Newsjiffy

Online payday lender has credit licence suspended by Office of Fair Trading

2014-03-05T12:44:00.000Z

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reports that it has suspended the consumer credit licence of Micro Lend UK Limited (Micro Lend), an online payday lender based in Colindale, North West London.

This is the first time the OFT has suspended a payday lender's credit licence.

The suspension means it is now a criminal offence for Micro Lend, or any other person, for example an employee of Micro Lend, to engage in any consumer credit or credit broking activity using the company's credit licence.

According to the OFT, at this stage they are unable to discuss the detailed reasons for its decision to suspend Micro Lend's licence.

Micro Lend has been invited to make representations to the OFT by 24 March 2014.

An amendment to the Consumer Credit Act 1974 that came into effect on 19 February 2013 gave the OFT the power to suspend a consumer credit licence where it appears urgently necessary to do so for the protection of consumers.

Three excellent articles on Western responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine

2014-03-03T12:45:00.000Z

In the Spectator, the excellent Nick Cohen writes about the double standards of the "relativist left":

Go to London or of any other Western capital and here is what you will not see.

You will not see mass demonstrations against the Russian invasion of the Ukraine swaying down the same streets in which the liberal-left marched against the invasion of Iraq.

You will not hear prominent left-wing voices emphasizing that Putin is attempting more than an invasion; that the Russian Federation – and what a benign word “federation” is for a revived Tsarist autocracy – is the last of the European empires, and is seeking to expand its borders, as empires always do...

In the Economist, Jeremy Cliffe fisks Stop The War's response to the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia.

Also, there was a protest outside the Russian Embassy yesterday against the country's invasion of Ukraine - something not mentioned by much of the UK media.

Dennis Skinner speaks at #WOWdebate2014

2014-02-28T10:21:00.001Z

We need more MPs like Dennis Skinner. Here he is speaking at yesterday's welfare debate.

I would also like to see a debate in the House of Commons on the rise of disablity hate crime, how governments have contributed to it and how best to prevent it. It is my view that not enough attention is given to disability hate crime, including many on the left.

Welfare debate in House of Commons today

2014-02-27T14:32:00.000Z

You'd never know it from the lack of coverage in the mainstream media, but a debate took place earlier today on welfare following over 100,000 people signing the WOWpetition.

This petition calls for "a Cumulative Impact Assessment of all cuts and changes affecting sick & disabled people, their families and carers and an immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment, as voted for by the British Medical Association".

The debate is under the status of a single-line whip, meaning MPs can choose whether to attend or not.

Most did not, with reports of only seven MPs on the government benches. Many felt listening to a speech by Chancellor Angela Merkel was more important than debating an issue which affects millions of disabled people.

The welfare debate was liveblogged here.

I was particularly impressed by Dennis Skinner's contribution to the debate - we need more MPs like him in the House of Commons.

It is astonishing to look at some of the stories the media seem to feel are more important than this debate. Even papers like the Guardian and Independent who don't agree with the austerity narrative of the Government have at the time of writing no stories about this welfare debate on their websites.

Twitter appears to be the best place for information on the debate, with the hashtag #wowfeb27 currently trending. The debate was also shown on BBC Parliament.

Number of people sleeping rough in England continues to rise

2014-02-26T16:45:00.001Z

Statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Government released yesterday show that the number of people sleeping rough in England rose by 5% between 2012 and 2013.

The homelessness charity Crisis says that independent research published shows that a chronic shortage of affordable housing combined with cuts to housing benefit and homelessness services would see rough sleeping continue to rise across England.

According to local councils, 2,414 people were sleeping rough on any one night in 2013, up from 2,309 in 2012 and 1,768 in 2010.

Areas with large rises in the number of people sleeping rough included Derby, Northampton, Slough and Oxford.

In London, rough sleeping decreased by 3% in 2013 after a rise of 25% in 2012. In 2013, 543 people were sleeping rough on any one night.

It should be noted that the definition of rough sleeping does not include people in hostels or shelters.

DCLG statistics (PDF).

