Taxpayers to fund libel case against blogger
Council tax payers will be funding a libel action being brought by a local authority chief executive against a blogger, it has been confirmed.
Carmarthenshire council chief executive Mark James will benefit from a change to the authority’s constitution made four years ago that allows council funds to be used in defamation cases.
Mr James is suing blogger Jacqui Thompson, a community councillor from Llanwrda, near Llandovery.
Last June she was arrested after the council objected to her filming one of its meetings on her mobile phone. Mrs Thompson is seen as a thorn in the side by the council, largely because of a controversial blog she writes called Carmarthenshire Planning Problems.
The council’s decision to call in the police sparked a UK-wide debate about whether people should be allowed to film and record meetings of public authorities.
Fred Goodwin’s knighthood shredded!
The Daily Mail got the exclusive today:
Disgraced former RBS boss Fred Goodwin was told this afternoon that his knighthood is being removed by order of the Queen.
The unprecedented step was taken on the recommendation of a secretive Whitehall body which is responsible for ensuring the honours system does not fall into disrepute.
But as others pointed out:
Fred the Shred loses knighthood, Hester rejects £1m bonus. Phew, says City, diversion worked, business as usual, no regulation please.
— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 31, 2012
Liam Byrne finally attacks private landlords
Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liam Byrne has finally picked up on the issue of profiteering by private landlords, and how that drives up housing benefit.
In a letter to Nick Clegg he said that billions of taxpayers money was “flowing straight into the hands of private landlords”.
He said the government needed to look at how to regulate the private landlords “who have done so much to drive up the costs of housing benefit”.
These private landlords currently receive a public subsidy to make enormous profit on properties often in a very poor state of repair. Why are we letting them get away with this?
Responsibility has to run all the way through society – the majority of private landlords provide decent accommodation at a fair price – now it is time for every landlord to live up to those standards.
Our message to the Government is simple. We all agree on the principle of a benefit cap. But let’s not pretend that will solve every problem. The bill for housing benefit is too high – and it won’t come down to a reasonable level until we build more homes including at affordable rents, set higher standards for decent rented accommodation and clamp down on profiteering private landlords once and for all.
It’s not clear why Laim Byrne did not decide to begin with this narrative from the start of the welfare cap debate.
New project on climate change communication
A new site called ‘Talking Climate‘ has been launched to offer information and research on climate change communication.
They say that there is a great deal of research on climate change communication.
But too often this valuable knowledge doesn’t reach the people who need it most: climate change communicators. At the same time, researchers are often unaware of how to promote their work beyond academic journals.
At Taking Climate, the best research evidence is translated into practical guides on a wide range of topics, ensuring academics and practitioners get the most from climate change communication research.
Talking Climate is a partnership between the Climate Outreach and Information Network (COIN), the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC) and Nottingham University School of Sociology and Social Policy.
The site launches with a comprehensive and regularly updated database of academic papers, a newsletter, and a blog featuring comment and analysis from climate change communication experts.
Related
Sunny Hundal – The climate change message is not being heard. Here’s how to change tack
New poll: most Britons want higher taxes
Most Britons would support a Mansion Tax on wealthy estates – a poll by YouGov found yesterday.
When asked: “Would you support or oppose a new tax upon people with houses worth more than £2 million?” – the question was supported by 66% of respondents, including a majority of Tories.
19% opposed such a tax and 15% chose “Don’t know”.
What about cheaper Mansions?
Asked if they’d support a Mansion Tax on houses worth more than £1 million, 50% still said they would support such a tax.
The lower figure was opposed by 35%, while 15% said they didn’t know.
Respondents were also asked: More generally, do you think the taxes on the wealthiest people in the UK should be increased, should be decreased, or kept at their current levels?
An eye-popping 62% of respondents, including 50% of Conservatives, said taxes on the wealthiest should be increased.
Only 5% said taxes should be decreased, and 26% said current levels were fine. 7% were unsure.
The poll suggests the public would respond favourably if Ed Miliband called on the government to plug the deficit with a Mansion Tax instead targeting the disabled.
Ed Miliband starts campaign on UK union
Ed Miliband will today signal that the entire Labour party will strongly campaign to preserve the union, with a key-note speech in Scotland this morning.
He will say that he comes there with “humility about the scale of challenge for Labour” after losing the Scottish elections nine months ago.
Rather than take Osborne’s approach of threatening Scotland, Miliband’s main argument will be that the goals of fairness and justice are best delivered within the United Kingdom.
He is expected to say:
I say lets confront the real divide in our society.
Not between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
But between the haves and the have-nots.
So I am not here to tell Scots that Scotland cannot survive outside the United Kingdom.
But I am here to tell you that we need to make Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a fairer, more just, place to live.
And we can do this best together.
While he won’t draw a direct contrast, the phrase “not here to tell Scots” may be interpreted as criticising Osborne’s approach to preventing a break-up of the Union.
