Privatise Great Britain

Do They Intend to Privatise Great Britain?

21st century Britain is quietly been sold-off, part-by-part, to the private sector and no one seems to have noticed. Except you’re truly of course.

The problem of having public assets (or state-run ownership) is they are rich for the picking by the private sector. They are cash-cows, perfect for breaking apart and asset stripping.

(Brit) SocialMedia: Brussels plot

SHAMEFUL MEPs are already plotting to torpedo the historic EU budget cut.

The Euro politicians want a secret ballot on the issue so they can vote for a rise anonymously and escape their national leaders’ fury.

Tories warned the sinister plot, unveiled yesterday by the MEPs’ German president Martin Schulz, would “almost certainly” succeed...

« Read the Rest @ The Sun »

History of Global Banking Crisis

Global Banking Crisis, 

A Brief History...

The current global banking crisis began with an escalation in foreclosure rates among homeowners during 2006–2007, leading to a critical juncture in August 2008.

The way that the nation's mortgage markets are structured mean that a decline in the housing market hits other things: home builders, real estate, home supply, retail outlets, money markets, hedge funds (held by large institutional investors), and foreign banks. All of which increase the risk of a nationwide recession.

By 2007-2008 we were in the worst financial emergency since 1930s Great Depression. Large fiscal institutions were threatened by financial breakdown; then bailed out by national governments. Causing a downturn in the world's stock markets.

The backwash resulted in troubles in the housing market - leading to foreclosures and evictions - with lengthened and increased unemployment.

"The crisis played a significant role in the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in trillions of US dollars, and a downturn in economic activity leading to the 2008–2012 global recession and contributing to the European sovereign-debt crisis."

Financial crisis of 2007–2008 @ Wikipedia »

The global credit crisis nearly destroyed the world's banking systems.

"Could the current financial crisis have been predicted from historians knowledge of past down turns and depressions globally?

Dr David Chambers, University Lecturer in Finance and Deputy Director of the School’s Master of Finance programme, thinks so.

An analysis of what happened in the crash of the 1930s may prove a good way to predict how long it may take us to get out of the current financial difficulties.

Structural problems, Dr Chambers says, need to be faced up to before a recovery is likely, and there could well be a few false dawns along that road to recovery.

Lessons From History by Dr David Chambers

(Brit) SocialMedia: MoD Overspends Equipment Budget By £6.5bn

The Ministry of Defence has overspent its equipment budget by £6.5bn and some of its major orders are likely to be delivered 39 years late.

The 16 most costly projects should have taken 159 years to deliver between them and cost a total of £56.5bn ... But the National Audit Office (NAO), in its latest report into the MoD's spending, reveals they are now set to take a total of 195 years and cost £61.1bn.

« Read the Rest @ Sky News »

---

This is typical of how British Government spends. Leaving a deficit which the poorest in society have to fund through benefit cuts.

The Olympics was a drain on resources and now the MoD overspend resources. Leaving us cash-strapped Britain.

Still proud to be British??

See also: « Why The Nuclear Deterrent Has Had Its Day »

i-Politics: More Austerity For Britain

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

An Extra Of Austerity 

Foreseen For Britain

Alongside the statement on Wednesday, the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on Wednesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR - the independent fiscal watchdog) are set to tell George Osborne that the Government's efforts to reduce borrowing are in danger.

The OBR are expected to warn this week that the Chancellor looks set to miss his target for bringing down Britain's debt mountain; raising the prospect of more austerity measures.

Unless the Chancellor puts forward further hardship measures, Economists - alarmed by just how difficult it seems for the debt-ratio to begin decreasing in the foretold timescale of 2014-15 and 2015-16 (which Mr Osborne set to reduce GDP) - warn that Mr Osborne's goal for reductions to the gross domestic product were totally underestimated. This means the Chancellor's duel debt-reducing targets are more at risk because of the low growth-estimates and their knock-on impact on the Treasury's revenues.

"When the OBR was established in 2010 I said that the evidence of its success would come when a Chancellor of the Exchequer wished it had never been set up. I think that moment is approaching..."

Sir Alan Budd, chairman of the interim OBR, Sunday Telegraph 02/12/12

As if things aren't bad enough! The outcome being an extra year of hardship is foreseen for British citizens .

