Felicity A Morse2013-05-21T06:36:35-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=felicity-a-morseCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Felicity A MorseGood old fashioned elbow grease.Ukip Councillor Chris Pain Involved In Second Facebook Race Rowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-19T13:17:14-04:002013-05-20T12:49:18-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/UPDATE: Ukip are investigating Chris Pain and say he could be ejected from party
Ukip's leading councillor for Lincoln, Chris Pain, has been embroiled in a second scandal over his Facebook page, with another posting that appears to show him suggesting that asylum seekers are benefit-scrounging terrorists.
The post, made last August, is made in the style of game show, mocking the government for being lax in their assignment of welfare.
"Good Day and welcome to a brand new edition of 'ASYLUM''. It reads: "Today's program features another chance to take part in our exciting competition: HIJACK AN AIRLINER and win A COUNCIL HOUSE!"
He continues: "Anyone can play, provided they don't already hold a valid British Passport, and you only need one word of English:
'ASYLUM'
"Prizes include all-expenses-paid accommodation, cash benefits starting at £180 a week and a chance to earn thousands more begging, mugging, burgling and accosting drivers at traffic lights.
This competition is open to everyone buying a ticket or stowing away on one of our partner airlines, ferry companies or Eurostar."
Pain came under attack earlier this week after refusing to sign a 'multicultural' anti-racism pledge along with his Ukip colleagues.
He was also revealed to have described "illegal immigrants" as "sandal-wearing, bomb-making, camel-riding, goat-f******, ragheads" by a Sunday Mirror investigation. Huff Post UK has obtained a copy of the postings below.
(WARNING: Some of the language contained is offensive.)
The postings were made in the style of a gameshow
The original comments have been published in the Mirror
Chris Pain previously insisted his Facebook page was hacked, but did not respond to a request for comment on the latest postings.
Lincoln is home to the largest proportion of eastern European immigrants than anywhere else in England and Wales.
Controversial immigrant removal centre Morton Hall is also based in Swinderby, Lincolnshire. Detainees, campaigners and prison officers have raised concerns over the centre after disturbances over Christmas and new year, the latest in a number of incidents at the 400-capacity institution.
A disturbance on 30 December involving resulted in a number of injuries to staff and detainees and on Christmas day around 50 were engaged in a protest.
In 2011 18 failed asylum seekers from Afghanistan began a hunger strike outside the centre as a protest against plans to return them to Afghanistan.
Despite Nigel Farage's party seeing a surge in poll ratings lately they continue to be dogged by members' controversial comments and postings on social media.
]]>Nigel Farage's Visit To Scotland And Ukip's 'Pish' Mocked In Steve Byrne's 'Lament' Balladtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-19T10:55:02-04:002013-05-19T11:52:04-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/the pub in which Nigel Farage was locked after being mobbed by angry protesters in Edinburgh, has penned a ballad about the furore.
The lyrics, written by Steve Byrne, relate the news report in with the personality and style of traditional Scots song. Called "Lament on the predicament of the Member of the European Parliament for South East England" after a brief introduction, the action begins.
"So he stuck oot his hand and he tried fir a cab.
The driver took one look and then he took aff!
He said "Nae chance Nigel, I'll no tak yer far,
I've heard aa the pish that ye spout on the air!"
.. By this time the telly and meedja'd arrived
Oh whit wid he dae? How wid Nigel survive?
Auld Reike's famed polis cam up wi a plan
They'd tak him awa in the back o a van"
The Lament in full
Nigel Farage and Ukip get their come-uppence in the final verses too. The song continues:
"For in Scotland we've aye been a civilised crew;
If ye look oot fir me, then I'll look oot fir you!
Dinna come tae Auld Reikie, a-spreadin yer muck,
Ye'll soon find the locals will get ye tae.... "
"Be ye English or Pole or Romanian or Jute
If ye bide here it's your hame, o that hae nae doot!
So think on auld Nigel and be shair taek tak note
next year when ye ging oot and cast yer Yes vote!"
]
Picture courtesy of Political Editor of the Scottish Daily Mail Alan Roden
Byrne, whose traditional singing club at the Canons' Gait, is called The World's Room or Seòmar an t-Saoghail, told the Huffington Post UK: "We had a regular club night scheduled for the Friday evening, so it seemed like an appropriate thing to do.
"Historically the area around the Canongate and the Netherbow on the Royal Mile is where the "Edinburgh Mob" would chastise public figures whether it be the Marquess of Queensberry in the 1700s, or Burke and Hare, so the Farage incident's continuation of that particular tradition wasn't lost on us!
"I found the episode to have a certain air of comedy around it, albeit with a serious message beneath, and the song reflects that. I was inspired in part by the tradition of folk like Hamish Henderson, Thurso Berwick, Johnny McEvoy and co, who were involved in writing protests songs in the 1950s and '60s surrounding various issues, such as the anti-Polaris campaign.
"The song itself uses an old tune known as "Villikins and his Dinah", used by Johnny McEvoy for his song "The Wee Magic Stane" about the capture of the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey in the 1950s.
"I've tried to follow the tongue-in-cheek mickey-taking tone of McEvoy's song, in a way to take a bit of the sting out of the overheated rhetoric that was being bandied about."]]>Ukip Councillors In Lincoln Refuse To Sign 'Multicultural' Anti-Racism Pledgetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-18T08:16:58-04:002013-05-20T12:50:39-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/UPDATE: Ukip are investigating Chris Pain and say he could be ejected from party for alleged comments he made
All 16 Ukip members of Lincoln council have refused to sign an anti-racism pledge set up to ensure all county residents are treated equally and have the same rights to services.
Chris Pain, leader of the county council’s Ukip group said he could not sign the document as it "pushes forward the chance of multiculturalism, one of the fundamental things that’s wrong with our society," reported This is Lincolnshire.
The document was a reaffirmation of an equality pledge put forward under Labour six years ago, which states that Lincolnshire County Council recognises the diversity of communities in Lincolnshire and is committed to serve all people equally.
