News from the opposition

"But the local elections could spell real trouble and last night Corbyn supporters were delighted at a ward by-election victory, taking Rochester West (Medway) with 47.5% of the vote, up a massive 26.5%. The Tories were down to 39%, and it seems Labour mopped up the Kent former Kipper vote, as UKIP plunged 16%"

From Huffpost. Not exactly what I would call MSM, but still in the media.

Strangely enough, that ad is not on the Guardian website as you claimed, primrose.
If it's from the paper - it wasn't in yesterday's paper - I think it's a clever juxtaposition.
Women still can't drive cars in Saudi.
There was the first women's race in Saudi, a 3 km one, on March 3rd. Rather uncomfortable, I would have thought.

www.ourlittleearth.com/2018/03/first-womens-race-in-saudi-arabia/

Some Saudi women are having driving lessons in preparation for the ban to be lifted in June.

Wearing a hijab and abaya, with a man sitting in the back of the car?
They can't be on the streets yet as it wouldn't be legal.

Anyway, a few women being allowed to drive cars and run races really does not make up for the crisis he's caused in Yemen and the fact that we are complicit by selling rockets and planes to Saudi.

that ad is not on the Guardian website as you claimed, primrose

They have moved it elsewhere Jen, due to the complaints.
Do you think they should have left it there?

I suppose that Caroline Lucas could have been duped, but it's had plenty of press coverage and the Guardian has issued a justification, so they are not querying the validity of it. Because they did actually have that on their website.

If you regularly get a copy of the Guardian, I'm sure you've seen the print versions, so you're already aware that they've promoted the Saudi regime with half-page adverts.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/caroline-lucas-saudi_uk_5a9fdc21e4b0d4f5b66c1478

" 18 young people could be beheaded at any time for the ‘crime’ of protesting against the Saudi government. Some were sentenced to death for attending protests when they were children. All were brutally tortured into confessing.

Saudi Arabia claims to be modernising, but these executions would seriously undermine any claim of reform. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is coming to London tomorrow, so I've signed this petition urging him to stop these executions to demonstrate he is truly the reformer he claims to be.

You can sign the petition here with just two clicks.

This petition comes from the human rights organisation Reprieve – they have successfully stopped many executions of children and protesters in Saudi Arabia before. Together, hopefully we can help them do it again."

This was sent before the visit, obviously.
It was topped with a Saudi advert.
It did not make me think that Reprieve supported Saudi Arabia.

I made a statement of fact, I was not expressing an opinion so did not expect a snippy reply.

But that is why I have avoided this thread.

except to state a fact.

As I said, I had yesterday's Guardian and there was no ad in it.
I usually buy the i, and I've not noticed any ads in there.

Is it not fact that we are selling weapons and planes to Saudi Arabia to kill Yemeni civilians?

Liberals have the answer to Brexit.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/06/crown-prince-saudis-theresa-may-britain-saudi-arabia-money

Boris not doing his job again.

www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/10/zaghari-ratcliffe-boris-johnson-british-iranian-iran-jail

She could have been released months ago.

twitter.com/MayorofLondon

Sadiq Khan talking about the abusive tweets he gets.

Part of labour's plan to rebalance the economy.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/03/12/given-that-large-companies-are-paying-less-tax-the-time-has-come-for-a-corporation-tax-increase/

Thatcher used to be known as the milk snatcher.
May is now the meal snatcher. Except for in Northern Ireland, of course.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-just-voted-cut-childrens-12181616

Is this the proper way to run government?

inews.co.uk/news/politics/civil-servants-went-along-with-dup-sinn-fein-secrecy-under-devolution-top-mandarin-admits/

Civil servants are not supposed to behave like this. So much for the government being the most open government ever.

Whitewave, did you see this in the commons today?
Obvious to see who cares about refugee families staying together.

www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns/you-did-it-129-mps-voted-refugee-family-reunion-bill

labourlist.org/2018/03/stop-the-war-voters-are-ready-for-a-change-from-endless-wars/

How sensible.

I certainly agree with the line in your link under "Part of labour's plan to rebalance the economy."

For small companies the case is that it makes no sense at all to have a corporation tax rate below the basic rate of income tax: all that becomes is a blatant invitation to avoid tax.

He seems to have knowledgeable people who comment on his blog.

Isn’t it true that the burden of taxation has moved decisively from business to individuals, when you take all forms of tax into account? And particularly onto the lower deciles of the income distribution, i.e. the poor pay a larger proportion of of their income as tax: “The poorest fifth of households pay taxes in the UK that equate to 38% of their income while the richest fifth pay only 35% of theirs.” Dorling, Danny. Do We Need Economic Inequality?

May always seems to want us to believe the top 1% pay a lot more than they actually do. I would like to know what percentage of their income they actually pay not what percentage of income tax (not all tax as she tends to suggest) they pay.

Here you go GG

www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates

Thank you Primrose but why did you think I needed that?

Yes, GracesGran. I like the fact that you do not get abusive comments like on many blogs.
Nothing to do with income tax rates, I agree. How strange.

Then I've misunderstood "I would like to know what percentage of their income they actually pay"

Can you explain what you mean then, if not income tax?