Disabled block central London in protest
Oxford Circus was completely blocked today as a group of people from Disabled People Against Cuts, Disabled People’s Direct Action Network and UKUncut came together to protest against the government’s Welfare Reform Bill.
At 12 o’clock, a group of 15 wheelchair users chained themselves together in the middle of Regent Street using handcuffs, causing a backlog of traffic to build up and bringing Oxford Circus and the surrounding area to a complete standstill.
They were joined by over 100 more people who had responded to a call by UK Uncut to meet at Holborn station to ‘shame the government into withdrawing the bill completely’.
A crowd of people, including a samba band, gathered there and marched together towards the target, which had been a secret until the wheelchairs were chained in place.
Some people said they had travelled from as far as Manchester, Cornwall and Edinburgh to take part in the action, which was called by disabled activists and others directly affected by the bill.
The protest comes after a week in which the bill stalled on its progress through Parliament, with many aspects rejected by the House of Lords.
Opposition has been mounting following publication of the ‘spartacus report’ which was written, researched and funded by disabled campaigners, and which claims that the government misled the public and ‘broke its own code of consultation’.
Nearly half a million people would lose their Disability Living Allowance, including disabled children.
From a press release
Diane Abbott resigns from abortion panel
Diane Abbott – the Shadow Public Health Minister – today branded government’s plans to plough ahead with controversial abortion changes as “unwanted, undemocratic and unsubstantiated with evidence.”
She has walked out of a newly formed cross-party group looking at counselling for women consideration an abortion, in protest at the government’s shock plans to strip abortion providers, such as Marie Stopes and BPAS, of their pregnancy counselling roles, opening them up to tenders from “independent” organisations.
The cross-party group of 10 MPs, which includes Health Minister Anne Milton, and Tory right-wingers Nadine Dorries MP and Louise Mensch MP, have held private negotiations over the changes.
However, Diane Abbott MP, has walked out on talks because she believes the group is a ‘front’ for pushing through anti-choice proposals developed by Nadine Dorries MP, despite a recent heavy loss in Parliament, following a vote on the proposals.
Polling shows that under a quarter of Britons support the government’s proposals.
In a letter to Anne Milton, Diane Abbott, the Shadow Public Health Minister says:
I entered into the meetings in good faith. I was genuinely interested in improving the quality of counselling available to women. But I now believe the ‘consultation’ will be a front for driving through the anti-choice lobbyists’ preferred option without legislation or a debate on the Floor of the House.
On the proposed consultation, Ms Abbott said:
There is no doubt which option the government wants to drive through. There will be no legislation or debate in Parliament. These changes are unwanted, undemocratic and unsubstantiated with evidence. I think women and families across the country will be as horrified as I am by the way the government is trying to turn the clocks back.
Women in this country want to have choice over their fertility and that is a basic human right. It is crucial that we maintain women’s access to impartial, non-directive and clinical information on pregnancy choices. At the moment, there is a duty for women to be fully informed about the choices available to her – including alternatives to an abortion.
from a press release
Watch: Chicken chases Boris Johnson
Over the last year, London Mayor Boris Johnson has consistently refused to debate with any of his opponents or defend his own policies.
Ken Livingstone even wrote to him and went to City Hall personally to deliver the letter challenging him to a television debate. Boris Johnson refused.
So the Ken team have come up with ‘Boris Johns-hen’, which is going to be following the Mayor of London over the next few months.
And they’re releasing clips from their escapades!
via Dave Hill
Watch: funny spoof explains benefits cuts
Sir Ian Bowler (aka Nathaniel Tapley) on Benefits Cuts
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» Why Quantitative Easing doesn’t make common sense
» Barclays was also bailed out – Diamond doesn’t deserve a bonus
» Ten myths about private rented housing
» Even on the left, morality has its limits
» The NHS bill could be a Waterloo moment for the govt
» Ken Livingstone and gay rights – it just isn’t an issue
» Abu Qatada deportation: what about our principles?
» New study shows a Robinhood tax would boost growth
» In defence of Sky News’ re-Tweeting ban
» Another reason to continue banker bashing
» An attack on the wind industry is an attack on UK jobs
|
4 Comments 14 Comments 17 Comments 26 Comments 42 Comments 21 Comments 13 Comments 49 Comments 11 Comments 78 Comments |
|
LATEST COMMENTS » Richard Blogger posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Daniel Henry posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » nonny mouse posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Socrates posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Bloody Yank posted on Why Quantitative Easing doesn't make common sense » Bloody Yank posted on Why Quantitative Easing doesn't make common sense » Robin Levett posted on An attack on the wind industry is an attack on UK jobs » kernowjim posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » ROFLMFAO posted on Fabians change policy on unpaid internships » Cherub posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » jojo posted on Venables journo has manslaughter conviction » Sun journos nicked in hack enquiry shocker « andrew henley posted on Venables journo has manslaughter conviction » Daniel Factor posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » UKFI Not FFP posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » Frances_coppola posted on Why Quantitative Easing doesn't make common sense |
