The Scottish independence campaigners have a long list of grievances. But they ARE treated equally

...as KJ explains to Fee..SOURCE GUARDIAN: The great migration south: 80% of new private sector jobs are in LondonIt's not just private sector jobs: London has also bucked the national trend by seeing an increase in public sector employment. The brain drain meant that every major city outside the south-east is losing young people to London. The report by the think tank Centre for Cities highlights the need for better infrastructure, investment in skills and reforms to planning, and noted that Bradford, Sheffield, Bristol, Southampton, Blackpool...

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The Scottish independence campaigners have a long list of grievances. But they ARE treated equally

...as KJ explains to Fee..SOURCE GUARDIAN: The great migration south: 80% of new private sector jobs are in LondonIt's not just private sector jobs: London has also bucked the national trend by seeing an increase in public sector employment. The brain drain meant that every major city outside the south-east is losing young people to London. The report by the think tank Centre for Cities highlights the need for better infrastructure, investment in skills and reforms to planning, and noted that Bradford, Sheffield, Bristol, Southampton, Blackpool...

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Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 27th February)

Government accused of suppressing the damning report that its flagship welfare reforms are forcing ever more people to turn to food banksThe report was finally published by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs today morning amid suggestions that it had been “slipped out” while the floods were still in the news. It concluded that there was “growing demand” for emergency food because of increased need. This directly contradicts the position of Work and Pensions minister Lord Freud, who claimed last summer that the expansion of charities...

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ATOS exits from fit-to-work testing. Did they fail? Or just do their job: make us think vast numbers are faking disability

SOURCE BBC NEWS: Atos seeks early exit from fit-to-work tests contractStaff carrying out work capability assessments for Atos have received death threats online and in person, according to the Financial Times. In a statement, Atos pledged to carry on undertaking the tests until a new company was in a position to take over. But the government said that standards at Atos had declined unacceptably. Disability campaigners have described the work tests as "ridiculously harsh and extremely unfair".OUR RELATED STORIES:How many, Cameron? Only 160...

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Graphs at a glance: the little fibs that provide cover for the Tory policy of cutting benefits

February 2014 saw a spat on morality between Catholic and Anglican bishops on the one side and Conservative politicians on the other. While the angels may have been with the bishops, the angles were clearly with the Tories. In response David Cameron wrote a piece for the Daily Telegraph titled   Normal 0 "Why the Archbishop of Westminster is wrong about welfare: Our plan for Britain is not just about saving money, but about doing what is right". Apparently the Tories are very confident that the electorate back their welfare cuts. In...

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Graphs at a glance: the little fibs that provide cover for the Tory policy of cutting benefits

February 2014 saw a spat on morality between Catholic and Anglican bishops on the one side and Conservative politicians on the other. While the angels may have been with the bishops, the angles were clearly with the Tories.  In response David Cameron wrote a piece for the Daily Telegraph titled   Normal 0 "Why the Archbishop of Westminster is wrong about welfare: Our plan for Britain is not just about saving money, but about doing what is right". Apparently the Tories are very confident that the electorate back their welfare...

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It’s not only food banks. 5,000 were admitted to hospital with malnutrition in the last year

Chris, Fee and KJ take a step closer to understanding Cameron's moral compass...SOURCE TELEGRAPH: Bishops condemn Government welfare reformsIn an open letter 27 bishops have criticised Government welfare reforms saying that too many people were having to choose between "heat or eat" as a result of "cut backs and failures in the benefit system." The Anglican bishops write: "Half a million people have visited food banks in the UK since last Easter and 5,500 people were admitted to hospital in the UK for malnutrition last year."SOURCE GUARDIAN: David...

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Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 20th February)

Unpaid intern sues British fashion house Alexander McQueen for wagesThe fashion house founded by the late designer Alexander McQueen is being sued by a former intern who worked unpaid for four months. Rachel Watson – not her real name but the one her lawyers want used – is claiming up to £6,415 in "lost wages" and says the fashion house broke the law by not paying her the national minimum wage. Watson's internship in 2009-10 included drawing artwork for embroidery, repairing embellished clothing, and dyeing large quantities of fabric. GUARDIANMore...

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So the Giant NHS Database Care.Data has been postponed. Is that a good thing?

The "Care.Data" national health database has been postponed because in spite of the NHS apparently sending leaflets to every household in England (I can't remember receiving one) most people don't know about it. As, according to the BBC, there is a 66% chance you don't remember either, we will help you out.For balance, we offer you two videos at the bottom of this post:1) From the NHS explaining what Care.Data is and why it is a good idea2) From a YouTube video, forwarded to us by an old friend, explaining why it isn't. (This video starts off in...

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Cutting benefits will push people into work? There are 5 seeking work for every 1 available job!

OUR RELATED STORIES:Cameron's indiscriminate cuts in 2010 included £100m from flood defence. He didn't expect the weather to show him up so soon. What else will be washed away in the flood of public spending cuts?Case study: How Barnet Council outsources so someone else will do the dirty work of cutting the jobs, wages, and services for themGraphs at a glance: Workers driven from full to part time work is the only reason employment is holding upTo avoid their obligation to build unprofitable affordable housing, developers can pay councils to do...

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Graphs at a glance: What else will be washed away in the flood of public spending cuts?

It has to be said that David Cameron had a heavy dose of bad luck with the floods in the first part of 2014. If only the flooding had waited another two years then his party's performance at the 2014 local elections and the 2015 General Election would have been better.Cameron's government took the bet that cutting spending on flood defences would not be noticed during his term in office. Rather like a man who reckons he won't get caught driving without insurance so long as he doesn't get into a crash. A gambling man would say it was a good...

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