SHAM OF UPGRADES IN FLAGSHIP SCHOOLS’ POLICY
Government policies to rebuild or refurbish almost every school in England have been labelled a sham after Liberal Democrats have discovered that one in every five projects had provided only computers !
Last year, out of 41 projects, 9 involved little more than an upgraded computer suite, according to data provided in answer to a parliamentary question by the new schools minister, Vernon Coaker.
David Laws, Lib Dem Schools Spokesperson said “The inclusion of such small scale projects turns what is supposed to be a flagship programme into a bit of a sham”
“Schools in Purbeck are supposed to be being reorganised on the basis of this money” said Lib Dem parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset, Ros Kayes. “I hope that the County Council planning this unpopular move have taken these figures into consideration. The Government is running out of money & a Conservative administration would be committed to cuts: schools restructuring in Purbeck is clearly a question of wrong time, wrong place.”
Thursday, 27 August 2009
South Dorset Support for Clegg's bank plan
BANK CHARGES CHALLENGED BY LIB DEM LEADER
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, has described the refusal of banks to repay unfair charges as “scandalous” & is tabling a parliamentary motion backing a campaign to force banks to repay them automatically, rather than making customers apply for them to do so.
Around a million customers have had refund claims frozen until the result of a test case that will decide whether fairness rules apply to charges of up to £35 a time for unauthorised use of overdrafts.
Seven major banks & a building society have asked the law lords to overturn rulings that the charges for making just one payment over an agreed overdraft limit come under “unfair contract “ rule making them subject to Office of Fair Trading regulation.
“This is a hugely important case – but I don’t think it goes far enough” said Ros Kayes, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset. “The banks say they make £2.6 billion a year from these charges. They have the ordinary customer by the short & curlies here. If a payment goes out by direct debit & it’s been a difficult month, even the most careful customer can go over that limit all too easily.
“Perhaps if they win the case, another should be made for making them pay us the interest on the money they make by taking 5 working days to clear a payment into our accounts. I wonder how much they are making from us in that process, in an age when debits can be made at the push of a button. I applaud Nick Clegg & he is right – but all of these antiquated & unfair practices need to be challenged, not just one of them.”
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, has described the refusal of banks to repay unfair charges as “scandalous” & is tabling a parliamentary motion backing a campaign to force banks to repay them automatically, rather than making customers apply for them to do so.
Around a million customers have had refund claims frozen until the result of a test case that will decide whether fairness rules apply to charges of up to £35 a time for unauthorised use of overdrafts.
Seven major banks & a building society have asked the law lords to overturn rulings that the charges for making just one payment over an agreed overdraft limit come under “unfair contract “ rule making them subject to Office of Fair Trading regulation.
“This is a hugely important case – but I don’t think it goes far enough” said Ros Kayes, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset. “The banks say they make £2.6 billion a year from these charges. They have the ordinary customer by the short & curlies here. If a payment goes out by direct debit & it’s been a difficult month, even the most careful customer can go over that limit all too easily.
“Perhaps if they win the case, another should be made for making them pay us the interest on the money they make by taking 5 working days to clear a payment into our accounts. I wonder how much they are making from us in that process, in an age when debits can be made at the push of a button. I applaud Nick Clegg & he is right – but all of these antiquated & unfair practices need to be challenged, not just one of them.”
A NEW KIND OF SCHOOL REFUSAL
PRIVATE SCHOOL’S REFUSAL TO ALLOW STATE SCHOOL USE OF FACILITIES IS SELFISHNESS IN CARNATE says South Dorset parliamentary candidate.
South Dorset’s Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate, Cllr Ros Kayes has slammed the Independent Schools’ Council (ISC) following a statement by its chief executive earlier this week that the LSC intends to challenge the Charity Commission in court.
The Commission has interpreted legislation passed in 2006 by insisting that schools should pass a new “public benefit test” to continue to qualify for charitable status & tax breaks worth millions of pounds every year.
That would mean allowing state pupils to use their facilities & having a number of free state bursaries to allow limited number of children from poor backgrounds to attend the schools for free.
“If the private schools challenge this”, said Ros, “it makes them no different from the banks ! In receipt of millions of pound of public money every year in the form of tax breaks because they claim to exist for charitable purposes. This stretches the definition of charity very far”, she continued. ”Fees at these schools are very high – more than most of us earn in a year for the top schools. In my opinion, with parents who can afford these fees, schools should not be claiming charitable status at all. It’s charity for the very rich.
The schools claim that without their existance, ordinary tax payers would be having to pay £3 to 4 million extra in taxes and therefore they ae already giving aid to the poor. “A ridiculous argument !” said Cllr Kayes. “ How much do the tax breaks schools receive already cost us in lost revenues that could be ploughed back into the state system. On the contrary, if private schools did not exist, those same parents would be sending their children to comprehensive schools & giving generously to those schools to ensure that their facilities were upgraded instead – improving education for all of us.
“It’s selfishness incarnate to seek to challenge legislation that attempts to make private schools take some responsibility for supporting the public sector & at least goes some way to improving education for all of us.”.
