Friday Fun:Part Deux

Spot the pasty.












(Usual rules apply - Tory related nonesense.)

Friday Fun: Spot the Pasty

Put your cross where you think the pasty is.

(The quick witted wil have realised of course that there never was a pasty!)

Moron brings country to a standstill...nearly

If you couldn't get any petrol on the way to work this morning... thank Francis "Moron" Maude.

If you cannot get away this Easter because there is no fuel left... thank Francis "Moron" Maude.

If your neighbours garage unexpectedly bursts into flames... then blame Francis "Moron" Maude.

Mind you, Francis "Moron" Maude probably thinks it was just "a bit of a nonsense"!

Moron.

Thousands of teachers strike in pensions dispute

Thousands of teachers and lecturers are staging a 24-hour strike today in the continuing bitter dispute over the Government's controversial public sector pension reforms.

Read more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9170849/Thousands-of-teachers-strike-in-pensions-dispute.html

Guess who's coming to dinner?

David Cameron has been forced to admit that 15 donors who between them gave the Conservative Party £25million enjoyed secret dinners and lunches with him at Chequers and in Downing Street.

Those who dined with the Prime Minister without civil servants present to take notes were some of the richest men and women in the country. At least one had openly called on ministers to scrap the 50p rate of income tax, the abolition of which was announced in last week’s Budget.

Among the new revelations in the donation row yesterday:

• Michael Spencer, one of the major Tory donors entertained by Mr Cameron at both Downing Street and Chequers boasted that he had been told by key figures in the Government that a proposed financial transaction tax would be vetoed by ministers
• Donor Ian Taylor, whose oil firm was given Government help to set up a controversial supply deal in Libya, was a private dinner guest of Mr Cameron at Downing Street in November.
• 29 donors were disclosed to have given more than £250,000 to the Conservatives – the 'Premier League’ level described by Mr Cruddas – since Mr Cameron was elected leader in 2005, on a total of 76 occasions.

It was revealed that the donors who dined in Downing Street – many with their wives – between July 2010 and November 2012 were: Anthony Bamford of the JCB construction empire; Michael Hintze, a hedge fund executive; Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover of the supermarket dynasty, Paul Ruddock, a hedge fund executive and V&A chairman; Michael Farmer, a commodities trader; Michael and Clara Freeman, philanthropists; and Michael Spencer, a spread-betting tycoon.

The supporters hosted at Chequers between August 2010 and February 2011 were: David Rowland, a property developer; Lord Ashcroft, a former Tory treasurer; Howard Leigh, a corporate financier and party fundraiser; and Mr Spencer. Lord Fink, who has replaced Mr Cruddas as party treasurer was also a guest at the Prime Minister’s Buckinghamshire country estate last year, records show.

In total, the 15 have donated almost £25 million to the Conservatives, the vast majority since Mr Cameron became party leader in December 2005.

Read more here:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/9168388/Cash-for-access-David-Camerons-private-dinners-for-donors-revealed.html

Unite and PCS unions plan talks over increased co-operation

PCS leader Mark Serwotka says May conference will deepen unions' relationship, but dispels rumours of imminent merger.


The Unite and PCS trade unions are to step up talks over co-operation in a move that will bring the UK's largest private sector union closer to the country's largest civil service union.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said the organisation's annual conference in May will debate a motion on "deepening" the relationship with Unite. However, Serwotka said full-blown merger talks will not take place for the foreseeable future, dampening speculation that the creation of a super-union with 1.8 million members is imminent.

"We will continue close working with Unite, extend it in to other parts of the union and explore the possibility of deepening our relationship," said Serwotka. He added there is a strong case for eliminating the traditional division between public and private sector unions. "There's a motion from our executive about our closer working relationship with Unite and that will give us an indication about how to take it forward. It shows that the old view that unions come either from the private or public sector needs to be challenged."

Unite has around 1.5m members, including strong representation in the car, finance and transport industries, while the PCS has 280,000 members including employees at the DVLA and Border Agency. Serwotka indicated in an interview with the Guardian that a merger, if it happens, will be a long-term project. "Where it goes depends on how it is seen to have gone on the ground and that is not a matter of weeks and months, that is a matter of some years," he said. Both unions signed a co-operation agreement last year.

Trade union membership in the UK has slipped from its heyday of 13 million in 1979 to around 6.5 million in 2012.

