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Donny Demo: Anarchists Storm Doncaster Mansion House (kinda)

14-11-2010 18:10

A large contingent of anarchists (and a couple of hangers on) assembled on the steps of Doncaster Mansion House today to oppose the Tory cuts.

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Welcome to ghetto Sheffield

14-11-2010 17:54

Planned changes to the housing benefit system could permanently alter the economic landscape of Sheffield.

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London Punk Films (78-81) & DJ @ The Cube Cinema - Nov 18th

14-11-2010 17:22

Punk Rock at The Cube - Punk Films & DJ
Heads up for an event happening at The Cube Cinema, Bristol this Thursday...

Encounters at The Cube Presenting: Captain Zip.
Thu 18th Nov / 8pm / £5

Captain Zip filmed the Punk street scene in London from 1978 to 1981, completing nine short films, most of them shot on a clockwork Standard 8mm camera, with one lip-sync. Punk chat film on Super 8.

These vibrant time capsules of one of the most colourful explosions of expression the streets of England have witnessed were largely edited in-camera and have become an important social history resource enabling an inspiring form of time travel to a less politically censored age.

This will be a rare projection of all nine films in their original formats complete with swastikas, water pistol battle (on film), police intervention (on film), and original cement splices that could break at any time. The screening will be attended by Captain Zip.

The seven silent Punk films will be accompanied by a DJ (Steve Cube) playing Punk Rock tunes, from original vinyl.

http://www.cubecinema.com
http://www.movinghistory.ac.uk/archives ... n9zip.html

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Democracy Live? It looks pretty dead to me...

14-11-2010 17:10

Public Notice
Article about a recent House of Lords debate of 8th Nov 2010. Following a question by Baroness Trumpington of the Conservative party asking: "Is any agency responsible the removal of those occupying the pavement in Parliament Square?" , Home Office Minister Baroness Neville-Jones declares the UK government's intention to bring in new legislation to remove the Parliament Square protesters.

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Manchester Anti-Cuts meeting, Wednesday, Central Hall 7:30.

14-11-2010 16:38

There will be a meeting next Wednesday at Central hall, Oldham Street, Manchester city centre to begin discussing and planning how we resist the cuts here in Manchester.

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Vodafone Leaflet - Print and Distribute

14-11-2010 14:26

Print Out. Print an explanation on the back. Hand it out.

Print Out. Print an explanation on the back. Hand it out.

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Students Show the Way – Honours All Round for the Millbank Protesters

14-11-2010 11:26

The University lecturers who described Wednesday’s Student Protest as magnificent were fucking spot on. Thousands of students were involved in the trashing of the Tory Party HQ and despite the media’s howls of outrage it seems most of the country agree (1).

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Notts Cuts Watch #5

14-11-2010 11:26

An (incomplete) overview of how the age of austerity has affected Nottingham and Notinghamshire over the last week or so. This is largely culled from various local media outlets, so apologies for some of the dodgy analysis.

Ashfield District Council

THE LEADER of Ashfield District Council has warned of tough times ahead after Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that councils across England would have their funding slashed by 7.1% a year for four years.

“People have yet to feel the real impact of these cuts,” said Coun Knight.

“But make no mistake, while the announcements that have been made in London seem remote and unfathomable at present, all cuts are local ultimately.

“For a district like Ashfield, which has a high proportion of residents who rely on their council in some way, whether through social housing, benefits, or supported care for the elderly or children, this is going to be a hard, difficult time.”

Council leader warns of ‘hard times’ ahead, Hucknall Dispatch

Health

1) WORKPLACE nurseries at Bassetlaw and Doncaster hospitals will close due to major money pressures, health chiefs have announced.

The decision to shut the Sunshine and Carousel nurseries, based at Bassetlaw Hospital and Doncaster Royal Infirmary respectively, was made last week “with a heavy heart”, says Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals Foundation Trust.

But health chiefs have refuted claims by MP John Mann that this could be the start of moves to eventually close the hospital itself and sell the site.

Hospital nurseries to close at Bassetlaw and Doncaster due to money pressures, Retford Times

2) HEALTH services for children, long term illnesses and substance misuse in Bassetlaw look set to be managed by a provider outside the district under new plans.

NHS Bassetlaw last week announced the names of the local organisations it wants to take over management of the community services which are currently provided by its arms- length organisation, Bassetlaw Community Health.

The Government has asked Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to transfer all their front line services to new providers by March 31, 2011.

Health services to be managed by out-of-county bodies in NHS reorganisation, Retford Times

Housing

1) MINISTERS have confirmed the Government is to change the way councils apply for money to upgrade housing.

It said it would commit £2 billion to the previous administration’s Decent Home Programme to upgrade social housing – £900 million less than Labour had promised.

Government confirms changes to Decent Home Programme, Nottingham Post

2) THE company that runs council housing in Bassetlaw has sent out a letter to tenants warning them of big potential cuts to the warden service.