Reports that at least 11 specialised brain cancer treatment centres will close to NHS patients

2014-02-16T11:38:00.002Z

I'm surprised that there has been so little mention in the media of this Evening Standard story that between 11 and 18 specialised brain cancer treatment centres centres will close to NHS patients.

Nine of the closures will take place in London, according to the Evening Standard, meanng there will be only one specialised brain cancer treatment centre in London left.

Hansard publishes report on public attitude to Prime Ministers' Questions

2014-02-12T14:58:00.001Z

Hansard have published a report on the public's view of Prime Ministers' Questions (PMQs), which reveals deep dissatisfaction.

According to the report, 67% of those surveyed agree that ‘there is too much party political point-scoring instead of answering the question’, while just 40% agree it ‘deals with the important issues facing the country’.

33% of those surveyed agree that "it puts me off politics".

The report also examines public perceptions of other Parlimentary debates including Select Committes, which were seen by those surveyed in a more positive light.

Personally I despise MPs who waste time asking party political questions, especially government MPs, and believe thatthe media should report more on MPs who do this. Consituency parties should also tell their MP not to waste time in this way.

There also seems to be a lot of support for PMQs from members of the "Westminster Village", many of whom don't face the same issues as the public and so can regard democracy as an amusement for themselves.

As Hansard points out, the media attitude to Prime Minister's Questions is part of the problem:

Part of the problem is the way in which the media treat PMQs as a game, not too dissimilar to the way their colleagues in the sports department treat football or cricket. An array of commentators issue snap judgements, score the performances and award points. The Evening Standard even declares the winner in its ‘Match of Today’ column...

Hansard also have some suggestions for improving PMQs, including reducing the number of questions asked by the Leader of the Opposition in order to free up time for more questions from backbenchers across the House.

Read the Hansard report on Prime Minister's Questions.

Man missing from Carshalton, South London without his medication

2014-02-07T09:57:00.002Z

Police in Sutton, South London are appealing for information about the whereabouts of Ronald Charles Lane, aged 75, who went missing on Wednesday, 5th February.

Mr Lane had driven with his wife from Durham to stay with family in Burns Close, Carshalton, arriving during the evening of Tuesday, 4th February.

He was last seen going to bed at 00:30hrs on 5 February.

His relatives believe he left Burns Close just over five hours later at around 06:00hrs in his car - a silver Ford Focus LD60 LVF.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras recorded the car on 5 February at 7:30am on the A24 Findon by-pass at the junction with the A280, on the outskirts of Worthing.

Neither the vehicle nor Mr Lane have been spotted since then.

Police are concerned because Mr Lane is being treated for depression. He is not believed to have any more than £10 on him, and has no mobile phone, bank cards or medication.

He is described as a white man, well built, fit and able, about 5ft 11in tall, with thinning white hair. He is believed to be wearing a striped blue and yellow shirt, beige corduroy trousers over pyjamas.

A picture of Mr Lane can be seen below:

If you see Mr Lane or his vehicle, contact police immediately on 999 quoting his name and vehicle registration number.

Det Con Emily Marshall said: “We still believe Mr Lane is in the South Coast area and we need to locate him as quickly as possible to make sure he is safe and well.”

More blind people unable to access local authority help

2014-02-05T11:16:00.002Z

From the RNIB report Facing Blindness Alone:

...Every year 23,000 people lose their sight and are registered as either blind or partially sighted.

...In particular early support known as “rehabilitation” or “reablement” makes a vital difference. It provides new skills that maximise a person’s independence and quality of life. Unfortunately as this report shows, increasingly people who have recently lost their sight are being denied this vital support.

Using local government data analysed by the National Centre for Social Research and data obtained through a 2013 Freedom of Information request to councils with social services responsibilities... this report highlights – for the first time – the dramatic decline in the numbers of blind and partially sighted people getting even the most basic types of council care and support.

Our research found a growing number of local authorities are severely restricting access. Some are offering rehabilitation for just six weeks.

Others are making people wait many months before making contact and possibly providing a service.

Yet another group of local authorities are using tough eligibility criteria that do not properly recognise the impact of sight loss. They are, in effect, telling blind people you are not disabled enough to qualify for our rehabilitation service.

