DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived post-Murdoch era

I don't know, somehow you expect arrogant heartless cunts to be at least good at doing something, there to be some basis for the arrogance, but this bunch of clowns are useless

The 5.5% is not a target, that's the estimated percentage who would get into long term employment without the Work Programme (and even then that seems low). I think the actual target is 20%.

Fat chance of them getting anywhere near 1 in 5.
Content free DWP blather here:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/the-work-programme/

Also this unsurprisingly-free-of-actual-statistics-summary-report (PDF)

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/work-programme-first-year.pdf

A guy who looks a bit like Aphex Twin getting a job in an old people's home, nice. 16 whole people getting jobs in Birmingham.

This Universal Credit thing is going to be a car crash of epic proportions... but, not to worry, only poor people will suffer

Fucking hell, that Work Programme report is depressing. They haven't even managed to scrape together two positive stories, so they could make the picture on the cover different to the case study featured inside.

Controversial MP Nadine Dorries hit out at Birmingham MP Steve McCabe (Lab Selly Oak) in a bizarre exchange on Twitter.

She has been suspended from the Conservative Party in Parliament after jetting to Australia to take part in the reality television show, while the Commons is sitting.

Ms Dorries has met Tory Chief Whip Sir George Young to try to clear the air – but she remains suspended and has been ordered to “rebuild bridges” with her constituents and fellow MPs.

But defending herself on Twitter, she launched an astonishing attack on Mr McCabe, pointing out that he had only attended 63 per cent of Commons votes since the general election.

The figure is correct, but doesn’t take into account the fact that Mr McCabe had heart surgery at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in May this year to correct a heart murmur, and spent months recovering.

Ms Dorries attacked the MP for reporting her earlier this month to the Parliamentary standards watchdog after it emerged she had employed her daughter Philippa Dorries at taxpayers’ expense.

She said on Twitter: “Labour MP Steve McCabe who reported me to Standards Commissioner for time in jungle during half term has attendance record of just 63% !!”

Mr McCabe hit back, saying: “Imagine equating time off for open heart surgery with a paid-for holiday on a reality TV show. Says all we need to know.”

But even once the reason for Mr McCabe’s absences had been pointed out to her, Ms Dorries repeated the comment.

She told Mr McCabe: “I think with your 63 per cent attendance record, you should be quiet. Obviously been taking a few holidays of your own!”

Far from enjoying a holiday, Mr McCabe was recovering from surgery to repair the mitral valve inside the heart. The condition could potentially have been life-threatening if left untreated.

Dorries is spectacular, i assume we'll be "seeing" a lot more of her on crappy reality shows after the next election

She's got the potential to outdo even Ann Widdecombe and the Hamiltons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18_Stone_of_Idiot

A notable additional appearance was made by former MP Neil Hamilton who danced in a perspex box whilst buckets of fish were poured over his head.

Some talk of the noxious Hamilton standing for UKIP somewhere IIRC?

One in 10 of all workers in the UK is now officially underemployed

"This problem of underemployment seems to particularly affect the poorer parts of society", Stephanie Flanders, Economics editor

.... like duh

Rotherham by-election:
Labour 46%
UKIP 22%
BNP 8.5%
Respect 8.3%
Conservative 5.4%
English Democrats 3.3%
Independent 2.7%
Liberal Democrats 2.1%

Great: racists and bigots now have three voting options.

UKIP: when fascism wears pastel driving shoes, no socks.

Well, at least there's some good news - a terrible Lib Dem performance, going from third in 2010 with 16% to bottom of the pile with 2%.

get set for the country to be torn apart by the extremist demagogues of the Labour and Conservative parties now that there's no centre ground

There was an EDL candidate as one of the Independents. He got 29 votes.

Would you say that English Democrats are the EDL, but with spelling and grammar?

They are very odd. They market themselves as a Federalist SNP / Plaid Cymru style party that embraces people of all races as long as they self-identify as English then go and publicly sign joint statements with Russki Obraz, a Russian neo-Nazi group founded by a guy who was recently convicted of murdering two anti-fascist journalists.