In the letter, A1 Housing says Notts County Council’s Supporting People team, which funds much of the warden service, could have its budget cut from 47 per cent to 68 per cent.

It warns that any reduction in funding would mean cuts to the warden service.

The possible cuts mapped out in the letter were:

No on-site sheltered warden

A quarterly visiting service only

No weekly or monthly visiting warden to bungalows or flats

No out of hours warden call-out service

A1 Housing added that it will be urging Notts County Council to rethink the proposed level of cuts and also reminded tenants to make their views on the subject known.

Council tenants warned of potential big cuts to support services, Retford Times

3) ALMOST 15,000 people across Notts will be hit by Government cuts to housing benefit – with some losing out by as much as £50 per week.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions have revealed how much people in the county will lose on average, depending on how many bedrooms they have.

The Government has said people living in a one bedroom house or flat in the city will lose an average of £15 per week, but those in a five-bed house will lose an average of £30 per week. In Rushcliffe the figures are the highest in the county, at £15 and £51 respectively.

How much housing benefit will you lose out on? Nottingham figures revealed, Nottingham Post

Law

Representations on why Newark Magistrates’ Court and County Court should be saved were never received by the judge overseeing a review into which courts should close.

According to the chairman of the Newark bench, Mrs Pam White, Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Goldring admitted, at a chairman of benches meeting in Birmingham, those representations must have gone astray.

They will be resent as a matter of urgency.

Lord Justice Goldring favours closure of the Newark courts, with one reason being the absence of local representations to the contrary.

The closure of Worksop and Retford are also favoured, which would leave Nottinghamshire with only Mansfield and Nottingham magistrates’ courts. Newark cases would be heard at Nottingham.

A decision is expected on December 14.

The case against court closure goes astray, Newark Advertiser

Nottingham City Council

1) WHEN Nottingham City Council set its budget for this financial year, it had to find £18 million in savings.

Services for people with learning disabilities, the elderly and the deaf community were affected and 200 job losses were expected.

Now it is looking to find almost three times as much to balance the books for next year – and more than 700 jobs are feared to be at risk.

Unison have said they expect anything up to about 1,000 job losses.

City Council to reduce services and cut jobs to find extra £50m

2) The local election is on next May and if people wrote to their councillors to raise their concerns about the lack of action over Discretionary Housing Paymentss and their concern about the post benefit cuts future they might take a bit of notice.

Take Action Over Discretionary Housing Payments, NCC LOLs

Nottinghamshire County Council

A GOVERNMENT Minister has said he is “opposed to high salaries in the public sector” after an MP raised concerns over the amount paid to Nottinghamshire County Council’s improvement director.

Labour MP Vernon Coaker highlighted the issue over the £110,000 salary in August.

In his written response, Conservative MP Grant Shapps said the Department for Communities and Local Government was calling for more transparency on workforce and pay matters in local government.

He said the department had published draft guidance calling on councils to publish online information on their most senior salaries and all spending over £500.

But he said it would be inappropriate for ministers to intervene any local authority recruitment exercise

Government Minister responds to concerns over high salary for council employee

Parking

NOTTINGHAM City Council has been criticised after raising some of its city centre car parking charges by more than three times the rate of inflation.

The price for parking at Broadmarsh, Trinity Square and Fletcher Gate multi-storey car parks for up to two hours has risen from £2.80 to £3.10, an increase of more than 10 per cent. Inflation is running at 3.1 per cent.

Parking for up to three hours in these car parks has increased by more than six per cent, from £4.50 to £4.80, and for four hours it has gone up from £5.80 to £6.

There have also been increases at Brook Street car park and Canal Street car park.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transport at the Labour-controlled city council, defended the increase, which she brought in on October 18.

Mrs Urquhart said: "The decision has come in a very challenging financial environment where, as a result of decisions by the new Government, our own sources of funding are decreasing and we need to cover our own costs by developing our commercial services.

City centre car parking charges increased by three times the rate of inflation, Nottingham Post

Private sector

MORE than 40 construction jobs are to go in Nottingham after the company, Rok, went into administration.

The Exeter-based builders called in administrators on Monday amid growing financial difficulties.

The Nottingham operation followed Rok’s acquisition of Sol Construction four years ago for £19 million.

Around 3,800 jobs face an uncertain future nationally.

Administrators PwC said 42 construction jobs would go in Nottingham, while nine jobs were being retained to progress debt collection and retentions.

40 jobs go at Rok in Nottingham, Nottingham Post

Schools

1) CAMPAIGNERS say the clock is ticking to draw up a plan of action against the proposed closure of Gedling School.

A campaign group called 40 Days to Save Gedling School has been set up to underline the time until Notts County Council makes a decision over the school’s future.

The council’s cabinet is due to decide on December 15 whether to consult on a recommendation for a phased closure of the 639-pupil school from August 2012.

