Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
The whole debate looked very poor
disgruntled conservatives lined up to try to get answers on why the rush?
after a long day, I think they gave up
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Weak management and poor governance says Governments own Auditors...nicely sums up Wellfare reform.
Universal credit crunch: Iain Duncan Smith's welfare reform wastes £34m - so far
Department for Work and Pensions beset by 'weak management and poor governance' according to the
Government's own auditors, while benefits programme attacked as 'titanic IT disaster'.
The wide-ranging reforms to Britain's benefits system have been beset by "weak management,
poor governance" and a "fortress mentality" that has so far wasted £34m of taxpayers' money,
the Government's own auditors conclude today.
In a damning report, the National Audit Office (NAO) said the Department for Work and Pensions
has never had a "detailed view" of how its flagship universal credit programme was meant to work
- and suggested it might never result in the billions of pounds of savings claimed by ministers.
Iain Duncan Smith, who has staked his personal reputation on the success of the scheme, is
expected to be forced to make a statement on the failures identified to MPs today. Senior
government sources suggested the blame should fall on Robert Devereux - the most senior
civil servant in the department - whom they accused of providing false reassurances on the
scheme's progress.
Full story in Independent...short c&p instead of link,which few read.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Quite a big splash on this on the news today
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Civil servant who presided over Universal Credit programme accused of a 'litany of failures' by MPs
Robert Devereux admitted it had taken him more than a year to realise that there were problems
The most senior civil servant responsible for the Government's Universal Credit programme was
tonight accused by MPs of presiding over a "litany of failures" that could cost the taxpayer up to £160m.
Robert Devereux, permanent secretary at the Department of Work and Pensions, admitted it had
taken him more than a year to realise that there were problems with the programme and had only
met with the officials in charge of delivering it once every three weeks.
But he insisted that he had no way of knowing what was going wrong until an external review last
year drew the problems to his attention - and denied that he had put off demands for ministers to
hold the review earlier.
Looking clearly uncomfortable as he was accused by members of the Public Accounts Committee
of "blaming everyone under him" for the failures so far in the Universal Credit programme,
Mr Devereux insisted he took responsibility for the scheme's "poor value for money".
Full story Independent.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
another £160million for us to find
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Tip of icebergs ?
Exclusive: Eric Pickles' officials 'tried to suppress emails'
Officials working for Tory minister Eric Pickles have been accused of an extraordinary attempt
to suppress internal government emails - on the grounds that publishing such correspondence
could lead to unwelcome "political and media exposure".
In a bizarre intervention, civil servants in Mr Pickles' Department of Communities and Local Government
claimed that they should be exempt from complying with a Freedom of Information request because
of the risk that if they routinely had to release such documents they could cause embarrassment
to ministers or officials. The officials added that the fact that the FOI request came from the
Opposition should in itself count against disclosure, as it was likely to be used for political attacks.
But the attempt was stopped by the Information Commissioner, who ruled that the department
must disclose the information - and could not discriminate against applicants.
Full story Independent.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
hypocrisy from mr pickles there as he is always rattling on about openness and accountability from local authorities.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
to true howard
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Vince Cable accuses Tories of cynical, ugly politics
Business secretary tells Lib Dem conference that Conservatives have reverted to type as nasty party.
Vince Cable said the Tories were hostile towards immigrants and people on benefits, and disapproved
of a long list of other groups.
The business secretary, Vince Cable, has launched a series of audacious broadsides against the Tories,
saying he never agreed to join a coalition with Ukip, and dismissing them as cynical purveyors of fear and
champions of an ugly politics.
He told the Liberal Democrat party conference in Glasgow: "Theresa May once described the Tories,
a decade ago, as the nasty party. After a few years trying to be nice and inclusive it has reverted
to type: dog-whistle politics, orchestrated by an Australian rottweiler [strategist Lynton Crosby].
"Hostility towards organised labour, people on benefits and immigrant minorities. The list of people the Tories
disapprove of is even longer: public sector workers, especially teachers; the unmarried; people who
don't own property. Their core demographic excludes pretty much anybody who wouldn't have qualified
for the vote before the 1867 Reform Act."
Cable accused the Conservatives of "a cynical calculation in difficult times that fear trumps hope;
that competence requires callousness. That is not our kind of politics. It is ugly. And we will not be
dragged down by it."
Full story GUARDIAN..
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Rather Rich old vince propping up this cobbled together lot
until it suits him otherwise.
the lib dems know there time is up come the next election
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
watched cable on newsnight last evening and he never said anything about this so it sounds like he is looking for a break up of the cobbled together thing sooner rather than later.
the quicker they breakaway the more time they have re-establish their own identity before the next general election.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
All to late for them howard
damage already been done
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Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
all to late
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Guest 1033- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 509
Rats and sinking ships spring to mind. At one point I had sneaking admiration for Mr. Cable, for a brief moment I thought he was different to the rest of them and had some real sincerity, as opposed to the manufactured sincerity they all rely on, but it seems that I was wrong and he has turned out to be just like the rest of them, happy to jump on board the gravy train, but when he sees the end of the line coming he's ready to jump. Should have stood by his beliefs in the first place and not joined up with the tories, he can't be that naive to think they would be in any way different than they've turned out to be.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
I agree fully with your post barrie
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Tory councillor Phil Taylor provokes outrage on Twitter for urging Sir David Attenborough 'to
commit euthanasia'
London councillor met with barrage of criticism on social media site over over tweet suggesting
broadcaster 'should 'take a one way trip to Switzerland'
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A Tory councillor has provoked outrage on Twitter for urging Sir David Attenborough to "take a one way
trip to Switzerland", a term perceived to encourage the 87-year-old presenter to commit euthanasia.
Ealing councillor Phil Taylor, responding to an article by the broadcaster blaming too many people and
not enough land for Africa's food shortages, tweeted: "I do wish this silly old fart would take a
one-way trip to Switzerland. Practice what you preach."
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352