jeffs posts
hears whot Dennisskinner writes about this woman Rona Fairhead, new Minister for International Trade was former HSBC chair of audit.
It's the equivalent of Harold Shipman running the NHS
Rona Fairhead: With people like this in charge of banks – and then going on to important roles in Conservative-led governments, can either the banks or the government be trusted to do what’s right for UK citizens? [Image: David Hartley/Rex/Shutterstock.]
Rona Fairhead was well-known to be a Conservative when she was appointed as chair of the BBC Trust. I commented on her political persuasion here and here.
It turns out she was also chair of HSBC’s audit committee when the bank was mired in tax avoidance and money laundering scandals. It also transpires that George Osborne, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, warned the US government not to press criminal charges against HSBC for allowing terrorists and drug dealers to launder millions of dollars.
One has to question whether Mr Osborne would have – if he had been editing the Evening Standard at the time – discouraged reporters there from writing about HSBC, as happened at the Daily Telegraph. Ah, but of course the Torygraph had recently benefited from a stonkingly huge HSBC loan – £250 million. That kind of money can seal a lot of laptops.
But then again, it was alleged earlier this year that HSBC laundered £5 million into Conservative Party hands, in advance of the 2010 general election. Would that be enough to buy George Osborne’s loyalty? I leave that to your own judgement.
Meanwhile, Ms Fairhead is now the Tory minister in charge of trade and export promotion, after being rewarded with a peerage for… well, for being involved in lots of scandals, apparently.
Tories have ‘form’ in this respect – former HSBC chairman Stephen Green quit his job (after the bank was involved in the scandals listed above) to become a Tory peer and minister of state for trade and investment in 2011.
Stephen Green: With people like this in charge of banks – and then going on to important roles in Conservative-led governments, can either the banks or the government be trusted to do what’s right for UK citizens?
Here‘s the Guardian‘s piece on Ms Fairhead’s appointment:
The former chair of the BBC Trust Rona Fairhead has been appointed as an international trade minister with a life peerage, Downing Street has announced.
Fairhead will replace Mark Price, the former Waitrose managing director who quit after a year as trade policy minister. The MP Greg Hands has taken over the policy role, and Fairhead’s title will be minister for trade and export promotion.
Fairhead was the chief executive of the Financial Times Group before taking on the BBC role, from which she resigned after Theresa May indicated that she would have to reapply for the job to which she had been appointed by David Cameron.
Fairhead was the chair of HSBC’s audit committee when the bank admitted to “past compliance and control failures” in the group, after it was mired in a tax avoidance row uncovered by the Guardian’s HSBC files investigation.
Posted by jeffrey davie on 30 September 2017
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jeffs posts
Todays announcement re changes to ESA work capability test sounded on surface potentially good news, but they are lying bastards as per usual with conference season under way this week for the Conservative Party. We are being lured into a false sense of security.
ESA claimants in the support group and UC claimants with limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) attending a Work Capability Assessment from 29 September 2017 will no longer need to be reassessed if it finds that they:
have a severe, lifelong disability, illness or health condition
are unlikely to ever be able to move into work
Claimants will be told if they will not be reassessed following their WCA.
This change does not affect:
ESA claimants placed in the work-related activity group
UC claimants who are found to have limited capability for work
What does this mean in plain english and not weasel words? Well as we are all aware Full Service Universal Credit is starting to be wheeled out at the this month in tranches across the UK with 318 councils eventually going full service by Sept 2018. This means if after Sept 2017 you get support group status after a WCA you will no longer face reassessment and we await that list of conditions Minister Penny Mourdant is quoted as saying will be released shortly.
Do not be fooled by these charlatans you will still face assessments as IR ESA is being incorporated into Universal Credit which will be classed as a new claim and award it is only then you will not face reassessment!
Updated info :
After November 2018 claimants on old style benefits will be ‘migrated’ on to UC, without them having to make a new claim or have any change.
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•The Government intends to give some temporary transitional protection to claimants they migrate if they are worse off on UC.
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•Transitional protection would end when there is a significant change of circumstances, or over time
There is no condition based entitlement to Employment Support Allowance.
Rather than a list of specific medical conditions, the criteria will be based on identifying claimants with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity.
This change will come into effect in autumn 2017 and will apply to those placed in Employment and Support Allowance’s Support Group and the Universal Credit equivalent.
We are currently working with stakeholders to develop the new criteria and, when finalised, the amended guidance will be incorporated into the Work Capability Assessment Handbook published annually on GOV.UK. This change will be reflected in the summer 2018 update.
Posted by jeffrey davies on 29 September 2017
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jeffs posts
Debbie Abrahams just laid down the gauntlet – but does the DWP, let alone the Tories, have the courage to pick it up?
In her speech at the Labour Party Conference, she very clearly stated about sick and disabled people, that “with dwindling social security support, too many are dying early, and even taking their own lives.”
The DWP has stubbornly refused to accept any such connection between its treatment of benefit claimants and suicide – and the Conservatives have demanded that their legislation has absolutely nothing to do with deaths.
But Debbie Abrahams just came right out and said it.
And Labour is going to form a government – sooner, rather than later, This Writer suspects.
What will the DWP say then? And, more to the point, will there be an investigation into who is responsible for the many thousands of deaths caused by current DWP policy?
Here’s the relevant part of her speech:
The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recently reported that this Government’s policies were leading to a ‘human catastrophe’. Increasingly, sick and disabled people are facing poverty and isolation. As my Disability Equality Roadshow revealed, many feel like prisoners in their own homes; with dwindling social security support, too many are dying early, and even taking their own lives.
As we promised in our Manifesto with and for disabled people, Labour will deliver on the rights of disabled people, enshrining the UN Convention into UK law.
Conference, a Labour Government will transform our social security system from one that demonises, to one that is supportive and enabling. Like the NHS, it should be there for any one of us in our time of need, providing dignity and security for all.
Posted by jeffrey davies on 27 September 2017
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