Credit Crisis or Banking Conspiracy?

A follow up article to: 
« The Banks In Crisis - A World Bank is in Order »

Last week I said: "Some believe that the double-dip resession was the calculation of the banking fraternity to 'shear-off' money from the public. That the planned sudden shortage of money was designed to effect money markets across the word; that it was engineered to put people into debt. Thereby, obliging countless millions (who have nothing) to those who have the supply of money - banks and money funds. Surfdom by the backdoor, as it were."

I do believe there would be revolution if the people of this great nation understood our banking and monetary system. Some individuals even believe there is a secret cabal of Banks working against the best interests of people of the world.

In Britain at the moment there is a triple-dip scenario (this is the third recession of the credit crisis here). When, on 14/11/12 the Bank of England warned growth might not get back to pre-crisis levels until mid 2015. GDP (economic output) might only rise by 1% next year. Even so, there are still no prospects for the jobless millions.

Back in June, Robert Zoellick, the outgoing head of the World Bank Group, warned the G20 summit that Europe ran the risk of sparking a 'Lehman-style' global crisis - especially for developing nations - for whom consequences might be quite dire.

(The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 proved to be the trigger for the deepest slump in the global economy since the 1930s. One we seem incapable of shaking free of.

"...prepare for the uncertainty coming out of the eurozone and the wider financial markets" Zoellick told G20 back in June. "Uncertainty in markets is now starting to increase costs for developing countries. The ripple effects are making everybody's life harder."

World Bank President, Robert B. Zoellick

During 2012 high-income country growth is expected to increase by 1.4%; while, growth in developing country is expected to slow to a measly 5.3%. (According to an update in the Bank's June 2012 Global Economic Prospects, the global economy is expected to increase by 2.5% by the end of 2012 and up to 3% during 2013.)

Zoellick said he was concerned that the prolonged crisis was starting to lead to pressures for protectionism and economic nationalism. (Since the financial crisis began, in 2008, the World Bank Group has committed more than $280 billion to its members.)

I feel he was right and that things can only get worse before thet get better.

"Bankers own the earth; take it away from them but leave them with the power to create credit; and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again..."

- Sir Josiah Stamp, Director, Bank of England, 1940.

If there is a world conspiracy of Banks to keep poor-people poor and themselves rich, it would seem to be working.

Banks in Crisis - A World Bank Is In Order

Some believe that the double-dip recession was the calculation of the banking fraternity to 'shear-off' money from the public. That the planned sudden shortage of money was designed to effect money markets across the word; that it was engineered to put people into debt. Thereby, obliging countless millions (who have nothing) to those who have the supply of money - banks and money funds Serfdom by the back-door, as it were.

If this is so, then what of the banking crisis? More money manipulation? I hazard to think not.

Banking District (Photo credit: bsterling)

Decisions taken by administrative bodies, and their appointed delegates, and civil organizations, all employing a variety of methods, none of which give their customers an opportunity to vote "yes" or "no" for the outcome.

Bankers think they own the earth. Our plan is to take it away from them. The power to create money and control credit should be in the hands of the people; in the hands of a world government run to help the people, not harm them. I want nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in public hands, nothing less than the economy of the whole world.

Who's Afraid of World Government? (Photo credit: Truthout.org)

The power of the internet is so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that it encompasses everything. This world conspiracy of social media has been steadily growing. This conspiracy plays a definite recognizable role in most peoples' lives; and it will become the mainspring of every political movement during the 21st century. At last this extraordinary wellspring from the underworld of the geek has gripped the world's people by their hair and become the undisputed master of commerce. The growth of social media has made it possible to centralize the of world's economic control for the direct benefit of the people and not all current economic groups.

A world financial system dominated by the political system of each country but with a centralized head. Credit controlled by one fund, so everyone has the same chances.

Labour Calls for £7.20 an Hour 'Living Wage'

Reblogged from The Writing's on the Wall: i-Politics:


Ed and David Miliband have put their political rivalry aside to work on plans for millions of workers to be paid a “living wage” of at least £7.20 an hour - Read More @ Telegraph »

A Further Drop in High Street Sales

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

British Supermarkets Suffers 

Drop in Consumer Sales

Consumer Spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

"Supermarket chain Morrisons has reported a dip in sales and profits, blaming the continued pressures on consumer spending...  Chief executive Dalton Philips said the figures reflected 'sustained pressure on consumer spending'." - Morrisons sales and profits fall BBC News.

