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Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Atos has been shortlisted for the PIP contract, despite being criticised for its handling of work capability assessments.
The Department for Work and Pensions has just announced the 10 private companies on the shortlist to deliver the personal independence payment (PIP) assessments, which everyone receiving disability living allowance will have to undergo from next year when DLA is replaced by PIPs. With 3.2 million captive customers, not to mention a monopoly on all new claimants, it's not hard to see the appeal of the contract for profit-hungry companies untroubled by the ethics of slashing 20% from the money provided to disabled people to help them meet some of the basic expenses that living with a disability inevitably incurs. Take Atos, for example, the French multinational, responsible for handling the deeply flawed work capability assessments. Despite huge levels of criticism from individuals and charities that the test is not "fit for purpose", widespread inaccuracies in the assessment process (40% of appeals against Atos decisions are successful), and exte nsive anecdotal reports of farcical levels of incompetence on the part of the assessors, the DWP has shortlisted Atos for the contract to deliver PIP assessments in every available region. And then there's the outsourcing giant, Serco, excluded from the Norwegian government's investment portfolio because of its involvement in nuclear arms. Serco is shortlisted by the British government to provide "independent" assessments of disabled people. Personally, I'd very much rather my contributions went towards supporting some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society than into the coffers of companies such as these.
Clare Allan, The Guardian
Related Links:
Tricia Phillips, Mirror
Ilkeston Advertiser
Grimsby Telegraph
It’s been 10 years, 1 month and nine days since the News of the World hacked Milly Dowler’s phone. Five days ago Rupert Murdoch admitted there was a cover up at News Corporation. We found that News Corporation carried out an extensive cover-up of its rampant lawbreaking. It’s most senior executives repeatedly misled Parliament and the two men at the top, Rupert and James Murdoch – who were in charge of the company – must now answer for that. In the view of the majority of committee members Rupert Murdoch is not fit to run and international company like BSkyB. I’m disappointed that some members didn’t feel sufficiently convinced or confident to hold the most powerful to account. It is my personal view that we should embark on an investigation into the relationship between ministers, special advisers and lobbyists working for News International and BSkyB. They brought shame on our police force and our Parliament. One Click Note: Tom Watson says that the media has brought shame on our police force as if it is no fault of their own, that when the police were bribed they simply couldn't help themselves despite having taken an oath to uphold the law. Such bollox. The electorate will never wear it. Although Murdoch's activities are being meticulously exposed, the Establishment is deluded if it believes that hanging Murdoch companies out to dry will be sufficient to douse what all the rest of the media and those in public office have been up to for years. WHY are the Motorman files not being placed in the public domain? THIS is the Establishment cover-up scandal that refuses to die.
Tom Watson MP
Related Links:
Ellie Mae O'Hagan, New Statesman
Simon Tomlin, News Alliance UK
Information Release, Guido Fawkes
Information Release
Inforrm's Blog
David Gilbertson, The Guardian
Hacked Off press release
The One Click Group
Well, well, well. The Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport has issued its report on phone-hacking and it’s very critical of the Digger. But guess what? The MPs on the Committee are divided, with the Tories balking at attacking the Sun King. The Guardian has a lovely infographic which nicely captures the extent of their terror.
John Naughton, Memex 1.1
Related Links:
Sunny Hundal, Liberal Conspiracy
Investment bankers are to blame for the credit crunch that has beggared nations, but what about financial mathematicians? As the result of the credit crunch, most workers in the UK are watching their real incomes fall and their pension rights eroded. Those out of work have little prospect of finding a job in the foreseeable future. There is a big squeeze in expenditure on education, health, welfare, and almost every essential service we have come to expect the state to provide. Worst of all, young people finishing their education are finding it very hard to get started in the jobs market. By the end of the first quarter in 2012, UK is back in recession. Meanwhile, the bankers largely responsible for what has happened, and who would be out of business if the taxpayers hadn’t handed over £90 billion to bail them out continue to draw huge salaries with bonuses on top. Why should those who are the most responsible for the financial disaster contin ue to see their standard of living rise year by year when the rest of us get poorer and poorer? Ever since the deregulation “Big Bang” of 1986, the UK economy has become more and more dependent on financial services. Successive governments have talked about promoting industry but it has been the City that got what it wanted, including the “light touch” regulation that encouraged the bubble to expand so dangerously. However much the doyens of financial mathematics like to absolve themselves from blame, they bear major responsibility for providing the tools that enable one group of people (themselves included) to get prodigiously rich and beggar the rest of society. It is time for aspiring mathematicians to wake up and consider their social responsibility and ideals as well as the beauty of mathematics. If financial bankers are losing their jobs, there certainly are not going to be many more jobs in financial mathematics either.
Prof. Peter Saunders and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, Institute of Science in Society
Coffin reserved for the corrupt IPCC
I had the privilege to attend the protest – Abolish the Corrupt IPCC. By some standards, it was attended by only a small crowd of people, but I felt that despite the size it was the most effective I’d attended. It was a resounding success. Speeches were made by numerous people who were victims of criminal police and who then testified that they received no satisfaction from their complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). These included: deaths in custody, beatings, failure to investigate effectively, corruption and falsifying evidence. Victims of rape were represented, women and girls who despite experiencing this heinous crime, received no justice. After being failed by the police they were subsequently failed by the IPCC. Imagine it, being violated in that way, fighting for justice and yet the fiend walks free!
Dave Knight, Human Rights Blog
Related Links:
Press Release, Campaign4Justice
Ellie Mae O'Hagan, New Statesman
David Gilbertson, The Guardian
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Lisa Simpson gives Bart a blow job:
official London Olympics logo
(Caption courtesy of One Click)
The owner of a flats complex to be used as an army missile base during the London Olympics is facing a legal challenge over its decision to lease roof space to the military. A resident of the Bow Quarter estate is challenging the legality of a deal between the company that owns the freehold and the Ministry of Defence to site a battery of surface-to-air missiles to guard against potential airborne terrorist attacks. "We have appointed lawyers with a view to making a legal challenge to the management company's decision to allow the MoD to install the rockets here," said Brian Whelan, a resident. "They didn't consult with us and they have neglected their duty to ask the residents' opinions about this." Some residents fear the high-velocity missile system, to be fitted on a water tower with clear views of the skies above the Olympic park, could make the complex more vulnerable to attack. Ten soldiers will operate the weapons at all times, possibly with armed police protection. In all, 51 different police forces are now sending officers to support Olympic security; 12,500 police will be involved in the Games, and 13,500 members or the armed forces.
Robert Booth and Nick Hopkins, The Guardian
Related Links:
Cory Doctorow, boingboing
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