South Dorset’s Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate, Cllr Ros Kayes has slammed the Independent Schools’ Council (ISC) following a statement by its chief executive earlier this week that the LSC intends to challenge the Charity Commission in court.
The Commission has interpreted legislation passed in 2006 by insisting that schools should pass a new “public benefit test” to continue to qualify for charitable status & tax breaks worth millions of pounds every year.
That would mean allowing state pupils to use their facilities & having a number of free state bursaries to allow limited number of children from poor backgrounds to attend the schools for free.
“If the private schools challenge this”, said Ros, “it makes them no different from the banks ! In receipt of millions of pound of public money every year in the form of tax breaks because they claim to exist for charitable purposes. This stretches the definition of charity very far”, she continued. ”Fees at these schools are very high – more than most of us earn in a year for the top schools. In my opinion, with parents who can afford these fees, schools should not be claiming charitable status at all. It’s charity for the very rich.
The schools claim that without their existance, ordinary tax payers would be having to pay £3 to 4 million extra in taxes and therefore they ae already giving aid to the poor. “A ridiculous argument !” said Cllr Kayes. “ How much do the tax breaks schools receive already cost us in lost revenues that could be ploughed back into the state system. On the contrary, if private schools did not exist, those same parents would be sending their children to comprehensive schools & giving generously to those schools to ensure that their facilities were upgraded instead – improving education for all of us.
“It’s selfishness incarnate to seek to challenge legislation that attempts to make private schools take some responsibility for supporting the public sector & at least goes some way to improving education for all of us.”.
Monday, 6 July 2009
FAIR VOTES FOR DORSET
A campaign for electoral reform as the first step to reforming UK government is being launched by cross party group FAIR VOTES FOR DORSET. It will involve public meetings on what impact a fair voting system would have for us locally & nationally plus a mock election.60% of voters in West Dorset do not vote for Oliver Letwin & 54% of voters in South Dorset didn't vote for Jim Knight. If the whole of Dorset was one constituency with a fairer voting system (ie not one where the winner only needs one more vote than his or her nearest rival) we would certainly have a Green MP as well as Tory, Lib Dem & Labour.I didn't vote until I was over 30 because the system seemed so pointless. As a Green & later a Lib Dem my vote has never counted, because I have always lived in areas where the MP was Conservative.I think it matters because people don't get interested in politics where there's no one they agree with to represent them - loads of other reasons too I know, but if we had a more varied Parliament perhaps the corruption would be less likely ? Anyone agree ? Watch this space for more details.
PIE IN THE SKY OR DANGEROUS SOCIAL ENGINEERING ?
LIB DEM SLAMS TORY VOUCHER PLAN FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Controversial Conservative plans for International Development to be revealed later this week have been described by South Dorset Liberal Democrats as naïve & dangerous.
The plans which would give aid vouchers to millions of people in the poorest parts of the world so that they can shop around for the best private schools & private health services are ludicrous, pie in the sky, & show ignorance of the situation on the ground in developing nations according to South Dorset’s Lib Dem Prospective MP Ros Kayes.
“It’s a nonsense to think that poorer countries have schools or services within easy reach of some of the most poverty stricken neighbourhoods. How can you have choice when there are no services available ? “
An Oxfam spokesman said that the idea was only superficially appealing:
“In many poor countries there are no services available, full stop. There is a chronic shortage of teachers, nurses, doctors, infrastructure & materials”
The plans would also be redeemable for development services of any kind, thus allowing private companies to jump on a gravy train of grants for services, say the Lib Dems.
“This is right wing social policy at its worst” said Ms Kayes “Trying to superimpose the system of inequality which exists in this country onto existing inequalities in the 3rd world instead of investing in free public health & education systems.
If taxpayers money is to be spent in this way it will be an outrage. It also reveals that the Conservatives have changed little in their social agenda since the days of Margaret Thatcher. If they are prepared to do this in Africa, what is their real agenda in the UK ?”
Controversial Conservative plans for International Development to be revealed later this week have been described by South Dorset Liberal Democrats as naïve & dangerous.
The plans which would give aid vouchers to millions of people in the poorest parts of the world so that they can shop around for the best private schools & private health services are ludicrous, pie in the sky, & show ignorance of the situation on the ground in developing nations according to South Dorset’s Lib Dem Prospective MP Ros Kayes.
“It’s a nonsense to think that poorer countries have schools or services within easy reach of some of the most poverty stricken neighbourhoods. How can you have choice when there are no services available ? “
An Oxfam spokesman said that the idea was only superficially appealing:
“In many poor countries there are no services available, full stop. There is a chronic shortage of teachers, nurses, doctors, infrastructure & materials”
The plans would also be redeemable for development services of any kind, thus allowing private companies to jump on a gravy train of grants for services, say the Lib Dems.
“This is right wing social policy at its worst” said Ms Kayes “Trying to superimpose the system of inequality which exists in this country onto existing inequalities in the 3rd world instead of investing in free public health & education systems.
If taxpayers money is to be spent in this way it will be an outrage. It also reveals that the Conservatives have changed little in their social agenda since the days of Margaret Thatcher. If they are prepared to do this in Africa, what is their real agenda in the UK ?”