Morrisons, being the 4th largest supermarket, isn't the only casualty recently hit by the UK Recession.

"Co-operative Group profits fall by a third"
Last updated Thu 23 Aug 2012-ITV NEWS - Tweet 8:07am, Thu 23 Aug 2012

The report by (ITV News a couple of weeks ago) that the Co-operative Group profits fell by one third - due to food sales suffering aggressive competition from other supermarkets - while the banking arm was also struck by the double-dip.

Lib Dems Tax Unearned Wealth

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

LIB DEMs TAX
Unearned
Wealth  

Wealth TaxNick Clegg was revising an 'old Liberal' idea when he put forth Liberal Demercrat's intentions to tax the wealthy: by rewarding 'hard work' but levying unearend wealth.

This bombshell of the Deputy PM's temporary wealth tax has shook Westminster; upsetting both Tories and Labour MPs into from their summer hiatus. Both parties have poured critisism on Mr Glegg's plans for a "time limited contribution" from society's rich.

Liberals have for decades believed in focusing tax on wealth. In his interview he spoke of "an old Liberal idea that you should be rewarding initiative and hard work but you should be making people who have unearned wealth make a contribution".
   - Nick Clegg puts space between Lib Dems and Tories with tax bombshell - Guardian Politics 29/08/12

Differences?
Mid-way through the coalition's parliment, and as all political parties gear up for the 2015 general election, Nick Clegg's trying desperately to distance Lib Dems from their Tory coalition partners. Clegg wants his party to "start spreading ... wings more ... unencumbered and unrestrained by coalition."

Further cuts
Chancellor, George Osborne, is planning to target the poor with an extra £10bn in welfare cuts (to come into inergration 2016) which were introduced in the budget. Mr Clegg -although he accepts some cuts to welfare- would rather target the top echelon "than starts at the bottom."

However, it seem unlikely that the Chanellor will be swayed by Mr Clegg's proposal.

.: George Osborne's reply to Clegg's proposal? :.

What Price Gold Medals

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Surely
Not!  

I must be going mad, because I'm sure that this morning (21/08/12) I read that the Government want to hand-out Honours to Team GB winners!

The Price of a Gold?

Of the 412 grams that a London 2012 gold medal weighs roughly 6 grams are gold, 381 are silver and the remaining 25 copper. Giving a market price today of about $700.
       -Futures Magazine | Monday 6th August 2012

So that's the price of Olympic Gold!

It may surprise you to discover that it costs £9billion to host an Olympic Games.

So, forget the cost of policing (including bringing in the Army, Navy and Air Force)... Forget the national debt from hosting the 2012 Games... Forget even the cost of giving out all 302 Gold Medals (not to mention all the Silver and Bronze Medals also)... Forget how many starving children in Britain alone this would feed for a whole year! London is now certainly pathed with Gold -as it was renowned to be back in Dick Whittington's day.
A gong for every Gold Medal winner?

DAVID Cameron insisted yesterday that Britain’s Olympic heroes should be honoured by the Queen.
       -David Cameron, Prime Minister, in EXPRESS.co.uk | Tuesday 21st August 2012

The article above goes on to explain that Downing Street are cautiously advising that there are a limited amount of honours that the Queen can hand out per year, but Boris Johnson is pushing for each Gold Medal winner to be awarded an honour for their Olympic achievement.

However, stringent new rules this year have put pay to such things, so achieving Gold at the Olympics is not enough to ensure a place on the Queen's New Year Honours list it would seem! Four years ago, the GB Gold Medalists in Beigin were all awarded MBEs at least.

"It’s a shame we can’t recognise all of Team GB for what they did for the country. It’s what the public wants."
       -Clive Efford, Labour sports spokesman, in EXPRESS.co.uk | Tuesday 21st August 2012

Number Ten have been quoted as saying that honours are 'awarded on merit, not according to quotas'. So we will have to see!