Pain told the Huffington Post UK: "I have friends of all creeds and colours, there is no way you can describe this [abstention] as a racist act.
"This had not been presented to us before and when we looked at the wording, it was pushing out the idea of multiculturalism rather than integration. Multiculturalism is out-dated; the concept of multiculturalism has been dropped by Labour and Conservative governments. It's not fit for purpose.
"I've said if they want a correct agreement I will contact my barrister and they will draw one up."
Part 1 of the pledge
The motion, put forward by Labour councillor Rob Parker was signed by all the councillors six years ago. He told The Huffington Post Uk he was disappointed by Ukip's abstention.
He said: "I wanted to reassure the people of Lincolnshire they were adequately represented. Of the 76 councillors there, 60 voted in favour, only Ukip abstained.
"Their reasons for not signing were not substantiated. They didn't refer to anything apart from the race issue, which they were not in favour of and they didn't make much of a case for it. I'm disappointed in the message about where Ukip stand that has been sent out to the electorate."
Part 2 of the pledge
Labour councillor Sarah Dodds told The Huffington Post UK that Ukip showed "preposterous arrogance" by refusing to sign the document.
She said: "It was felt that now Ukip have seats on the council it was important they signed up to it too. Signing it would also give them an opportunity to reassure other councillors they are committed to the role. However they just refused point blank.
"Lincolnshire County Council have a legal responsibility to provide services in a way that is non discriminatory. Whether or not Ukip want to do that is up to them. They were elected to represent all of Lincolnshire and if they don't want to do that then shame on them. It shows the preposterous amount of arrogance the party has, that they think they can flout the vote and go against the law.
Part 3 of the pledge
Ukip Councillor Richard Geoffrey Fairman told The Huffington Post UK they were surprised by the motion, which was put forward so late as to give the party little time to digest it. He said: "Some parts of it were politically correct and therefore not right. My main stance is anything that is politically correct is probably wrong. These parts concerned racism and human rights, the human rights that are allowing criminals in this country to avoid deportation."
After last month’s election, the Conservatives lost overall control of the council, with 36 Tory councillors in a coalition with three independents and three Lib Dems. Ukip has 16 seats; there are seven independents in opposition and 12 Labour councillors.]]>Dan Brown's New Book Inferno Released: So Can You Tell Richard Dawkins From Dan Brown?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-13T10:04:00-04:002013-05-14T06:33:07-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
The book will take readers on "a journey deep into [the] mysterious realm" of Dante's Inferno in Florence", according to the author who added that the 12th century work "had had enormous influence on the Christian view of hell," in an interview with the Sunday Times.
Connecting his book with religious ideas will no doubt stir up controversy in the Christian world.
Dan Brown and Richard Dawkins have both annoyed the Christian world
The author's self-confessed "blending of fact and fiction" in his pseudo-religious tomes have prompted condemnation from Holy Leaders in the past, with the Vatican banning the film producers of Angels & Demons from entering the Holy See and any church in Rome.
At the time the movie was released Father Fibbi said: "Angels and Demons peddles a type of fantasy that damages our common religious beliefs, just like The Da Vinci Code did."
When the Da Vinci Code movie came out, the Vatican's secretary of state was similarly outspoken, with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone calling for a boycott and spouting: "The book and the film are a pot pourri of nonsense, a phantasmagorical cocktail of inventions."
Yes, Dan Brown is a not beloved by the Catholic church, perhaps almost as unpopular as professional atheist Richard Dawkins.
So can you tell fiction writer Brown from Dawkins, the self-confessed champion of facts, figures and reason?]]>CIPD Report Shows Dozens Applying For Low Skilled Jobs As Boris Accuses Brits Of Slothtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-13T07:20:30-04:002013-05-13T08:28:47-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/Boris Johnson attacked British workers for their 'sloth'.
The research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that 45 applicants apply for every low-skilled job, while the median number of applicants employers receive for medium-skilled roles is 29 and highly-skilled vacancies typically receive 10 applicants.
The report also shines a light on the extent to which employers discriminate against school-leavers and the unemployed, with 14% saying they would not consider taking on a school-leaver and 11% refusing to recruit from the ranks of the long-term unemployed.
Boris Johnson accused British workers of being 'slothful'
Gerwyn Davies, CIPD Labour Market Adviser, said the labour market was at present a "battleground for job seekers, particularly those with fewer skills or qualifications."
He added "With more than forty applicants typically chasing every low-skilled job already; there’s a danger that the stricter requirements being imposed by government on benefit recipients to look for work, coupled with the ongoing shift towards online recruitment, may lead to even more applicants for employers to consider for each vacancy in the future. It is very tempting for employers to feel overwhelmed by such a high volume of applicants and to set a high bar for their needs today."
More than 1,700 people applied for eight jobs at a new Costa café in Nottingham in February. A new sofa shop, which advertised just nine jobs in March, was inundated with more than 1200 applicants.
More than 4,000 job-hunters applied for just over 150 posts at the soon-to-open Tesco store in Rowner in April.
However there is some good news. The report suggested that employment growth is set to continue in the second quarter of 2013.
Davies said that signs of increasing buoyancy in private sector job were " encouraging suggesting that further employment growth is possible.
However he added: "With a projected increase of half a million people to the UK population over the next 12 months, the number of jobs being created may fail to keep pace with the population growth. In this scenario, we could see employment rising accompanied by increases to unemployment; as the Office for Budget Responsibility expects."
]]>Michael Gove's History Research Based On Premier Inn Polls And Regurgitated Press Surveystag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-13T04:20:54-04:002013-05-13T12:25:10-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
A Freedom of Information Request has revealed that despite professing his allegiance to "evidence based policies" his assertions for a large part were not based on critical studies. The Department of Education (DofE) replies also contained woeful grammatical errors.
Ahead of the introduction of his new history curriculum, Gove wrote an article in the Daily Mail in March, titled: "I refuse to surrender to the Marxist teachers hell-bent on destroying our schools."