...In the past five years, between 2008 and 2013, there has been a shocking 35 per cent decline in the numbers of blind and partially sighted people getting council care and support.

The numbers dropped from 48,665 blind and partially sighted adults in 2008/09 to 31,740 blind and partially sighted adults in 2012/13. Over an eight-year period, dating back to 2005/06, the drop is an astounding 43 per cent.

If current trends continue, in less than 10 years we could be in the position where no blind or partially sighted people will receive any form of funded care and support from their local council.

Read the full RNIB report here (PDF).

The RNIB are calling for a universal offer of rehabilitation for all newly blind and partially sighted people, regardless of an individual’s eligibility for long-term care and for as long as it is needed.

The public have a right to know about an MP organising a Nazi-themed stag do

2014-02-05T11:01:00.001Z

Disgraceful comments from Tory MP Sir Gerald Howarth on fellow MP Aidan Burley's organising of a Nazi-themed stag do.

The idea that a fascist party which murdered millions of people and caused a world war is an appropriate theme for a stag do is revolting, not "a silly thing" as Howarth would have it

Not only does he not seem to think think Aidan Burley's actions are much of a problem, he has criticised the press for reporting the event in the first place.

According to the Daily Mail, Gerald Howarth said Mail on Sunday reporters were ‘utterly disreputable’ in uncovering Aidan Burley’s role in the incident, and Howarth has also been quoted saying "This is why the Leveson Inquiry was so important".

The implication by Gerald Howarth seems to be that the press should not be allowed to report MPs behaving like this, which I totally disagree with. It is disgraceful that an MP thinks such behaviour is beyond scrutiny by the press.

It also shows how, for all the venal and sometimes criminal behaviour of some sections of the press, we must not allow the State to use the immoral actions of the press to make it easier for the immoral actions of those in power to be hidden, and that any future press regulator must be totally independent of those in power.

I support UK membership of the European Union - and a EU referendum

2014-02-01T11:08:00.002Z

The European Union has many issues, not least allegations about its tendency to waste money, that need to be resolved.

I can understand people's anger at EU waste but I believe what is needed is for British politicians and campaign groups to work within the EU to solve these issues than for Britain to leave.

I am also a supporter of the freedom of movement offered within the EU and believe that if we left the European Union there would be drastic restrictions on movement between the UK and EU member states.

However, what I want to focus on in this post is the opposition to a referendum on the European Union by many people who, like me, strongly support staying in the EU.

This, I believe, is undemocratic and increases support for UKIP, NO2EU and others who want to leave the European Union.

Leaving the EU is not something which can be reversed by next government unlike many laws. So I do think it has a special case.

Also, given how little impact an individual General Election vote has on the result, if people want a referendum and a bit more democracy why not give them one?

After all, we had a referendum on the Alternative Vote which no-one wanted - it was a compromises between First Past The Post and Proportional Representation. This referendum would be about something that people on both sides are passionate about.

The main thing for referendum is to ensure it costs as little as possible while remaining democratic.

The Alternative Vote referendum cost £75m - we need to examine any savings that could have been made for this referendum in order to ensure the next referendum costs less.

Giving people a direct say on a major issue could increase involvement and interest in politics - something I think it is worth spending £75m for.

Some in the Labour Party, which I am not a member of, agree with this and realise how opposing a referendum is boosting Tory support.

The Labour Party needs to support a EU referndum and argue the case for membership of the EU.

Lobbying Bill becomes law

2014-01-29T16:03:00.000Z

The Transparency of Lobbying, Non Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill has now been passed as law after a House of Lords rebellion failed,although a few small concessions have been made in the bill.

According to the Electoral Commission, this law will regulate "non-party" campaigners between 19th September 2014 and finish on 7th May 2015, the expected date of the next UK general election.

Between 19th September 2014 and 7th May 2015, a variety of activities such as spending on events, press conferences or polling can be regulated if "they could reasonably be seen as intended to influence voting choice at the election".

Anyone intending to spend more than £20,000 in England, and £10,000 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on these activities would need to register with the Electoral Commission.

Expenditure on campaigning within one constituency, for example for a local library to stay open, is capped at just £9,750.

There has been a wide range of opposition to this oppressive bill from across the political spectrum.