Also this morning

"EUROPE is secretly preparing for the break-up of the single currency, a top Finnish politician let slip yesterday."
       -The Sun | Monday 20th August 2012

The Sun article tells of how Erkki Tuomioja, Finland’s foreign minister, let it out that it was now nearly impossible to keep the euro. This has come at a time when Greece is at a 'make or break' stage (whether they'd be the first country forced out of the euro). The Sun says that the "New Greek Premier Antonis Samaras is flying to Berlin and Paris this week to beg for two years’ more grace to repay the EU’s bailout money."

But things for Greece, and the euro, are not looking good -because Greek debts have not got smaller since the elections, but larger.


Putting this in context...
The Futures Magazine's article reported this information: (using the value of Gold Medals as a currency) to get the European countries out of (euro) debt, they would each have to win millions of Gold Medals.

To put it another way, every single person in Greece would have to win 56 Gold Medals to get the country out of its debt (that's 627,153,707 medals in total). That doesn't cover anyone's debt other that Greece's.

For 302 Golds per Olympics, that's equivalent of Greece winning Gold at every single event for well over two million Olympic Games (2,076,668 Olympics)! At that rate, it would take Greece 8,306,672 years!!

Now you know the price of Olympic Gold. Was it really worth all the cost?

Not a midlife crisis!

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Not A
Mid-life
Crisis! 

The world has become obsessed with age. Too young, too old, almost past it!

But who says that age is so important? And why?

What's the right age to start having sex? And when is it too old to want it? And how come you can never get enough between the two points?

Have we become obsessed by youth? Look around and tell me the average age of the Ad-Girls and -Boys. Or their models. Where are the older representatives?

No one wants to see where they're going, only where they've been. That's the thing.

I'm as bad as all the others. (Are you?) When I was young-er, I was quite vane. My hair teeth and complexion were all more important to me than anything. Smart suits, good shoes, impressive ties, sensible hair. That's who I was: Mr GQ. A god in a silk shirt.

Even my politics had a brand: true-blue Conservatism. (I aspired to be The New Statesman -the right honourable Alan B'stard MP -played by Rik Mayall.) My arrogance didn't quite reach the levels that Rik's alta ego reached, but I came close.
 

.: New Statesman title card :.
by @  Wikipedia.

However, life has a way of kicking you in the pants when you get too arrogant. And so it knocked me on my ass and out of my GQ phase.

I grew my hair long, sported an unkempt beard and lost all my self confidence. And as a result went looking for God. (And me being me, I didn't just find one, I found several.)

I'm compulsive and obsessive by nature and add that to a search for spirituality, and naturally I had to take it too far. My search put me on a path to the church -I wanted to serve the big G. I took courses at a local Methodist college on Pastoral Care and Islam and fell-out with the Christian faith.

I turned to Judaism, considered Islam and finally fell for Paganism. (Only because the latter didn't restrict my growing compulsion for anarchy.)

The arrogance of youth has been tempered by age but not fully extinguished. My arrogance these days connect to speaking my mind and looking how I please.

Over the past two years my hair has been all the colours of the colours of the rainbow and a few others: I was Goth with half-black and half-white. I hit emo with spiked pastel and vibrant hues. And finally, went retro with a punk half-Mohawk (which I currently sport), that changes colour once a month.

I do like to grab attention! Lol !!

Then, the other day someone asked me if I was having a mid-life crisis. I'm not having a mid-life anything! (I don't class almost 47 as mid-life.) Inside I’m still 18.

After I expounded how wrong she was, she walked awake nodding and muttering, "Thought as much!"

I don't care what anyone says, I'm not having a mid-life crisis. Inside I'm still young, arrogant and vane!

A Coalition Collapse?

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Is There About to be
a Coalition Collapse?

According to a Guardian ICM poll only 16% of voters expect the coalition government (Tory/Lib Dems) to survive to 2015. Due to dissention in the ranks. (Tories failed to support House of Lords Reform bill, causing Nick Clegg to acuse Tories of breaking coalition contract.) This is as the coalition government prepare for a mid-term policy review (in October).

BBC News quotes the PM as saying that there isn't a problem between Conservatives and Lib Dems, that they're just different parties who don't always agree but "work well together".