He wrote: "Survey after survey has revealed disturbing historical ignorance, with one teenager in five believing Winston Churchill was a fictional character while 58 per cent think Sherlock Holmes was real."
Michael Gove has come under fire
Originally the Department could only find one survey that backed up their statement, following the enquiry by Janet Downs, who is believed to be a retired teacher.
This was commissioned by TV Gold in May 2008, which asked all ages, not just teenagers, and contained a number of historical inaccuracies, for example claiming that 12% of people thought Lady Godiva did exist when she was a fictional character. While the famous legend of Lady Godiva riding through the town of Coventry naked has not been proven, the woman herself did exist.
After further prompting, the DofE came up with a second list of surveys. They quoted a Premier Inn survey (2,000 11 – 16-year-olds), in which children apparently believed Delia Smith, Jerry Hall and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall were among Henry VIII's wives, while William Shakespeare was the chairman of the BBC.
However a glance at the hotel company's findings suggest that teenagers were taking the mickey out of the survey at Premier Inn’s expense.
Another one of those listed was research carried out by the Sea Cadets to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, based upon a survey of 2,000 secondary school children.
It apparently found that one-in-20 children believe the Spanish Armada is a tapas-style cuisine and Horatio Nelson was the captain of the French national football team in the 1990s.
Premier Inn: Michael Gove's history resource?
It was commissioned to raise awareness of Trafalgar Day, and the DofE only had a link to the Telegraph article not the poll itself, suggesting this is what Gove's conclusion was based on. A spokesperson for the Sea Cadets told The Huffington Post UK: "The results highlighted that assumptions about knowledge are just that, but the survey was not a critical study."
Gove's research was also apparently based on a poll by London mums as well as a study commissioned by Lord Ashcroft of 1,000 children aged 11 to 18 to mark the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in London. While this found that only 62% recognised Winston Churchill (more recognised the insurance dog) the poll also revealed that 95% recognised the British Legion’s poppy and 84% knew what it signified, acknowledging the human cost of war.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers), said in a statement to Huff Post UK: “In a poll that the NAHT hasn’t done or checked, 110 per cent of school leaders said they were alarmed to hear that Mr Gove’s statistics were not based on official sources.
"Meanwhile, head teachers are genuinely concerned at the number of policies - especially those that relate directly to teaching practice - which are based on whims rather than sound, evidence-based education theory. It would be funny if it didn’t have such potentially dire consequences for pupils.”
The Education Secretary has declared war on the teaching of history in recent weeks, accusing some teachers of promoting a "infantilised" view of the past last Friday, using an example of a history website which suggested using Mr Men characters to study the rise Hitler is symptomatic of culture of low expectations in teaching.
Russel Tarr, author of www.activehistory.co.uk, has responded to the accusations of "infantilisation" saying "His criticisms betray a lack of knowledge, understanding, and interpretation that would make a GCSE History student blush with shame. Ironically, given Mr. Gove's supposed commitment to rigorous academic standards, it appears that much of his research comes from dodgy marketing surveys from Premier Inn and UKTV Gold. Gove and his advisors - either through stupidity or mischievousness - failed to place me, my website, or the lesson into its appropriate context. "
Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Minister, also slammed the Education Secretary’s use of surveys, saying: “Any good historian will tell you that it is critical to base your analysis on multiple, credible sources. Before he rushes to judgment about young people, Michael Gove should make sure he has researched the evidence thoroughly. Otherwise he risks coming across as Mr Sloppy.”
Christine Blower, General Secretary National Union of Teachers, told The Huffington Post UK: “Michael Gove does not have the backing of the profession nor many other sectors of society - including the CBI - for his reforms to the National Curriculum or examinations.
"It is hardly surprising therefore that he is scrabbling around to find any source, no matter how irrelevant, to prop up his ill-thought out proposals. The Education Secretary needs to stop this ridiculous charade that all is well with his vision for education and address the real concerns from those who understand education.”]]>Queen's Speech On Immigration: Recycled Rhetoric And Migrant Mythstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-08T06:33:21-04:002013-05-08T10:23:06-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/immigration and "ensure this country attracts people who contribute and deter those who don't" have been laid out in the Queen's Speech, with migrants' rights to healthcare and social housing curbed in the Immigration Bill.
Hailed by David Cameron as proposals for "people who work hard and want to get on" the government has also proposed to crackdown on those who profit from illegal immigrants, including landlords and employers.
But it seems this right-leaning rhetoric is not as clear cut as first appears and pandering to the public's perception of immigration is dangerous.
As the Bishop of Dudley, David Walker, told the Observer in March: "Public fears around immigration are like fears around crime. They bear little relationship to the actual reality."
Relying on myths about migrants and recycling old policy, the Coalition's anti-immigration posturing in the Queen's Speech is not all it seems either.
]]>Cornwall Councillor Colin Brewer Who Said 'Disabled Children Should Be Put Down' Wins Seattag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-03T09:48:07-04:002013-05-03T10:40:48-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
Independent councillor Colin Brewer made the comments to Theresa Court, who works for Disability Cornwall, while she was manning a stall at the County Hall in Truro in October 2011.
Despite facing calls to resign, he remained defiant over his right to remain in his councillor role and gained 335 votes, beating the Lib Dem candidate by two votes.
He wrote a letter of apology to Theresa Court and said at the time: "I have no intention of resigning. I don't think I have done anything wrong. I have apologised."
Theresa Court told the Huffington Post UK earlier this year it was "quite frankly an insult that he had to be told to apologise after a year and a half."
She said the manner in which the letter arrived was like he was making a stand, with "a second class stamp and folded into no less than eight pieces."
Disability Cornwall said on Friday they are "shocked beyond words" and that it was "truly a sad day" for Cornwall.
They said in a statement "Colin Brewer has never contacted Disability Cornwall since this incident became public knowledge, or in any way tried to make amends for what he has done. He didn’t think he did anything wrong and put his comment that ‘disabled children should be put down as they cost the council too much money’ down to a ‘flippant remark’."
