It's time to reduce stress and let Teachers teach.

Even if you are not a teacher yourself, you may well have friends or family in the profession

If you do then you will be aware of the stress that school inspections pace on the staff no matter how good a teacher hey are.

A friend of mine a very good primary  teacher has been preparing for a inspection spending all her spare time on it even missing out on family events.

Another friend who was a a headmaster  at a Welsh Language School which had received an excellent Estyn report where part of the success of the school, was  put down to his enthusiasm . found the paperwork and stress it involved was too much and he resigned.

So I for one welcome  the newt hatSchool inspections should be paused for a year while new reforms are brought in, according to a review of the inspectorate Estyn.

BBC Wales reports that 

It also recommends more emphasis on schools evaluating themselves, with some earning the right to be free of traditional inspections.
One union leader said the ideas would represent "a seismic shift" in school inspection arrangements in Wales.
Estyn said it would discuss the recommendations with schools.
The report by Prof Graham Donaldson was commissioned by Estyn and the Welsh government to consider the future of inspections in the context of the the new curriculum being rolled out in Welsh schools from 2022.
It highlights concerns about a wider "high-stakes" system of measuring schools' performance and recommends a move towards a culture of self-evaluation.
The proposals include:

• A temporary suspension of the inspection cycle for the academic session 2019-20. It would allow inspectors and schools to focus on the new curriculum, and allow Estyn staff to work directly with schools on the reforms. However, schools under special measures would still be inspected.
• Following the pause, inspections would resume with a greater focus on schools self-evaluating and ditching graded inspection reports. Schools' performance would no longer be labelled as excellent, good, adequate or unsatisfactory with evaluations explained in the text instead.
• Ultimately the aim would be for schools to achieve "earned autonomy" where they evaluate their own performance. Those schools would not be subject to inspections but Estyn would play a role in validating the process.

Prof Donaldson, who also designed the new curriculum, said the changes are needed to make sure Wales develops a "high-quality, dynamic education system".

"At the moment we have an approach to inspection and to accountability generally - which is a very blunt instrument - every school gets the same, no matter how good that school might be," he said.
"What we need to do is take a much more tailored and refined programme that allows schools that can be creative and can serve the children well to be given the opportunity to do that and then to ensure the resources of inspection are applied diagnostically to help those schools that are struggling to get better."
"A system that's based on pressure, putting pressure on schools in order to get better only takes you so far.
"On occasions that's necessary, it's important to put pressure on, in order to bring about a change or to challenge complacency."

 "You don't build high-quality education systems on fear."

David Evans, Wales secretary of the National Education Union Cymru, said:

 "The recommendations outlined by Graham Donaldson, if accepted and implemented, will represent a seismic shift in the school inspection arrangements in Wales which will be largely welcomed by the profession as it wrestles with the ambitious educational reforms that are already under way."

Rex Phillips, union NASUWT's national official for Wales, said:

 "The report appears to steer Estyn back towards the role of 'critical friend' rather than 'common enemy' and that is to be welcomed."

The head of Estyn, chief inspector of education and training in Wales, Meilyr Rowlands, said he was pleased the report highlighted Estyn's "vital role" in enhancing the learning of young people.

Estyn said it would discuss the recommendations with schools.

 How many quality teachers have left the profession because of the stress of the job ? Not only from inspections  (including internal ones) and mounds pf paperwork?

I think we should divide the role of Head  Teacher  with he or she providing leadership and a enhanced  School Bursar 

 
A Bursar has historically been the individual who is responsible for financial administration within a school, further education or higher education environment. In the UK, the role is most commonly associated with schools and nowadays, the role is often referred to as the School’s Business Manager. 


Typically candidates for the position of Bursar will have a background in finance and people management, and have skills in managing large budgets. As well as the financial duties the role could also involve aspects of other areas including administrative responsibilities, recruitment, marketing and operation management. The size of budget and levels of responsibility may vary dependent on the scale of the school.

What we could see is that in Primary Schools three or more could share a Bursar freeing the Head to concentrate on the welfare of his or her staff.

Taking away the stress of inspections will only improve teachers ability to deliver to their pupils .

But we also need of take away the bureaucracy and the stifling of those with a natural ability by such things as pages of lesson plans to give one example.

Welsh Labour Government announce that Cymraeg is not equal.

The BBC tells us that 

Water, energy and bus companies will not be forced to provide services in Welsh after plans were put on hold.

