Westministenders: Money, money, money

[RedToothBrush]

The big developments are that the government have signalled they are prepared to pay more and to involve the ECJ when it comes to citizens rights on condition that we move to talk of trade. But no apparent progress on NI. Which is significant with Ireland threatening to veto.

The EU has not changed its stance at all. Since Day 1.

There is always a worrying omission and lack of commitment to retain the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The bonfire begins.

Talk is of Green still going in a reshuffle, possibly with Gove replacing him as Deputy PM.

Coalition talks in Germany have broken down, and the British have got excited about it, whilst the German response have largely been a slight shrug.

Its been a much quieter week, despite the budget. Thank goodness. There are lots of outstanding issues that are lurking in the background like the Green one though.

The main message coming from the budget, has not been any new policy, but the dreadful economic forecast for the next few years.

Coursework is set to be removed from final GCSE computer science grades due to concerns about widespread cheating, it has been announced

Tasks due to be completed by teenagers in schools and colleges as part of the new GCSE course have been posted online, as well as detailed solutions in many cases, according to England's exams watchdog - which said that some posts have been viewed thousands of times

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/gcse-coursework-axed-computer-science-13960147

Kids who have completed this unit lose 20% of final mark.

This happened in GCSE English 5 years ago; removing 20% of grades from students months before the exam.

Many kids lost a whole GCSE grade point or more, as a result.

It's changing the exam criteria a few months before the exam

The exam board's mess up in revealing questions is being used to penalise kids still studying.

Exam boards are pretty flakey for profit businesses with pretty flakey Ruperty owners.

Mess ups are becoming more and more common.

Computer science: a key course, which had very peculiar exam results last year.

Not important in the scheme of things, but still......

wtf happened to this country, is you said upthread bigchoc

This morning, tax cut votes for men, by men.
Creasy et al trying to organise a fight back.
Think we should have a new women's party called the 'bucket followers'.

Haty Hopkins is being defended by The Freedom Association this morning which is quite something.

www.tfa.net/the_freedom_association_complains_to_sussex_pcc?recruiter_id=107
THE FREEDOM ASSOCIATION COMPLAINS TO SUSSEX PCC AFTER KATIE HOPKINS' TALK WAS CANCELLED AT LEWES SPEAKERS FESTIVAL

They are complaining that the police couldn't guarantee the safety of Hopkins.

This is the same Hopkins who has been stirring up things to endanger the lives of others.

In case you are in any doubt about which MPs and MEPs that effectively makes Nazi sympathisers then I've got a list for you:

Christopher Chope OBE, MP
Philip Davies MP
Andrew Rosindell MP
Daniel Hannan MEP
Roger Helmer MEP
Philip Hollobone MP
Sir Gerald Howarth MP
Syed Kamall MEP

Nope, no surprises there.

Oh look, my MP. What a surprise

freedom association; funny how those organisations which seemed extremist and under the radar 12 months ago, have been mainstreamed this year.

Isn't this again an example of the Tories rushing to change the exam specs without proper trials? My experience with computer exams goes back years, and cheating was a known problem then - it's all too easy to get a mate to write a program for you. Why didn't they expect it to be a problem now - even more so with the internet? The same incidentally went for accountancy coursework - accountancy modules for my degree course required a minimum pass in the exam which rumbled those who got 80% on the course work, but 20% in the exam.

Even when I was at school doing O levels, both Art and Home Economics had practical exams - controlled assignments they would now call them. They assessed whether you could paint/draw or cook if you did the cookery spec.

God knows why Hopkins thought Lewes would be a suitable platform for her views

Looking forward to seeing next year’s Lewes bonfire night effigies ...

Isn't this again an example of the Tories rushing to change the exam specs without proper trials
Yes. The change from O level to GCSE took years and years of trialling and research. And the politicisation and monetisation of exam boards, school results and house prices linked to the above.
Subject choices are now completely monetised too, with able kids not going anywhere near so called non STEM subjects.

My MP is on that list, I'm surprised he's not featured more often.
That's pretty much why I pulled DD out of an assembly on British Values he was giving, these aren't the British Values as laid out in KS1. Especially mutual respect and tolerance of those with different beliefs.