Brewer has given various explanations for his behaviour, telling the BBC "I said they should be put down. I was just hot under the collar, I suppose, coming from a council meeting where we had been talking about budget cuts and staff cuts.
"Sometimes people can just catch you on the wrong day.
"It's not a good enough excuse, I will forever be apologising for it. I can't apologise enough. It's not something that's in my nature, I always support disabled charities.
"I am very sorry."]]>Rape And Anonymity: Should Those Accused Of Sexual Offences Be Allowed To Remain Anonymous?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-02T09:06:49-04:002013-05-14T09:49:02-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
Under current legislation, people who complain they have been the victims of sexual offences automatically receive anonymity, but suspects do not. However according to a Comres poll commissioned by the Independent there is strong public support for changing the law.
However Sarah Green, the campaigns manager from End Violence Against Women, says protecting the identity of the accused go against fundamental principles of the British justice system.
She told the Huffington Post UK: "We are not in denial about how horrible it is to be accused of raping someone: it is a shameful and hideous crime.
“There is stigma for those accused of rape, but any stigma for those accused far outweighs the damage done to the victim if they are denied that anonymity or the damage to the community if they are prevented from coming forward, because they fear the ramifications of naming their victim.
She said that to give those accused anonymity would change a fundamental part of the system, adding that police often release the names of those accused for investigative reasons, to appeal for witnesses or to encourage other victims to come forward.
"We name suspects as part of an open justice system, to protect the community. When you look at rape in terms of research and what’s known about it, men who are inclined to commit these offences have a sense of how they can get away with it, and who won’t report it, and even if they did are unlikely to be believed.
"You just have to refer to the cases of Jimmy Savile or the Rochdale case to see the planned and strategic targeting of vulnerable victims. There are often multiple perpetrators and multiple victims.
"Is it really a good idea to conceal the identities of these men? Police often release the names of those accused for investigative reasons too, to allow other victims to come forward. It is important that the men who commit this type of crime are not allowed to get away with it."
It was an argument used by Bob Satchwell, the executive director of the society of editors after the revelation that Stuart Hall has admitted to a string of sex offences against girls and young women.
Satchwell said: "With the recent upsurge of calls for offenders to remain anonymous until convicted, it is worth noting that if Stuart Hall had not been named when he was arrested he might never have been brought to court. None of his victims knew one another.
"And now one police force is refusing to name people who have been charged. There is a huge danger of secret justice replacing the rights of the public, and indeed defendants, back to Magna Carta. It is time someone put a stop to this frightening trend."
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is eager to stop papers naming people who are arrested, proposing a view argued by Maura McGowan, chairman of the Bar Council, in February.
Green says it is often implied in such discussions that there are lots of false accusations and that "women make these allegations casually."
"But people don’t come forward as it is a crime with such stigma," she said.
"False allegations are no higher for sexual offences than any other crime and when they are made they often involve vulnerable people. “
Keir Starmer QC, the director of public prosecutions has also acknowledged that a a large number of false allegations was a commonplace myth. He told the Guardian in March the “misplaced belief" was "rife.. and can lead to injustice for victims."
Stephen Cooper, who founded the site falsely accused.co.uk after being cleared of sexual offences himself, believes women should keep their anonymity but the defendant should also be allowed to remain anonymous.
He told the Huffington Post UK he did not condone sexual offences and stressed that when they had been committed, the person should be punished. However he also said the system should give equal rights to those accused and those making the accusation.
“Being accused of sexual offences causes such a stigma, straight away the underdog is the accused.
"The word victim is used prior to the conviction and if that person is found guilty the stigma further forties itself: people think the person got away with it when that’s not the case.
"I have seen 141 innocent people falsely accused over 25 years, malicious accusations made through jealousy or for financial reasons. There’s even a site dedicated to helping people find out how much compensation people can get for being raped. Because of the Jimmy Savile situation people are coming out the woodwork.
"Jimmy Savile is dead and he can’t defend himself but people will always say now there’s no smoke without fire. The system should be equal."
Jill Saward, who became the first UK rape victim to waive her right to anonymity in 1990, said: "People do not understand the danger involved in sexual violence, and don't see the need to protect people from it," she said.
"I am very sad that people seem to think that protecting men is often more important than protecting those who, for whatever reason, end up victims."]]>DWP Accused Of Giving 'Fake And Patronising' Psychometric Tests To Jobseekerstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-30T08:02:54-04:002013-04-30T09:15:38-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
The test, devised by a government unit, is comprised of 48 statements, which applicants are asked to grade from 'very much like me' to 'very much unlike me.'
Jobseekers have reportedly been told they must take the test or face losing their benefits, however the DWP denies the tests are mandatory.
Included are statements such as "I never go out of my way to visit museums," "I have taken frequent stands in the face of strong opposition" and "I have not created anything of beauty in the last year."
However whether you are a budding Van-Gogh or a museum-snubbing rebel, the results of the test are the same.
The page that greets you informs you that you are fair, curious about the world, find many things fascinating, that you love learning and that you are an original thinker. The job centre then advises "that you use each of your strengths in a new way every day for at least a week."
The test, first piloted in an Essex job centre before being rolled out to Middlesbrough, came under scrutiny after one blogger noticed it gave him the same 'personality' whatever he answered.
Although the Department of Work and Pensions confirmed to the Huffington Post UK that the test is not mandatory, a letter posted online from the blogger who first exposed the story suggests otherwise, and instructs the recipient to take the test, followed with the line 'Failure to comply with this direction may result in loss of benefit.'
The test was devised by the government's behavioural insight or 'nudge' unit which draws on insights from academic research in behavioural economics and psychology, to apply them to public policy making.
The DWP said trials in the US have shown that it can improve subjectively reported well-being and reduce anxiety and depression.
They say that the test was so effective in Essex that when used alongside other aides, the number leaving benefits improved by over 10% and Middlesborough specifically asked for it to be installed in its own job centre.