Reported from todays Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/25/unite-pcs-unions-talks-increased-cooperation

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article7584962.ece/ALTERNATES/w940/cartoon-20120326.jpg

Queens cousin sells access to government for £250,000

'Call Me Dave' will host a dinner for you, with the fragrant Sam alongside, for the quite reasonable price of quarter of a million pounds. For that you get to eat in their Downing Street flat and any concerns you might have, say, about the higher rates of income tax, will be heard and taken back to inform the Policy Unit!

The Queen must so proud that one of her scions is selling England by pounds.

All in this together? We think not.

Dave himself said the following before getting into power: ‘It’s an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long... an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money. I’m talking about lobbying — and we all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisors for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way. In this party, we believe in competition, not cronyism. We believe in market economics, not crony capitalism. So we must be the party that sorts all this out.’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/iainmartin/9166545/Cash-for-access-is-toxic-for-the-Tories.html

A cheesy budget? Full of Swiss loop-holes.

Whilst 'The Boy' George, (aka Gideon) was delivering his budget yesterday, and announcing the reduction of the 50p rate to 45p, inconspicuous by his abcense was Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HM Revenue & Customs.

On Tuesday he was not in Whitehall helping with The Budget. He was in Switzerland, signing an agreement with Mr Osborne's approval.

The agreement will allow Swiss Banks to collect tax from UK citizens who have accounts there. It is pretty complicated, but as we understand it, if a company or person puts income in a Swiss bank account and declares it to HMRC, they no longer have an obligation to pay tax on it here.

Instead The Swiss Banks will tax it at Swiss tax rates which is 13.2% for earnings over 166k euros, and then pass the revenue to HMRC(hopefully). Now you might say, "Well at least they are declaring it" but apparently citizens by law have to declare Swiss Bank accounts so those who don't are criminals already.

But this is a clear tax dodge for those rich enough to exploit it and many are doing so, with major British companies having set up 'headquarters' in small flats in Switzerland. Now we know why!

All in this together? Give us a break.

It is interesting to note that Swiss income tax rates for 2012 are:


Tax Bracket (yearly earnings)
Tax Rate (%)
€0 - €13,600 0.00%
€13,600 - €29,800 0.77%
€29,800 - €39,000 0.88%
€39,000 - €52,000 2.64%
€52,000 - €68,300 2.97%
€68,300 - €73,600 5.94%
€73,600 - €97,700 6.60%
€97,700 - €127,100 8.80%
€127,100 - €166,200 11.00%
€166,200 and up 13.20%

(More) Friday Fun: Spot the binge drinkers

Friday Fun: Spot the higher rate tax payers

Scrapping Trident nuclear missiles 'would save £83.5bn'

Savings could be spread over years until 2062 and jobs created on other defence projects, study finds

Scrapping the nuclear missile system would save £83.5bn and many of the jobs at risk could be transferred to alternative defence projects, according to an authoritative study published on Wednesday.

An average annual saving of £1.86bn would be made until 2062, it says. The study, commissioned by senior figures from all three main parties, points out that the savings would not be available immediately because cancellation and decommissioning costs would have to be taken into account.

The report by Professor Keith Hartley, a leading defence economist, is published by a commission set up by the British American Security Information Council. The Trident commission is jointly chaired by the former Conservative and Labour defence secretaries Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Lord Browne and the former Liberal Democrat leader and foreign and defence spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell.

Read more here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/21/trident-nuclear-missiles-savings

Scrapping Trident nuclear missiles 'would save £83.5bn'

Savings could be spread over years until 2062 and jobs created on other defence projects, study finds

Scrapping the nuclear missile system would save £83.5bn and many of the jobs at risk could be transferred to alternative defence projects, according to an authoritative study published on Wednesday.

An average annual saving of £1.86bn would be made until 2062, it says. The study, commissioned by senior figures from all three main parties, points out that the savings would not be available immediately because cancellation and decommissioning costs would have to be taken into account.

The report by Professor Keith Hartley, a leading defence economist, is published by a commission set up by the British American Security Information Council. The Trident commission is jointly chaired by the former Conservative and Labour defence secretaries Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Lord Browne and the former Liberal Democrat leader and foreign and defence spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell.

Read more here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/21/trident-nuclear-missiles-savings

FRACKING Information and Discussion

Thursday 22nd March
at 07:30pm at the
United Reform Church Hall
St Georges Road
St Annes

Speakers to include:

Tony Bosworth, Energy Campaigner Friends of the Earth

Members of Residents Action on Fylde Fracking - RAFF

Ribble Estuary Against Fracking - REAF

National executive agrees to build for April strike on pensions

The PCS national executive unanimously agreed today to continue to pursue a joint union campaign against the government's cuts to pensions, including a co-ordinated national strike in April.

