All-purpose news and politics thread: One Step Beyond!

**king mob** · 08-06-2012, 11:19 AM

On a good month to bury bad news, this broke today and it's fucking awful news.

A graduate has lost her legal challenge to a government scheme which she says forces people to work without pay.

Cait Reilly, a University of Birmingham geology graduate, had argued that making her work unpaid at a Poundland store for two weeks or risk losing her benefits was a breach of human rights.

The scheme was ruled lawful by the High Court, but letters setting out possible sanctions should be clearer, it said.

The government said its letters were clear and would contest that finding.

Miss Reilly's fellow claimant, unemployed heavy goods vehicle driver Jamie Wilson, was told that his Jobseeker's Allowance would be stopped after he refused to take part in the Community Action Programme, which his lawyers said would have involved him working unpaid for 30 hours per week for six months.

Lawyers representing the pair were trying to get their back-to-work schemes declared unlawful under article four of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits both forced labour and slavery.

The judge, Mr Justice Foskett, however, said this was "a long way from contemporary thinking".

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the comparison with slave labour was "ridiculous".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19146347

The result of this is that it allows the coalition to push workfare even harder and essentially have unpaid labour for jobs which should have a wage attached to them.

**bringthenoise** · 08-06-2012, 11:37 AM

And then act confused as to why the economy isn't growing now businesses don't have to actually pay for workers any more. Fucking twats.

**Alan Lynch** · 08-06-2012, 02:08 PM

The really worrying thing is that there will be voters who think these abhorrent policies will work, somehow, eventually. My dad for instance, over dinner tonight, was defending this stuff. As well as the way the government is treating the sick.

We don't talk politics much.

**Vibranium** · 08-06-2012, 02:45 PM

that'll happen when you have 1) people desperate for work 2) companies that don't give a f***, know people are desperate and will take whatever they are given

similar situation at my current job...we did an open call for hiring last year and almost 100 people showed up...all from different walks showed up....we had people with masters degrees showing up because they had been out of work a year or more...and we don't pay squat...I only stay here because its close to my house

**Charles RB** · 08-06-2012, 03:37 PM

The argument is that workfare is valuable work experience that will help them get jobs - except there have to BE jobs, and jobs where that sort of experience is relevant. And there aren't enough of those, and less if workfare is covering some of it.

**Charles RB** · 08-06-2012, 03:44 PM

Clegg has given up on Lords reform, and he's not a happy bunny:

Plans to reform the House of Lords are being abandoned after Conservatives "broke the coalition contract", Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has announced... As a result, he said Lib Dem MPs could not now support Conservative-driven changes to Commons boundaries in 2015.

The Tory backbench will go into a frenzy over this.

If the Lib Dems stick to their guns on this, and they probably will, that's a big impact on the next election - no boundry changes to harm Labour or benefit the Tories.

**Vibranium** · 08-06-2012, 04:02 PM

hold the line and all that

**Iangould** · 08-06-2012, 05:41 PM

Considering the amount of bad blood between the LibDems and the Tories, is there a chance the coalition will collapse before the general election?

**ChadH** · 08-06-2012, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by 7thangel

an update on the despicable mass shooting

Wade Michael Page Identified as Wisconsin Temple Shooter

Sikh Temple shooter possible neo-Nazi

After sustaining 8-9 gunshot wounds the policeman reportedly told the other officers to tend to the other victims first.

Click image for larger version.

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**the4thpip** · 08-07-2012, 01:42 AM

Televangelist Pat Robertson on Monday reviewed the case of a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left at least seven dead and came to the conclusion that places of worship were being attacked because “people who are atheists, they hate God.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/0...ists-hate-god/

**bringthenoise** · 08-07-2012, 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by Iangould

Considering the amount of bad blood between the LibDems and the Tories, is there a chance the coalition will collapse before the general election?

I'd say there is, although I think the push for it will come from the Tory backbenches (who think everything would be rosy if only they could just KICK THE POOR HARDER) rather than the Lib Dems (who have figured out that they're all toast as soon as the next election comes up).

**Spike-X** · 08-07-2012, 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by the4thpip

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/0...ists-hate-god/

When are people going to stop putting microphones in front of hateful, worthless pieces of shit like Pat Robertson? Not every viewpoint is equal. Not every viewpoint deserves to be heard. Especially when all they're doing is making up lies in order to turn human beings against each other.

**Paradox** · 08-07-2012, 03:19 AM

Because, unfortunately, Robertson has his OWN microphone. It's not like reporters crowd around him for his opinion, he just broadcasts his drivel daily.