‘Fair Deal for Tube Users’

Ken Livingstone has called on Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, to get a grip of increased delays on the tube. The latest Transport for London (TfL) performance figures show:
• Tube passengers are spending 10% more time on delayed trains and 33% more time on the Central line.Tube passengers are spending 10% more time on delayed trains and 33% more time on the Central line.

• Station closures are up on District line by a staggering 1250% and over 100% on the Northern line.Station closures are up on District line by a staggering 1250% and over 100% on the Northern line.

• Delays up on the Jubilee line are up by 300% and over 100% on the Victoria line

Ken has called for a ‘Fair Deal for Tube Users’ which sets out five immediate steps the Mayor should

1. Get a grip of persistent tube delays and disruption.
2. Improve how TfL communicates tube problems to passengers.
3. Compensate delayed passengers and clearly explain how to claim refunds for late running journeys
4. Bring common sense to the weekend tube-closure programme.
5. Tackle the problem of engineering works over-running into Monday mornings.

Ken Livingstone said: “The increased number of delays and closures on the Tube are causing huge frustration and inconvenience for millions of Londoners. It’s time for Boris Johnson to roll his sleeves up and get a grip.

‘My ‘Fair Deal for Tube Users’ would put the interests of Londoners at the very top of the Mayor’s agenda. ‘The Mayor must be far more accountable for the tube, improve the way TfL communicates with Londoners, make more effort to ensure delayed passengers can fairly claim compensation and review the weekend tube-closure programme.’

London shadow transport minister, Jim Fitzpatrick MP said, “It's time for Boris Johnson to get a grip of the daily delays and disruption on the tube. It's not fair that Londoners are paying more in rail, tube and bus fares, because of decisions taken by the Conservative Mayor, and then suffer delays in their daily commute to work.

'Tube delays and closures incur costs which London businesses can ill-afford and are detrimental to the quality of life for millions in inner and outer London. The Mayor must act quickly to improve tube services and reverse the increasing delays we are all experiencing."

Val Shawcross AM, Labour’s London Assembly transport spokesperson said: “It is hard to recall a day in the past few months when there has not been a signal failure or major delay on the tube which has caused real inconvenience for Londoners. We are all paying more for tube services which Boris

Johnson’s own figures show are getting worse. ‘It’s about time Boris Johnson paid some attention to his day job and got a grip of the increasing number of tube delays. The Mayor claims he watches the tube on a screen in his office ‘like a hawk’, I think Londoners want a Mayor who is more than a spectator.”
(Hat tip poster to Col. Roi)

"Cameron breaks promises to Armed Forces"

Hat tip recently retired Soldier and current Labour Councillor, Alasdair Ross. "The Conservatives have rightly come under some fierce criticism for their failure to deliver the promises they made to the Armed Forces before the election. Both Channel 4 News and the local Ipswich Evening Star asked me for my views on the Tories failure to stick to pre election promises on what they would do to make the Military Covenant law.

Here is my piece that I wrote for the Channel 4 News website:

I am sure today many soldiers will be sitting in their Units feeling they have been used by this Government - not used as in the way they would expect to be used- serving their country in Afghanistan, the Gulf, the Balkans but used by Cameron - as a publicity stunt.

The Tories claimed that Labour had broken the Military Covenant and that they would make sure it became law - yesterday they broke that promise - all we will get now is a report every year about the covenant.

Cameron also probably gained many votes off servicemen and veterans when he increased the operational allowance (an allowance introduced by labour) but what he forgot to say, whilst making his speech in June on HMS Ark Royal (scrapped) is that pay would be frozen and other allowances cut and scrapped. All with far more speed than it has taken to cut the allowances to MP's and the Lords

When I served in the Army, I had a decision to make when my daughter reached 11, would I put her in boarding school or move back to my home town. I chose my home town and I was able to do with help from the army through the 'Over 37' package, this gave me assistance in getting home once a month to see my family, and for them to settle down before I had to leave the forces at 40. that package is to be scrapped and also the boarding school allowance is to be cut.

So the only choice would be to leave your child in a Forces school, and that mean every two years they would change school- so much for looking after Forces families. There was talk from the Tories of paying for soldiers children to go to university, well if a child has to move schools every two years there would be little possibility if any child gained the academic qualifications to get into university.

Today many of my ex comrades feel used- used by Cameron in a cheap election gimmick.

