Just another cog in the machine

This is a brilliant and clever video by TUC John Woods from 2009 that should be on all trade union websites.Hat tip reminder Captain Swing.

RIP Emily Wilding Davison 100th Anniversary

 















The 4th June was the 100th anniversary of the death of Suffragette Emily Davison who stepped in front of the Kings horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. Hat tip video Captain Swing.

Sign petition to stop market tendering of NHS services

To: Members of Parliament and of the House of Lords

SIGN HERE FOR PETITION

We the undersigned call on both Houses of Parliament to ensure the NHS Competition regulations (SI 257) made under the Health & Social Care Act 2012, are subject to a full debate, and vote, on the floor of both Houses of Parliament, and that they are defeated or withdrawn.

Why is this important?

These regulations - which will only go to a vote if parliament insists - would require virtually all health provision to be carried out in competitive markets, regardless of the wishes of either local people, GPs or local Clinical Commissioning Groups. 

They contradict assurances that were given by health ministers during the passage of the Act that it did not mean the privatisation of the NHS, and that local people would have the final say in who provided their NHS.

For example, Lord Howe said then “Clinicians will be free to commission services in the way they consider best. We intend to make it clear that commissioners will have a full range of options and that they will be under no legal obligation to create new markets... this will be made absolutely clear through secondary legislation and supporting guidance as a result of the Bill”.

Andrew Lansley said (in a letter to the Clinical Commissioning Groups set up to manage most health budgets) that “It is a fundamental principle of the Bill that you as commissioners, not the Secretary of State and not regulators – should decide when and how competition should be used to serve your patients interests..” We call on parliament to take all necessary steps to ensure these regulations,
which would be incredibly damaging to the NHS, do not become law. For more information see this report:

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/nicola-cutcher-lucy-reynolds/nhs-as-we-know-it

-needs-prayer

Hat tip Captain Swing

UNISON Community District Nurses out there serving the public

Great pictures from Captain Swing of London Community district nurses struggling through the snow on Friday to visit their patients.

This Tory coalition think that such public servants should have their wages cut and cut while at the same time reducing taxes for millionaires?

Something fundamentally wrong here I think?

Lab12: Welsh Reception

Still Monday evening and picture from the Welsh Reception. Appropriately for the land of song they had an excellent band playing.

They performed "Manchester Ramblers". Which Captain Swing tweeted to remind me is about the Kinder Mass Trespass.

'Thrasher' swears at Copper

“Open this gate, I’m the Chief Whip. I’m telling you — I’m the Chief Whip and I’m coming through these gates.”

What a charmer. When they still refused, Mitchell allegedly responded:

"Best you learn your f***ing place. You don’t run this f***ing government.
“You’re f***ing plebs.”

Mitchell is also believed to have attacked the police as “morons”. Hat tip Labourlist

 

(Let us not forget.....see comments below made before "Thrashergate")

 

"Mr (Boris) Johnson said "If people swear at the police, they must expect to be arrested,"   

 "Not just because it's wrong to expect officers to endure profanities, but it's also because of the experience of the culprits.

 "If people feel there are no comebacks, no boundaries and no retribution for the small stuff, then I'm afraid they will go on to commit worse crimes."

 

“Tory MP David Davies, who serves as a Special Constable, said:‘This is a threat to law and order. When I trained in London four years ago, if someone swore directly at you – I was called a “f****** pig”, for instance –you would give them one warning, then arrest them if they refused to stop.

 

‘It is vital that you take action in such circumstances. The police should not have to put up with this behaviour.’

Hat tip Captain Swing. Check BBC report (update: photo )