You can tell Ed Miliband's desperate when he reels out the old 'We'll increase the NMW to £8 p/h if we get elected' line.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/...-labour-uk

As much as I'd like to see it happen; it won't - irrespective of whether Labour get in or not.

TUC congress voted for a £10 minimum the other week.

I think if Ed has pledged that, he can't afford not to deliver. Labour would be out after a term if they didn't.

Upon further reading, the £8 p/h target is set to be achieved by 2020.

That's like 30p per year assuming that £6.50 will be reached by 2015 (just less than 34p per year if not).

It sounds even less appealing now!

Upon further reading, the £8 p/h target is set to be achieved by 2020.

That's like 30p per year assuming that £6.50 will be reached by 2015 (just less than 34p per year if not).

It sounds even less appealing now!

Aye I know. They need to just be bold and do it within 12 months of entering office. It's hardly unaffordable when you look at the fact Executive pay rose by 14% last year alone.

Anyone watching Labour 14 on BBC Parliament?

Upon further reading, the £8 p/h target is set to be achieved by 2020.

That's like 30p per year assuming that £6.50 will be reached by 2015 (just less than 34p per year if not).

It sounds even less appealing now!

Interesting read outlining the (obvious) consequences of the rising minimum wage...
http://libertyscotland.wordpress.com/201...sequences/

Interesting read outlining the (obvious)  consequences of the rising minimum wage...
http://libertyscotland.wordpress.com/201...sequences/

Funnily enough, a lot of the reasons are recycled from when the NMW was introduced in 1998. John Major's conservative government argued this profusely throughout the 1997 general election campaign. Although the majority of Tories now agree that NMW was the right decision.

They managed then, and they'll manage again if Labour come to government next May. My only criticism is that we need this now - not in 2020.

Funnily enough, a lot of the reasons are recycled from when the NMW was introduced in 1998. John Major's conservative government argued this profusely throughout the 1997 general election campaign. Although the majority of Tories now agree that NMW was the right decision.

They managed then, and they'll manage again if Labour come to government next May. My only criticism is that we need this now - not in 2020.

The article comes across as neo-liberal scaremongering in my opinion.


Small businesses tend to pay more than MNC's as the cost and time of hiring staff sometimes has an adverse effect on productivity. 


Also:

There are alternatives available. Firstly, a negative income tax should be considered. Under this system the government would supplement the wages of the lowest paid employees in order to bring their wages into line with the cost of living. While there may be inflationary repercussions to this strategy it would certainly remove the burden from small and medium sized enterprises and avoid the unemployment consequences outlined above. This strategy, as proposed by Milton Freidman, is untested but is certainly the most likely to succeed in real terms.

What is described above sounds similar to the Working Tax Credit scheme already in place.

Lots of discussion still going on over the live TV debates for the 2015 election. UKIP to get to take part, but no room for the Green Party? What's people's views on this?

I personally think that the Greens should take part, and I honestly think that they're the only party that offer a real alternative so far. I can't see anything coming from Labour...

I haven't had a look at the green partit's manifesto, so have no idea what they propose, offer or want.

They have a representative in Parliament, so deserve to have their say in any debates, TV shows etc.
They obviously don't have the magnetism or pull of Farage though.

I personally think if you are represented in parliament, then you should be invited to debate, UKIP are not exactly powerful in Westminster, also the Greens arent either, I think the Greens should be invited to debate as well

I haven't had a look at the green partit's manifesto, so have no idea what they propose, offer or want.

They have a representative in Parliament, so deserve to have their say in any debates, TV shows etc.
They obviously don't have the magnetism or pull of Farage though.

Have a look at their manifesto if you get a chance. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised. Labour Durham are looking over their shoulder, because a lot of students and younger residents have been saying they're voting green. Which they've found out from doing their usual doorstepping.

Have a look at their manifesto if you get a chance. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised. Labour Durham are looking over their shoulder, because a lot of students and younger residents have been saying they're voting green. Which they've found out from doing their usual doorstepping.

Aye, will have a neb and see what they are proposing.

I used to know, the person who is currently Chair of the Newcastle Green Party.
Quite a character and after hearing him on Radio Newcastle a year or two ago, during an election period - he aint changed!

http://m.sunderlandecho.com/news/local/a...-1-6922704

It's out there now.
Said a while back that this will be the next big 'no win-no fee' case and it just needs a test case to set the ball rolling.

http://m.sunderlandecho.com/news/local/a...-1-6922704

It's out there now.
Said a while back that this will be the next big 'no win-no fee' case and it just needs a test case to set the ball rolling.