On the Channel 4 News blog here, you can read by piece".

Aneurin Bevan on the Tories: History repeating itself

Two quotations: "That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party....so far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.

Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through.

But I warn you men and women do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions...He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were" Aneurin Bevan - Bellevue Hotel - 3rd July 1948.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

That's what happened on May 6th 2010.

Painting by Andrew Vicari here and hat tip new FB friend Sue Marsh. 

Stop the Millionaire Gangsters Massacring our Services

LONDON DOWNING STREET TWILIGHT  RALLY – 14 FEBRUARY 5-8pm.

"It would be great if you could make a brief outdoor contribution at the ‘Stop the Valentine’s Day Massacre of Our Services’ Rally, opposite Downing Street 5 – 8 pm on Monday 14 February (along the lines of the budget day 20 October event).  This event is supported by SERTUC, UNITE (London & Eastern Region").

Hat tip Unite

This is what Tories do...So why are you surprised they are selling our forests?

Hat-tip to Country Standard blog for this report about the Condems plan to privatise 15% of the land (correction it is now not 15% but all of our land) owned by the Forestry Commission. 

Someone I met today, a traditional Tory supporter, was absolutely outraged by this plan and flabbergasted that the government is even thinking of doing this.  Err...Yeah, but...

This sort of stunned outrage is becoming quite commonplace.  Non-political friends and family, work colleagues, union members and even union activists will come up to me and in detail express their shock and horror at the latest vile proposal or act of this government.  Well...yes, but didn't you say you were not voting at the election since they were "all the same"?

My stock response is Err yes...but this what Tories do, surely you know this? Obviously not.  Even from those who like me lived through the 1980's appear shocked.

I even had someone banging the drum about this 'orrible government who before the General Election told me that Mr Cameron is a "nice man" who should be given a chance!!!!

Much, much worse recently I heard a paid union official slag off Labour Party controlled Councils while justifiably complaining bitterly about cuts and job losses and yet never uttered a single word of criticism about the government...FFS - what is going on here?

To be honest I am getting just a little bit fed up with all this.  We told people what to expect if the Tories got in and 71% of people didn't believe us.  We have to accept responsibility for losing the election but those who voted against us or did not vote have got to accept responsibility as well for what is happening.

Friday Frippery: Militant John and the Labour Attack Puppies

You couldn't make this up but the Newham toryminitrue site run by thin-skinned Tory, Neil "Skinhead" Pearce, is accusing moi of being a Labour "attack dog".  As if.

Apparently "Militant John" has "orchestrated" a letter writing "crusade" against this 'orrible ConDem government in the letter pages of the Newham Recorder.  To think I would do such a thing while being West Ham Labour Party agent! How completely outrageous a suggestion!

What stuff and nonsense.  As agent maybe I should have organised a campaign but the truth of the matter is that I have sent one letter to the Newham Recorder complaining about an abusive one that Pearce had sent them about our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown and his hypocritical attempts to score political points at the expense of Remembrance Day services. I have not had any knowledge or involvement in any other letters to the Newham Recorder.  These letters I think actually reflect genuine anger by local residents about this silly Tory attempt to make political capital out of the sacrifice of our armed forces and how they detest this government. Nothing to do with me - Guv.

Apparently, according to Minitrue, some Labour Party bods also don't like me being so 'orrible about Pearce and his Newham Tories! tut, tut..come off it - how stupid does Pearce and Toryminitrue think people are?  What planet do these Tory numpties actually live on?  People expect Labour to attack the Tories.  Especially when they leave such open goals.

BTW I think Newham Tories will do very well in Planet United Left - their natural home :)

(picture is of young Militant John launching one of his Labour attack puppies at somebody's ankle)

The Tories: Family Butchers Since 1679

hat tip Isleworth Labour Party

"If you desire a coloured for your neighbour Vote Labour": Lambeth Tory leaflet 1964

Hat tip to Hayes People History. It is hard to imagine that such leaflets were handed out by a "mainstream" political party to the public within my life time (just).

There was of course even worse literature handed out during the same election in Birmingham 1964. This Tory, Peter Griffiths, won but was later defeated in 1966. However, he later went on to become a MP elsewhere for 20 years!