David Cameron claims that they'll be stronger in the autumn.

However, "Olympic effect on UK economy may not last long," warns Sir Mervyn King in the Mail on Sunday, "...ultimately the Games cannot alter the underlying economic situation we face."

i-thorts R instant thorts

2xRecession

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Double-Dip Recession -
Britain's Not Working

This morning (12/08/12) SkyNews headlines

MP Hosts World Hunger Summit.
"David Cameron is to host a summit aimed at tackling world hunger in the years before the next Olympic Games in Brazil."

While the Mail Online runs the headline:

Children as young as 8 are lending money to their parents as they worry about family finances

.: A Child's Perspective on World Hunger :.
(Feeding Starving Children)

From these two headlines you can see things are clearly not working in Britain.

When young children are having to bailout cash-strapped parents with their pocket money (Mail Online) Britain has hit an all-time low! (The piece goes on to explain that 85% of eight to fifteen-year-olds claim to be worried about their family's finances.) While the MP is lost in the Olympic headlights (SkyNews) of closing the Games. Things are definitely not good! 

When thing at home are so bad that Boris Johnson (Reuters UK‎ article) looks like a contender to the MPs job - due to all the positive press coverage since the opening ceremony.

"In the UK-wide survey conducted for Ladbrokes bookmakers, 71 percent of respondents said they would like him to become premier."
Reuters UK‎ article

(It feels a bit like Cameron is being sidelined by the Major's aggressive media campaign. He appears concerned that Boris is getting too many Olympic headlines - which puts Johnson foot in Number Ten's door - more than any other Tory politician.) I'm certainly asking, Has Cameron lost the plot? 

Homeland Britain is sufferings: We spent a wealth on the Games, so the world thinks we're not a Third World Country - when we clearly are. And although they were more than impressive as far as Start (opening ceremony), Games (massive Gold haul), and End (closing ceremony - that is said to be a match for the opening extravaganza) we have a country on the edge of poverty.

"PM pledges millions for Team GB at Rio"

says Independent article. (They go on to quote he's pledging lottery money to team GB - which could have been targeted at underprivileged children at home.) We all are proud of our team, but when millions of British taxpayers are funding waste and avarice (Banking Crisis), there has to be a time to say woah... And this is that time.

It was only back in May that The Sun Headlined with:

Charity launched to help feed starving UK kids
"A CHARITY has launched the first-ever appeal to feed starving children – in the UK."

Have the the starving children in Britain all been fed in the last few months? I think not! And yet we are spending millions on sports while our children starve.  It these Games so important for Britain, that children have to suffer?

I declare! Please Mr Cameron, stop wasting funds on making the country look good!

What is the point of a great shop window if the shelves are empty inside?

I ask you, is this right?

Tell Me I'm Wrong!

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Tell Me
I'm Wrong! 

I'm getting old. I must be. All I see around me is heartache and pain. Idiots and morons.

Does no one care anymore?

When I was a lad we cared. We cared about music and girls... we cared about politics and fashion... we cared about life and death... we cared about freedom and justice... we simply cared.

Today... No one cares.

We don't care about the environment. At least, most of us don't. There are a few overbearing pop stars (like Sting) that bleat on about saving the planet while schlepping from continent to continent by their own private jet (using fossil fuel and emitting CO2 gasses like a madman). Other than these wannabees, no one 'really' cares.

We don't care about an over populated world. We have children younger and live longer. Teen can't spell condoms, let alone use them. We have the likes of Jeremy Kyle blaring on about sticking 'something on the end of it' and making a living from talking to these horny juveniles as though they care. They don't. Neither do we. What's it matter to the average Britain if some snotty-nosed brat is the father, or the other five possibles? I ask you, do you care? Really?

We don't care about education. Even those sodding degenerates that repose to be students don't really care about education. They just want to drink cheep larger and loaf about, saying pretentious crap like 'in my opinion' - then quoting some facile trollop's entry in an outdated tome, they haven't even bothered to read properly. "In my opinion, Einstein got it right hen he said, Go Go!" Bollocks. Total crap. They don't have the experience to have an opinion. What does someone know that's just got out of nappies? Bugger all.
 

.: Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park in London, England :.
by swisstrock on Picasa.

