Victims of Social Cleansing to be dumped in Merthyr.

Both Valleys Mam and Jac O' the North  news  in the Guardian that Local authorities in London are preparing to send thousands of homeless families to live in temporary homes outside the capital, in defiance of ministerial demands that people should continue to be housed locally. 

Guardian research shows London councils have acquired rental properties in Luton, Northampton, Broxbourne, Gravesend, Dartford, Slough, Windsor, Margate, Hastings, Epping Forest, Thurrock and Basildon, and are considering accommodation as far away as Manchester, Hull, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham and Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales.

They say rising rents in London coupled with the introduction next April of stringent benefit caps leave them in an impossible position, with no option but to initiate an outflow of poorer families from the capital by placing homeless households in cheaper areas, often many miles from their home borough. Draft guidance issued by ministers in May says councils must "as far as is reasonably practicable" offer accommodation for homeless families within the borough

The Guardian point out that 

Although it had been anticipated that affordable private rents in expensive inner city areas such as Westminster would be scarce, the acute housing shortage in the capital means market rents outstrip benefit cap levels in cheaper outer London boroughs including Haringey, Waltham Forest, and Barking and Dagenham.
Families have already begun to move from inner London to outer boroughs, with more expected from this month as transitional support for families affected by the housing benefit caps runs out. The government had hoped the housing benefit reforms would force landlords to reduce rents to within cap limits.
But councils say the demand for private rented property from tenants priced out of the housing market means most landlords see no reason to drop rents, and a substantial number say they will no longer consider renting to people who are claiming housing benefit. 

  Guardian 4th November 2012

Whilst we can sympathise with these London Boroughs who themselves are victims of  the "Social Cleansing "of the affluent boroughs like Westminster, due to the Con/ Lib Dem policy  it is ridiculous to suggest sending people to Merthyr one of the poorest parts of the UK will solve any problems for as the Guardian reported only last year

If you happen to be unemployed and live in Merthyr Tydfil, you face the worst chances of finding work locally in Britain. That's one of the findings of an interesting set of job statistics published by GMB, a general workers' union, at its annual congress earlier this week.
GMB has pulled data from the Office for National Statistics, taking the number of live unfilled vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus offices and setting it against the total number of jobseeker's allowance claimants for each area. So in Merthyr Tydfil, the GMB calculates there is a ratio of 32.7 claimants for every live unfilled vacancy

Guardian   8 June 201

So there's no work for those living there and sending even more unemployed people to Merthyr Even if these boroughs pay their benefits will hardly be a boost.

The argument will be that these boroughs still be responsible for these people who are dumped outside . But for how long ? Will they provide for the next generation if they are still living in Merthyr when they seek accommodation outside of of the family ?

The real danger here if it carries out that people will blaim those dispossessed people, forced to move to Merthyr and other area and not those responsible for the policy.

Huw Lewis Merthyr Am and  Wales' housing, regeneration and heritage minister said: "

This is exactly what we have been warning of in terms of the impact the of the UK Government's savage cuts to housing and other benefits."Local authorities do not possess the details of which local area a housing benefit claimant has come from."However, I am very concerned about the potential for a significant increase in the movement of homeless households into Wales as a result of placement by English local authorities who are no longer able to afford to house them in London and parts of the south East due to higher rents and that UK government's housing benefit cap."We are already in the midst of hugely challenging times in terms of meeting the housing need of Welsh people and this will only be exacerbated if local authorities in England are being forced to send people out of area in order to meet the UK government's new regime. I will be commissioning an urgent review to identify the scale of the problem that we could be facing."

What he can do to prevent this is doubtful and of course he has a problem that the AM from a Welsh Government that has failed Merthyr since the formation of the Welsh Assembly may be reluctant to point out that their constituency is such a economic blackspot that sending even more unemployed there is ridiculous.

As I said we must fight these proposals on the grounds that Merthyr has enough socio economics problems but we must not use rhetoric that attacks the poors sods who will be thwe victims of this Social Cleansing and direct our anger at those responsible the Coalition Government who started it.

