Westminstenders: The Brexit Apprentice

[RedToothBrush]

Theresa May is increasing looking like she is running an episode of the Apprentice with two teams trying to compete in their plan for Brexit. Complete with the obligatory reprehensible contestants.

On one side we have Team Creationists intent on hard Brexit and on the other we have Team Sensibles desperate to get a softer deal.
May herself has been held hostage by seasoned expert negotiators the DUP. Once No 10 has reported the deal was done, only for the DUP to say it wasn’t. Then it said, it would be settled today. But the DUP disagreed and said ‘the weekend’. Now its 'next week'.

Meanwhile the Queen has been messed about with a scapegoat over when her Queen’s Speech will be. It’s likely to be a week on Monday.
Meanwhile the Brexit department is also in chaos.

The Number two in the department was sacked and replaced by a Remainer, and the number three quit amongst reports that he no longer thought Brexit was achievable and that there was no way that the Great Repeal Act could pass through the Lords. He has been replaced by the Head of the infamous Arch-Brexit Whatsapp group.

Oh and Gove got hired. Nuff said on that one.

After some slight back tracking from David Davis, Hard Brexit is still on in all its glory. Negotiations are going ahead next week. Well that’s what we are saying. The EU, on the other hand, don’t won’t to go ahead until we have an officially sworn in government. Which seems pretty fair enough.

Tune in to find out which Team wins this week’ The Brexit Apprentice

Forgot to attach the statement

So it was Fake news? Shame no one will ever believe them. I dont

This is from Akala. Popular musician you may have seen on C4 news

'Poverty is not just about not having money/resources it's about powerlessness and exploitability.'

I have been so impressed with how elequant thoughtful and passionate the local community is. My heart feels for them

An article by one of the former employees of the Management Organisation, reminds you that the frontline staff are often highly motivated to help but if they are not given the tools, resources and support by management then it is management who should be held accountable. I do hope that the colleague she mentions is not in line for the next role of scapegoat

"Further changes to council tenancies through the Localism Act in 2011 presented us with additional demands, but no more resources. Instead of tenancies for life, new tenants were being given two- or five-year fixed-term tenancies and these needed to be checked and visited several times in the first year. There was a drive to let homes to the “most deserving”, principally those in work; and a sense that people on benefits were somehow less deserving." www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/16/worked-kctmo-nightmares-burning-tower-blocks

Back to the 80s, however when I joined the public sector there was a strong tradition of public service and probity was a key strand in your management training. The NAO had real teeth as well and you managed in its shadow, and that of being summoned before a Select Committee. Then through the 90s the fad came to bring people in from the private sector, supposedly more commercial in outlook, though actually it transpired it was mostly about big swinging dicks who flung the baby out with the bathwater, and probity did not enter their consciousness. What we are seeing now, where self interest and political ideology has trumped probity and public service against a backdrop of diminishing accountability means that this is worse, much worse than the 80s.

Saqid Khan has written a very strong letter to the PM about the response to the incident and concerns prior to the fire.

May sent Leadsom, no longer even a Cabinet Minister as well as stupid? I can't help feeling that in some high irony she thought now who can I send to meet these scary poor angry people that I can't be dealing with now. I know I'll send Leadsom, she's a Mum"

Yeah, nice try The Sun but I take that in much the same way as your Hillsborough coverage, the denials of phone hacking, etc etc

Your statement ron Back to the 80s.... etc.

As a retired person, who spent the predominant time of their working life in the public sector, with short periods in the private sector, I fully agree with this.

Yes Peregrina And the irony was that this was happening when the private sector were waking up to the benefits of ethical strategies and corporate responsibility, though I fear in lands of May and Trump's making those benefits will be eroded......

Not sure if this has been linked to but it’s a good article in the Huffington Post by Paul Waugh about (among other things) May’s decision not to meet the residents of Grenfell.