After he won in 1966 according to Kester Brewin "Griffiths was told to be expect to serve his time in Westminster as a ‘political leper,’ – something that enraged Labour MPs to sign a motion that this was “a cruel and unmerited slight on lepers.”

Auto-enrolled into funding the Tories?

There is a welcome "revolution" in pensions about to hit Britain pretty soon.  In 2012 there will be at long last be a national trust based low cost pension scheme aimed at low to moderate earners and their employers (NEST). 

This is a massive advance that could eventually even help eliminate pensioner poverty in this country. 

But there could be a problem.  Trust will be a huge issue to ensure that this scheme is a success.    NEST is currently advertising for fund managers to bid to run these funds.

Now, there is a certain major international fund manager called Fidelity who may be considering whether or not to tender for one of NEST's funds.

Not that you would evcr know from their literature but Fidelity is also one of the biggest financial supporters of the Conservative Party.  Check out here, here and here. They have poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into the Tories in recent years (£495k in 2004-2008).  This is money made from small savers and pension policy holders who would not a clue that the profits from managing their money were being used to fund the Tories.

If Fidelity was chosen as a NEST fund manager then we could find that workers are being auto enrolled by law into paying policy fees to a company that has been a major paymaster of the Conservative Party. 

This is plain wrong.

Tory Toad Plans to Slash & Burn London Fire Brigade.

It is now clear that the Fire Brigade Union fear that that the proposed changes to their terms and conditions by Tory London Fire authority Chair, Brian Coleman, was actually all about reducing the number of fire engines and firefighters - was pretty accurate.

Let us check out Tory blogger Iain Dale here 1 November 2010 where he said "the FBU have used it to put about scare stories about future reductions in night cover or a possible reduction in fire appliances. Coleman has said publicly on several occasions he will guarantee that neither of those will happen. But the union pretends not to hear".

Now check out the notorious toad of London City Hall late amendment to the London Fire budget here that

"officers [should] explore, as part of the budget process, and report back to the Committee... on whether the Brigade needs all 27 of the fire appliances removed from stations during the current industrial action to be returned or whether there is an over-supply of appliances".

This would result in 500 Job losses and a 16% reduction in the number of fire engines. Now it could be Coleman is just being his usual petty minded and vindictive self or the FBU fears were legitimate from get go. You can guess my view.

Et tu, Red Tel? (in joke).  Hat tip thingy Col. Roi.

Tories telling porkies?

Well, someone's telling porkies? If the cuts are really necessary just to balance the books and not ideological then why don't the ConDems promise to reverse at least some of the cuts when (if)  the "good times return"?

Question to Tory blogger Iain Dale on Stephen Nolan Radio show (22 Oct:)"If these cuts are not ideological? why will the Coalition not state that when the economy improves, they will put the money cut back into public services?"
Answer: "That's a given".

Daily Bile: "Yesterday Mr Cameron suggested cuts may become permanent when asked to pledge spending would be reinstated when finances recovered. He said: ‘I think we should try to avoid that approach.’

Guardian (1.44pm 3 Aug)"Cameron has been asked a question about fire service cuts. A woman is worried because she says the local fire brigade had already suffered cuts, and now the government has plans for more. She cites casualties of the cuts and asks Cameron whether, once the austere times are over, the government will review the cuts it imposed and, where necessary, reinstate some of the resources that have been withdrawn. Cameron says this isn't the way he sees it. He says it's going to be tough to implement cuts, but he thinks there is scope to find more efficient and cost-effective ways to deliver services, notably back-office functions. He seems to be confident that there will be no going back..."

The real reason: "It's about ideology, stupid"

Hat-tip Col. Roi

"because we are tories - and that's what we do..."

Well, no great surprises today.  It's not that we were not warned I suppose.

"It's the same the whole world over, It's the poor wot gets the blame; It's the rich wot gets the pleasure, Ain't it all a blooming shame".

Check out UNISON's view on this attempt to strangle the recovery and the new fightback Labour Party website Your Better Way. 

By coincidence this evening was my UNISON Housing Association branch executive meeting and while everyone of us dreaded today I think we would agree that there was definitely a feeling that we are not down and out and that it is still possible and feasible to defeat the coalition by organising and sheer plain hard work. 

Not (IMO) by gesture politics and pointless oppositionalism.