Abuse Inquiry: Should it be the Assembly taking the lead.

Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered an investigation into whether the North Wales child abuse inquiry “properly did its job” following allegations a senior Tory was involved.

The Prime Minister said he was taking action to make sure the “truly dreadful” claims were not left “hanging in the air”.

The independent investigation will look at whether the Waterhouse Inquiry, held 12 years ago into abuse at the Bryn Estyn children’s home in the 1970s and 1980s, was “properly constituted”.

Meanwhile Wales' First Minister Carwyn Jones also told his monthly press conference today that he was "considering the allegation"s.

I hope that there will be no turf war on this between Cardiff Bay and Westminster how an enquiry  should tale place but it does seem that Carwyn Jones should have acted quicker on this,and although it is vital that such allegations are not lost in a Westminster Bureaucracy and the Welsh Assembly Government argument the latter must not be bullied into silence or feel its cannot interfere in this .

If there's any problems of  with regards responsibility for investigating this then Carwyn Jones and Welsh Secretary Davis Jones should sort this out immediately.


The problem is with  Cameron's statement  commitment is that he wants to investigating the inquiry rather than reopening it 

The Waterhouse inquiry was a three-year, £13m investigation into sexual abuse at a number of care homes in north Wales between 1974 and 1990. A report published in 2000 resulted in policy changes and 140 compensation claims from victims.

The tribunal, led by Sir Ronald Waterhouse, heard evidence from over 650 people who were in 40 homes. The aftermath of the investigation saw the appointment of a children's commissioner for Wales. An independent investigation will now look at whether the inquiry was "properly constituted"


Steve Messham, one of the victims, said that at the time it was made clear to him what he could say to the Waterhouse inquiry.  He was one of hundreds who were sexually abused during that period  but he maintained that 30% of what he wanted to say was ruled out at the time as outside the terms of reference. 

He has said that there's, No point in investigating the inquiry but wants the allegations investigated.

Meanwhile Plaid leader Leanne Wood hasd appealed in the social media for those abused to contact her.

“Anyone who wants to contact me confidentially regarding abuse allegations in the north of Wales please e mail me at mailto:leanne.wood@wales.gov.uk”

She added

“The overriding aim in gathering evidence on abuse allegations is to provide an avenue that victims feel confident in making the first step to recounting vital evidence.  “While some people may be entirely comfortable reporting abuse to the police, others will not.  Some people may prefer to approach the office of a female Assembly Member.  I’m offering these people, who may have lost confidence in institutions for whatever reason, the opportunity to contact my office in the strictest of confidence. “Only this morning my office was contacted by a friend of an abuse victim who said they were not comfortable reporting their allegations to the police because of the way they had been treated in the past. “Victims need to have confidence in taking that first step to reporting crimes committed against them. I am more than happy to provide an opportunity for them to do so and to explore all other means by which victims can come forwards.”

Her Channel 4 interview can be seen here  


I am loath to use this post to point out that this once again reflects the inadequacies of the devolution settlement but it would be better if the Assembly position on in this and it should n.t have to wait for the British Prime Minister to react in a speech in Abu Dhabi.

Would the Scottish Parliament wait for Westminster to take the lead?

Rotten Apple

So Apple join the list of US companies who are accused of Tax avoidance when it was revealed that they  paid less than 2% tax on profit made outside the United States last year.

The iPhone and iPad maker paid $713m (£445m) in overseas corporation tax on foreign profits of $36.87bn (£23bn) in the year to the end of September. That translates as a tax rate of 1.9%, compared to a headline corporation tax rate of 35% in the US and 24% in the UK.

The details were revealed in Apple's 10K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Of course  Apple has not broken any laws by arranging its tax payments this way, but  together with Google, Amazon and Starbucks it  reflects t the astonishingly small amount of tax US multinationals pay in the U opposed to what they pay in the US itself

Analysis by the Guardian found that Google, Amazon, Starbucks and Facebook have paid just £30m in tax over the past four years despite generating more than £3.1bn in sales.