However the chief executive of Amber group, a charity which helps disadvantaged unemployed young people to gain the motivation and skills they need to get a job, told the Huffington Post UK that the test was "patronising", that young people will see through it, and that it will backfire on the DWP.
Charles Drew said: "They are dealing with unemployed young people who already know their failings. You can't simply fool people into building self esteem. If young people know they are unsociable and answer truthfully, they will see through it.
"I think it is patronising, it will backfire and the individuals will know they are being given stock answers.
"Having said that, I wouldn't advise giving people a psychometric test which then tells them something demotivating. It's counter productive whichever way you stack it.
"I personally don't like psychometric tests at all because they are very dependent on how you feel on the day. They merely give an indication of what you are feeling, not who you are as a person."
A DWP spokesperson said: "The exercise is intended to help jobseekers identify their strengths, and we have had extremely positive feedback from both jobseekers and their advisers - it is right that we use every tool we have to help jobseekers who want to work find a job.”
]]>Nigel Farage Says Smoking Ban 'Silly And Illiberal'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-30T03:15:19-04:002013-04-30T05:55:08-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Ukip leader, who smokes himself, claimed the German solution of separating smoking and non-smoking areas would be Ukip's sop to the clean-living.
However slowly but surely Germany is bringing some of the toughest anti-smoking laws, despite having one the highest numbers of smokers in Europe.
Nigel Farage is himself a smoker
On 1 May one of the strictest non-smoking laws comes into force in the North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany, with Cologne at its capital, which makes it illegal to smoke in separate rooms and smokers' club.
Both Bavaria and Saarland have imposed a total ban. There are different rules in different areas in Germany as the law is decided at state rather than federal level. However Germany is far from deciding banning smoking is "silly and illiberal."
Germany has had a ban on smoking in public buildings and transportation for five years, with the ban also applying to government agencies, courts, buses, trains and airplanes. Glass lungs filled with cigarette ends have also been installed in front of public buildings in Germany to encourage people to quit smoking. Smoking has been banned at Munich's Oktoberfest since 2011, although it was first brought in voluntarily, it is now enforced.
Nigel Farage claimed obesity killed more people than smoking 'but you wouldn't ban doughnuts'
When asked about the countless lives that banning smoking in pubs is estimated to have saved and the danger that smoking in bars and clubs poses to young people, who may be tempted to take up the habit, Farage replied: "Of, course, the great danger with young people is if you ban things it makes them more attractive.
"Obesity is killing more people than smoking, you could ban chip shops, you could ban doughnuts. The point is we are big enough and ugly enough to make our own decisions."
Many took to social media to criticise Farage for supporting a repeal of the smoking ban, saying the restrictions saved the lungs of bar staff as well as those who had gone there to drink. Farage was accused by some of merely wanting to repeal the ban to allow him to enjoy a cheeky fag in his own local, while others said, if he wanted people to make their own choices, why was he not in favour of gay marriage?
Farage also came under fire for insisting that obesity killed more people than smoking, with the chief executive of anti-smoking charity Ash, rubbishing his claims.
Deborah Arnott told the Huffington Post UK: "Claims that obesity are kiling more people than smoking are simply not true. A hundred thousand people each year die from smoking where as figures from obesity aren't nearly as well worked out.
"Smoking figures come from long term studies over 50 years and a quarter of all cancers are linked to smoking. Last figures I saw showed something like 30,000 people die from obesity each year and these studies aren't as thoroughly researched.
"Farage also seems to forget that the smoking ban is popular.
"This isn't a nanny state measure. There was a large public debate about it at the time and people wanted the government to support them on this. On free vote, a majority of 200 voted in favour of the smoking ban. This wasn't a party political matter: it came on the back of massive public popularity and that popularity has continued to grow." ]]>Ukip's 'NRA-Esque' Gun Control Comments Described As 'Inaccurate Upsetting Drivel'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-29T06:56:15-04:002013-04-29T11:39:30-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
The text of the email, which was posted by Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim on Facebook on Monday, makes clear that Ukip is "in favour of licensed gun-ownership" and includes the claim that "the growing incidence of gun-crime is in direct proportion to the restrictions placed on the ownership, by respectable people, of firearms".
The message, sent to a Graham Showell, who heads up the organisation 'Britain Needs Guns,' is based on arguments similar to those used by the controversial National Rifle Association (NRA) in the United States.
One of the posters produced by the National Rifle Association in America
Although the email to Mr Showell was sent in 2011 by former Farage aide Andrew Reed, who has since retired, a spokesperson for the party confirmed the email was still very much representative of the Ukip leader's views today.
Ukip press officer Gawain Towler told the Huffington Post UK "That email is certainly in line with Nigel Farage's thinking, which is slightly different from a manifesto. We don't currently have a manifesto, but that email shows Nigel Farage's attitude towards gun control. There is nothing there that is weird or strange."
Gun campaigners have directly criticised the arguments laid out in the email, with a spokesperson for the Gun Control Network telling the Huffington Post UK: "What Farage is spitting out is the sort of thing that the NRA spit out and it is not supported by any academic research whatsoever."
Another of the discredited graphs produced by the National Rifle Association
The NRA has been repeatedly condemned for its stance on guns, most especially in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, which a lone gunman killed 26 people at a primary school in Connecticut.
The organisation called for armed guards in every school and blamed at rap music, films and video games for firearm violence rather than guns. Their comments were derided by senior US politicians as a "tone deaf response."
The Gun Control Network said one of the reasons gun crime in Britain was going down was because of the tightened restrictions. The network said there were just 42 gun-related deaths in 2012, reflecting a 20-year low.
Ukip said the views expressed in the email did represent those of Nigel Farage
A spokesperson for the group, which campaigns for tighter controls on guns in Britain and a greater awareness of the dangers associated with gun ownership, continued: "The evidence is clear: relaxing gun restriction leads to more death and crime.
"The major issue is that Farage is spouting inaccuracies. Yes it is upsetting too, but what is more important is that he is issuing statements to his constituents that are inaccurate, unsubstantiated drivel. Where is the data to back up his claim? People can't just go around saying things without backing them up."