 Education is about learning, it's about informing. It's not about telling the student which bit of their learning will be on the test. We learn to discover, not to be marked on it. The pen-pushers have taken over our schools, colleges, and uni's - they want results, not education. It's all about pass rates, not whether Billy understands how algebra works - A+B=C (or A Boy is a Child, as we used to say) makes not the slightest sense to the average pleb.

We don't care about politics either. Or the country wouldn't have voted in a load of Tory twits and wet wallies from the Lib Dems. Nick Clegg promised to be better then he's being, and the country swallowed it! If we were fishes we'd be wrapped in paper and smothered in salt and vinegar. This was once a great nation. Now we're a third-world nation, with too many children living in poverty and squalor. Half the country's unemployed, most of the rest's under-employed and under-paid. What's this world coming too?

Now tell me I'm wrong? Go on, surprise me if you dare. Tell me I'm wrong?

Britain PLC

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Do They Intend to Privatise Great Britain?

---

21st century Britain is quietly been sold-off, part-by-part, to the private sector and no one seems to have noticed. Except you’re truly of course.

The problem of having public assets (or state-run ownership) is they are rich for the picking by the private sector. They are cash-cows, perfect for breaking apart and asset stripping.

This concept of deregulating public-owned companies was first put forward by the Tories in the late 70s and early 80s. When British Telecom, Water, British Gas and electricity giants N-power were all privatized. Along with British Rail and about half a dozen others. (Visit the Guardian's Comment is free for more about privatization during the 80s.)

The famous 1986 "Tell Sid" British
Gas Privatization campaign.

Now we have the slow but steady breaking down of the NHS, the Police, the probation service, and all aspects of the welfare state. The government seem obligated to deregulate the whole of Britain.

Once we have the devolution of Ireland and Wales (with their own parliament -like Scotland- then PLC Britain could almost be a reality.

The Nanny state will turn into the forgotten state. Or worse, just another satellite state of Europe or the US. PLC Britain will be as ripe for takeover as the public owned companies are currently. And just like the post-privatised state-run organisations, PLC Britain will inevitably be run into the ground with a loss for all British Tax payers.

PLC Britain won't be a utopia. Just ask the workers for any privatised company. There will be uncertainty and injustice which far outweighs those of present British justice.

If you want to see policing by the likes of G4S, and a government run like one of Lord Sugar's companies, and the NHS sponsored by Glaxo or Bupa, then keep supporting the present coalition. Or if like myself, you want a return to a Great Britain then vote out the deregulators of out one Great country.

---

UPDATE:

The new buzzword for privatization by the backdoor is 'outsourcing'. Whenever you see this word in the press connected to public owned companies, they're craftily making it easier to sell-off the public sector!



You have been warned!

Cyberpunk65

Remploy Workers - No Rights to Work

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

No Rights to Work

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Remploy - putting ability first

When all they want is to work it seems a disgrace that the disadvantaged should have another setback.

The staff of Remploy factories, across the country, are on strike today, due to threats of job losses. Remploy was setup to be a place disabled workers could find gainful employment with employers that took their disabilities into account: Under the scheme of Access to Work.

Now these same disabled individual find they longer have an access to work. Some of these workers have been working for two to three decades for Remploy.

Disabled workers have a hard enough time getting work, without their main resource becoming privatised. Some workers have been offered a pittance in redundancy and severance pay, but it will leave them poor and unemployable. When jobs are at their scares in nearly thirty years, the loss of this government-backed employment is a major loss.
The Remploy factories are going to be closed or be privatized. Those with New bosses could face a reduction in the severance pay -if further cuts in the work force take place at a later date. 

None of these disabled workers have a very bright future -that is why they are taking industrial action.



Support their strike 

Cyberpunk65

Olympic Security Shambles

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Are G4S a Homeland Security Risk?

The chief exec of G4S, Nick Buckles, has been quoted as saying that their private security firm only realised at the beginning of the week that they wouldn’t have enough guards to protect the London Olympics 2012 (which starts July 27th). He went further; publicly apologising for the firm’s failure.

Olympic Games 2012

He as admitted to the BBC, that they are “sorry for what happened”, adding that the firm is “bitterly disappointed”. The mess could loose G4S up to £50m to fund the deployment of British troops, and has felt a drop in their share price over the week (with nightly news reports fuelling the Games furore).