Public bodies like councils and police have to provide some services bilingually under Welsh language standards - or face fines.
Welsh language minister Eluned Morgan said the standards had proved "costly and complex" and would not be rolled out further for the time being.
But campaigners said it was a "major step backwards".
More than 120 public bodies in Wales, including local authorities, the Welsh Government, assembly and the NHS, are now covered by the standards, first introduced in 2016.
Many bodies have complained about the cost and complexity of the regulations, which include making it clear that they welcome correspondence in Welsh and giving the language priority on bilingual signs.

The Welsh Government had been developing standards for the voluntary and private sector bodies in Wales - including water, energy and the Royal Mail - although a timeframe for bringing them in had not yet been set.
But on Tuesday, Ms Morgan said the standards would not be rolled-out further for the time-being.

In a statement she said implementing them had been "laborious, costly and complex" and investigating breaches had been "long and overly bureaucratic".
The 2011 census reported a drop in the number of Welsh speakers from 582,000 in 2001 to 562,000, about one in five of the population.


Ms Morgan said if the Welsh Government was to meet its target of a million Welsh speakers by 2025 it must "be clear about how we can better spend our resources and time".

"Let me be clear, we will not stop enforcing the standards. Bodies must fulfil their statutory duties," the statement reads.
"But in my view it is always better to use a carrot rather than a stick, wherever possible. In the field of language, enforcement is unlikely to be effective at bringing about long term cultural change if we cannot change minds and support bodies to comply."

What nonsense is this ?

Surely if investigating breaches  are laborious, costly and complex" then it is because bilingualism is not the default case in Wales where everyone  accepts their legal responsibility/

Would Ms Morgan claim that racial or sexual  breaches of equality acts are
"laborious, costly and complex" and investigating breaches had been "long and overly bureaucratic"? Pf course not.

Ms Morgan said if the Welsh Government was to meet its target of a million Welsh speakers by 2025 it must "be clear about how we can better spend our resources and time". 

"Let me be clear, we will not stop enforcing the standards. Bodies must fulfil their statutory duties," the statement reads.
"But in my view it is always better to use a carrot rather than a stick, wherever possible. In the field of language, enforcement is unlikely to be effective at bringing about long term cultural change if we cannot change minds and support bodies to comply."

Instead the Welsh Government is looking at bringing in new legislation to try and ensure more people start learning and speaking Welsh.
It will also introduce a Welsh Language Commission to promote the language and regulate the existing standards - replacing the role of Welsh language commissioner.
Current commissioner Meri Huws finishes her term in March 2019 - and will be replaced for a transitional period before the new body is formed,
But Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith said the move would "reduce regulation for the benefit of powerful businesses and bodies".
A spokesman said: 

"Her decision to refuse to extend the standards to the private sector is completely at odds with public opinion and that of assembly Members.
"It's a major step back that she's talking about 'persuading' big business when every expert knows that regulation is the answer."

Ms Morgan is expected to  run for the leadership of "Welsh" Labour and become First Minister after Carwyn Jones steps down later this year.

Could she be pandering to the Anti-Cymraeg elements in "Welsh" Labour.

It is ridiculous to ditch equality legislation because  some are resisting it .

What you so is make it clear that Cymraeg is absolutely equal to English and  companies should be expected to comply.

 Either Ms Morgan and "Welsh" Labour believe Cymraeg is equal or they don't , if they don't they should admit it,  if they believe it is, then they should enforce it in the same way they do for other equality legislation.


Discrimination on Sex and Race still exist,  but  most accept that it is wrong and those who break the law are punished.

That should be happening in the case of Cymraeg.

Why not build a Nuclear Plant on the outskirts of an English City?

Reacting to the news, that The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is dead in the water, with the UK Government due to announce next week that the project will not be going ahead. Wale'sThird Class Minister Carwyn Jones said that “for the UK government, Wales is just not important”.

He described it as “another kick in the teeth” for the people of Wales, not long after the government “reneged” on the electrification of the train line west of Cardiff.

Now the Third Class Minister  has called on the UK government to work "more closely" with his administration on a new nuclear power station on Anglesey.

It's a bit late for that  

On Monday, MPs were told that negotiations on Wylfa Newydd have started.
The news has been heralded as a major step forward for the scheme - which could be financed by public money.
Mr Jones said the Welsh Government should be involved with future talks.
He said: "The Wylfa Newydd project has the potential to transform the Welsh economy.