Tory housing claptrap and myth: young women become pregnant to get a Council flat

Yesterday morning I had the misfortune to listen to Andrew Pierce from talk radio show "LBC" pretending to be a journalist and  “interviewing” Tory Housing Minister Grant Shapps at their conference. Andrew had previously expressed his expert view that since he was brought up on a Council estate in Swindon he knew “for a fact” that girls would get deliberately pregnant to get a count flat.  How he actually knew this “fact” he kept to himself. 

He then spoke to Shapp and his first question was the Sun pub bore favourite about all these scroungers getting large amounts of housing benefit to live in London.  I thought for a moment he was going to ask about the 82,000 Londoners facing eviction from the recently announced cuts.  That moment obviously passed quickly.  Then a question on the usual prurient middle class hobby horse about young girls getting pregnant solely to get a Council flat and what-is-Shapp-going-to-do-about-it. 

My father died a Council tenant and my mother is still a housing association tenant.  Members of my family live and have lived in public housing up and down the country,  I have worked as a housing worker in Council and Housing Association estate offices for 18 years and I have never, ever known of anyone getting pregnant to get a council flat. 

Admittedly we do not ask as housing officer applicants this question (don’t give Sharpe ideas) but I have never seen or heard any evidence whatsoever.  It is an urban myth.  There will of course be an exception to the rule but the vast overwhelming majority of teenagers (repeat young vulnerable women) get pregnant for exactly the same reason that middle class kids get pregnant.   Inadequate and/or non existent sex education, drink, drugs, trying to keep a partner and sometime wanting a have a baby to love. Add to this mix poverty, inadequate health services and poor schooling and you do get high rates of teenage pregnancy on housing estates. 

But young women growing up on an estate are the first to know that getting a council flat does not mean (unfortunately) you have won first prize in life.  To think that someone would deliberately get themselves pregnant solely to bring up said child up by themselves in a bedsit on the 20^th floor of a tower block is just frankly deluded.

"Union buster" Tory minister of Health & Safety?

I came home tonight to find that the latest publication of Labour Research Department “Health and Safety Law 2010” had been delivered.

Every active trade union safety rep needs to have this guide to hand.

I note that it describes (p3) the appointment of Chris Grayling as Health & Safety minister as “not good news for trade unions or workers. The safety campaign group Hazards has reported that he was a former director at Burson-Marsteller” and says that this company is well known as one of the more prominent “union busting firms”.

No real surprise - typical Tory, but we will have to work with them somehow.

I suppose all of those who ranted that there is no difference between a Labour Government and the Tories are really proud of themselves now.

One of the Same - Tories and Lib Dems

Hat-tip thingy JAOTHER

Cameron and the future of public housing

Even rabid Tory right winger Nadine Dorries MP has attacked her leader, David Cameron’s plan to end security of tenure for Council and housing association tenants. Nadine points out here that this would not solve the housing shortage and will disincentives tenants. She at least as a child lived in a Council house an experience Cameron and the vast great majority of Conservative Party MP’s know nothing whatsoever about.

It’s clear that that Cameron has been publicly caught out telling porkies about the future of public housing. Everyone in housing knew that the Tories in opposition were planning to attack security of tenure. Check this from Inside Housing

“In the run up to the general election Mr Cameron came under attack from then housing minister John Healey, who accused the Conservatives of wanting to end secure tenancies.

At the time, Mr Cameron said the allegations were ‘simply untrue’ and a spokesperson for the Conservatives said the party had ‘no policy to change the current or future security of tenure of tenants in social housing’.

But today he said: ‘There is a question mark about whether, in future, we should be asking when you are given a council home is it for a fixed period? Because maybe in five or 10 years you will be doing a different job and be better paid and you won’t need that home, you will be able to go into the private sector.’

Nadine is right (never thought I would say that) that this proposal will not solve the housing crisis and will put people off getting training and jobs but if all public housing (Council and housing association properties) are only inhabited by the unemployed or disabled and are only a “tenure of the last resort” then they will indeed become the latest Tory “barracks of the poor”.

I don’t want to be evicting families out of their homes if one of them manages to get a job on minimum wage rates either.

Great Picture from the Daily Mirror

"Because they are Tories and that is what they do..."

No-one can say you were not warned.  In the face of the 25% budget cuts, 20% VAT, frozen pay and child benefit, tax credits, pregnancy grants, Sure start, DLA restrictions...Check out "The Common People" video again and weep.