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  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 51,453
    Ed really is determined to drive up unemployment. If he can't tax the jobs away he will regulate them away instead.
  • DaemonBarber
    DaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    TheWatcher said:

    DaemonBarber said:

    Scott_P said:

    @bbckamal: Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Miliband will announce tomorrow Labour are going to ban zero hour contracts

    http://labourlist.org/2015/03/labour-unveils-significant-strengthening-of-zero-hours-contracts-crackdown/

    Tories on the side of business, Labour on the side of the people. Is exactly how that will look.
    So, what was the point of the expensive Labour advertising spread in the Financial Times yesterday?
    No idea, just pointing out how the juxtaposition of the two stories will play out.
  • SquareRoot
    SquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    edited March 2015
    Theuniondivvie said:

    SquareRoot said:

    His obsession

    I'd say the numerous mentions ot a poster who hasn't posted for months indicates a certain level of obsession.

    He was mentioned in CONTEXT of the Tories ppb where tim was screaming about Cameron and his kids and especially the child Dave lost (Ivan). As someone who has suffered a bereavement not so long ago(my wife), I'd like to punch tim's lights out, he is a SHIT of the highest order.. He has no redeeming features and needs help..
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    Well back after 48hrs of a nightmare with my mum

    3 visits to hospital A&E, fracture clinic and medical ward,

    Now at our home and on the mend hopefully.

    Looks like i have missed a good couple of days for the Tories wonder if it will last.

    This weeks BJESUS tomorrow or Thursday dependent on if my mum continues to improve.

    Oh and its my birthday tomorrow Damons here we come (hopefully).
  • MarqueeMark
    MarqueeMark Posts: 55,457
    DaemonBarber said:

    Scott_P said:

    @bbckamal: Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Miliband will announce tomorrow Labour are going to ban zero hour contracts

    http://labourlist.org/2015/03/labour-unveils-significant-strengthening-of-zero-hours-contracts-crackdown/

    Tories on the side of business, Labour on the side of the people. Is exactly how that will look.
    Well on the side of the people for twelve weeks.

    Until they get fired. Great effort, Labour.....
  • surbiton
    surbiton Posts: 13,549
    MikeGreene said:

    Wulfrun_Phil said:

    ShropshireLadd said:

    If anyone thinks labour could possibly win Battersea really are in fairyland. have they been to battersea recently? its Chelsea south of the river and very very wealthy

    Labour won it in 2005. They need a 6% swing to win it back. This poll shows a 4.5% swing.

    Labour probably won't win it. There is though a possibility that they will. Current odds from 9/4 to 3/1 hardly suggest that it's not in play. I won a bet on them gaining Hammersmith and Fulham in 2014 at odds within that range.

    The CON MP there is very, very active in all the local communities and very well liked. Anyone seen odds on her increasing her majority ?
    Excuse me, are you Grant Shapps ?
  • Ave_it
    Ave_it Posts: 2,411
    HYUFD said:

    AveIt I would be astonished if the Tories won by a higher margin than 1992 let alone 1987.

    I'll take it! :lol:

  • FrancisUrquhart
    FrancisUrquhart Posts: 85,722
    edited March 2015
    Scott_P said:

    @faisalislam: Full story by @JasonFarrellSky on Labour's 12 week zero hours crackdown. It'll affect 90% of them. http://t.co/7sfslVmn1L

    That will piss off a surprising number of people who have part time / agency jobs.
  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 51,453
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    That will piss off a surprising number of people who have part time / agency jobs.

    Not for long...
  • TGOHF
    TGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Sandpit said:

    Scott_P said:

    @PickardJE: A Labour government would introduce law to ban zero hours contracts for staff after 12 weeks in work: expect big business backlash.

    Labour have lost business anyway, might as well kick 'em too...

    Are they going to start with their own constituency staff, interns, campaigners..?
    Expect some examples in the media...
  • isam
    isam Posts: 42,205
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    RobD said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    What the actual FECK

    Half time

    Portugal 0 - 2 Cape Verde Islands

    The student becomes the master, or something like that?
    Grandiose said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    What the actual FECK

    Half time

    Portugal 0 - 2 Cape Verde Islands

    Cape Verde speaks Portuguese doesn't it?
    Yup.

    According to Betfair, such an occurrence was 800/1
    What was 800/1?
  • nigel4england
    nigel4england Posts: 4,800
    bigjohnowls said:

    Well back after 48hrs of a nightmare with my mum

    3 visits to hospital A&E, fracture clinic and medical ward,

    Now at our home and on the mend hopefully.

    Looks like i have missed a good couple of days for the Tories wonder if it will last.

    This weeks BJESUS tomorrow or Thursday dependent on if my mum continues to improve.

    Oh and its my birthday tomorrow Damons here we come (hopefully).