"It is vital that the Welsh Government has a seat at the table as the project progresses to the next stage and I will continue to press for this.
"The decisions made at a UK and Japan level will have a direct impact on Wales and we expect the UK government to work more closely with us to ensure that every opportunity is realised from this huge project in order to secure lasting benefits for Wales."

The proposals feature a plant with a capacity of generating 2,700 megawatts of electricity, enough power for about five million homes.
The UK government said while a decision on the project's go-ahead has not been made, it insisted the negotiations with developers Horizon Nuclear Power and the Japanese government was important step.
Among the key issues will be how much public money and state support will be ploughed into the plant.
During his address in the House of Commons, UK energy secretary Greg Clark did not comment on speculation that a guaranteed price for the electricity generated at Wylfa Newydd would be less than the "strike price" for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station being built in Somerset.

Arguably the difference between the  Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and Wylfa Newydd project is that whereas the former would meet the energy needs of Wales the latter would meet the Ned's of the English Midlands.

Also whilst the Swansea project could see investors in other industries being attracted to that area, a Nuclear Power Plant and its dangers  could well put investors of.

And there are dangers  despite claims that it is safe.

Why do you think that it is that Nuclear Power Plant's are built do far away from major population centres?

Why not build one outside Birmingham or London?

The argument about the need for solid bases in the event of seismic activity seems  a bit dubious as we don't get many major earthquakes  in these Islands .

Whatever the argument,it is London who decide which energy plants are built in in Wales and it is a bit late for our Third Rate Minister to demand a seat at the table, where his contribution will be minimal unless they send him to get the tea or coffee.

Welsh Rail: are we being dazzled with promises and figures?

 News that the new operators of Wales and Borders rail services have unveiled their plans, promising to spend £800m on new trains and to increase capacity by two thirds is welcome

Of course  there may be a vast difference between Plans and Outcomes

According to the BBC and it looks to be very Cardiff centric

KeolisAmey, who won the £5bn bid last month, says 95% of journeys will be on the new trains within five years.

It also announced four new Cardiff light rail stations as part of the South Wales Metro.

An extra 600 staff will also be recruited, the company said.
The French-Spanish joint venture will take over operations from Arriva Trains Wales for the next 15 years from October.
New trains, light rail cars and buses will be in red and black colours - and carry Transport for Wales (TfW) branding, not company logos.Comments
First Minister Carwyn Jones called it a "landmark moment in the future development of Wales".

Announcement highlights and what it all means:

• All trains will be replaced and with 95% of journeys will be on brand new trains by 2023
• Half of all new trains will be assembled in Wales
• £1.9bn has been committed to improving passengers' travel experience, including £800m invested in trains to boost overall service capacity by 65%.
• £194m has been pledged modernise Wales' 247 stations
• There will be four Cardiff stations for the new Metro light rail: they will be at Gabalfa, Crwys Road, Loudoun Square and The Flourish in Cardiff Bay
• An additional 600 staff will be recruited to the existing 2,200 transferring over from Arriva Trains Wales; there will also be 30 new apprentices for each year of the contract.
• From December 2018, there will be increased capacity on the Valleys lines and new services between Chester and Liverpool
• By the end of 2023, an extra 285 services each weekday are promised across Wales (a 29% rise). Some of the lines benefiting will be Ebbw Vale, Wrexham-Bidston, Cambrian and the Heart of Wales
• Sunday services will be increased by 61% with an additional 294 services across Wales "creating a true seven-day-a-week service"
• Smart ticketing will promise more flexible fares and cheaper off-peak fares will be introduced including in north Wales and at half of stations in the valleys
• All stations will run on renewable energy
• All stations will be deep-cleaned in the first year
• Rail users forums will be set up
• Active travel will be encouraged by the installation of new bike lockers.

Wales rail investment

2018 to 2033

£5bn

value of contract

• £800m investment in trains
  
• £194m to modernise 247 stations and build four Metro stations
  
• 285 extra services Monday to Friday
  
• 294 extra Sunday services
  

Welsh Government/Transport for Wales

The new network map, including the proposals for the South Wales Metro, is expected to be released later at a launch in Treforest.
The new operators emphasised that the changes would not happen overnight and Wales' railway "would be unrecognisable" in five years time.