The letter reads:
Dear Mr Showell
Thank you for your message, which was forwarded to Nigel Farage.
UKIP is very much in favour of licensed gun-ownership, and deplored the Charity Commission's removal of charitable status from organisations teaching the responsible use of firearms. We note also that the growing incidence of gun-crime is in direct proportion to the restrictions placed on the ownership, by respectable people, of firearms.
Yours sincerely
Andrew S. Reed
Office of Nigel Farage, Brussels
Professor Peter Squires, who specialises in criminology and public policy, told the Huffington Post UK that Farage was "peddling misinformation" and stressed that licensing firearms did not ensure that communities were protected from gun crime. He added that culture did play a part in incidents of gun crime.
"The bottom line is that Farage's office are peddling ill-informed nonsense. The misuse of firearms (or gun crime) varies largely according to the prevalence of firearms in a community.
"Culture clearly plays a part as the comparison of the USA with Switzerland (the latter high gun ownership, but relatively low gun crime) bears out. Although Switzerland has significantly more gun homicide and suicide than a low-gun ownership society like the UK.
"Gun owners like to argue that legal and illegal gun ownership are two watertight categories, and that all the gun crime problems can be laid at the door of unlicensed firearms.
"This is simply not true, all three shooting rampages in the UK (Hungerford, Dunblane, Cumbria) were carried out with legally-owned firearms and there are numerous instances of misuse of firearms (from family annihilation, murder suicide, murder ... all the way to threats and animal abuse) perpetrated by so-called 'respectable' gun owners."
Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim, who posted the letter, told the Huffington Post UK: "The views of UKIP on gun control prove they live on a different planet. Putting more guns in more hands is dangerous and no way to keep our neighbourhoods and schools safe. Their policy is ludicrous, unnecessary and sadly all too predictable."
Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes, echoed Karim, telling the Huffington Post UK:"I think Nigel is out of touch on gun control if he believes that gun ownership somehow helps reduce gun crime. As someone who has worked alongside farmers I have seen how it is possible to safely store weapons and apply appropriate background checks and I don't support further tightening of the rules in the UK.
"We don't need a Wild West approach that views gun ownership as a deterrent to crime. Gun crime in the UK results from illegally held weapons and would not be improved by licensing more legal firearms."
Farage's support for relaxed gun control is particularly controversial given there is a cross-party consensus that restricting firearms helps reduce gun crime and protects communities. A government consultation on the use of firearms, published in October 2012, stated that it was clear there was “strong support for taking a tougher stance on control of prohibited firearms.”
On the basis of the consultation, the government decided to bring in legislation to increase the maximum penalty for the illegal import of firearms to life imprisonment and to create a new offence of 'possession with intent to supply' guns.]]>David McIntyre, Ex-Soldier, Says He Will Kill Himself If Extradited To The UStag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-26T07:55:30-04:002013-04-27T11:18:16-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/ David McIntyre, from Tameside, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and says if the Home Office gives him two weeks to sort out his affairs before being handed to US authorities, he will say goodbye to his family and take his own life.
"I'd rather top myself than go over there," he told the Huffington Post UK.
"I'm being accused of something I haven't done but because they don't have to provide any evidence, I'll be shackled and put into solitary confinement immediately for between a week and two weeks. I won’t be able to speak to my family or even work on my case."
David McIntyre insists he is innocent and doesn't believe he will receive a fair trial in the US
The 42-year-old is afraid he won't be able to clear his name if he is extradited, adding: "In the American judicial system you've got a plea bargain system and they'll sit a piece of paper in front of me and tell me I can either do 20 years hard time in a penitentiary or cough to it and do three years soft time."
Mr McIntyre is accused overcharging a US peace group for a security contract when he was running his own firm in 2009, amounting to fraud worth £65,000 ($100,000).
He denies all charges and insists his name was only brought up because a US official accused of similar charges was willing point the finger at anyone to lessen his own sentence.
He says although he was questioned about how well he knew the man in 2009 the company was able to continue the mission and as far was concerned that was put to bed. He subsequently lost his company by his own admission "through being a crap businessman."
He's only just managed to get back on track, though because of the things he has experienced while on military service, he is struggling to cope with PTSD at the same time as fight the charges.
He has been serving in conflict zones for most of his adult life, including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
A report from the British Army's consultant psychiatrist seen by the Huffington Post UK makes for disturbing reading. It confirms he suffers from psychological disorder and warns that if he is extradited he could react "impulsively, dangerously and potentially tragically".
McIntyre describes the things he's seen whilst on service and how he still jumps when he hears a doors slam.
“I've been really unfortunate, in that everywhere I've been I've always been around car bombs.
"There was a car bomb in Iraq one time that killed about 200 people and that wasn't a particularly nice thing to see. You've got black humour you try to deal with it at the time.
"I've seen raging gun battles where people are killed left right and centre. Two weeks before I went out to Afghan again one of my best mates was killed in the army. Him and five others were killed in a tank but you try to deal with it. You try to switch off.
Some of the things he recounts still disturb him and his voice breaks as he describes how he saw children shot in front of him.
"One that really gets to me is seeing some kids killed in Iraq one time and I couldn't do anything about it. They were in a field and they were little girls just running away. They had their little black burqas on and you just see the machine gun bullets stitching the ground as the kids were running straight into them and that was that. It's stuff like that.
As a result of his PTSD he says he quickly becomes aggressive and "if I hear a loud bang then I'll be diving for cover,"
"My family take the piss and people think it's quite funny but they don't realise that when you've been bombed for six weeks, day in, day out, it just gets to you.
"I've lain there [while on service] just thinking 'this is it now, the next one's gonna get me.'
"I'm still very punchy, I can't tolerate people at all. If I'm in a confrontation or a situation which gets a bit heated, I react quickly and severely. Fortunately my missus is quite good at calming me down and reminding me I have to be normal. I can't just go around knocking people out because it won't get me anywhere, but it's because I'm feeling a lot of angst and I get angry quickly."