    Firstly I sincerely hope your Mum is OK, and Happy Birthday!
  • SimonStClare
    SimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    @BJO

    Hoping your mother has a speedy recovery and that you can get back to watching the cricket.
  • Pulpstar
    Pulpstar Posts: 79,813
    http://ukgeneralelection2015.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/snp-target-seats.html

    Do I misunderstand swing or how is Kirkcaldy requiring less swing than Edinburgh South ?
  • Itwasrigged
    Itwasrigged Posts: 154
    I vaguely remember Blair saying he would dis zero hours contracts, it never happened, usually the case when push comes to shove with Labour. Different messages for different folks depending on who they are targeting I guess. I have never been convinced by the economic arguments either way on them.
  • TheScreamingEagles
    TheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,805
    bigjohnowls said:

    Well back after 48hrs of a nightmare with my mum

    3 visits to hospital A&E, fracture clinic and medical ward,

    Now at our home and on the mend hopefully.

    Looks like i have missed a good couple of days for the Tories wonder if it will last.

    This weeks BJESUS tomorrow or Thursday dependent on if my mum continues to improve.

    Oh and its my birthday tomorrow Damons here we come (hopefully).

    Hope she's doing better now and Happy Birthday for tomorrow.
  • Danny565
    Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    edited March 2015
    Plaid lady on the news saying outright she sees no problem in borrowing money for spending.
  • surbiton
    surbiton Posts: 13,549
    Danny565 said:

    Plaid lady on the news saying outright she sees no problem in borrowing money for spending.

    Good on her !
  • MTimT
    MTimT Posts: 7,034
    kle4 said:

    Is banning (or restricting) zero hour contracts another of those policies that is economically silly? I wouldn't know, but it sounds like the sort of thing that will play very well, initially at least, either way.

    @kle4 The upside of zero hour contracts is labour market flexibility, encouraging companies to expand faster as they won't get stuck with excess employees (and hence expensive wage bills) should things contract.

    The downside is potential abuse of the process to deny workers benefits and to undermine labour force bargaining power.

    As with all things, it is a trade off. Rigidity and worker protection vs higher growth and greater flexibility but with fewer guarantees.
  • another_richard
    another_richard Posts: 27,927
    Danny565 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scrapheap_as_was said:

    No one was expecting this to happn...


    Laura Kuenssberg retweeted
    Kamal Ahmed‏@bbckamal·2 mins2 minutes ago
    Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    I hear in other news...a bear has been photographed taking a dump in the woods.

    Do these silly round robin letters actually do anything these days? It doesn't seem to go a weekend without some group or another have written an open letter to the Telegraph or the Guardian.
    Ashcroft said the 2010 letter from big businesses backfired. People in his focus groups asked "why should we care what will make these already rich people even richer?"
    Indeed.

    The executive oligarchy has been a long sight more successful at enriching themselves rather than their shareholders or their employees.

    If I was in Labour HQ I'd be making comparison of what these signatories 'earn', what their employees earn, changes in share prices and dividends and any job losses in recent years.

  • Pulpstar
    Pulpstar Posts: 79,813
    My London contact reckons Ilford North and Enfield Southgate are stronger chances than Finchley and Battersea.
  • surbiton
    surbiton Posts: 13,549
    Pulpstar said:

    http://ukgeneralelection2015.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/snp-target-seats.html

    Do I misunderstand swing or how is Kirkcaldy requiring less swing than Edinburgh South ?

    I also found a few of the Glasgow seats winnable for Labour. This must mean the SNP swings are even better in non-Labour seats. I mean Lib Dem seats.
  • TheScreamingEagles
    TheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,805
    edited March 2015
    isam said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    RobD said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    What the actual FECK

    Half time

    Portugal 0 - 2 Cape Verde Islands

    The student becomes the master, or something like that?
    Grandiose said:

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    What the actual FECK

    Half time

    Portugal 0 - 2 Cape Verde Islands

    Cape Verde speaks Portuguese doesn't it?
    Yup.

    According to Betfair, such an occurrence was 800/1
    What was 800/1?
    Cape Verde being 2 nil up at half time against Portugal.

    Edit, it was 799/1
  • dr_spyn
    dr_spyn Posts: 11,312
    Why did the principled Co-Op group finally end zero hours contracts last week? Must be worried that Ed Miliband would be embarrassed.

    "Date: 25 March 2015
    Staff on zero-hour contracts at Co-op Funeralcare are to be offered new contracts, with guaranteed hours and improved terms and conditions, following a ground-breaking agreement negotiated by Usdaw with the company."

    http://www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2015/March/Usdaw-negotiates-an-end-to-zero-hour-contracts-at

    The Co-Op has ended its links with Labour yet.
  • DaemonBarber
    DaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    Danny565 said:

    Plaid lady on the news saying outright she sees no problem in borrowing money for spending.

    Yes apparently the current low interest rates mean it is the best time to borrow.
  • kle4
    kle4 Posts: 99,113
    MTimT said:

    kle4 said:

    Is banning (or restricting) zero hour contracts another of those policies that is economically silly? I wouldn't know, but it sounds like the sort of thing that will play very well, initially at least, either way.

    @kle4 The upside of zero hour contracts is labour market flexibility, encouraging companies to expand faster as they won't get stuck with excess employees (and hence expensive wage bills) should things contract.

    The downside is potential abuse of the process to deny workers benefits and to undermine labour force bargaining power.