The Spectator has described the Lobbying Bill as "bad for liberty" while Caroline Lucas has called the bill "indefensible" in the Guardian.

Charities such as ActionAid and Friends of the Earth have also criticised the bill.

ActionAid comments:

This [bill] could have a serious impact on our ability to run legitimate campaigns to change the causes of global poverty here in the UK. It will limit people’s ability to engage in the democratic process and push politicians to change policy and do better.

Mass coalition campaigns like Make Poverty History, which happened in the year before an election, could be illegal.

The passing of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill into law means a restriction on democratic campaigning by campaigning organisations and is a disgrace to democracy.

As Caroline Lucas says in the Guardian:

Big business or wealthy people...don't influence politics through charities, small community groups or campaigning organisations. They often already gain it through family connections or social networks, or they buy it through donations to political parties. Or, in the case of the big energy companies, they helpfully supply staff to work in government departments. The provisions of the lobbying bill will do nothing to stop any of that.

Many of the politicians currently crying crocodile tears over voter apathy or about party membership are the very same MPs who are championing a bill designed to close down citizens' engagement with the democratic process...

Daily Mail uses Benefits Street for more anti-welfare propaganda

2014-01-26T17:31:00.000Z

The Mail Online has an article by Guy Adams about two of the participants in the Channel Four documentary Benefits Street.

It's the usual attempt to imply that those featured in the programme are typical of people on welfare rather than being an extreme example. "benefits becoming a way of life for many". Of course, the Mail Online would never investigate to see how typical the residents of "Benefits Street" are.

They also interview the grandparents of the couple, one of which seems to be able to tell who is disabled and who isn't just by looking at them - like Dr Miliband's "I met a man" speech.

The Daily Mail praises the work ethic of the grandparents, claming that the comparison between the working life of the grandparents and their grandchildren is "an object lesson in some of the ways traditional working-class culture has been undermined by welfarism".

However, the issue here, aside from taking an example of two people and implying they are typical of the millions of people who are out of work, is that the Daily Mail is not comparing like with like.

In 1946, when the male grandparent had to leave school early and find work, there was full employment. This is defined as a rate of unemployment of no more than three percent. This lasted until the beginning of the Seventies.

Compare this with the current unemployment rate of 7.1%, more than double what it was in 1946.

SusieB makes a good point in the Daily Mail comments section:

"We can't compare the job market today to the one fifty years ago. Then, there were plenty of manual jobs to be had that paid enough, just about, to raise a family on. Buses all had two staff onboard. Dustcarts were smaller and more numerous. Stations had porters and ticket collectors. Department shops had separate sales staff and cashiers. Everything was made by people and not robots. Automation has meant that one person can do the job of two (or often twenty) - but it is the manual workers whose jobs have gone. I like what I have seen of Mark and Becky and think that, fifty years ago, they would both be in jobs. Today they face enormous competition for the very few unskilled and low skilled jobs there are."

The grandparents are then quoted making a number of generalisations about unemployed people today:

"‘Kids today, they might say they want a job, but you never see them out and about actually looking for work." Most job applications are done online these days and some interviews are carried out by phone rather than in person.

"‘Why should they, when the Government will give them money for doing nothing?" Benefits have conditions attached - they are not hand-outs as the Daily Mail article claims. The use of sanctions is increasing, allegedly to meet government targets.

"At half past seven in the morning, they’re all in bed.’". Even if someone does not get up until eight o clock they can spend nine hours jobhunting. How does he know they are all in bed? Perhaps they are on their computer looking at job sites.

"‘Every day, you’d see these people. They’re not disabled, but they are collecting disabled benefits, and bring the money right in and pour it into the slot machines." Is she unaware that many disabilities are invisible? And that these people who "[spend] four or five hours a day at machines probably have a gambling addiction and are desperate to win money so they can come off benefits as they don't believe they will find a job. Also, if they only come in a couple of days a week how does she know they don't work part time?

The couple from "Benefits Street" featured in the Mail Online article also have learning difficulties - backed up by their grandparents but left out of the Channel Four documentary. It is hard enough to find a job these days and harder if you have learning difficulties.