Wasn't it proved earlier this year that Thatcher lied about Pit Closures in the 80's...

As for the Armed Forces on Picket Lines, I have heard a few stories of Soldiers being used, heard from people on both sides of the picket line, a few people told me they remember seeing Policemen without numbers and looking and talking like soldiers, I even read somewhere that the government were planinng to/did use the SAS on Picket Duty and a guy I consider to be a decent bloke and done a lot for me was in the Army in the 1980's and he was adamant he was on picket policing duty, I remember reading the official line was the Army weren't involved, but why would this guy lie to me, he had no reason to lie...I think it was him that said 'we were gearing up for Civil War, Thatcher was never going to back down, she would have took the country with her if Scargill got a sniff of victory'

The Miners Strike interests me, despite knowing little about it, it is nore of an interest this year as it is the 30th Anniversary, my old granddad once told me if his union had come out(NACODS), then Thatcher may have been forced to negotiate, but NACODS stayed at work as a skeleton workforce to keep pits running

Yeah, the papers released under the 30 year rule implied she has lied.
The motion put forward confirms that she did mislead the entire country.

Makes you wonder what other pork pies have been hidden away. 

Yeah, the papers released under the 30 year rule implied she has lied.
The motion put forward confirms that she did mislead the entire country.

Makes you wonder what other pork pies have been hidden away.

Where would a test court case come from btw, Could the NUM take it to court, could your average miner(who didnt want to strike, but did and suffered massively) test the water, some miners suffered hardship so bad, there probably not over it to this day, be interesting to see just what happens here

Unions, communities, families, individuals - the list of people affected by the strike/closure programme is massive.
Any one of them could launch a claim.

It could be like the asbestos or whitefinger claims from a few years back.
Led/promoted by unions, but up to individuals perhaps?

30 years on and there has just recently been a debate in parliament about the communities struggling to adapt and the longer term implications of the pit closure programme.

Unions, communities, families, individuals - the list of people affected by the strike/closure programme is massive.
Any one of them could launch a claim.

It could be like the asbestos or whitefinger claims from a few years back.
Led/promoted by unions, but up to individuals perhaps?

30 years on and there has just recently been a debate in parliament about the communities struggling to adapt and the longer term implications of the pit closure programme.

Struggling to adapt is an understatement, this area, especially, has struggled every day for the last 30 years, I say we pretty much lost everything

Struggling to adapt is an understatement, this area, especially, has struggled every day for the last 30 years, I say we pretty much lost everything

The crux of it was, that Thatcher thought that private enterprise would step in.
In a boom and bust economy, there was only going to be one outcome for the people and the communities.

Even Nissan have struggled at times - so not sure how she thought a smaller organisation or even a start up would last.
Unless she wanted the North East to go through the 'managed decline', that was proposed for Liverpool...

The thing with the Miners Strike, and I believe I've said the same in another thread, is that the mines in the North East would have probably closed within the next decade anyway. Pit closures were already commonplace in the region (most of which happened in the 1950 and 60s) and what was left were the remnants of an industry which was already dead. While the actions of Thatcher should come under immense scrutiny, and I hope someone does launch a test case in light of recent evidence, she cannot be held responsible for the plight of the industry. Although the North East sits upon a huge seam of coal, most of the quality coal - for lack of a better term - had been exhausted. We must not forget that coal had been mined extensively in the region since the 14th century. Getting to the good stuff required deeper, more expensive mines and, as the coal industry started to decline, it became cheaper to import coal from other countries. The communities affected by the Miners Strike would have arguably faced the same economic hardships irrespective of the actions of Thatcher although I suspect the transition from coal mining into other industries might have been smoother as miners could have been retrained gradually rather than just having their culled with no other options.

Goes to show that Scargill was right, and the public were allowed to be conned by yet another Tory/Thatcher cover up. Even more evidence that we need proper independent enquiries into Orgreave and Shrewsbury 24 too.

Here's a question though. These findings about the Tories misleading the public in the 80s would have ultimately gained the public support for them implementing the disgraceful restrictions to Trade Unions, in the form of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Maybe this is enough proof that these unnecessary restrictions need to be abolished, and once again allow workers the freedom to fight for decent pay and conditions.

Goes to show that Scargill was right, and the public were allowed to be conned by yet another Tory/Thatcher cover up. Even more evidence that we need proper independent enquiries into Orgreave and Shrewsbury 24 too.