    As with all things, it is a trade off. Rigidity and worker protection vs higher growth and greater flexibility but with fewer guarantees.
    Interesting. All I know is that I've never personally heard anyone say they were a good thing, and I live in the Tory heartlands. Must be the company I keep I guess. So anecdotally - the best kind of dotally - that is why I guess it will play well in other places even better.
  • TheWatcher
    TheWatcher Posts: 5,262
    MarqueeMark said:

    DaemonBarber said:

    Scott_P said:

    @bbckamal: Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Miliband will announce tomorrow Labour are going to ban zero hour contracts

    http://labourlist.org/2015/03/labour-unveils-significant-strengthening-of-zero-hours-contracts-crackdown/

    Tories on the side of business, Labour on the side of the people. Is exactly how that will look.
    Well on the side of the people for twelve weeks.

    Until they get fired. Great effort, Labour.....
    Look to Hollande's France to see what the future might hold. Businesses simply don't bother taking on young workers, as they'll get clobbered by rules, regulation and government interference. Hence the unemployment numbers amongst the under 30s.
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    bigjohnowls said:

    Well back after 48hrs of a nightmare with my mum

    3 visits to hospital A&E, fracture clinic and medical ward,

    Now at our home and on the mend hopefully.

    Looks like i have missed a good couple of days for the Tories wonder if it will last.

    This weeks BJESUS tomorrow or Thursday dependent on if my mum continues to improve.

    Oh and its my birthday tomorrow Damons here we come (hopefully).

    Hope she's doing better now and Happy Birthday for tomorrow.
    Thanks.

    No Lab leads over last 48hrs I see looks like CROSSOVER has finally happened.
  • Pulpstar
    Pulpstar Posts: 79,813
    surbiton said:

    Pulpstar said:

    http://ukgeneralelection2015.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/snp-target-seats.html

    Do I misunderstand swing or how is Kirkcaldy requiring less swing than Edinburgh South ?

    I also found a few of the Glasgow seats winnable for Labour. This must mean the SNP swings are even better in non-Labour seats. I mean Lib Dem seats.
    The Glasgow seats have been examined by Ashcroft. On a good night Labour are holding 4 max.
  • Pulpstar
    Pulpstar Posts: 79,813
    Basically this election is shaping up to be Glasgow East pretty much all over Scotland.
  • Theuniondivvie
    Theuniondivvie Posts: 44,327
    SquareRoot said:

    He was mentioned in CONTEXT of the Tories ppb where tim was screaming about Cameron and his kids and especially the child Dave lost (Ivan). As someone who has suffered a bereavement not so long ago(my wife), I'd like to punch tim's lights out, he is a SHIT of the highest order.. He has no redeeming features and needs help..

    Wanting to punch the lights out (some help!) of someone you've never met isn't really neutralising that obsession vibe.

  • TGOHF
    TGOHF Posts: 21,633
    TheWatcher said:

    MarqueeMark said:

    DaemonBarber said:

    Scott_P said:

    @bbckamal: Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Miliband will announce tomorrow Labour are going to ban zero hour contracts

    http://labourlist.org/2015/03/labour-unveils-significant-strengthening-of-zero-hours-contracts-crackdown/

    Tories on the side of business, Labour on the side of the people. Is exactly how that will look.
    Well on the side of the people for twelve weeks.

    Until they get fired. Great effort, Labour.....
    Look to Hollande's France to see what the future might hold. Businesses simply don't bother taking on young workers, as they'll get clobbered by rules, regulation and government interference. Hence the unemployment numbers amongst the under 30s.
    From zero hours to 11 week contracts.
  • david_herdson
    david_herdson Posts: 18,357
    kle4 said:

    Is banning (or restricting) zero hour contracts another of those policies that is economically silly? I wouldn't know, but it sounds like the sort of thing that will play very well, initially at least, either way.

    It's not particularly silly of itself - the economy got by without them for years - but some employees do benefit from their flexibility. That said, they can be one of the nastier symptoms of over-powerful employers exploiting a vulnerable workforce, often in low-paid and otherwise insecure jobs and there does need to be balance.

    If Miliband does make the announcement, it'll be a classic Brown dividing line, aimed at putting the Conservatives on the back foot and as such, I suspect the low politics comes ahead of principle or economic benefit for him. Still, of itself, it wouldn't do any great damage and may do some good. The concern I would have is that it becomes part of a general tightening of labour market regulation to the extent that it does have a meaningful impact on employment.

    Miliband and Balls have made much of falling real living standards; the Tories have made much of the record employment, particularly in the private sector. What neither will admit is that one is very much a consequence of the other.
  • another_richard
    another_richard Posts: 27,927
    Pulpstar said:

    My London contact reckons Ilford North and Enfield Southgate are stronger chances than Finchley and Battersea.

    They are.

    Demographic change.
  • tyson
    tyson Posts: 6,122
    The Sollicito family are on RaiUNo now.
    The main thing I find difficult to understand is why did Knox name the innocent Lumamba, and why did she say she was at the same flat at the time Meredith was killed.

    If she was at Sollicto's place why didn't she just say so?
  • Flightpath
    Flightpath Posts: 4,012
    another_richard said:

    Sean_F said:

    Flightpath said:

    david_herdson said:

    tyson said:

    @Nige4England

    pathetic little bully boy for describing Tim seems to remind me of someone else we have on pbCOM.