We need to get as many people off welfare into work, but we need to do this by creating more jobs, offering job interview practice and CV support, and extra support for people with learning difficulties, not by cutting benefits to force people into jobs that don't exist.

Channel Four's Benefits Street has helped the Tories obtain public support for the drastic cutting of welfare benefits.

It's worth noting that anyone can end up on benefits - it only takes one job loss to become unemployed or one illness to become unable to work.

So many people who support cutting benefits now may need them in the future.

Docklands Light Railway strike dates annouced

2014-01-24T12:33:00.002Z

UPDATE: The RMT website reports that the strike has been suspended.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has announced strike dates for Docklands Light Railway union members from 4:30am on Wednesday 29th January 2014 until 04:29am on Friday 31st January 2014 and between 4:30am hours on Wednesday 5th February until 4:29am hours on Friday 7th February 2014.

Also, RMT union members have been instructed not to work any rest days or overtime from 4:30am on Friday 31st January 2014 until 4:29am on Saturday 1st February 2014.

There is likely to be significant disruption between the strike dates and some possible disruption during the period where union members will not work rest days or overtime.

The Jubilee Line and the so far underused Thames Cable Car are likely to be busier than usual on the Docklands Light Railway strike days as well.

Tasteless CNN tweet on stabbed child

2014-01-23T08:17:00.001Z

The second sentence in this tweet makes the stabbing of a child sound like something from Upworthy.

Public to pay £60m towards new London bridge

2014-01-22T17:30:00.001Z

London SE1 reports:

The bridge – devised by Joanna Lumley and designed by Thomas Heatherwick with landscaping by Dan Pearson – will cost around £150 million to build.

This week it became clear that around 40 per cent of this total – £60 million – is likely to come from the public purse.

Confirmation that the total public sector support for the capital cost of the bridge is in fact twice the £30 million announced by central Government last December came on Monday in a parliamentary answer from Danny Alexander MP, chief secretary to the Treasury...

More at London SE1

How can people like Danny Alexander who are supporting drastic spending cuts elsewhere be in favour of £60m of public money being spent on a bridge?

Tfl are consulting on a proposal to close the Capital Call service

2014-01-22T16:50:00.000Z

Transport for London (TfL) claim that Capital Call, a door to door transport service using minicabs, duplicates the Taxicard service and is no longer necessary.

They propose the closure of Capital Call and are currently consulting on this.

The consultation closes on Friday 11 April.

Click here for more information including a link to the online survey (at the bottom of the linked page).

TfL say they are writing to every registered Capital Call member to explain the proposal and ask for their views.

A decision will be made later this year on the future of Capital Call on a borough by borough basis.

The boroughs that Capital Call operates in are Bexley,Lewisham, Merton,Hounslow, Ealing, Lambeth, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon and Southwark.

Esther McVey's coffee shop comments

2014-01-22T16:37:00.000Z

Most unemployed people have applied for or considered applying for a job at a coffee shop, and most know they can't just walk into a highly paid job.

Esther McVey probably knows this, despite her comments in an interview with Coalition favorite the Daily Mail that young people "should be prepared to take lowly jobs in coffee shops" are obvious as well.

It seems to me that McVey and other ministers intend to imply as much as possible that unemployment is solely the fault of unemployed people for not trying hard enough.

The message is something like this:

They won't apply for minimum wage jobs, you know. They insist on jobs with a company car and a pension or nothing. And did you see Benefits Street? They're all like that of course, because they wouldn't have called in Benefits Street otherwise. We can judge millions of people on benefits by a documentary about a few dozen of them. If they were realistic, they'd have jobs. It's not our fault.

In the real world, even if every unemployed person applied to every coffee shop job within a ten mile radius, it wouldn't do much to cut unemployment.

Firstly, even jobs at coffee shops are hard to get now. Last February, 1700 people applied for just 8 jobs at a Costa Coffee in Nottingham.

Secondly, coffee shops can afford to pick and choose staff like any other business during a recession. It may be that a lot of jobseekers have applied for jobs in coffee shops but did not have the skills. Sometimes businesses may prefer to wait a while for someone with experience rather than train someone with little or no experience.

