I have a new phone, my 4 year old Samsung, old when I bought it finally gave up. I have a Nokia 3.1 and think I have most of what I need on it although some apps seem to be no longer available; I’ll have to find replacements.
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Winning a Composite Meeting
Labour Conference approaches and I am keen to ensure that no-one shares my experiences in the Education Compositing Meeting in Liverpool 2016. I published my lessons in this blog post, “Compositing” and I and a friend have made a video capturing those lessons which we hope will be useful to attendees at #lab18.
I hope you find it useful. (The above video is the YouTube version.)
One point of clarification, I am advised that members of the Composite meeting can refuse to accept the composite and insist their words remain on the order paper.
ooOOOoo
SURL: https://wp.me/p9J8FV-1Ci …
Flexibility required
So wise people have considered my “paper” on the proposed rule changes on Parliamentary selection. The advice is to obtain a flexible mandate for several reasons. The first is that we do not know what the NEC is going to do; it may propose an amendment itself, and it will certainly make recommendations and if they recommend opposition then it’s felt the motion will fall and thus unless the rules change, cannot be debated for five years. Despite the Skwawkbox’s publication of Unite’s position supporting open selection, it is felt that the Unions are more likely to support the Hastings & Rye (et al) motion which reforms and not abolishes the Trigger ballot; it requires an incumbent MP to win ⅔ of the individual members and to win ⅔ of affiliated organisations. Whatever happens, the NEC position will be critical; it will be important to be flexible but there can be no denying that there’s a lot of membership pressure to take control of this decision. …
Measure or Motivate
Somewhere out there, there is a white paper, which builds on Theory X, Theory Y and attempts to answer whether management should pay money on building measurement systems to make piece work, work, or spend the money on motivational bonuses. i.e. police or trust your staff. …
Sectoral Balance of Trade
As one does I am considering the international trade implications of copyrighted products? I wonder what the balance of trade state is, over the last five years for Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) groups J.58 broken down to 58.1 & 58.2, J.60, J.62, M.72, R.90? These are Publishing inc. computer games and other software, Programming and Broadcasting, Computer Programming and Consultancy, Scientific Research and Creative Arts and Entertainment?
It would also be good to see the balance of trade for the UK drug industry but it is no longer a single SIC and I am afraid that much as for the five SIC classes above, the real surplus/deficit will be hidden through inter-company transfers, i.e. the import is by one company that buys from a another foreign division of itself and the trade is a sterling internal market trade. …
Gardenscapes
No not the game! Once again I am considering garden landscaping! I went down to Brockley Station and Charlottenberg Park to see what they’ve done there and had a look at my Bury Court collection of pictures. I have posted the collections from flickr as slide shows,either below or overleaf …
What CLPD wants debated at Conference
There are 14 CLPD model motions. The topic matter covers Macro Economics (inc. Brexit), Climate Change, Social Policy, Immigration & teh Surveillance State and Foreign Affairs and Defence. I have made a bit.ly link to the CLPD’s version of the full text, http://bit.ly/clpdmm2018 and I have made summaries of them and added a few personal comments below/overleaf. From these comments I have made a little video.
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Rebuilding the Benefits system at #Lab18
The comrades in Lewisham Deptford have amended their welfare state/benefits motion.
…Supporting those in need: rebuilding the welfare state
We note
- the 8 August ONS figures showing that improvement in life expectancy has virtually stopped.
- the 6 August Child Poverty Action Group report on how Universal Credit’s flaws are leading to low-income families arbitrarily losing as much as £258 a month!
- the July Resolution Foundation figures showing the poorest third’s incomes fell last year, even before inflation.
The situation is shameful. We must reverse the drive, accelerating since 2010, to make welfare less and less about supporting those in need and more and more stingy, punitive and coercive.
Neither Universal Credit nor the existing framework (JSA, ESA, etc) are good. We must redesign benefits in close consultation with recipients, workers and their organisations.
This must be part of a wider anti-poverty program, with a goal that by the end of our first term foodbanks disappear.
We commit to
- Ending the benefit freeze; uprating with inflation or earnings, whichever is higher.
- Reversing all cuts/reductions; increasing benefits to afford a comfortable, not minimum, income.
- Entitlement conditions that are straightforward, inclusive and available to all, including migrants (scrap ‘No recourse to public funds’).
- Paying benefits for all children and dependents.
- Abolishing all sanctions.
- Scrapping Work Capability and similar assessments.
- Relevant health issues being addressed using medical professionals with appropriate knowledge of individuals’ conditions and disabilities.
- Delivery by paid public servants via networks accessible to everyone, including provision of face-to-face support for all who need it. Reversing DWP cuts and privatisation.