Agenda 2019

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/election-2017-conservatives-free-school-breakfast-7p-per-meal-lunch-scrap-education-manifesto-a7752991.html#commentsDiv Conservatives’ free school breakfast pledge ‘costed at just 7p per meal’ The Conservatives can produce a child's breakfast for just 7p per meal. It seems that they can also feed thousands of people on just 5 farmhouse sliced loaves and 2 medium sized mackerel from the Asda fish counter. With this miraculous sleight of hand, the conservatives and their manifesto promises have, also, at a stroke,found their solution to the Food bank scandal. Do I detect another U turn coming? With so many U turns we hardly know in which direction they are now faci ng. Frankly, neither do they. (Sarcasm very much intended)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/kelvin-mackenzie-leaves-the-sun-ross-barkley-racist-comments-controversy-rupert-murdoch-a7737046.html Another reprehensible and crass Front Page from the Sun. I was under the impression that the obnoxious Kelvin MacKenzie had finally departed from the Sun, the "newspaper" of infamous misrepresentation and lies, and rode off into the sunset to grow roses in his garden (preferably in some other distant country).  Unfortunately however, his ghost still wanders around the offices on the editorial floors of the paper and worse, still seems to have use of processors upon which to write his loathsome stories.  This morning every other newspaper carries the headlines of an appalling suspected terror attack on a pop concert in Manchester which has claimed 22 lives. The the front pages also give coverage to the continuing disintegration of the conservative election campaign as their 3 day old manifes...

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/corbyn-refuses-five-times-to-directly-condemn-ira/ar-BBBnyZ0?li=BBoPWjQ Corbyn refuses five times to directly condemn IRA Yesterday (21st May), I wrote "As we move closer to polling day, we may expect that the conservatives and their media will become even more ferocious in their attacks upon our policies and upon our leadership". However, I did not expect that the "attack" would be taking place even as I wrote the Blog . The conservative party manifesto with its uncosted and and impracticable "policy" options, is being exposed as a divisive and ill conceived programme which has been criticised by business groups, conservative MP's and charities, and roundly condemned by the Labour party.  Since publication of "Forward together" on Thursday last (18th), the conservatives have witnessed their much publicised "lead" in the polls substantially reduced as their policies have been sy...

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/tory-wobble-as-cuts-for-elderly-slash-mays-lead-jz5l8gktj Tory wobble as cuts for elderly slash May’s lead T he alarm within the conservative leadership with the thought  that they might lose the election on June 8th, grows more  perturbing for them and Central Office with each hour that passes. Every day, there is news that support for the Labour party is growing and the "policies" outlined in the conservative manifesto are being denounced by business groups and charities around the country as well as conservative party workers, MP's and Councillors.  Southend Council Leader John Lamb said that  his party’s planned social care overhaul will hit hard-working families and could lead to people’s homes being taken from them after they die, adding "  It’s totally wrong and I will be making very strong representations to my own group and lobbying MP's. I am against any reduction in the winter fuel allo...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39972743 Winter fuel payment: Scottish conservative leader promises Scottish pensioners will keep benefit. Ruth Davidson and Theresa May going different ways on winter fuel payments Browsing through the front pages of today's media, or even watching the news on Sky or BBC, we might never know that a civil war has started in the conservative party over the content of their party manifesto, not over the costings of the"promises", (because no costings were included) but over the detail and some of the promises themselves. Could we even imagine the furore and hysterical outrage that would fill the front pages, had the Labour party produced a manifesto, that within 24 hours of its publication had flagship promises dismissed by sections of the party organisation, and candidates openly critical of policy detail. Thus is the situation today, with the conservative party in Scotland plainly stating that Scottish pensioners will re...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-conservative-manifesto-crisis-nhs-social-care-smoke-and-mirrors-labour-a7743751.html Theresa May accused of failing to tackle the growing crisis in NHS and social care, with a 'smoke and mirrors' manifesto. It is the morning after the day before and during the 24 hours or so since    "Forward, Together": , the conservative party manifesto, was revealed the media, with one or two notable exceptions, have managed to overcome their initial  consternation and again fall into line behind their favourite in the election stakes. With proposals which are guaranteed to create divisions in our society, the conservative manifesto is a document produced by a party who still believes that the result of the election is a foregone conclusion and consequently can reveal their real intentions. For the elections since 2010, and some before, the conservative pre amble speeches have invariably contained words to the ...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/17/theresa-may-conservative-tory-policy-older-people-pay-for-social-care Tory manifesto: more elderly people will have to pay for own social care. Theresa May unveils ‘difficult but necessary’ measures In complete contrast to the hysterical outbursts from the the larger part of the media, marking the launch of the Labour party manifesto, Theresa May today (18th May) launches the conservative party manifesto, "Forward, Together": Our plan for a stronger Britain and a prosperous future",  for the coming election (At least she used the words our plan instead of my plan).The manifesto has has already had an initial preview by the press, when the "embargo" was lifted last night to ensure that the morning papers had time to prepare their headlines generally in support, or at least not critical, of the measures proposed as conservative policy for the next parliament. In this they were not disappointed as the p...