If we had 2.5 million coffee shop vacancies for people with no experience and with adaptations for disabled workers McVey might have a point.

As it is, all she is doing is ensuring people have less sympathy with the unemployed in order to gain support for welfare "reform" such as the benefit cap and universal credit.

Erica Buist has written an interesting article at the Guardian on Esther McVey's comments.

Sun claims Labour will cut benefits for young people

2014-01-18T13:19:00.001Z

UPDATE: Rachel Reeves has tweeted denying the Sun story is true (although she does not directly deny that the benefit system will be based on contributions):

My apologies to Rachel Reeves if the Sun's story is incorrect - but I would note that Labour have proposed basing the benefit system on contributions before, and that the Labour party has a record of using welfare to try to win conservative votes.

Today's Sun has a story by Tom Newton-Dunn claiming that Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions Rachel Reeves will annouce that under Labour unemployed people under 25 will not be able to claim benefits, a Tory policy that I strongly oppose.

The Sun also claims that under Labour the benefits system will be based on tax contributions, which I also oppose.

It has also been reported that Rachel Reeves says Labour could support a two year moratorium on migrants claiming benefits.

Benefits are not "state giveaways", despite the disgraceful emotive language Tom Newton-Dunn uses. They are conditional and most people who recieve beneits have or will pay in through taxes.

An important article about benefits

2014-01-17T10:58:00.001Z

Chris Handy, chief executive of Midlands housing association the Accord Group, has written an important article entitled "Three things you should know before watching Benefits Street" about some of the myths about benefits.

17 year old boy from Hounslow, South West London missing without his medication

2014-01-17T10:42:00.001Z

Troy Slater, 17, who lives in Hounslow,South West London, was last seen at around 5pm on Wednesday, 15 January in Slough, Berkshire, and last spoken to at around 7:30pm that day.

He has not been seen or heard from since and does not have his medication with him that he needs.

Troy is described as white, with a slim build and short blond hair.

He was last seen wearing a black sleeveless jacket with a rip in the back showing the stuffing, dark blue coloured jeans and underpants with stars on may be showing. His shoes are black and he may be wearing a flat cap.

A picture of Troy can be seen below:

Troy has strong links to the Slough area and also has connections with Deal in Kent.

Anyone who has seen Troy or anyone who knows of his whereabouts should call police on 101, and if possible quote reference 14/MIS001711.

Today's DWP press release on benefit fraud and error

2014-01-16T12:20:00.000Z

I am totally opposed to any type of benefit fraud, but it is important to have accurate information on benefit fraud when debating welfare.

The headline of a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) press release saying "Government strengthens fight against £3.5bn benefit fraud and error", and the subheading "Latest figures show fraud and error in the benefit system stands at 2.1% of overall welfare expenditure" is in my view misleading, as can be seen by looking at the DWP statistics (PDF).

Firstly, it could appear as if the headline is talking about £3.5bn worth of benefit fraud whereas the DWP estimate 0.7%, or £1.2bn worth of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to fraud.

Of course this does not alter the fact that benefit fraud needs to be tackled, but the press release gives the impression that benefit fraud is a lot higher than it is, therefore implying more people on benefits are frauds than there actually are.

Secondly, the headline could be read as implying that all error is beneficial to the claimant or is the fault of the benefit claimant.

In fact, the DWP's statistics find that 0.9% or £1.5bn of total benefit expenditure is underpaid due to claimant or official error (0.6%, or £1.0bn due to claimant error, 0.3% or £0.5bn due to official error.

As for overpaid benefit, 1.0%, or £1.6bn of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to claimant error while 0.5%, or £0.8bn of total benefit expenditure is overpaid due to official error.

In fairness, Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud does make the point that "only a small minority commit fraud" in the press release, but it is disappointing that the DWP would issue a press release with such a misleading headline and subheading.

Teeside taxi company refuses to transport disabled people

2014-01-12T11:53:00.003Z

BBC News reports:

The boss of Teesside's biggest taxi company has revealed the firm will no longer transport disabled passengers following a row over pricing.

Mohammed Bashir, of Boro Taxis, said the decision had been taken on economic grounds.