Great: racists and bigots now have three voting options.

Better than having one with 33% of the vote.

Lol some close shaves for Labour then. The Ukip foster parents can fuck off now, I guess?

Think Rotherham council might have a few other lawsuits to worry about right now.

http://rogerhelmermep.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/helmer1.jpg
http://rogerhelmermep.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/helmer1.jpg
http://rogerhelmermep.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/helmer1.jpg

"Talk comes straight out of his mouth like a walking stick" - Kafka

seriously who gives a fuck that their neighbour receives benefits when millionaires are literally eating babies encased in gold for every meal

lots of people, sadly

Pretty glad the disabled are going to help out corporations to the tune of £2bn. It's great to see Britain open for Business again at last. How we can expect top businesses to invest while disabled people have the curtains drawn?

every drop of welfare drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the austerity

How come disabled people get to have curtains in the first place? Hardworking families can't afford curtains. Immigrants.

it's Christmas, what's more festive than starving beggars festooning the frozen streets?

i suspect if you did a survey on how many people think most recipients of disability benefits are malingering scroungers you'd be pretty horrified at the result

The corporation tax thing is just infuriating, that's just another £2bn that will be sat on/returned to shareholders and not invested, it won't make any difference.

pretty sure i heard a Tory on the radio the other day saying Corporation Tax is already disproportionately low but hey if this is the incentive employers need to create minimum wage unskilled jobs then it's a small price to pay

sorry, unskilled jobs that are so poorly paid that the state has to subsidise them just so employees don't starve or freeze to death inbetween ten hour shifts

why shd Asia keep all the sweatshops to themselves?

There's probably a point about midway through this parliament, probably after another recession, when it will become apparent that the coalition haven't actually dented the deficit despite causing a hell of a lot of pain in the process. Until that happens, it doesn't reall matter what Labour say as they'll only be greeted with responses of "zero economic credibility".

― Matt DC, Monday, September 26, 2011 10:10 AM (1 year ago)

^^^^
a good call

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/commercial/2012/12/5/1354742747449/George-Osborne-delivers-a-010.jpg

DIE VIOLENTLY NOW YOU FUCKING CUNTS

(sorry)

otm

xp

ie not the apology

dont apologise jed.

never apologise.

i mean seriously look at that picture. says everything.

it almost supersedes the thread opening picture ..

almost.

xpost.

AndrewLilico

Philosopher, Economist, Christian, Father of five, Whiggish Conservative, former opera singer, fan of West Brom and Yes. ConHome columnist

i suspect if you did a survey on how many people think most recipients of disability benefits are malingering scroungers you'd be pretty horrified at the result

True but there's something irrational going on there which has to do with fear and instability and uh, basically, leads to fascism

of course it's irrational, i'm suggesting that no political party ever lost votes by underestimating the irrationality, selfishness and plain mean-spiritedness of the electorate

Hopefully the Liberal Democrats will though

Wish that could be spun as something along the lines of '65 per cent of respondents demonstrably ignorant of true nature of benefits system'. I'm assuming it's because they've never used it themselves, and magically, everyone they know/are related to who receives benefits needs or deserves them.

It's almost as if the US GOP model of projection/lower-middle class resentment has been carefully tailored to UK needs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20621313

This is potentially significant, the public 'debate' around welfare has basically ignored the concept of working poverty in favour of pretending that pretty much the entire benefits bill goes to the unemployed, and I'm pretty sure a lot of the electorate believe that.

Obviously Labour have been pathetically slow to point this out, but still.

'65 per cent of respondents demonstrably ignorant of true nature of benefits system

That italicised bit I think is probably true.

No, I've noticed a talking-points drift towards pointing out the huge proportion of working poor receiving benefits. It's now being mentioned by reporters and presenters at the BBC rather than just being pointed out in heated debates by people like Owen Jones (or on Channel 4 editorially).

It does get mentioned but it's not in widespread public consciousness just yet.