KeolisAmey have to deliver the long-promised South Wales Metro - improving public transport links between Cardiff and the south Wales valleys and beyond - as part of the contract awarded by the Welsh Government.
It includes taking over 124 miles of the valleys lines from Network Rail.
But it was also challenged to bring in newer trains, solve overcrowding issues for commuters and deal with the expected continuing rise in demand.
The first minister said: "People said they wanted affordable fares and newer, cleaner trains and we have worked hard to ensure this is reflected in what we are launching today".

It is still to early to convince me that  this will not be part of the  "Greater Cardiff" policy that has been the major infrastructure  plans that have emerged in the last few years and when we see further details. any investment outside the Capitol will be part of it.

I hope I'm wrong but we have been dazzled with promises and figures before and have  not really seem any outcome.

What will a future Welsh Government do if the KeolisAmey, promises  are not met?



KeolisAmey already runs Greater Manchester Metrolink and London's Docklands Light Railway, among others.

Could BBC Wales  who seemed to have relied on a  press release for this news look into whether KeolisAmey have lived up to their promises there.

Plaid-Tory coalition speculation? The last thing Plaid needs.

There  has been a number of articles on the idea that there could be a future Plaid- Tory coalition in Cardiff Bay after the  next Assembly elections.

Ifan Morgan Jones (26 May 2018)  kicked off with

No, a Plaid Cymru and Tory coalition just isn’t going to happen

Some within the Labour Party in Wales have quite cheekily been suggesting over the past week or so that Plaid Cymru is about to jump in bed with the Tories.
Supporters of Vaughan Gething’s bid to become the next First Minister – particularly, it seems, Hefin David AM – have been suggesting that some Plaid Cymru members are privately discussing the possibility of a future pact with the Conservatives.
This seems to be based on Andrew RT Davies’ suggestion in his conference speech that the only way to turf Labour out of Government in Wales is a Tory-Plaid Cymru coalition.
Andrew RT Davies might want a deal, but that doesn’t mean that Plaid Cymru has any interest in one. I’d like a joint bank account with Bill Gates, but it’s not going to happen is it?

 See full article here
This was followed by Harry Thompson 28 May and  this
 P

Why a Plaid-Tory deal is closer than you think

 Which pointed out

"Well for starters, let’s look at recent history. In the wake of the 2016 elections to the National Assembly for Wales, one of the most dramatic events of recent Welsh political history occurred.
A vote was held to determine the next First Minister of Wales. A roll-call vote was held. This is not usual in the Assembly, as it requires each Member to stand and state the name of the person they wish to support to be the First Minister of Wales.
Labour AMs stood up and, to the surprise of few, called out ‘Carwyn Jones’. To the surprise of some, Plaid AMs stood and called out ‘Leanne Wood’. At first this appeared to be a symbolic act, with Plaid only returning 12 seats.
The real shock came when every single Conservative and Ukip Assembly Member stood and called out ‘Leanne Wood’. The vote went down to the wire, with Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams backing Carwyn Jones.
Plaid’s position at the time was that they had not done any kind of a deal with the Conservatives or Ukip, and that Leanne Wood had held true to her ‘no coalitions’ rule.
In the strictest sense, this was true. There was no coalition as an academic political scientist would understand it. But what was untrue was the idea that there had been no deal between the three parties.
Adam Price later admitted in an interview with Martin Shipton that Plaid Cymru had approached the Conservatives and Ukip to ask for their support, and the two parties had agreed.
In the same interview, Price also insisted that it wasn’t a ‘gimmick’. The attempt to make Leanne Wood First Minister had been genuine.

Full article here  

No we have  Dan Roberts 1st of June 2018 with

Labour really want Plaid to cwtsh up with the Tories – but it makes absolutely no sense to do so

Whose summing up ptobably hits the nail on the head

 

While a Plaid-Conservative deal might, at best, kick Labour out of power for a few years, it wouldn’t make long-term electoral sense.
Labour want Plaid to go into coalition with the Tories for a reason because it would give them a stick to beat us with for decades after that.
For Plaid to get elected or for us to win independence, we need to gain the support of Labour voters in the valleys, north-east Wales and elsewhere.
Going into coalition with the Tories immediately puts us on the back foot, for no obvious policy wins.
Regardless of political positioning, the goal of Plaid Cymru should always be to implement policies that take us closer to a stronger, fairer and more independent Welsh economy.
The realistic aim ahead of the next election, therefore, can’t be a coalition with the Tories, but minority government and working with all interested AMs to implement our nationalist, egalitarian and sustainable vision for Wales.
So – Plaid and the Tories – will they, won’t they? No they won’t, nor should they.