    On the economy, really no Govt can honestly claim too much credit these days, they just have to cross their fingers and hope it all falls well on their watch. But you can understand politicians taking credit for stuff quite beyond their control- the nature of the beast.

    ...

    Nonsense. The measure of a government's economic competence is in creating the conditions for growth and job creation and government policy and attitude plays a massive part in that. Obviously, when international conditions are benign it's easier to manage than when they're not but do you think it was just chance that saw Greece become a casualty of the last recession rather than, say, Australia?
    I agree, but we all know tyson is wheedling. The economy is doing well and all of a sudden its all down to luck.
    I think the government has enjoyed a considerable slice of luck, with the economy. But, it deserves credit too. First Do No Harm is a reasonable principle, and it hasn't harmed the economy.
    Its recreated the Gordon Brown economy.

    Not surprising given that Cameron and Osborne saw nothing wrong with the Gordon Brown economy at the time.

    And, of course, the Gordon Brown economy with its endless living beyond your means is always popular with the no shortage of people who want to live beyond their means.
    At the time of what? At the time of the change to banking regulation the tories warned it would end in disaster - and it did.
    A huge chunk of Brown's economy turned out to be structural not cyclical. If the men in the treasury did not realise that then you cannot blame the opposition. The fact that 'living beyond your means is always popular' probably explains the electoral pressure which caused tories only marginally to talk in terms of sharing proceeds of growth.
  • MTimT
    MTimT Posts: 7,034
    bigjohnowls said:

    Well back after 48hrs of a nightmare with my mum

    3 visits to hospital A&E, fracture clinic and medical ward,

    Now at our home and on the mend hopefully.

    Looks like i have missed a good couple of days for the Tories wonder if it will last.

    This weeks BJESUS tomorrow or Thursday dependent on if my mum continues to improve.

    Oh and its my birthday tomorrow Damons here we come (hopefully).

    Best to your mum for a speedy and full recovery
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,866
    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.
  • Danny565
    Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    edited March 2015
    TheWatcher said:

    MarqueeMark said:

    DaemonBarber said:

    Scott_P said:

    @bbckamal: Starting to leak out - major business letter backing Conservatives in @Telegraph tomorrow. FTSE 100 CEOs are signatories

    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Miliband will announce tomorrow Labour are going to ban zero hour contracts

    http://labourlist.org/2015/03/labour-unveils-significant-strengthening-of-zero-hours-contracts-crackdown/

    Tories on the side of business, Labour on the side of the people. Is exactly how that will look.
    Well on the side of the people for twelve weeks.

    Until they get fired. Great effort, Labour.....
    Look to Hollande's France to see what the future might hold. Businesses simply don't bother taking on young workers, as they'll get clobbered by rules, regulation and government interference. Hence the unemployment numbers amongst the under 30s.
    Oh please. Businesses don't take on employees out of some philanthropic gesture. They take them on because they need employees to make their profits.
  • HYUFD
    HYUFD Posts: 128,924
    edited March 2015
    TimT I have always said it will be close, within 1%, and I remain of that view and that it will be Christie-Rubio v Clinton-Castro which Hillary will narrowly win. As I also pointed out after 8 years in the White House the opposition party normally wins, as it did in 1960, 1968, 1976, 2000 and 2008 so the GOP start the election as favourites, yet Hillary presently has a strong chance of stopping them. As for Obamacare, unless the GOP get to 60+ votes in the Senate in 2016 and can end debate and force a vote on the issue they will not be able to repeal it completely, and that is unlikely given the nature of the seats up for election
  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 51,453
    @SunPolitics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead by one: CON 35%, LAB 36%, LD 7%, UKIP 12%, GRN 5%
  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    There are plenty of people who prefer being on zero hours contracts. It seems to be odd to deter people from staying in the workforce at a time of record employment. Perhaps Labour intends to increase immigration.
  • compouter2
    compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    Yougov - Labour 1% in front. Basil in Turmoil. Knee jerking reactions on hold.

    SWINGBACKCROSSOVERINVERTEDCRISSCROSSTASTIC!
  • Danny565
    Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    Sun Politics @SunPolitics · 18s 18 seconds ago
    YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead by one: CON 35%, LAB 36%, LD 7%, UKIP 12%, GRN 5%
  • foxinsoxuk
    foxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scott_P said:

    @faisalislam: Full story by @JasonFarrellSky on Labour's 12 week zero hours crackdown. It'll affect 90% of them. http://t.co/7sfslVmn1L

    That will piss off a surprising number of people who have part time / agency jobs.
    It sounds as if leaving Zero Hours contracts is optional. Those that want to remain on them can do so.

    I suppose it means that zero hors contacts end after 11 weeks. Not sure that is what was intended.

  • TheScreamingEagles
    TheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,805
    https://twitter.com/SunPolitics/status/583018511758331904
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    Tonights YG - EICIPM

    1 LAB lead in last 48 hrs!!
  • GIN1138
    GIN1138 Posts: 22,938
    Scott_P said:

    @SunPolitics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead by one: CON 35%, LAB 36%, LD 7%, UKIP 12%, GRN 5%

    compouter2 said:

    Yougov - Labour 1% in front. Basil in Turmoil. Knee jerking reactions on hold.

    SWINGBACKCROSSOVERINVERTEDCRISSCROSSTASTIC!

