News from the opposition

I have worked in youth work in the past and I absolutely recognise what he is saying.

This is a speech for common sense and hope and optimism.

It is excellent

News this morning that a Tory council in Northumberland will be closing quite a few youth centres and community centres in Northumberland.

Private wealth and public squalor, a policy the stories love to follow.

I have thank you Primrose.

weownit.org.uk/public-ownership/royal-mail

"For almost 500 years the Royal Mail was a publicly owned institution, delivering anything to anywhere. But in 2015, the final shares of Royal Mail were sold, and its privatisation was complete. 67% of us were opposed to this. What’s more, we were completely ripped off.
What happened?

The last shares of Royal Mail were flogged in 2015, as part of George Osborne’s astonishing sell-off of public assets worth £31 billion. There weren’t any good reasons to privatise the organisation. It was making a profit and providing high quality service, in line with its obligation to treat every address in the UK and every bit of post equally. Of course, the government said they were raising money to reduce the deficit, and creating a ‘shareholder democracy’ – but privatisation did none of this."

Keir Starmer

Strong speech from Jeremy Corbyn this morning. Close future relationship with the EU, in Customs Union, and strong single market deal with no drop of rights, standards or protections.

Give you one guess what UKIP focused on in Corbyns speech

Preparing for the new Secretary General.

Any Labour members on here might like to feed ideas into their local party

pbs.twimg.com/media/DW9vnHVW4AAGAvX?format=jpg

inews.co.uk/opinion/jeremy-corbyns-support-customs-union-brings-one-step-closer-number-ten/

I like Paul Mason's article.

Did anybody else notice this yesterday?

"There's something from last night's news I wanted to share with you: the most senior counter-terrorism police officer in Britain gave a speech issuing a warning on the threat of the far right.

We've been saying this for a really long time.

We are facing a surging threat from far-right terrorism and violent extremism, a trend which we fear is going to continue.

Mark Rowley, the assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, specifically noted in his speech that the public should be "gravely concerned" about banned neo-nazi terror group National Action."

From Hopenothate.

We have long-warned the authorities about the extremes of the British far right - and especially National Action. And as you may know, it was our intelligence that foiled one of the most serious far-right terror plots last year - an alleged attempt to murder an MP, which will come to trial later this year.

Yes I saw that dj and thought of Bannon, Farage and Banks.

Bannon is a known white supremiscist and Nazi sympathiser who keeps company with Farage who is talking about civil disobedience in the U.K. who is funded and supported by Banks. The connection with right wing extremists is easily made, but there are many dark forces out there.

I was going to look up National Action, but realised I don't want any links to them om my computer.

Do you want to read something else depressing?

www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/caroline-molloy/are-cash-strapped-hospitals-walking-into-trap-that-could-cost-nhs-its-family-

"Neither staff or public appear to be being told anything about what hospital buildings are involved, and what this means for the future. Whether or not asset transfers are key to the supposed VAT savings in Gloucestershire and elsewhere is one of the unanswered questions put to the Trust. Some of the other SubCo’s appear to anticipate no VAT savings, according to the Health Services Journal (paywall). Meanwhile, other established SubCo’s – notably South Warwickshire and East Kent – have been set up to provide clinics and wards for private patients, OurNHS has uncovered. What is going on?

The concerns about hospital buildings come in the light of huge pressure on Trusts to sell off or commercialise parts of their estate, under both the Carter Review and the Naylor report that Theresa May endorsed last year. Those hawking schemes to encourage sell offs are impatient with the NHS holding on to their assets “like the family silver” and preventing housing developers or rival private health companies getting their hands on these ‘strategic locations’. And all the plans – as elsewhere – are clear on one thing – that there will be “new people” with “commercial expertise” running the SubCo’s - perhaps with a different attitude to the family silver?

Tax expert Richard Murphy echoes campaigners’ suspicions. Reviewing the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SubCo business case, he told OurNHS, “Reading between the lines as to the true motive of this arrangement, it looks like a precursor to the sale to commercial third parties of the underlying buildings and the service contracts associated with them". Whether this is the intention – or an unintended consequence, particularly if the financial models don’t otherwise stack up - remains to be seen."

I saw a couple of reports on it Jen but it seemed to get a bit overwhelmed by other news.

There has been quite a bit about some , not many, far right planned attacks being stopped but it's a worrying trend.

Interviews I have heard said that the far right are picking up on the far left methods - grooming on line, etc. Also comments were made that one group of thugs, under one banner is winding up the other group and this is becoming circular.

There's mention on the opendemocracy link about a meeting in Harrogate on Thursday to try and stop the selloff there.

voxpoliticalonline.com/2018/02/27/virgin-trains-mistreatment-of-disabled-passenger-highlighted-by-countdowns-rachel-riley/

Kier Starmer off to Brussels today

Hope he can get there!

I believe that Barnier has asked Davis if he would mind turning up. Not sure if he is going to be bothered though

PMQs today. Corbyn has an overwhelming choice. Letter from Boris, boarder in Ireland, Brussels draft of withdrawal treaty - or will he talk about something entirely different?

Well you know what he’s like- bloody frustrating at times.

They’ve appointed a QC to look at the sexism reported on.

Honestly it is absolutely endemic throughout society isn’t it?
I can’t make up my mind whether it is simply a case of society catching up with the new cultural norms.
It may we’ll be so. There are a lot of ignorant idiots out there.

I am hoping he picks up on the NHS sell off.

I can’t make up my mind whether it is simply a case of society catching up with the new cultural norms.

I think that is a lot of it whitewave. I also think that some do not engage brain, some feel entitled. Just shows that the change in the position of women and the vulnerable has, perhaps, only been superficial.