Full article here 

It's a pity  that Nation Cymru don't give biographical details of its contributors 

Harry Thomson is a Labour activist for example and his twitter page may give us some insight  into his motivations

  Harry Thompson‏ @HMorganThompson May 28

Harry Thompson Retweeted Nation.Cymru

Here's a piece I wrote for http://Nation.Cymru  - give it a read and let me know what you think!

Harry Thompson added,

Nation.Cymru @NationCymru

Why a Plaid-Tory deal is closer than you think https://nation.cymru/2018/why-a-plaid-tory-deal-is-closer-than-you-think/ …

4 replies 0 retweets 7 likes

Harry Thompson‏ @HMorganThompson

Normally when I write something like this I get a bit of a reaction from Plaid AMs. As far as I'm aware, there has been uniform silence from them on this. I wonder why that could be?

5:26 AM - 29 May 2018

 

For me the main impetus  for a Plaid-Tory coalition would be Labour 's  belief in its divine right to rule Wales and if they were short of a majority expect Plaid to back them without any real concessions .

Labour may indeed take the gamble that a brief spell in opposition  by  denying Plaid's offers forcing  Leanne Wood into the unthinkable of a Tory deal was worth it.

The result  of which they would forecast  would be a landslide  in the next election.

Of course a reform of the Assembly electoral system and a increase of the number of AMs before the election may result in other parties being involved in a future Welsh Government.

Meanwhile it suits Labour to raise the  bogey  of a Plaid-Tory deal as it does the Tories.

Indeed the only party that doesn't want to see any speculation are Plaid themselves.

 

Carwyn gets nothing from capitulating to Westminster.

When out Third Rate Minister Carwyn Jones Welsh Government capitulates in handing powers back to Westminster after Brexit, some may have wondered if he and he man who made the deal with David Davis, Mark Drakeford, had somehow did a under the table deal which would see Wales getting something back in return.

But it seem not to be as the Financial Times has reported UK ministers will throw out the scheme next week which Carwyn Jones said would be "another kick in the teeth" for the city after losing rail electrification.
UK ministers have called the price Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP) wants for the electricity too high, but it is thought to have made a revised offer.

I must start with the admission that I had my doubts about the for the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, in that the price the builders proposed charging was too high.

 TLP have asked for an unusual 90-year contract with the government, starting at a price of £123 per megawatt hour of electricity produced in the first year and reducing over time

 Hinkley Point C's developers, EDF Energy, were granted a 35 year contract with a fixed price of £92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity produced.

So presumably  a new nuclear power station on Anglesey would charge something similar to Hinkley Point.

  
That's not a argument for Nuclear Power however as the potential clean up cost  would far exceed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

 In January 2018, the Welsh Government offered the project "substantial investment" to help reduce the subsidy required.
But the UK government has continually refused to commit to the project saying it "must be affordable".
In March, Business Secretary Greg Clark told MPs the UK government does not want to "close the door" on the Swansea lagoon.

Jim Pickard, reporter for the Financial Times, told BBC Radio Wales on Friday:

 "I was originally told two weeks ago by someone very senior in government is that they had taken a decision that they would not proceed with giving any subsidies to the Swansea Bay project. 
 They'll probably say we do like tidal power, but we're unable and unprepared to give subsidies to the scheme at the level that they're requesting.
"They didn't want to just deliver a single piece of bad news so they're trying to wrap it up with some good news for Wales in terms of low carbon energy.
"And that's why I think we'll hear about Swansea at the same time that we'll hear about Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey."

Gower Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, a member of a parliamentary committee looking into the project, said the scheme's rejection would show 

"disregard for people and people's lives" and raise questions about the future of renewable energy in the UK.

Plaid Cymru South Wales West AM Dai Lloyd AM said:

 "The people of Wales are behind this project, the Welsh Government are behind this project and the people of Swansea are behind this project," .

Swansea Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Black said dropping the lagoon would be 

 "devastating news for the entire Swansea Bay region" as it would have "created large numbers of high quality jobs with substantial resulting economic benefits for the region".

A spokesman from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: 

"As the business secretary told MPs recently, while we have quadrupled the proportion of our electricity that comes from renewable sources since 2010, we have a responsibility to minimise the impact on consumer bills and the Swansea proposal is more than twice as expensive as the Hinkley power station.
"Any decision on the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project will have to represent value for money for the UK taxpayer as well as the consumer."

