Occupy London

[glasnost]

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Well, why not MNers?

What have your kids got to lose? In NY there are alot of families with children protesting and occupying that doesn't get mentioned in the mainstream press.

I sympathise Peachy. And I've been made redundant (twice) thankfully pre-kids. It's a constant battle for everyone to stay in work. Unless you have one of those jobs that no other bugger wants to do (I'm told funeral directing is one of the safest professions in Britain in terms of job security).

I can only wish you luck. I can't imagine how traumatic it is to be under the stress of knowing your children's lives rely on an interview. :(

We'll all be rooting for you Peachy ...

It's so unfair that families like yours have to bear the brunt of government's policies. As you say, you have done nothing to cause the problems.

WMMC - did you bother to click on the link that weeonion helpfully posted above?

Really worth reading, so I'll post it again for your convenience:

www.monbiot.com/2011/10/03/more-cuts-please/

It explains that - even if you accept the Tories' arguments that cuts need to be made, and the level of those cuts - there are numerous other areas that could be cut instead, without causing the sort of impact that cuts to the NHS or the disabled, for example, would have.

The current cuts are ideological in that the same amount could be raised from many means - there is no financial reason to target the NHS specifically.

SWC - I don't think I can ever take you seriously again after your attempt to claim, with a straight face, that our NHS is not as highly regarded as those in continental Europe, and that therefore we should abandon the evil 'staus quo' and embrace Tory cuts and privatisation. Whilst it may well be true that the NHS is less well regarded than local versions in continental European countries it seems to have escaped your notice that this is because these countries all spend a far HIGHER share of GDP on their (STATE not private) health services, which are then, correspondingly, better.

So somewhat undermining your own argument, by a long way.

Good luck Peachy - whereabouts in the country are you looking?

Here's another link to the Monbiot article, as it appeared in the <a class="break-all" href="//Gwww.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/03/bins-roads-wars-george-osborne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guardian. I prefer it cos then you get the comments too.

Sorry, link doesn't work. Could you repost?

B&B sadly, bloody S E Wales. He has a small business that has seen us through uni and I am trying to set one up in my field as well but typically my field is a cuts one (disability).

Sink or swim eh, keeps life interesting!

Try again !

whomovedmychoc "rent a gob" (twats) was a term used by smallwhitecat in her post today at 11.50 (yes a classy lady indeed) and rent a mob by you I believe so......don't go putting words in my mouth.

I won't hold my breath for an apology.

Eurgh, Peachy - know from family that used to live there that SE Wales is not an easy one at the best of times...which isn't now. On the upside, the cost of living is a bit cheaper, but...know that's not a lot of comfort, as half of nothing is still nothing.

Well, we will see- fortunately we are both skilled (DH about to graduate in electrical engineering and MA for me in Autism) and can work from home so we have a chance.

Thanks Disputandum, though unless I've missed something (haven't had tme to read all the comments), the vast majority of comments seem to agree with the article. Couldn't see any major new areas/errors highlighted.

What kind of things or jobs do electrical engineers do (forgive my ignorance)? And are there jobs in autism outside the (shrinking) public sector?

Yes, plenty wrt asd- research, carer support- mky own background is charity sector (fundraising etc)

DH designs and builds (and indeed repairs) electronic consoles for different applications, he specialises in stage electronics but has also qualified as an electrician whilst at uni and has a small internet shop selling linked items that he plans to grow- a lot of arts groups are struggling and prefer to buy DHs recondioned units or have their own repaired.
It's a transferable skills abse though, he's a whizz with any circuit really.

I saw a job at an ASD charity that I could do with my eyes shut: I need some business experience but it paid well, so am thinking about getting that experience by setting up my own not for profit supporting the carers of chidlren with ASD through the diagnostic period- idea being that I sell blocks of time so people don't have the uncertainty of private and at an accessible level: use the same pay scale that I used in my charity days. I worked for homestart so it's an adaptation of that model in a niche area really. The stumbling block is the website as DH does not have the time with study and working, so going to see new business advisor at council soon.

The original idea was to train as a teacher but with redundancies locally I am not sure that the fact that the training base for my subject has moved too far away is necessarily a bad thing. Crucially I could not ahve worked the past few years anyway due to the caring, and the youngest starts school next eyar so have spent those caring years acquiring decent skills which has to be worthwhile (I hope). We are close enough to Bristol that it's accessible so just fingers crossed really!

(plus I ahve 3 with ASD and the course has already enabled me to get the best school place for ds1 so already worth it, MAs surprisingly cheap here)

(and that the MA will have taken four years and more of part time slog, so frankly cuts or not cuts I am not giving up for anyone at this last stage! That would be a waste!)

Am still waiting for an apology whomovedmychocolate. I refer you my post of 20.55 yeserday. "Rent a gob" (twats) was an insult used by your fellow rightwing hater, swc. You have no arguments and to top it all when you make a glaring howler of attributing insults to the wrong peope you don't even have the good grace to apologise for it.

Kind of sums up your defective mindset. I'm still waiting for an apology and will come back to this.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047165/We-wont-lying-Thousands-demonstrators-force-Westminster-Bridge-close-protest-Government-health-reforms.html

This is just for claig's delectation! At least they're covering the protests but their use of young unwashed types looking enraged doesn't help the cause really.

Once the Unions stick their oar in it's time to back away. Supposed to be a protest at the financial heart of a city not a day out for the usual rent-a-professional-protestor crowd. When they turn up you've lost the argument.

Once the Unions stick their oar in it's time to back away. Supposed to be a protest at the financial heart of a city not a day out for the usual rent-a-professional-protestor crowd. When they turn up you've lost the argument.

That's a moot point 2If. Jury's out on that point. (My jury anyway fwiw).

If you'd care to elaborate.................................................................

Of course! The Unions! What have they got to do with it? Possibly that the role of Unions is to represent the interests of working people, like the ones being made redundant in public sector cuts to pay for a crisis caused by banks?

Yes alice but what about the unions politically compromised viz New Labour?

There are unions and unions.

'Red' Ed has shown he is more concerned with the City than the people who founded and funded the Party; hopefully pcseuston.org.uk/n30 will disabuse him of the notion that we're too apathetic to resist the demands of the Coalition to pay for their crisis