    Con just 5% away from 40%!
  • Ave_it
    Ave_it Posts: 2,411
    LOL.

    I am only listening to Survation from now on :lol:
  • Scrapheap_as_was
    Scrapheap_as_was Posts: 10,069
    compouter2 said:

    Yougov - Labour 1% in front. Basil in Turmoil. Knee jerking reactions on hold.

    SWINGBACKCROSSOVERINVERTEDCRISSCROSSTASTIC!

    Welcome back - these increasingly sporadic visits at polling time are a delight....
  • Ave_it
    Ave_it Posts: 2,411
    compouter2 said:

    Yougov - Labour 1% in front. Basil in Turmoil. Knee jerking reactions on hold.

    SWINGBACKCROSSOVERINVERTEDCRISSCROSSTASTIC!

    :lol::lol::lol:
  • MP_SE
    MP_SE Posts: 3,642
    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    I know a number of people who have used zero hours contracts to gain valuable experience and use it a launch pad to bigger and better things. In those instances employment for around a 6 months to a year was ideal for them. If Ed M has his way the staff will be ditched after just a few weeks which is not enough time to build up anywhere near enough experience.
  • Artist
    Artist Posts: 1,893
    edited March 2015
    As someone said yesterday, it's only a matter of time until one of the main parties gets 37 or 38% in a poll, which I'm sure will cause a lot of excitement.
  • MaxPB
    MaxPB Posts: 40,327
    Danny565 said:

    Scott_P said:

    @PickardJE: A Labour government would introduce law to ban zero hours contracts for staff after 12 weeks in work: expect big business backlash.

    Labour have lost business anyway, might as well kick 'em too...

    This just about sums up the Tories' attitude. If big businesses don't want it, whatever the merits, it can't be considered. Why exactly are business owners' opinions more important than their employees' opinions?
    But it is also economic vandalism. I worked in the care industry when I was at university and had a zero hours contract. It was flexible and it suited my university schedule. Without that flexibility I wouldn't have been able to do that job, meaning one less person employed. I only worked 10 hours in an average week, but sometimes my schedule was so busy in exam time I could cut that down to zero.

    This seems like a really, really ill thought out idea. A lot of people use zero hours contracts for second jobs, students like them, mothers who would stay at home are now able to work without putting pressure on their primary jobs or functions.

    Taking away choice and flexibility from the employment market is a basically stupid idea.
  • Casino_Royale
    Casino_Royale Posts: 63,684
    Pulpstar said:

    Basically this election is shaping up to be Glasgow East pretty much all over Scotland.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMi776jah1w
  • NickPalmer
    NickPalmer Posts: 21,724
    More evidence that it's basically a tie - but also the steady drift to the two major parties continues.

    Sympathies to SquareRoot - that must be truly awful.
  • MTimT
    MTimT Posts: 7,034
    HYUFD said:

    TimT I have always said it will be close, within 1%, and I remain of that view and that it will be Christie-Rubio v Clinton-Castro which Hillary will narrowly win. As I also pointed out after 8 years in the White House the opposition party normally wins, as it did in 1960, 1968, 1976, 2000 and 2008 so the GOP start the election as favourites, yet Hillary presently has a strong chance of stopping them. As for Obamacare, unless the GOP get to 60+ votes in the Senate in 2016 and can end debate and force a vote on the issue they will not be able to repeal it completely, and that is unlikely given the nature of the seats up for election

    They don't need to repeal ObamaCare. Through reconciliation, which does not require 60+ votes in the Senate, they can kill funding. Once that is done, Dems have no option but to negotiate a replacement.
  • compouter2
    compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    GIN1138 said:

    Scott_P said:

    @SunPolitics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead by one: CON 35%, LAB 36%, LD 7%, UKIP 12%, GRN 5%

    compouter2 said:

    Yougov - Labour 1% in front. Basil in Turmoil. Knee jerking reactions on hold.

    SWINGBACKCROSSOVERINVERTEDCRISSCROSSTASTIC!

    Con just 5% away from 40%!
    Labour just 13% away from disaster. Tories just 6% away from landslide.

    HODGEFACTALISIOUS!
  • DaemonBarber
    DaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    You're looking at this the wrong way.
    Nonsense on stilts it may be. Impractical or impossible to actually enact, probably.
    But it's not about ZHC really. It's about the mood music. That the business for Tories news comes out on the same day makes it even better.
  • chestnut
    chestnut Posts: 7,341
    edited March 2015
    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    Three of the biggest 'zero hours' employer areas are education, public admin and health/social care.

    Some companies will offer one hour contracts, some will simply lay staff off.
  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 51,453
    @Telegraph: Labour threatens Britain's recovery - 100 business leaders write to @Telegraph #businessletter http://t.co/QAm4oJDiCT http://t.co/yl2g05sCiR
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,866
    bigjohnowls said:

    Tonights YG - EICIPM

    1 LAB lead in last 48 hrs!!

    See how much they need you John? All the best to your Mum.
  • RobD
    RobD Posts: 60,608
    Be sure to check out the '15 day average' chart.. that glorious blue tide, making me all hot and bothered.... :D

    http://goo.gl/9RfFdf
  • Itwasrigged
    Itwasrigged Posts: 154
    Pulpstar said:

    http://ukgeneralelection2015.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/snp-target-seats.html

    Do I misunderstand swing or how is Kirkcaldy requiring less swing than Edinburgh South ?