Whatever your views on the viability of the tidal lagoon, if it had been proposed elsewhere in the UK  I doubt if there had been any question of cost or environmental issues from the UK government.

It seems me that there could be a deliberate  policy from Westminster Unionist  to keep Wales undeveloped and poor. so that we remain in the Union  and the only thing we can offer is a tourist industry 

Yes it seems like a conspiracy and building a nuclear power  station on Ynys Mon  would seemingly disprove it , but even that is not being built for our needs but to provide cheap electricity over the boarder.

Prisons we don't need. power stations we don't want  and  third rate transport infrastructure and what do our Assembly Government  do?  Roll over like a god dog and beg for scraps  from the table of our master,

Leave Generals will quit the battlefield and their carnage.

 One of the major planks of the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum was immigration  and  workers coming from the EU 





Already  British farmers have been forced to leave thousands of pounds worth of vegetables to rot in their fields, because of a drop in the number of farm workers from the European Union (EU).

Farms have been hit with a shortage of the migrant workers that Britain relies on to bring in the fruit and vegetable harvests, according to a series of new reports.
There was a 17% shortfall in May, leaving some farms critically short of pickers, according to a new National Farmers Union (NFU) survey. The decline is blamed on Brexit, with the vote to depart the EU leaving the UK seen as “xenophobic” and “racist” by overseas workers, according to the director of a major agricultural recruitment company.
The UK requires about 80,000 seasonal workers to pick the vegetable and fruit harvest and virtually all come from eastern Europe. Just 14 of the 13,400 workers recruited between January and May this year were British, the NFU survey found. Three-quarters of the workers came from Bulgaria and Romania, and almost all the rest from other eastern European countries.

The authoritative NFU analysis showed the shortfall in May 2016, before the Brexit referendum, was just 4%. It also showed the proportion of overseas workers choosing to return to the UK has plummeted from two-thirds to one-third since January, meaning valuable experience is being lost.
“The grim reality is that the perception from overseas is we are xenophobic, we’re racist, and the pound has plummeted too,” said John Hardman, director at Hops Labour Solutions, who also estimates a 20% shortage of workers. “We’ve gone with Brexit and that makes us look unfriendly.

 Fear not because our government have a plan

Prisoners have been suggested as a solution to the post-Brexit labour shortage in a new government strategy.
Outlining the government's strategy to prevent reoffending, justice secretary David Gauke named horticulture/agriculture as one of five priority sectors as destinations for the rising prison population. Retail, catering/hospitality, construction and manufacturing are the others.
The Education and Employment Strategy aims to boost prisoners' skills while in custody and improve their chances of securing work on release. It says the priority sectors "present 'win-win' opportunities to fill skills gaps and labour shortages for employers, whilst finding sustainable employment for ex-prisoners."
Horticulture and the other four sectors were targeted as they were deemed most likely to be disposed towards working with prisons, and the government says it will look to build relationships with trade unions and workers' guilds in those areas.
The government will launch a New Futures Network (NFN) to engage with employers and encourage them to take on prisoners, with experts placed in every geographical prison group. 
"Workplace ROTL (Release On Temporary Licence) will be an important tool for building ‘win-win’ partnerships with employers in priority sectors such as catering, construction and agriculture/horticulture," the strategy states. "For prisoners, workplace ROTL is a chance to develop their skills, boost their CV and make an impression on potential employers. As such, it is a key tool for prisoner rehabilitation. For employers, these placements provide an opportunity to evaluate the skills and work ethic of the prisoners involved. When successful, this can help fill skills gaps, or labour shortages in the short-term, while developing potential employees in the longer term." 

 I wonder what our already poorly paid agriculture workers will feel about  their occupation being seen as fit for prisoners ?

Meanwhile of course those who urged us over the Brexit cliff will not be here to see the result of their disastrous campaign 

Like First War Generals who carnage as a result of their plans of attack.

Leading Tory Brexiteer Lord Lawson has been branded a "hypocrite" after it emerged he has applied for an official French residency card.
The former Vote Leave chairman, who lives in south-west France, said he had started the paperwork for a "carte de séjour", which guarantees the rights of UK citizens by showing they are legally resident in the country.
Lord Lawson insisted that he was not applying for French citizenship and he was "not worried" about his status in the country after Brexit.

 And then there this

We will be left to face the result of the Leave campaign , whilst those who led the campaign will be living the high life   in  their rural idylls in the South of France,