Campaigners stress time is ticking to form anti-Gedling School closure plan, Nottingham Post

2) Campaigners are making a final push for people to sign a petition calling for desperately needed investment in Newark’s secondary schools before a Government minister visits the town.

The Support Our Schools Campaign wants at least 5,000 names on the petition, which will be handed to schools minister Lord Hill a week on Tuesday.

Lord Hill is set to visit the Grove, Orchard and Magnus schools, which require rebuilding or major refurbishment.

The petition can be signed online at sos-newark.btck.co.uk

Final push for schools, Newark Advertiser

University

1) STUDENTS coming to Nottingham will have to pay enough tuition fees to plug a £112 million black-hole in its two universities’ budgets, it has been claimed.

Coalition ministers have already announced they will allow universities to increase fees to recoup money lost because of cuts to Government funding.

But the Labour Party has commissioned research it claims reveals the scale of cuts fee-paying students will be asked to cover.

The statistics suggest the University of Nottingham will have 48 per cent, some £45 million, cut from its central teaching grant, while Nottingham Trent could have 86 per cent – some £67 million – of its teaching grant slashed.

City students to plug £112m fees black hole, it is claimed, Nottingham Post

2) Around 650 students from the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, Castle College and New College Nottingham were among 50,000 who descended on the capital on Wednesday to rally against Government plans to cut higher education cash and remove a cap on university tuition fees.

However, the demonstration descended into violence when a group of protesters smashed their way into the headquarters of the Conservative Party at Millbank Tower.

Nottingham students condemn education protest violence, Nottingham Post
Nottingham Students Make their Mark, University of Nottingham Students Union

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Anti-cuts protest, Tues Nov 16th, Bath

14-11-2010 11:23

On Tuesday the 16th of Nov, the Tory controlled BaNES council will meet to vote in a devastating round of spending cuts. We will be there to let them know that every cut will be resisted - but we need your help to make it work!
This is a callout for as many people from Bath, Bristol and beyond to protest the BaNES spending cuts, and cuts nationally at the upcoming Full BaNES council meeting.

What: Full BaNES council meeting to vote on the cuts
Where: Guildhall, Bath
When: Tuesday 16th Nov - protest starts at 5.30pm, council meeting starts at 6.30pm

For more info, or e copies of posters and flyers, drop us an email at bathagainstcuts@yahoo.co.uk

See you all on the streets!

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NUJ suspends BBC strike action

14-11-2010 11:23

The BBC strike that was planned for this Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 November is suspended.
The NUJ has suspended the strike action that was planned for this Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 November, after it was agreed to have talks between the BBC and the NUJ next week. The suspension was also conditional on the BBC rescinding disciplinary action against members overseas who took part in successful strike action last week, and the BBC has now done so.

The NUJ remains committed to trying to make the talks successful and reach a negotiated settlement, but if the BBC fails to engage in any meaningful way, then BBC reps have agreed to call further strike action.

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London demo against Western Sahara Killings

14-11-2010 10:14

Whilst tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Spain against the brutal removal of a protest camp in Western Sahara, an angry demonstration was also being held outside the Moroccan Embassy in London.

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Airlines workers protest, appeals to Philippine President to stop layoff

14-11-2010 09:11

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) today returned to Mendiola for a rally to appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to stop the mass layoff of 2,600 employees at Philippine Airlines (PAL). PALEA submitted a formal petition to the Office of the President appealing for presidential intervention to suspend the implementation of the Baldoz decision pending its review.

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Gerry Adams to Stand for Election in the Irish Free State

14-11-2010 06:45

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is set to announce later he intends standing for the Dail or the parliament in the south of Ireland, in the next election. Mr Adams will deliver an address at the Edentubber Commemoration in County Louth later on Sunday.

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Use HTTPS Everywhere to connect to Indymedia securely by default

14-11-2010 03:25

Link to a website which shows you how to use HTTPS Everywhere, a Firefox extension, to connect to Indymedia.org.uk (and others) using the HTTPS protocol by default. This will encrypt your connection so that it can't be snooped on.

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Canadian furmongers delay Israeli ban on fur

14-11-2010 02:19

Israeli legislation wrote in an exception for the fur hats worn
by Orthodox Rabbis (the Pope's ermine has also become an issue)
... essentially it is Canadian fursellers delaying the passage of the
bill which would make Israel the world's first country to ban fur.

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Bulgarians protest Putin's visit on South Stream project

13-11-2010 23:43

south stream
Protests were held against the signing of a gas pipeline deal between Russia and Bulgaria by activists in Sofia during the Russian prime minister's visit.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ob3aG19aVI

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How LEGO helps BAe train future drone designers

13-11-2010 21:33

British Aerospace Engineering (BAe) , the world's biggest arms manufacturer , has teamed up with educational toy makers LEGO to introduce school children to the design of drones through its sponsorship of FIRST LEGO Leagues .