    The table is wrong, I think it is only a 13% swing required for the SNP to take Edinburgh South. I lost money on the Lib Dems taking that last time around. Somebody has messed up the figures.
  • TGOHF
    TGOHF Posts: 21,633
    chestnut said:

    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    Three of the biggest 'zero hours' employer areas are education, public admin and health/social care.

    Some companies will offer one hour contracts, some will simply lay stay off.


    Ed knows there is nothing the state can't fix - like low unemployment.
  • kle4
    kle4 Posts: 99,113
    Stop teasing the Tories, YouGov.
  • Danny565
    Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    foxinsoxuk said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scott_P said:

    @faisalislam: Full story by @JasonFarrellSky on Labour's 12 week zero hours crackdown. It'll affect 90% of them. http://t.co/7sfslVmn1L

    That will piss off a surprising number of people who have part time / agency jobs.
    It sounds as if leaving Zero Hours contracts is optional. Those that want to remain on them can do so.

    I suppose it means that zero hors contacts end after 11 weeks. Not sure that is what was intended.

    Yes, technically you can leave a zero-hour contract if you want to, but that's a bit of a false choice if you're choosing between a ZHC or unemployment. That doesn't mean those people would choose a ZHC over a stable, decently-paid job.
  • SquareRoot
    SquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    edited March 2015
    Theuniondivvie said:

    SquareRoot said:

    He was mentioned in CONTEXT of the Tories ppb where tim was screaming about Cameron and his kids and especially the child Dave lost (Ivan). As someone who has suffered a bereavement not so long ago(my wife), I'd like to punch tim's lights out, he is a SHIT of the highest order.. He has no redeeming features and needs help..

    Wanting to punch the lights out (some help!) of someone you've never met isn't really neutralising that obsession vibe.

    Listen up Divvy.... When you have lost a loved one..., really near and dear to you like a child or a wife or husband, perhaps you might be qualified into understanding how someone might feel about a shit like tim obsessing about Dave and his kids and especially Ivan. Frankly, he has no redeeming features and one day he will get his come uppance, hopefully sooner rather than later.

    He might even get sued, now that would be fun.

  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 51,453
    @SunPolitics: EXCLUSIVE JOINT INTERVIEW - Cameron and Osborne: We'll freeze income tax, VAT & NI for 5 years http://t.co/m1GiMoI5B0 http://t.co/l7JBSKb86h
  • MP_SE
    MP_SE Posts: 3,642
    MaxPB said:

    Danny565 said:

    Scott_P said:

    @PickardJE: A Labour government would introduce law to ban zero hours contracts for staff after 12 weeks in work: expect big business backlash.

    Labour have lost business anyway, might as well kick 'em too...

    This just about sums up the Tories' attitude. If big businesses don't want it, whatever the merits, it can't be considered. Why exactly are business owners' opinions more important than their employees' opinions?
    But it is also economic vandalism. I worked in the care industry when I was at university and had a zero hours contract. It was flexible and it suited my university schedule. Without that flexibility I wouldn't have been able to do that job, meaning one less person employed. I only worked 10 hours in an average week, but sometimes my schedule was so busy in exam time I could cut that down to zero.

    This seems like a really, really ill thought out idea. A lot of people use zero hours contracts for second jobs, students like them, mothers who would stay at home are now able to work without putting pressure on their primary jobs or functions.

    Taking away choice and flexibility from the employment market is a basically stupid idea.
    I have met people who love the flexibility which a zero hours contract brings. They can continue earning whilst winding down towards eventual retirement or use them to fit around looking after their children or education. This is so poorly thought out.
  • compouter2
    compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    edited March 2015
    Scott_P said:

    @Telegraph: Labour threatens Britain's recovery - 100 business leaders write to @Telegraph #businessletter http://t.co/QAm4oJDiCT http://t.co/yl2g05sCiR

    I was wondering when this would start. Labour will find more. Then Labour finds 200 GP/Doctors saying a Tory win would end the NHS, then the Tory Party finds 250 to back their policy etc etc etc etc
  • TheScreamingEagles
    TheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,805
    New Thread
  • TGOHF
    TGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Spot the names here.

    @TelegraphNews: Tomorrow's Daily Telegraph front page: "100 business chiefs: Labour threatens Britain's recovery" http://t.co/4hqpbWuRxL

    Bannatyne : Ed you seem a nice guy - but I'm out..
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,866
    DaemonBarber said:

    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    You're looking at this the wrong way.
    Nonsense on stilts it may be. Impractical or impossible to actually enact, probably.
    But it's not about ZHC really. It's about the mood music. That the business for Tories news comes out on the same day makes it even better.
    But this is an election now when our well informed, challenging, intellectually rigorous press...damn, your right.
  • MyBurningEars
    MyBurningEars Posts: 3,651
    another_richard said:

    GeoffM said:

    another_richard said:

    nigel4england said:

    david_herdson said:

    Pong said:

    surbiton said:

    SquareRoot said:

    frpenkridge said:

    Regular pbers have been spoiled over the years by the brilliant and infuriating trolls of tim, all day and every day. It is rather embarrassing when rank amateurs try to fill his shoes.

    tim is losing the plot on his twitter account. not only are his comments libellous, he is back to Dave "pimping his kids".
    What is his twitter account ?
    Yeah, tim is one of the shrewdest political punters out there. If he's on twitter, i'm following him. What's his account name?
    Very shrewd and very nasty.
    Could dish it out but not take it, pathetic little bully boy.
    To be fair to tim he received plenty of abuse in return.