Friday, 15 May 2009
Tories side-step blame for years of abusing the system ?
Apologies for the blog delay - electioneering hard......So what should be done with them ? Should there be a General Election - or should just some of them resign ? Should we force them to live in the Olympic Village ? At least then the press could get plenty of lurid stories about who's sleeping with whom ?
Seriously though - is it a storm in a tea-cup engineered cleverly by the Tories to champion in a supposedly new era ? - Many of us remember the hilarious 'back to basics' campiagn in the Major era, which outed most of the cabinet, including Major himself - as having a wide variety of affairs, with a wider variety of people.
Surely MPs should be means tested & only those without an alternative income/ directorship at Rothschilds/ private income (Dave Cameron - after all being married to an Astor can't be bad) allowed to claim expenses.
I spoke to a pensioner today who said he was infuriated that Oliver Letwin, with the Rothschilds income, nevertheless claimed £8,000 for his heating bill last year when he, because his pension was £6 over the threshold, was unable to get help for his heating costs. I believe the word obscene came into it.What would you do with them ? Is this a constitutional crisis or just part of the backlash against anyone who is fiddling the system & manages thus to do better than the rest of us ?
And is it right that the Conservatives, many, many of whom have been living in the standard to which they are accustomed for years, should be gaining credit for disciplining their MPs only NOW, when they should have taken the moral high ground about it years ago...... strange that they only just noticed.
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Seriously though - is it a storm in a tea-cup engineered cleverly by the Tories to champion in a supposedly new era ? - Many of us remember the hilarious 'back to basics' campiagn in the Major era, which outed most of the cabinet, including Major himself - as having a wide variety of affairs, with a wider variety of people.
Surely MPs should be means tested & only those without an alternative income/ directorship at Rothschilds/ private income (Dave Cameron - after all being married to an Astor can't be bad) allowed to claim expenses.
I spoke to a pensioner today who said he was infuriated that Oliver Letwin, with the Rothschilds income, nevertheless claimed £8,000 for his heating bill last year when he, because his pension was £6 over the threshold, was unable to get help for his heating costs. I believe the word obscene came into it.What would you do with them ? Is this a constitutional crisis or just part of the backlash against anyone who is fiddling the system & manages thus to do better than the rest of us ?
And is it right that the Conservatives, many, many of whom have been living in the standard to which they are accustomed for years, should be gaining credit for disciplining their MPs only NOW, when they should have taken the moral high ground about it years ago...... strange that they only just noticed.
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Friday, 10 April 2009
LABOUR'S FURTHER ED FUNDING FIASCO
How can this have possibly occurred. ?
The LSC is given huge tranches of capital to encourage building projects; Government extends the future compulsory age of attendance from 16 to 19; the new 14-19 curriculum which will require complete restructuring & massive funding is introduced – with targets on how quickly institutions should be responding - & then it’s all taken away again.
Is the LSC to blame for not keeping proper account of the funds promised to institutions or the Government to blame for not keeping proper account of the LSC ?
All I can say is that a sector vastly underfunded since Thatcher moved FE out of local authority control, which has over the years had to contort itself to the point of deformity to fit the critieria of a variety of government funding fads in order to secure the money to survive - & I say this as a lecturer of some 20 years experience in the sector- is now going to be struggling once again to provide against even greater odds an adequate education to post sixteeners struggling to get the right grades to access places at university which since the onset of recession have become more competitive than ever.
What an awful mess - & you can bet that with the pressure on to provide infrastructural funding that will create jobs in the adult labour force, there won’t be many handouts left to undo the damage.
Like the whole Building Schools for the Future & Diploma programmes this has been ill thought out, poorly planned for & even less effectively monitored. What have the ministers concerned been doing ? It’s hard to believe that in some areas education has suffered even more under Labour than it did under the Tories.
The LSC is given huge tranches of capital to encourage building projects; Government extends the future compulsory age of attendance from 16 to 19; the new 14-19 curriculum which will require complete restructuring & massive funding is introduced – with targets on how quickly institutions should be responding - & then it’s all taken away again.
Is the LSC to blame for not keeping proper account of the funds promised to institutions or the Government to blame for not keeping proper account of the LSC ?
All I can say is that a sector vastly underfunded since Thatcher moved FE out of local authority control, which has over the years had to contort itself to the point of deformity to fit the critieria of a variety of government funding fads in order to secure the money to survive - & I say this as a lecturer of some 20 years experience in the sector- is now going to be struggling once again to provide against even greater odds an adequate education to post sixteeners struggling to get the right grades to access places at university which since the onset of recession have become more competitive than ever.
What an awful mess - & you can bet that with the pressure on to provide infrastructural funding that will create jobs in the adult labour force, there won’t be many handouts left to undo the damage.
Like the whole Building Schools for the Future & Diploma programmes this has been ill thought out, poorly planned for & even less effectively monitored. What have the ministers concerned been doing ? It’s hard to believe that in some areas education has suffered even more under Labour than it did under the Tories.
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