During the Blitz in the Second World War, her mother and father were booed when they visited the East End. Some residents complained about Her Majesty’s furs, others pelted rubbish in the Royals’ direction.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-waugh-zone-friday-june-16-2017_uk_59439624e4b0f15cd5ba63bb

Grenfell: Khan's letter to May

I agree with Peregrina. And I think it could be a serious answer. Can I be Dep. PM?

Boris Johnson on Facebook:

"There has sadly been some political game playing about the terrible fire in London. I find it unbelievable that Labour are suggesting that this tragedy was somehow caused by fire service cuts.The fire brigade was there astonishingly quickly and performed with great bravery.

"As for the record, fires in London went down 50 per cent in my mayoralty. Fire deaths down year after year.London has fastest appliance response times in the country.

"Sadiq Khan conducted his own review of the london fire safety plan. If he felt that the provision in Kensington was deficient he had ample budget to change it. Any attack on emergency services performance is outrageous politicking by labour."

Thank you Sadiq Khan. I salute you

Now that is public service.........

www.buzzfeed.com/marieleconte/this-tory-minister-is-offering-a-six-month-unpaid?utm_term=.cve40WOj2#.ok9ypBLVD
This Tory Minister Is Offering A Six-Month Unpaid Internship In Parliament
"I cannot see how anyone in all conscience can take someone on for so long without pay, least of all a member of parliament," Labour MP Justin Madders told BuzzFeed News.

A Conservative minister has been criticised for offering an unpaid internship in his office for up to half a year, months after a group of MPs said such opportunities should be properly paid or banned outright.

Johnson clearly worrying this will interfere with his leadership bid.

Sadiq Khan conducted his own review of the london fire safety plan. If he felt that the provision in Kensington was deficient he had ample budget to change it. Any attack on emergency services performance is outrageous politicking by labour
I thought their wasn't ample budget, which was why the cuts were needed. Or has Johnson just sacked people for fun?

There ffs. Autocorrect and fat fingers are killing me metaphorically at the moment

Just catching up. Sadly I have seen the Express's the EU were to blame line peddled on other threads here in the last couple of days, by a customer of the Barmy Arms, maybe it was where the Express picked it up?

Just catching up. Sadly I have seen the Express's the EU were to blame line peddled on other threads here in the last couple of days, by a customer of the Barmy Arms, maybe it was where the Express picked it up?

I think after last Thursday, it's clear no-one cares what the Express, Mail or Sun think. Or - to be more exact - no one who votes, cares what the Express, Mail or Sun think.

I've some thoughts why there is all this hate by the rightwing of someone talking about Grenfell.

Some inconvenient facts:

1). Boris Johnson as mayor closed down 3 fire stations within 4 miles of Grenfell.
That meant reinforcements came from further away.

2). The Tories voted down an amendment by Labour in 2014 that would have made sprinkler systems mandatory for highrise blocks.
All Labour, LDem, SNP votes were in favour

Sprinkler systems have saved lives in highrise fires in other countries

3. The extra cost of fire-resistant cladding material instead of what was used was only £5,000 TOTAL That'll be about £25 per person, if we estimate 200 dead or injured.

4). Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tory MP and Brexit hardliner advocated:

Britain could slash environmental and safety standards 'a very long way' after Brexit

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-safety-standards-workers-rights-jacob-rees-mogg-a7459336.html

and that standards that were 'good enough for India' could be good enough for the UK in the future.

I don't hate any of these people, but I hate their actions.

rightsinfo.org/how-the-grenfell-tower-fire-is-a-business-and-human-rights-issue/
How The Grenfell Tower Fire is a Business and Human Rights Issue

Interesting take.

UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 8: Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 25: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

oops, meant to post on the "Hate Lily Allen" thread. Will do so as well !

Just catching up. Sadly I have seen the Express's the EU were to blame line peddled on other threads here in the last couple of days, by a customer of the Barmy Arms, maybe it was where the Express picked it up?
You'd have to be seriously thick or purposely inciteful to think this. The eu haven't stopped Germany making it illegal.
It's like someone telling you to put a minimum of factor 10 on though you know you'll likely sunburn in less than 30 but still blaming the person who set a minimum when you only apply 10 and burn.