 This problem has required the government of Britain to meet this deficit in security by deploying over 3,000 troops. (G4S was supposed to supply over 10,000 guards; but blamed application processing for the blunder.) The troops will be on stand-by in case they’re needed.

Some of the would-be recruits have been contacting media outlet to report that G4S recruitment and training of X-ray scanning for the Games security was a fiasco. A lot of the security guards may not be able to speak English. Some students and others in current employment – which means that training for these individuals, will have to be rushed, closer to the opening of the Games. There are even 3,000 unpaid volunteers amongst the ranks of G4S’ security staff for the Olympics.

There will be police at the venue also; there are 12 police forces working with the London Organising Committee (the Locog) –and the military and G4S– to ensure the necessary security is in place.

This only proves how the government is letting-down the country by their bid to privatise policing. If ‘the world’s leading security solution’ –as the G4S Group describes itself– cannot handle a world event like the Olympic Games, then no one can.

The government should leave policing to the professionals. Not cowboys and incompetents, who only aim is profit at any cost. (The contract for the Olympics’ security, which G4S Group won, is worth a cool £284m.) So even with a fall in share prices and a bill of £50m to reimburse for troop deployment, G4S find themselves on a massive earner. This loss to British taxpayers would have been better invested in British policing which is under threat from privatisation by the government.

The privatisation of policing in Britain may soon be in the hands of private security firms like G4S – who have already proved they aren’t competent enough to replace the good old British bobby.


If you too believe that the public deserves better, please go to The Police Debating Directive and show your support for Britain’s Police force.

Ofsted Report - Colleges & Jobless

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

OFSTED: Colleges fail Jobless

The watchdog, Ofsted, have warned (in its “Skills for Employment” report) that unemployed adults are been offered college courses that do not lead to work. Jobseekers are taking courses where the priority is not to successfully find work at the end the inspectors have warned.

According to the Ofsted report, the courses being offered to jobseekers were basic and simply wouldn’t lead to qualification that will help them back into work. Less that one in five are successful it gaining employment after taking these FE (Further Education) courses.

The report goes on to say that more must be done to get people on FE that lead to jobs – as finding employment is ‘non’ considered a high ‘priority’ with these courses. This comes in the wake of the Government pressing colleges into vocational training for unemployed adults.

see the OFSTED website for more info.

Ofsted | Courses for jobseekers are not leading them into employment

---

UPDATE 12/07/12 15.45:

The Association of Colleges have commented, saying that the ‘Skills for Employment’ report only ‘addresses’ the Colleges’ own concerns. The trouble they have been having is arranging ‘work experience’ for students.

They also blame the ‘generic’ nature of FE for jobseekers. Stating that programmes (implemented by Jobseeker Plus) need to be more flexible.

Read AoC’s Colleges respond to Ofsted 'skills for employability' report

Crisis? What Crisis?

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

Thought I'd give a rundown of how the establishment are handling the banking crisis.

All these posts came from Twiter during the PM's question time and the questioning of Bob Diamond - ex-chief executive of Barclays. (Concerning the LIBOR interest rate scandal.)

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Michael Dugher -- Labour MP for Barnsley East

"Cameron talking about Labour's paymasters. The Tories are in the pockets of the bankers."

 (@MichaelDugherMP)

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The Guardian -- Top stories, special features, live blogs

"Libor scandal: David Cameron hints at flexibility over banking inquiry http://t.co/CNHFskYL."

 (@guardian)

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BBC News (UK) -- BBC News (UK edition)

"PM David Cameron called Labour's Ed Miliband to discuss how to set up banking inquiry, @bbcnickrobinson reveals http://t.co/XoPChNQ4"

 (@BBCNews)

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Hugh Pym -- Chief Economics Correspondent for the BBC

"B of E says Tucker keen to clarify the position with regard to the events involving the Bank of England including 2008 call to Bob Diamond"

 (@BBCHughPym)

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BBC Breaking News -- Breaking news alerts and updates from the BBC.


span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">

"Baroness Vadera, UK Labour minister in 2008, tells #WATO she did not speak to BoE about fixing #Libor rates - LIVE http://t.co/JRWq0f3B"

 (@BBCBreaking)

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The Independent -- News, comment and features from The Independent.