Teesside taxi operators were recently warned they could lose their licences for overcharging disabled passengers.

Middlesbrough Council believes the conduct breaches discrimination laws.

Mr Bashir said his company cannot afford to send an eight-seater minibus to pick up customers if it can only charge them the same price as it would an able-bodied person using a four-seater car...

Last month a report by the authority found wheelchair users were sometimes being charged up to double the standard fare.

February 2014 tube strikes announced

2014-01-10T18:02:00.000Z

UPDATE:

The tube strikes on the 11th and 12th of February have been suspended.

According to the RMT website the dates of the February 2014 tube strikes have been changed.

The first tube strike is now between 9pm on 4th February until 8:59pm on 6th February 2014, and the second tube strike is between 9pm on 11th February until 8:59pm on 13th February 2014.

The BBC reports that the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has announced two tube strikes in February.

The first tube strike is between 9pm on 4th February until 8:59pm on 6th February 2014, and the second tube strike is between 9pm on 11th February until 8:59pm on 13th February 2014.

The RMT have also told members not to sell tickets to anyone on 7th, 10th and 14th February 2014 between 9.30am and 11.30am and 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

Out of 3,356 votes cast, 2,567 were in favour of strike action.

Read more here.

The Guardian reports that the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will also ballot for strike action on London Underground.

Richard Littlejohn insults Mark Duggan's aunt in vile article

2014-01-10T17:25:00.001Z

You might have expected journalists, even though who agreed with the jury, to treat the aunt of Mark Duggan with some respect, given that her nephew was killed.

Not Richard Littlejohn.

In an article for the Daily Mail entitled "Duggan was a gangster not Nelson Mandela", Littlejohn describes Carole Duggan as having a "severe ‘council estate face-lift’", looking like "Vicky Pollard's granny" and speaking "in a curious hybrid accent, a cross between Ali G and Liam Gallagher of Oasis. Manc meets Jafaican."

A decent journalist, when reporting on an important hard news story wouldn't regard how someone looked, the way they spoke, or how they dressed as important*. A decent journalist would not be prejudiced against someone for their hairstyle, looks or "hybrid accent".

What does it matter how Carole Duggan speaks or dresses? What matters is the inquest into the killing of Mark Duggan, not what Littlejohn thinks of his relatives.

As far as Littlejohn and the Mail are concerned, her speech and appearance means she is not worthy of respect.

I believe that people who use the appearance, speech or dress of others to criticise them are not worthy of respect.

If Mark Duggan's aunt had a Surrey accent, looked like a Home Counties middle class professional and had a £400 hairdo I doubt Richard Littlejohn would be sneering at her.

Richard Littlejohn seems to believe that he cannot use his argument about the shooting and the background of Mark Duggan alone to convince his readers, so results to sexist sneering about one of Mark Duggan's female relatives.

Mic Wright at Anorak.co.uk has also written about Littlejohn's vile article:

...What makes Littlejohn’s baseless attacks on Guru-Murphy more disgusting is that he claims the broadcaster “went into full Nelson Mandela mode” to discuss the case. That is, as usual, Littlejohn’s racism shining out from his copy.

It is frankly disgraceful to elide the reasonable and justified tributes to the greatest African leader of the modern age with coverage of an inquest into the death of a criminal** who despite his rap sheet deserved to have his death properly and thoroughly investigated. Is Littlejohn really suggesting a variation on the classic racist trope that all black people are basically the same?

Littlejohn goes on to compare the Duggan case to the the death of Mark Saunders, a white barrister who was shot after brandishing and discharging a shotgun while out of his mind of drugs and drink. Littlejohn laughably says “he wasn’t about to fire…so he wasn’t posing an immediate danger to anyone”.

Duggan was not holding a gun when he was shot, nor had he discharged a shot. But of course, Duggan was guilty of being black and having a record. That’s enough in Littlejohn’s eyes for him to be expendable...

I don't want to link to the Daily Mail article as it will help their link building, but Dawn Foster has screengrabbed Littlejohn's sneerng at Carole Duggan.

*Obviously if the story was about fashion or a celebrity how they dressed would be important. But this is about an inquest.

**Mic Wright's words, not mine.