece of research. I was shocked I tell you… absolutely shocked – by how hilariously bad it was.
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6k electricians face 35% pay-cut or redundancy
contribution by Naomi Westland
The scale of the electricians’ employment crisis came to light this week as the UK’s largest trade union told Liberal Conspiracy that thousands of workers will lose their jobs if they don’t accept new contracts with a huge cut in pay and allowances
Over 6000 electricians working for seven of the biggest building firms are being forced to choose between a 35% pay-cut and redundancy, according Unite the Union.
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The local reality behind Cameron’s ‘dreams of home ownership’
contribution by Andy Slaughter MP
Yesterday, David Cameron stated that the “dream of home ownership” must be available to everybody, only a few days after one of Hammersmith and Fulham council’s properties featured on the BBC programme “Homes under the Hammer”.
The property was valued at £185,000 but sold for £221,000 at auction, which on the surface looks like a good deal.
However, far from making a council tenant a homeowner, the property was bought by someone who neither lived there, nor intended to.
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How Boris could do something about high pay in London
The Mayor of London is well placed to do something about high pay, which justly took up a lot of newsprint yesterday.
London is the most unequal region of the UK, with a fifth of its workers earning less than the living wage and a tiny minority getting inflation-busting pay rises year after year.
If the Mayor wanted to take a lead, one idea I’ve written up would be to set up a Fair Pay Mark – recognising companies that disclose their pay multiples and adopt fair pay policies such as those put forward by the High Pay Commission.
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‘Abortion counselling shldn’t be compulsory’
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has today issued a statement saying it had revised its guidelines on abortion counselling.
It now says that abortion counselling should be available for those who want it, but should not be mandatory.
The new guideline also supports the safety of taking pills at home to induce an abortion – which is currently illegal.
The guidance now says:
Women who are certain of their decision to have an abortion should not be subjected to compulsory counselling.
Pathways to additional support, including counselling and social services, should be available.
You’ll remember that the anti-choice lobby, lead by Nadine Dorries, earlier this year wanted to stop organisations such as BPAS from offering counselling to women.
Its doubtful they will receive the latest guidelines with joy.
The new guidelines are not yet on the RCOG website but were reported in this AP story last night.
The student ‘protest’ at Cambridge last night was deluded
Last night I intended to briefly join the protest at Cambridge University against Minister David Willetts. Arriving at the venue at 5.55pm, however, the protest was already over. So I decided to go inside and listen to the advertised speech and debate.
Willetts was introduced – with an explicit appeal for reasonable discussion – and the man himself took the stand.
But as he began speaking, he was immediately interrupted. A single individual – whom I shall not name – began shouting.
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‘Hang Mandela’ students burn Obama effigy
Members of the Conservative student association at St Andrews University, where effigies of Gordon Brown and Nelson Mandela have been burnt in the past, one of President Obama was burnt on Friday, it emerged last night.
According to a BBC report, suggestions that the effigy was also wrapped in an EU flag have been denied. That’s not even a joke, incidentally.
Matthew Marshall, president of the St Andrews Conservative Association, released a statement apologising once news of the incident leaked out
President Obama is an important ally to the British government. It was a stupid thing to do and we apologise for any offence caused.
Former chair St Andrew’s Labour Society James Mills, told Liberal Conspiracy:
One year they burnt an effigy of myself alongside Nelson Mandela. This is not ordinary behaviour even for Tory boys with too much time and money on their hands.
The Scottish Conservative party are dwindling in size because they have young activists like this with questionable views who when they are older then become Tory politicians.
Murdo Fraser, a man who stole a plaque of Nelson Mandela as a student Tory and only returned it a few years ago as a MSP, just shows what these young Tories turn into. The Hang Mandela t-shirt wearing days of the Scottish Conservatives are clearly not long gone. I hope Ruth Davidson comes out and condemns this disgraceful behaviour.
These folk have such an illustrious history, is it really surprising they followed up with Obama? I’m surprise it didn’t happen sooner!
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(picture on the story taken from the Tea Party protests last year).
How Vince changed tunes on Northern Rock
In 2009, the EU approved plans for nationalised bank Northern Rock to be split in two.
And how did Vince Cable react then? He said he was “deeply suspicious” of the move.
He told the Today programme at the time:
I fear that what might come out of this is that the better bits of the bank will be sold off and sold off cheaply to a private buyer, and the rubbish – the really bad irresponsible loans, the 125% mortgages – they will be left with the taxpayer which will eventually accrue very large losses.
You’ll notice this is exactly what Osborne did with Northern Rock last week.
The deal was structured so that a third of the cash paid by Virgin Money was funded from the bank’s own current capital base. That makes it even more unstable, as it has less of a cushion. Furthermore, they split it so the debts are still held by taxpayers.
Even the Daily Mail said we were short-changed.
How odd that Vince Cable doesn’t remember his own advice any more.
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» The real agenda behind Telegraph’s abortion investigation
» How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists
» When disabled people want to work – employers can hold the back
» Revealed: the reality behind Workfare and why it doesn’t work
» Job snob? No, I’ve got the T-shirt
» Why country-by-country reporting matters to our wellbeing
» If Unions want to become stronger, they need to modernise
» Why work “reforms” in Spain are a warning for workers across Europe
» Five things you need to know about the NHS bill
» Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier. More Racist.
» Laziness levels in Britain getting lazier, wails government
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