"David Cameron slams 'spivvy and probably illegal' interest rate rigging ahead of Bob Diamond evidence session http://t.co/0AVAqz23"

 (@Independent)

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roland watson -- The Times political editor

"big day for MPs on TSC, who are a) grilling bob diamond and b) auditioning for seat on parly banking inquiry. not necessarily in that order"

 (@rolandwatson66)

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Sky News Newsdesk --

"Barclays says it has a recording of 2008 phone call between Bob Diamond and Paul Tucker"

 (@SkyNewsBreak)

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roland watson -- The Times political editor

"Diamond blames 'an unfortunate series of events in the last week' which saw Barclays named and shamed first over Libor"

 (@rolandwatson66)

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Gaby Hinsliff -- Used to be a political editor.

"according to @andrewsparrow btw, Barclays now saying there ISN'T a recording of the disputed call between Barclays & BOE's Tucker. weird."

 (@gabyhinsliff)

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Political Scrapbook -- Voted UK's #2 left-wing blog

"Despite having resigned, #Diamond's testimony so far has been an unflinching defence of Barclays."

 (@PSbook)

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Nick Robinson -- Political Editor, BBC News

"Diamond Bob visibly uncomfortable - clearing throat, rubbing nose, pulling down jacket, now reaching for tissue to wipe face ..."

"Bob Diamond says 'Whitehall' in his memo meant government officials but Chairman cuts him off before he can expand"

 (@bbcnickrobinson)

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Political Scrapbook -- Voted UK's #2 left-wing blog

"Diamond says that he meant 'officials' when he wrote 'Whitehall'. Does that mean ministers? Not terribly clear."

"#Diamond says that he was worried that the government might nationalise Barclays if it felt their #LIBOR rate was too high."

"#Diamond says he's 'a little old' to be a 'derivatives person'"

 (@PSbook)

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Helen Goodman -- Labour Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland in County Durham since 2005 and Shadow Media Minister.

"If Diamond trying to persuade public he's reasonable, not going right way about it. Phenomenally combative and to no point!"

 (@HelenGoodmanMP)

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Nick Robinson -- Political Editor, BBC News

"Is that it? Committee moves on before proper answers on crucial call from Bank of England. If this is dry run for parliamentary enquiry ...."

 (@rolandwatson66)

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Political Scrapbook -- Voted UK's #2 left-wing blog

"After all that, it doesn't look like Andrew Tyrie is going to go any deeper to discover who #Diamond's Whitehall 'officials' were."

 (@PSbook)

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Nicholas Watt --

"Bob Diamond relaxing as he realises this is walk in park compared with US senate hearing @bbcnickrobinson"

 (@nicholaswatt)

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Fraser Nelson -- Editor of The Spectator

"It's already clear that tight-lipped Diamond is not on a mission to take others down with him. Collective sigh of relief at Threadneedle St."

 (@frasernelson)

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roland watson -- The Times political editor

"#diamond says he did NOT believe he was being urged by Whtehall to fiddle Libor figures"

 (@rolandwatson66)

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Jason Beattie -- Daily Mirror political editor

"Two Tory MPs quizzing Diamond are former employees of Barclays"

 (@JBeattieMirror)

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Nick Robinson -- Political Editor, BBC News

"Members of public leave Diamond hearing. Move along - nothing to see here...."

 (@bbcnickrobinson)

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John Prescott -- Former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

"Tory Deputy Chairman Michael Fallon's partisan questioning of #Diamond has just proved we need an independent judge-led inquiry"

 (@johnprescott)

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Nick Robinson -- Political Editor, BBC News

"Bob D says it wasn't Alastair Darling who he feared would nationalise Barclays but hints feared someone else. Who?"

 (@bbcnickrobinson)

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Paul Waugh -- Editor of PoliticsHome.com News

"It's taken an hour for Diamond to say 'I'm sorry'. Which PR firm is advising him?"

 (@paulwaugh)

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After reading these posts, maybe you're more informed than you were.
Wish I was!!

lol

Please leave a comment below - I'm intersted on your thoughts...