    It was only when details of his family were posted that he left.
    That is an outrageous re-writing of history and the facts.
    He was a flouncing irredeemably unpleasant bellend who infested PB like a persistent dose of the clap
    He was but the posting of details of his family wasn't right.

    Although the exposure of the '17th century Cheshire manor house with wings' as a Birkenhead semi was amusing.
    I quite enjoy the anonymity the internet brings. I've got sod all to be worried about in terms of what I post here - I don't think I ever stray into the inflammatory or offensive, though apparently I upset Fitalass once (sorry Fitalass). But despite that, if I thought that posting on PB was ever remotely likely to get me "outed" I would steer well clear of posting anything at all. It's a subsdiary reason (my work schedule being the main one) I haven't been to any of the PB Events, despite reasonable proximity and having kicked around on this site for more years than I care to count.

    It would be perfectly possible to find out who I am if someone very determined were to collate all the information I've divulged about myself. But that would involve a very tedious trawl through comment threads archived on internet history sites, since stuff from the Pre-Disqus Pre-Pre-Vanilla Era has long since disappeared from PB.com itself. Just need to make sure I don't give anyone reason to fisk me to that extent!

    I don't miss many departed posters on here - the diversity of the PB community is generally richer and more insightful than the musings of any one individual - and I quite like the fact that the ambience is significantly less sharp and sour these days. But I remain distinctly uncomfortable with the events in the run-up to The Vanishing.
  • MaxPB
    MaxPB Posts: 40,327
    Pulpstar said:

    My London contact reckons Ilford North and Enfield Southgate are stronger chances than Finchley and Battersea.

    I wouldn't be surprised to see David Burrowes lose in Enfield Southgate. My dad said for the first time ever they had Tories on his road delivering leaflets and knocking on doors. Plus I don't think he is very popular locally. The only thing that may save him is how dire the candidates from Labour, Lib Dems and UKIP are. Still I think the Tories may lose it with a larger than average swing, they are clearly worried if they are going down a road with 4 bedroom semi detached houses knocking on doors.
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    DavidL said:

    bigjohnowls said:

    Tonights YG - EICIPM

    1 LAB lead in last 48 hrs!!

    See how much they need you John? All the best to your Mum.
    Thanks David

    Last poll I saw before Mums fall was the 4% LAB YG

    Then 10 mins after i log on Lab lead by 1%

    Missed all the good Tory ones in my absence.

    Seriously though think the Tories do have a little momentum by the look of my missed polls!
  • another_richard
    another_richard Posts: 27,927
    Flightpath said:

    another_richard said:

    Sean_F said:

    Flightpath said:

    david_herdson said:

    tyson said:

    @Nige4England

    pathetic little bully boy for describing Tim seems to remind me of someone else we have on pbCOM.

    On the economy, really no Govt can honestly claim too much credit these days, they just have to cross their fingers and hope it all falls well on their watch. But you can understand politicians taking credit for stuff quite beyond their control- the nature of the beast.

    ...

    Nonsense. The measure of a government's economic competence is in creating the conditions for growth and job creation and government policy and attitude plays a massive part in that. Obviously, when international conditions are benign it's easier to manage than when they're not but do you think it was just chance that saw Greece become a casualty of the last recession rather than, say, Australia?
    I agree, but we all know tyson is wheedling. The economy is doing well and all of a sudden its all down to luck.
    I think the government has enjoyed a considerable slice of luck, with the economy. But, it deserves credit too. First Do No Harm is a reasonable principle, and it hasn't harmed the economy.
    Its recreated the Gordon Brown economy.

    Not surprising given that Cameron and Osborne saw nothing wrong with the Gordon Brown economy at the time.

    And, of course, the Gordon Brown economy with its endless living beyond your means is always popular with the no shortage of people who want to live beyond their means.
    At the time of what? At the time of the change to banking regulation the tories warned it would end in disaster - and it did.
    A huge chunk of Brown's economy turned out to be structural not cyclical. If the men in the treasury did not realise that then you cannot blame the opposition. The fact that 'living beyond your means is always popular' probably explains the electoral pressure which caused tories only marginally to talk in terms of sharing proceeds of growth.
    The 'men in the treasury' ???

    You mean Brown's office boys ???

    It was obvious to anyone who spent a few hours looking at the ONS and BoE stats that household borrowing and house prices were out of control while industrial production and the stock market were below their 2000 peaks.

    In other words that the economy had become dependent upon debt fueled personal and government consumption.

    Yet Cameron and Osborne still complacently promised to match Brown's spending plans and planned to 'share the proceeds of growth'.

