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Government Watch - 2

(967 Posts)
whitewave Wed 26-Jul-17 13:27:27

Very much needed.

First happy thing to report.

Unison have won their case making it illegal to charge employees for employment litigation. Introduced by the Tories in 2013.

The judges quite rightly said it was wrong to make it difficult/impossible for anyone to resort to law.

Those who paid will be reimbursed.

Welshwife Thu 02-Nov-17 22:37:00

I see a report today that Health Boards are actively recruiting for nurses in India and the Phillipines.

GracesGranMK2 Thu 02-Nov-17 23:01:48

There was quite a bit about the shortage of nurses on various news programmes early in the day Welshwife. One of the problems is a drop of 90% of nurses and midwives coming from the EU.

There is a secondary problem that there is a shortage of nurses around the world but this country is no longer as attractive as it was for nurses and is likely to become less so.

GracesGranMK2 Thu 02-Nov-17 23:02:38

Fewer GP, fewer nurses, no care service - getting old looks less and less attractive.

durhamjen Thu 02-Nov-17 23:23:01

What's the alternative, though, GracesGran?
Old joke, I know.

durhamjen Thu 02-Nov-17 23:27:04

A letter in today's Guardian.

"I would like to reassure readers that Sir Humphrey would have enthusiastically approved the appointment of Gavin Williamson as defence secretary. In his opinion, the ideal ministerial appointee should have little or no previous knowledge of his new brief. Another triumph for the prime minister! "

durhamjen Thu 02-Nov-17 23:55:02

She's chosen a good new chief whip to replace him, too, someone who wanted to prosecute the Guardian for publishing the Snowden papers.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/02/julian-smith-profile-chief-whip-remainer-who-once-called-for-guardian-to-be-prosecuted

She must be having problems finding people who want to work for her.

GracesGranMK2 Fri 03-Nov-17 08:11:48

I have a feeling that much of the squawking from others in the CP are because they now know that 'last chance' has disappeared. I don't know much about these people (who does?) but they are next generation and not from London and south-east. I think these are both good things. The rest I will judge by what they do as I have nothing really to judge them on at the moment.

durhamjen Sat 04-Nov-17 14:37:38

4th November 1839 was the date of the people's charter riots, the Chartists.

cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-y3dqjref7c/images/stencil/1000x1000/products/242/1477/tea-towel-peoples-charter__13468.1495644441.jpg?c=2

Still haven't got them all, have we?

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 16:32:47

Guardian reporting that Johnson amongst a couple of others has been named in the FBI Papdopolous indictment.

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 16:35:25

Will Patel be forced to resign over her undisclosed visit to Israel?

GracesGranMK2 Sun 05-Nov-17 16:37:32

It feels as if the government is like an elastic band at the moment and everything is about to go 'ping'.

I think this is it whitewave. Boris Johnson in spotlight as questions raised over Russian influence on UK

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 18:14:32

Thanks gg yes that’s what I meant.

People keep saying that they think the government is in the middle of a nervous breakdown. I think they are simply headless chickens, worrying about the next revelation.

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 18:15:14

I see Maybot has agreed to a 53bn divorce bill.

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 18:20:01

Just watched Rudd defending Crabb. Said that he should keep his job, because “this goes on in other work places”. WTF!!

mostlyharmless Sun 05-Nov-17 19:06:41

The Paradise Papers released now, showing how the super-rich hide earnings overseas.
Tories on by-election alert in case any MPs have to resign.
Theresa May must be lying down in a darkened room by now......

durhamjen Sun 05-Nov-17 19:40:16

Started a new game, chasing Ashcroft.

whitewave Sun 05-Nov-17 20:32:04

So to sleaze we have to add financial fiddling on an enormous scale.

I think you’ll find Ashcroft in Belize dj

durhamjen Sun 05-Nov-17 20:56:07

www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/05/lord-ashcroft-offshore-trust-wealth-tory-peer-paradise-papers

He was on the programme, being chased by Richard Bilton.

durhamjen Sun 05-Nov-17 20:59:40

Even the Queen involved in hiding her money offshore.
Maybe HMRC should be given a different name.
Hiding tax from herself is very clever.

maryeliza54 Sun 05-Nov-17 22:07:46

The very least the queen could do is invest in Britain and British companies. Grubby, sleazey, hypocritical - let them eat cake

durhamjen Sun 05-Nov-17 22:16:58

That's what I thought, maryeliza. It's our money, after all, that she's investing.
Did you see that one of the companies that her offshore money is investing in is BrightHouse?
www.theguardian.com/money/2017/oct/24/rent-to-own-retailer-brighthouse-ordered-to-repay-14m-to-customers

durhamjen Sun 05-Nov-17 22:43:46

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2017/11/05/tax-havens-are-shady-places-made-available-by-lawyers-accountants-and-bankers-for-those-seeking-to-hide-their-money/

yggdrasil Mon 06-Nov-17 10:59:13

Let's be fair, HM doesn't do investments herself. And I believe she getting someone to investigate her agents. I can't know if my pensions are coming from legal funds, can I .

grumppa Mon 06-Nov-17 11:47:45

That's a very narrow view, maryeliza54. Think of all the Commonwealth countries she could be investing in.

whitewave Mon 06-Nov-17 12:01:57

It isn’t about investing abroad but everything to do with tax avoidance.