Apple may pay some income taxes on its profit to the country in which it sells its products, but it minimizes them by using various accounting moves to shift profits to countries with low tax rates. For example the strategy known as "Double Irish With a Dutch Sandwich," routes profits through Irish and Dutch subsidiaries and then to the Caribbean.


Other multinational corporations also use such tax techniques, which are legal but hardly ethical.

But even so Ireland charges 12.5%, compared with Britain's 24%.


It is time the UK government act and start closing these loopholes and this means that the European Union must also ensure that companies pay the appropriate tax in the countries where they are clearly operating,

One means could be to have a unified corporation tax rate Tax system throughout the EU but this is unlikely to happen, and nations should have the right to set their own Tax rates anyway.

But that doesn't mean that companies should be able to claim to be operating from another country when they clearly have a substantial base in another. 

A simple rule could be  that a company that has a given percentage of Stores or employees per population  in a  EU  state should deemed to be operating from that country and pay that countries corporation tax rate there  .

These companies who like to claim  to be ethical are behaving like old time colonialist thinking the rules do not apply to them.

In some cases like Starbucks they are helping to put small independent companies out of business as they cannot compete with a multinational when they have to pay Tax and the big boys seem to appear they don't have to.

Of course the major Parties will all claim that they are appalled by this and will claim that they are seeking  to take action but this has taken place under the governance of Labour as well as the Conservatives (and their new Lib Dem partners) who are in thrall to these companies.

We need action on this now and the government should concentrate its efforts on ending Tax avoidance instead of attacking the welfare state and using  the poor and dispossessed as a Scapegoat for the countries financial woes caused by their Tax avoiding friends.  

Obama probably the only choice.

The Presidential Election in America looks to close to call  with Obama  and Romney  running neck and neck and even the swing states look they could go either way .

I suspect that a huge majority of people in Wales will be hoping for an Obama victory despite the disappointment  that  his four  year tenure has failed to match the oratory and message of hope that we saw in the run up to the election

Of course Obama problem has been  that he has spent the last four years effectively running for re-election since his inauguration and with the need to keep both houses of Congress on side even when the democrats were in a majority in them, meant that the role of the most powerful man in the world (but China's leader must be a contender) is much more limited than we often give credit.


As this morning Observer says

The messages of hope and change ran aground in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, exacerbated both by the parlous state of the economy he inherited from his predecessor and by the two huge costly wars he was obliged to fight.f he has not transformed America in the way that many might have hoped, he has at least mitigated some of the pain while moving to bring to an end one of the US's greatest iniquities, its shocking inequality in affordable healthcare provision. Through the car manufacturers' bailout, his insistence on stress testing of banks and through carefully targeted stimuli, he ensured that the US now appears to be emerging from financial crisis with modest growth and a rise in employment figures even as those European governments that pursued a strategy of austerity are at very best bumping along the bottom. Obama steered a course between the left of his own party, who were advocating for populist but risky measures, and Republican obstructionism.

Observer November 4th  2012

Faced with the re-election of Obama  and the trikel down economics of Romney that would enact large tax cuts,effectively  reducing revenue, while increasing defence spending sharply, and claiming that he  he could eat into the huge American deficit by spending cuts alone. I can only hope for a Obama victory though I don't think I will as full of enthusiasms as as I was 4 years ago.

On foreign policy too, Romney represents a return to the disastrous years of George W Bush – threatening confrontation with China by saying he would list it as a currency manipulator whilst sabre rattling with Iran.

Sadly the nature of American politics means the electorate in reality have only a choice of two candidates and don't really have the option of voting for a candidate who may even come close to meeting  their objectives.

If Obama wins on Tuesday we can only hope that we will see  the man we had so much promise on the start of his first term and maybe he Will start earning The 2009 Nobel peace prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" as the committee claimed).

 The award, given in the first year of Obama's presidency, rightly received criticism that it was undeserved, premature and politically motivated. 