  • Sandpit
    Sandpit Posts: 56,045
    MP_SE said:

    DavidL said:

    What happens to those on a ZHC who don't want to be committed to fixed hours? Students, for example, who work around exams. Are they going to be put in breach of contract?

    What happens to those employed on projects that are going to last more than 12 weeks but less than, say, 6 months? Is it just going to be impossible to hire them in the first place?

    Given the current qualifying period for UD claims what happens when those who complain that their contract in breach of the new rule are simply sacked?

    What about those on seasonal contracts?

    What about those who are supposedly unemployed? My 18 year old daughter works for a double glazing and conservatory company. They treat their staff very badly but run a dodge by which they are self employed to avoid NI.

    The wheels are going to come off this very quickly. It simply does not make sense or address the real problems in the real world.

    I know a number of people who have used zero hours contracts to gain valuable experience and use it a launch pad to bigger and better things. In those instances employment for around a 6 months to a year was ideal for them. If Ed M has his way the staff will be ditched after just a few weeks which is not enough time to build up anywhere near enough experience.
    If the government puts up barriers to hiring people, then the employers will just hire fewer people. Would Ed and friends - who have never had to scrape by themselves - prefer that we just left them on the dole as they do in France?
  • TheWatcher
    TheWatcher Posts: 5,262
    Oh dear, ITV London report on the UKIP PPC for Hendon crashing out.
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    Sun Politics ‏@SunPolitics 7m7 minutes ago
    EXCL: Nick Clegg will win back his Sheffield Hallam seat at the election - thanks to the Greens: http://sunpl.us/6016Nlde

    Hope Not.

    Surely headline shouldv'e said TSE lending his vote rather than Greens
  • MTimT
    MTimT Posts: 7,034
    kle4 said:

    MTimT said:

    kle4 said:

    Is banning (or restricting) zero hour contracts another of those policies that is economically silly? I wouldn't know, but it sounds like the sort of thing that will play very well, initially at least, either way.

    @kle4 The upside of zero hour contracts is labour market flexibility, encouraging companies to expand faster as they won't get stuck with excess employees (and hence expensive wage bills) should things contract.

    The downside is potential abuse of the process to deny workers benefits and to undermine labour force bargaining power.

    As with all things, it is a trade off. Rigidity and worker protection vs higher growth and greater flexibility but with fewer guarantees.
    Interesting. All I know is that I've never personally heard anyone say they were a good thing, and I live in the Tory heartlands. Must be the company I keep I guess. So anecdotally - the best kind of dotally - that is why I guess it will play well in other places even better.
    @kle4 In the US, it would be impossible to imagine the restaurant sector surviving without zero hour contracts. Even for most professionals, 'at will' contracts are the norm. This is not quite a zero hour contract, which makes no guarantees as to hours worked, the employee only working when needed, but it achieves much the same thing for professionals. Under an at will contract, the employer can dismiss the employee without cause at any time.

    As stated, the theory is that this encourages hiring earlier in an economic up-turn as if things do not work out, the employer is not saddled with the employee indefinitely. In practice, if the company does well, it is little different from any other non-Union contract.
  • kjohnw
    kjohnw Posts: 1,456
    edited March 2015
    Labour saying recovery slowest for 100 years but remember when Alistair Darling said this:
    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/aug/30/economy.alistairdarling
    Labour conveniently rewriting history again
  • bigjohnowls
    bigjohnowls Posts: 22,951
    Off for shut eye - Goodnight
  • sarissa
    sarissa Posts: 2,190
    Danny565 said:

    Plaid lady on the news saying outright she sees no problem in borrowing money for spending.

    Capital or revenue spending?
  • MarqueeMark
    MarqueeMark Posts: 55,457
    Yay to the Balloon Man on Newsnight!
  • sarissa
    sarissa Posts: 2,190
    compouter2 said:

    Scott_P said:

    @Telegraph: Labour threatens Britain's recovery - 100 business leaders write to @Telegraph #businessletter http://t.co/QAm4oJDiCT http://t.co/yl2g05sCiR

    I was wondering when this would start. Labour will find more. Then Labour finds 200 GP/Doctors saying a Tory win would end the NHS, then the Tory Party finds 250 to back their policy etc etc etc etc
    Some of the signatories to the letter were also prominent for the No side in the indyref - expect to see the SNP bigging up SLAB 'hypocrisy' over their supporting them then.
  • Dair
    Dair Posts: 6,108
    tyson said:


    I'm sorry but Roseree's post is 100% accurate.

    Wow.

    Someone actually said that.

    Wow.
  • Dair
    Dair Posts: 6,108
    dr_spyn said:

    Just as well for Ed Miliband, The Co-Op appears to have dropped zero hours contracts. http://www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2015/March/Usdaw-negotiates-an-end-to-zero-hour-contracts-at

    So full time Co-Op staff having to drop 5 to 10 hours a week to give a minimum to those who probably don't care about the minimum. Socialism works. For no-one.
  • Dair
    Dair Posts: 6,108
    Pulpstar said:

    http://ukgeneralelection2015.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/snp-target-seats.html

    Do I misunderstand swing or how is Kirkcaldy requiring less swing than Edinburgh South ?

    SNP were 4th in Edinburgh South - its an SNP to Labour swing.
This discussion has been closed.

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