Here's a question though. These findings about the Tories misleading the public in the 80s would have ultimately gained the public support for them implementing the disgraceful restrictions to Trade Unions, in the form of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Maybe this is enough proof that these unnecessary restrictions need to be abolished, and once again allow workers the freedom to fight for decent pay and conditions.

Shrewsbury 24...Is that the campaign Ricky Tomlinson supports after he and some of his pals were sent to jail in the 70's and isnt all this coming at a time when some staunch trade unionists were supposedly blacklisted by building firms to keep troublemakers away or at least make it difficult for them to find employment...

Orgreave was shocking, but I reckon Arthur Scargill brought a bit trouble on by himself, just by being there, if I remember correctly Scargill was centre stage and end up with the polis pinching him...

The Rise and Fall of Arthur Scargill

What a difference 30 years makes, Scargill is now supposedly a recluse with very little friends...

Shrewsbury 24...Is that the campaign Ricky Tomlinson supports after he and some of his pals were sent to jail in the 70's and isnt all this coming at a time when some staunch trade unionists were supposedly blacklisted by building firms to keep troublemakers away or at least make it difficult for them to find employment...

Orgreave was shocking, but I reckon Arthur Scargill brought a bit trouble on by himself, just by being there, if I remember correctly Scargill was centre stage and end up with the polis pinching him...

The Rise and Fall of Arthur Scargill

What a difference 30 years makes, Scargill is now supposedly a recluse with very little friends...

I dunno mate... I guess if I was in the same situation on the picket line, I'd want my general secretary standing in front and leading the membership. It wouldn't happen these days of course, with the mass restrictions on Trade Unions and picketing. I've stood and taken abuse on picket lines, and you literally can't say a thing back to them, or you'll be hauled in for breaching picketing laws. Of course those abusing you would only be ticked off under the public order act. 

Ricky Tomlinson was one of the pickets arrested in Shrewsbury, and fronts the Shrewsbury 24 campaign. He spoke during a fringe event at my union's conference this year, and there was standing room only.

I dunno mate... I guess if I was in the same situation on the picket line, I'd want my general secretary standing in front and leading the membership. It wouldn't happen these days of course, with the mass restrictions on Trade Unions and picketing. I've stood and taken abuse on picket lines, and you literally can't say a thing back to them, or you'll be hauled in for breaching picketing laws. Of course those abusing you would only be ticked off under the public order act. 

Ricky Tomlinson was one of the pickets arrested in Shrewsbury, and fronts the Shrewsbury 24 campaign. He spoke during a fringe event at my union's conference this year, and there was standing room only.

Was he any good?

Missed him at the gala last year. 
Was stood chatting on the racecourse, not realising I was smack bang in the middle of the area the guests etc walk by to get to the stage.
Saw a fella who looked like him, didn't think anything of it - until he was seated on the stage.

I needed to scoot off and missed his speech.

Was he any good?

Missed him at the gala last year. 
Was stood chatting on the racecourse, not realising I was smack bang in the middle of the area the guests etc walk by to get to the stage.
Saw a fella who looked like him, didn't think anything of it - until he was seated on the stage.

I needed to scoot off and missed his speech.

I didn't hang around for it, but I regret not doing so! Everyone I spoke to say his speech was very impressive. Had people in both laughter and in tears. 

Just got a letter from Bridget Phillipson.... asking me to go to a coffee morning... also there was a questionnaire about how she is doing tackling anti-social behaviour...

Honest... only time i get kids next to mine is when Sandhill View is coming up or like now during the holidays... doesn't bother me at all.

And everyone else in my street... i rarely see them

Just got a letter from Bridget Phillipson.... asking me to go to a coffee morning... also there was a questionnaire about how she is doing tackling anti-social behaviour...

Honest... only time i get kids next to mine is when Sandhill View is coming up or like now during the holidays... doesn't bother me at all.

And everyone else in my street... i rarely see them

Would like my MP to invite round for tea and biscuits(jaffa cakes and chocolate hob nobs)

@Michael

You could ask Bridget about her big bus campaign and QCS!

@Michael

You could ask Bridget about her big bus campaign and QCS!

Haha, might have a long wait.. it's on the 22nd November... busy that day..

Haha, might have a long wait.. it's on the 22nd November... busy that day..

Drop her a message. She's very approachable and I'm sure would fit you in if you wanted a chat.