It's clear why the thought of being incarcerated in a maximum security prison in America with some of the country’s most dangerous offenders fills McIntyre with fear. Currently the Home Office is still considering his case.
David McIntyre in Iraq in 2008
“Every time I hear a police siren I think it’s coming for me,” says McInytre.
“This is me, a law abiding citizen, who has on numerous occasions, supported the police, whether it’s in the UK or abroad and yet now every time I see them I think ‘Oh you're coming for me, now aren't you?’
“It’s absolutely terrible. I’m normal for a little bit, getting on with things, then all of a sudden something will just send me back."
David at a Remembrance Sunday service in 2012
He is being represented by Kaim Todner, the same lawyers who took on Garry McKinnon's case. Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, was permitted to stay in the UK on human rights grounds in October, ending an eight-year legal battle.
Medical reports showed McKinnon was very likely to try to kill himself if extradited, despite being accused by US prosecutors of "the biggest military computer hack of all time."
Like McKinnon's mother, McIntyre is also deeply critical of the extradition treaty.
“What is happening to me could literally could happen to anyone and its not a case of it could, it is. I didn't know until I got onto Twitter how many people are facing this extradition process and how many people are requested to go over by America as opposed to how many come over from the states. If I was a US serving soldier you can guarantee they would say ‘No, tough, you're not having him, he served for our country and we're keeping him. It’s really frightening that they've got that much power.
"I appreciate why it’s come about, because of 9/11, but it's about time that these things got stopped or curtailed to a degree that is manageable rather than the UK government just going belly up every time the UK government is to say ‘I want them.’
Tony Blair's Labour government created the 2003 US-UK Extradition Act in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The law allows the US to extradite UK citizens for breaking American laws, even if the offence was committed in Britain by a UK citizen.
British politicians and the families of Britons facing trial abroad have criticized the act as unworthy of the "special relationship" the US and Britain arguably share. Theresa May promised to bring in a “forum bar” to give a judge grounds to deny extradition in the interests of justice when the crime was committed here, however campaigners have criticised subsequent amendments to the bill, brought in in March.
Friends extradited say the new amendment was “designed simply to take account of prosecutors’ considerations when determining forum. “
At the time, Lord Rosser told the House of Lords “this part of the Bill is an example of how not to legislate. … This is no way to make substantial changes to our extradition arrangements.”
Hamja Ahsan, whose brother Talha was extradited to America on terror charges, has always maintained his innocence and continues to campaign for British citizens to be tried in the UK.
"I support David because extradition, under current conditions and David Blunket's law is disportionate additional punishment for the accused and a collective punishment for the family and loved ones of the family.
"I know this first-hand as my family goes through psychological hell.
"The plea-bargaining system which Conservative MP David Davis and my MP Sadiq Khan raised in parliament - where 98% of federal cases plea guilty - is intimidatory and alien, and ensures unjust coutcomes. The fact they are doing this to a British soldier who risked his life for the nation - exposes what the 2003 US-UK Extradition treaty is in essence - the ultimate betrayal of British Citizens."]]>Food Bank Trussell Trust Sees Demand Go Up Five-Fold Since Coalition Came To Powertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-23T08:36:06-04:002013-04-24T09:48:52-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/
According to figures from the charity, 30% of people using their service over the last year were referred as a result of benefit delays and 15% because of benefit changes.
Overall, the charity helped nearly 100,000 more people than it had anticipated over the last 12 months, and expects to see many more as a result of the government's controversial welfare reforms.
Volunteers put a selection of tinned food together for a client at a depot at St Paul's Church, Brixton
Chris Mould, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, told the Huffington Post UK that large numbers of people using food banks were not 'jobless scroungers' but were in work and "not earning enough in an economy in which prices are going up and incomes are flatlining."
He warned that the sheer volume of people needing help was a "wake-up call to the nation" saying "large numbers of people are going hungry and we can’t go on pretending it isnt happening. "
He said the Trussell Trust was expecting even more people using the food banks in coming months, as a raft of the government's welfare reforms come into force.
Claiming the benefit system is still not working, he told the Huffington Post UK: "With the decision to cap benefits, the government has taken a deliberate move to restrict the purchasing power of people vulnerable by definition: they are already eligible for tax credits and income support.
"Many millions of people are having to get by on incomes that are already precarious with no guarantee they can continue to afford food," he added.
"When rents and energy prices are going up and people have to make a decision between keeping a roof over their heads or going hungry, people choose to cut down on food.
"A large number of people are being thrown into crisis because there are problems with the benefit system, partly because there is lots of churn in the workforce and people are on benefits when they weren’t before.
"The system is not working well and large numbers of people are sometimes going weeks without any source of income at all."
Foodbank recipients are referred by doctors, social workers, schools liaison officers or advisers at the CAB and Jobcentre Plus.
Foodboxes contain at least three days' supply of non-perishable foods such as tinned fruit, vegetables, meat, tea and pasta. Mould said he saw working people coming in to visit food banks on their lunch-breaks, mums coming in to find help feeding their children and people who were unemployed who needed help.
"It's shocking that people are going hungry in 21st century Britain," he said.
The emergency food banks are now accepted by governments as the norm, which they “absolutely should not be" said de Schutter.
It is the UK’s government’s duty to protect the poorest in society and part of their duty under human rights law, de Schutter said.
Oxfam's Director of UK Poverty, Chris Johnes, said: "These shocking figures show that a perfect storm of spiralling living costs, lack of decent, secure jobs and benefit changes are making it impossible for many people to feed themselves or their families. It's clear there is a massive hole in the safety net when so many more people are being forced to rely on emergency food handouts.
"We are worried this could be just the tip of the iceberg as changes to the welfare system already in the pipeline could rip apart the safety net with devastating consequences for those who rely on it.
"The government cannot ignore this situation any longer. Instead of taking money from people who can't feed themselves, the government should be targeting companies and wealthy individuals who are dodging the taxes which are their fair contribution to our society."