PCS will work with other unions to build for further co-ordinated national industrial action aimed to take place before the end of April, following any decisions taken by the National Union of Teachers at its annual conference.

The union will write formally to the government to reject the latest 'final' offer, and seek urgent negotiations, and organise targeted protests at cabinet ministers' constituencies during the Easter parliamentary break with other unions, as well as wider lobbying of MPs.

The executive agreed to offer solidarity and practical support to teachers and lecturers in London who have announced they will be striking on 28 March and to redouble efforts towards co-ordinated national action in April. The decision means PCS members will not be taking part in the 28 March strike.

In a consultation ballot with members, 90.5% voted to reject the government's offer and 72.1% voted to support a programme of further action with other unions - the highest vote for action the union has ever had.

The union has consistently said that, because the cuts are being applied across the public sector, co-ordinated national action has been necessary to win concessions, and will be necessary in future by as many unions as possible.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our overwhelming ballot result came in the face of continuing attacks from the government, and during a time when many people are suffering personal financial hardship.

"While we remain committed to negotiating with ministers, they have so far refused to move from their plans to force civil and public servants to work longer and pay more for less in retirement.

"We will be working with other unions to build for co-ordinated national action to successfully fight these cuts to pensions, as well as those to pay and jobs that this brutal government is inflicting on the public sector."

Champagne culture at Emma Harrison's A4e alleged by ex-managers

DWP contractor where founder quit says depiction of lavish trips is subjective but 'takes seriously' claims over expenses

A4e, the welfare-to-work company, has a culture of lavish trips abroad and big-spending hospitality, several former managers at the company have told the Guardian.

One person who worked there has also made allegations of expenses irregularities, claiming there was a laissez-faire attitude to claims particularly from senior staff.

The allegations against the company, which holds up to £180m worth of public contracts and depends for all its UK income on government money, cover an eight-year period, and follow the resignation of its chairman and founder, Emma Harrison, two weeks ago.

One former manager said that some in the company enjoyed a "champagne culture".

"If the marketing director wanted to take out a team of 10 marketing people for a night out you wouldn't get change out of £2,000," the former manager said.

Management conferences, another former member of staff said, have taken place in such locations as Monaco and the Spanish resort of La Manga, and each event included about 100 staff. Another former manager claimed that at the company's expense, about 25 A4e managers were taken to Paris in spring 2011, to celebrate the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) awarding the company contracts for the Work Programme.

Read more here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/06/champagne-culture-claims-emma-harrison-a4e

Members Meeting Thursday 8th March

You are reminded that the branch is holding an update meeting for members on Thursday the 8th of March in Tommies at 10:00 am.

An hours facility time has been allowed for you to attend this meeting.

Jim Williamson and Jackie McWilliams will be here from Defence Sector Group and will answer questions you might have relating to changes to the pensions scheme and the ongoing legal challenge to the changes.

Hope to see you there.

Civil Service Pensions Contributions

It should be noted that due to the pensions 'reforms' being unilateraly imposed upon our pension scheme by the government, contributions will be taken from pay as from 1st April 2012.

You can find out more from the Defence Intranet here: http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/DefenceIntranet/Teams/TeamAnnouncements/CivilServicePensionContributions.htm

Associate and Retired Members of PCS

If you are leaving the Agency and wish to remain an Associate or Retired Member of PCS please use the form at this link: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/about_pcs/associate_and_retired_members/index.cfm

Trial of former prime minister of Iceland begins

Geir Haarde charged with negligence over failure to prevent collapse of Iceland's main bank. Iceland's former prime minister will appear in court to answer charges over his role in the 2008 financial crisis.

Geir Haarde became a symbol of the get-rich bubble for Icelanders, many of whom lost their jobs and homes after the country's main commercial bank collapsed, sending inflation soaring and its currency into a nosedive. Haarde is accused of negligence in failing to prevent the financial implosion from which the island country is still struggling to emerge.

Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/05/iceland-pm-charged-crisis

We wonder why our leaders have not been held accountable. At the very least we would expect the bankers to account for their actions. 2,000 people have gone to jail in the United States since 2008 for their parts in the financial collapse. In the UK? None!