Whatever happens, it is for the peoples of America ,to decide but the rest of the world may well regret their choice if its Romney.

.

Powell for the People (or his party)?

Wales on line reports that..... 

Voters delivered a resounding “yes” to retaining Pontypridd’s beloved paddling pool at yesterday’s referendum. hey say 
Despite the dreary weather conditions, 2,077 voted in favour of keeping the pool as part of the town’s multi-million pound lido plans, with just 151 suggesting the pool should be removed.

However with only 9% of Pontypridd Town Council voters turning  out for the community poll, which was held in 27 stations between 4pm and 9pm yesterday resounding is hardly the word I would use

Though I suspect the majority of people would like to see the free paddling pool which was in the park where the swings were and parents could sit on the grass and watch their children either in the pool or playing around it.

Unfortunately this can not really be claimed resounding.

Cynics may believe that the poll had more to do with local Liberal Democrats trying to to gain publicity for themselves an pushing  an expensive poll which was non binding and which asked a question guaranteed to have a majority votes in favour.

Th campaign manager Karen Roberts lives in  Clydach Vale far from the park and although this does not mean she should have a say it does look like a bit of Lib Dems picking up a popular cause to seek publicity as admittedly all Parties do.


Sole Lib Dem R,C,T councillor Mike Powell, of the Trallwn ward ( a superb self publicist), had campaigned for several months to keep the paddling pool, which he believes is a vital tourist attraction in its own right.

He said: 

“The residents of the Pontypridd Town Council area have sent an unequivocal message to the county council who want to take away their paddling pool. Hands off!
“The council say they had consulted widely on their plans, but only 609 people visited the Pontypridd regeneration exhibition over four days.
“They were not asked any direct questions or indeed had any explanations presented regarding the plans.

In this he's right and R.C.T have behaved badly over this and the latest Pravda on the Rates poured scorn on objectors and try giving the impression that the Splash area would be free,




I spent many happy days with my family in Ynysangharad Park in the Late 50's and early 60's, Playing in the pool with my brothers and sisters with my Brothers and Sisters and then having a picnic with our mother on the grass.

When we were older we moved to the Lido next door .

The Plans  for the replacement call for a splash area. Where toddlers can play but older children will be unable to swim as I did.


Whilst I think the referendum was the wrong option the cause was right but because such a low turn out on a the fact that the  poll was s not legally binding, and although Councillor Powell claims that 

 morally the council surely have an obligation to the people they purport to represent and should take their opinions on board.

It is unlikely to have little effect.

The Lib Dems should be congratulated in taking a lead in this, but they have used a great deal of the Town Council sparse resources to prove their point and to raise their profile and could well have achieved no effect.

False Dawn for Môn ?

Good Blog on Borthlas  pointing out its to early to celebrate  (if that's what all politicians are doing)  Hitatchi buying Horizon – the company who kick-started the building a new Wylfa B .a new nuclear power station at the site near Amlwch .

It is been claimed  Seven thousand jobs could be created as Japanese electronics giant Hitachi looks set to build the  new nuclear power station on Anglesey.

Welsh Secretary David Jones said the deal would mean 6,000 construction jobs and 1,000 long-term jobs.

So that's 7000 jobs for local people?

Er: No.

Most of the construction Jobs will not come from even the North Wales area and it does not mean that there will be 6000 people working on the site during construction at the same time and the numbers will change as it goes on . Some Jobs not being needed and new ones replacing them but not necessarily  by the previous workers.

There will be a likely higher percentage of local people getting long term jobs  But will the builders of a Modern Plant need 1,000 to tun it or will they rely on new technology?

It is more likely that most local jobs will be created to supply those working there . Not the most highly paid work.

The reality of these Jobs not going to local people was emphasised back in July 2011when some experts announced the  fear, however, that the housing stock on the island will be too small to cope with the workforce.