]]>Professional Rugby Training: How Hard Could It Be?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-17T00:19:17-04:002013-04-24T12:01:41-04:00Felicity A Morsehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/felicity-a-morse/When the British Lions fitness coach called The Huffington Post to see if we'd like one of our reporters to train with the players we knew exactly who we'd send down. Here's Felicity Morse's account of a day working out with some of the toughest competitors in the world.
Training with professional rugby players and coaches is a chance most fans would leap at, but I accepted the challenge for different reasons.
With bottoms like boulders and rippling thighs, I've long considered rugby men the tastiest of team players. Such groin-led reasoning saw me salivate my way to Surrey Sports Centre, unaware of the miserable mud-drenched workout ahead.
Muscle-spasming torture, from bear crawling over boggy ground to hauling tractor tyres, had been planned to test our spirits. The Worcester Warriors coaches started us off, barking instructions like pre-battle counsel.
I had no idea what was I was in store for
Crawling in the mud
Stuart Pickering, head of strength and conditioning, laid down the ground rules to me and 20 other male rugby enthusiasts.
“Look lads, this is not a cock-off." He growled, eyeballing us all.
"I don’t want anyone getting injured because they’re trying to be a hero.”
Press-ups, squats, weights and jumps are performed under your partner's watchful eye, making it difficult to slacken off.
“If you can’t use your glutes you might as well play ping pong,” Pickering barks, in a far cry from my yoga teacher, who spends the bulk of the class telling her yogis how amazing they are.
Josh Lewsey’s watching at the sidelines, in all moody and gorgeous glory, ramping up the pressure.
My press up followed by a jump results in some prayer-like floor kissing followed by a kind of pathetic twitch into the air. Lewsey yells ‘higher, higher’ causing some cringe-worthy leg-jerking on my part, but no real airtime.
The pathetic press up
The sets keep coming, long after my muscles have turned to jelly. I don’t know how professional rugby players keep going.
Ryan Fisher, another Strength and Conditioning Coach at Worcester Warriors, claims the team doesn’t need the same encouragement as you or I would.
“You're dealing with a different breed of people who are already highly motivated. The best way to keep them motivated is reward them if they've had a week of heavy training, so by giving them a day off for example."
Getting psyched up before a match is apparently treated with the same ‘hands off’ approach, with each player having their own private rituals.
“They've been doing it for years so you can just let them do their own thing. Andy Goode brings his own socks before a match, where as James Percival [the captain] once he puts his scrum hat on he just turns into a different beast.”
Another of the gruelling exercises. The thick ropes are tied 20m from the try line
Beast seems about right. Paul Strigeon, Lions Fitness Coach, calls the game "a battle of attrition"
"It's basically full combat, wrestling with running in between," he says.
“The boys are in pieces in the changing rooms after the match. They're just so tired, they don't know what to do with themselves.”
It seems rugby is something of gentleman's war, with players and coaches getting a bigger thrill the dirtier, grittier and more gruelling the conditions. The London Wasps coaches take us out for some warm ups and touch rugby. It's all amateurs together, but I'm the only girl.
It's dank, cold and misty before we even begin, with overhead clouds threatening their worse.
Academy coach Chris Lloyd seems to relish the prospect. As we line up, the first drops of wet misery begin to fall.
"Come on the rain" he yells at the skies, like some sort of Southern Braveheart. "Bring it onnnnn. This is what it means to be British, boys."
The rain falls harder, and as we run, it stings your face, drips off your nose and slashes your skin red raw.
This is how I roll
The back of my throat tastes metallic from running, I can't feel my feet, and my mascara's dripped so far down my face it looks like a hastily scrawled goatee.
It's clear discipline is king.
"Who’s the most important person on the pitch" coaches repeatedly ask, to a chorus of "you coach."
Tips for training with professional Rugby coaches
Run for the gaps, not for the people. If you run for the people "you won't last long."
Focus on your lower body strength. It's this you use in a scrum.
Don't mention Wales
Start repeating exercises five times to improve strengths. Five sets of five reps improves muscle mass and allow you to pick up heavier weights.
Listen to your coaches. They are your best friend (as well as your worst enemy)
Don't swear during training.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. They like it.
Don't stare at their ears or you'll get yours boxed.
Oh and that celebrity stuff? They call it 'the sideshow'. Don't let it ruin your focus.
The importance of communication is hammered at the players. The coaches don't use whistles in training because “if you can't listen then you're finished as a player.”
Lloyd explains “we want the players to respond to whistles only when they hear the ref's whistle in a match, when they've done something wrong.”
But despite the coaches’ best efforts to include me, the boys won’t pass me the ball. I’m almost invisible, the closest I get to acknowledgement when somebody literally trips over me.
I get the same frosty reaction when we head to the conditioning section as I'm left the only one without a partner.
Channelling Boudicca’s spirit I soldier ahead, thrashing thick ropes tied to the try frame and attempting to beat the pitch bald.
There's a lawnmower type contraption which is impossible to push, and my favourite: a blue plastic sausage you essentially run at and tackle to the floor. It's great fun.
Yet underneath this boisterous masculinity, I sniff misogynistic rumblings.
It’s clear rugby’s considered a man’s game and to define it as anything else undermines players’ strength and power.
The tempo of “lad’s banter” automatically excludes a woman from entry. Conversations about how to imbibe 5000 calories a day were peppered with comparisons of thigh girth and despite expounding my love of cheesecake and expanding waistline, I was regarded with suspicion.
I overheard someone saying you should “punch a ball like you would your wife and girlfriend”. It was a joke that wasn’t meant maliciously, but it was an irresponsible remark from people used to being in a male only environment.
I’m not in a position to criticise. Shameful objectification of bicep and quadricep led me to the pitches in the first place, panting with all the frenzied enthusiam of a ferret on heat
While I balked in awe at the ribbons of muscle that rippled before me, I was also impressed by their owners’ discipline. Rugby is hard. Don’t do it.
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