Also why I don't bother writing to him regarding Brexit, hate crimes, disabled or women's equality, etc.etc.

OK the Redwoods and Goves of the world are happy with Blackpool and Skeg, for other people, but do all those people in the North East want that too? Or would they still prefer Spain, or Turkey?

Peregrina I can't speak for the whole of the North East, but we as a family are planning a farewell tour if the EU in the next few half-terms and holidays.

Though I'm sure he'd claim that mutual respect for those with different beliefs includes respecting the views of racists.

Us too Elena

Can I ask for some help please?

Dominic Raab is making a rare public appearance in our constituency and the local Lib Dems are organising a pop up pro-Europe demo with which to greet him. They're asking for poster/demo material suggestions as well as good short slogans and I figured that you erudite and eloquent lot might have some noteworthy ideas (once I removed all the swearing )

Brexit is daylight raabery pain?

Thanks Hashi, will be pinching that one!

Fuck Off You Cockwomble won’t be quite as punchy if you delete the sweariness though?

Today's the day when the -Brexit impact assessments- sectoral analyses are to be released. Since David Davis boasted of 58 detailed studies, which the PM had only read in summary because they were just so detailed, they seem to have been downgraded to just 39 " pulled together and edited in a way that officials believed would satisfy parliament’s demands." (maybe because the economy's shrunk and we've lost 19 sectors?). They were supposed to be released in their original state, but seem now to have been buggered about with. Davis's reason for not complying with the order is laughable - they have had to redact them because the Committee hadn't promised not to release economically sensitive material. This is a major parliamentary committee, of course they can make up their own minds as to what should be released. The arrogance of this government yet again takes your breath away.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/27/mps-attack-david-davis-for-handing-over-redacted-brexit-reports?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=254298&subid=24848641&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

And why the hell is that disgraced fool Patel sticking her oar in? "Meanwhile, former international development secretary Priti Patel said the government was “ill-equipped” for the Brexit negotiations and Brussels should be told to “sod off” over its financial demands." And they wonder why the EU negotiators don't take them seriously.

planning a farewell tour if the EU
I'm sort of doing the same with these islands. And when I do get out, hoping that the inevitable airline companies going bust will happen while I'm safely out of here.

Sorry pain no legal slogans come to mind.

More on the same.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42144598

If it weren't so serious, and quite frankly insulting to everyone's intelligence, it would be risible. They really do treat us all with utter contempt.

Bit of a side issue but can someone tell me why driverless cars are going to improve our productivity? I just wondered why we were investing in that as opposed to other tech/rail etc. Probably being a bit dim.

Bit of a side issue but can someone tell me why driverless cars are going to improve our productivity?

There's a philosophical dimension to "productivity" in the C21. First off, what exactly is supposed to be produced ? A thinner iPhone ? Quite aside from it being produced in Asia, maybe people starving is more worthy of our attention ?

Driverless cars will be part of the slow rollback to a much less equal society. I have already staked my prediction that in years to come, the brief period 1900-2030 will be viewed as abnormal for the fact that almost all the population had access to private transport.

As with Concorde, the per-unit cost of a driverless car covering the R&D will place them well beyond the reach of the average person. Not that you really need to "own" a driverless car in the same way you don't need to "own" a taxi. As long as one is available for you when you need it.

I can envisage a future where DWP driverless cars arrive on your doorstep to take you to the workhouseplace, and the fare is deducted from your benefits.

Did anyone catch the news yesterday that the UK is going to require almost all drones to be fitted with government-approved software ?

Using "the law" to enforce monopolies is probably the third-oldest profession.

I can really see the 22nd century returning to feudalism with the 21st preoccupied with the jostling to come out on top.

Labour has an urgent question timetabled in for 12.30 pm on the Brexit impact studies.

Good threads on Twitter this morning from @davidallengreen and @davidlammy.

Also a side issue, but has anyone heard about this? It was included in the National Secular Society media roundup that they email out but I was surprised that I hadn't heard anything about this alleged terrorist attempt before that

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-42143160