"There are many, many, examples throughout Britain in the last 15-20 years where this has happened: Sizewell B, Hinckley Point and closer to home in Milford Haven's oil and gas terminal," said Dr Owain Llewellyn, of the University of Glamorgan.
He said there was a risk that politicians, particularly local ones, could become "mesmerised by the attraction of jobs and the economic development implications of that, without thinking through the full implications of the supply and demand aspects of the residential sector".

BBC 17 July 2011 

Of course  This is only an  intention there's no real commitment and unless there's a massive government I can't see the project even staring. Although even 5 years from now I suspect we  may will still be seeing our politicians claiming a New dawn for Anglesey as another consortium take over the project.

What the Island needs is new permanent jobs spread over Anglessy and not putting al our eggs in one basket with promises that they are huge opportunities just around the corner.

Cardiff South and Penarth the unknown byelection.

With two weeks to go to the byelection  in Cardiff South and Penarth Westminster constituency   Following the formal resignation of the sitting MP Alun Michael there has been little interest in the media

The vacancy arose because Alun Michael was selected as the Labour Party candidate in the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections which a to be held on the same day 15 November 2012. Michael's candidacy required him to relinquish his Westminster and The writ for the by-election in Cardiff South and Penarth was moved on 23 October 2012  All the Parties have been aware of the date for months.

The Candidates are
Labour Co-op Stephen Doughty
Communist Robert Griffiths
Socialist Labour Andrew Jordan
Liberal Democrat Bablin Molik
Plaid Cymru Luke Nicholas
Green Anthony Slaughter
Conservative Craig Williams
UKIP Simon Zeigler

At the last  General Election Labour saw a dip in support for Labour

General Election 2010: Cardiff South and Penarth[16][17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Alun Michael	17,262	38.9	-7.7
	Conservative	Simon Hoare	12,553	28.3	+4.4
	Liberal Democrat	Dominic Hannigan	9,875	22.3	+2.4
	Plaid Cymru	Farida Aslam	1,851	4.2	-1.1
	UKIP	Simon Zeigler	1,145	2.6	+1.2
	Independent	George Burke	648	1.5	+1.5
	Green	Matthew Townsend	554	1.2	-0.6
	Christian	Clive Bate	285	0.6	+0.6
	Communist	Robert Griffiths	196	0.4	+0.4
Majority			4,709	10.6
Turnout			44,369	60.2	+2.0
	Labour Co-op hold		Swing	-6.0

However in the Assembly Elections Labour on the back of the Toxic Con/Libdem coalition saw Labour regain its ground.

Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Cardiff South and Penarth[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Vaughan Gething	13,814	50.3	+12.5
	Conservative	Ben Gray	7,555	27.5	0
	Plaid Cymru	Liz Musa	3,324	12.1	-2.2
	Liberal Democrats	Sian Anne Cliff	2,786	10.1	-10.2
Majority			6,259	22.8	+12.5
Turnout			27,479	37.3	-0.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.2

And in this year Labour  made big gains in the Council elections Labour wipedout the Lib Dems and most Tories.

So it looks like Labout will have no problem retaining the seat.

However; there may some resentment that Alun Michael has abandoned the seat he only fought  in 2010 and The new Labour Council has almost totally reverted to the arrogant rule which saw it lose power to the Lib Dems in 2004 indeed many see former leader Russell Goodway as the Éminence grise the new council.

Labour may be helped by the Tories problems over Europe and UKIP picking up votes from them

The Lib Dems  main hope in a Byelection that four years ago they would have high hopes of winning will be to finish a good third.

Plaid in a seat that they have made little impact on in the past can hope that they can increase their share of the vote   and hope that Grangetown where their candidate stood last time  will vote as they did last May.

UKIP may have their resources diverted to other contest and may not make an impact . But the Anti Europe vote may just see them increasing their share.

It would be foolish to say that we won't be shocked by the result in a fortnight but with no clear contender for Labour and no Squeeze on other parties votes it will be likely that   Stephen Doughty will be packing his bags for London.

But as George Galloway showed with his 36.6% swing from Lab to Respect in Bradford West anything possible.