Dont like this sound of this...

[Gatt]

You may remember this thread regarding the proposed merger of my school with its neighbour, and the subsequent announcement that we wouldn't close..

Well - it looks like that was a LIE!!

Accoring to this site however - we are still to be amalgamated with Swinton High

The proposals also mean more expensive PFI (Private Finance Initiative) schools which will have taxpayers picking up the bill for up to the next 40 years. The new build school that will replace the closed Swinton and Moorside High Schools will be PFI, as will the re-built St Patrick's RC High. Wentworth High gets a partial new build plus refurbishment, instead of the new build of the original plans

[Dos_Box]

There's still an election to come, and massive cuts in public spending to be delivered by whoever gets in power.

[Gatt]

@Dos_Box - not sure what impact that will have on Projects that have already been won - like Salford..

Just been on Salford's Website and they have confirmed the above report

link

[srochford]

There's still an election to come, and massive cuts in public spending to be delivered by whoever gets in power.

Or maybe not - FT.com / UK / Economy & Trade - Economists reject calls for budget cuts

Cash crisis hits town halls from Truro to Aberdeen - Home News, UK - The Independent - cutting spending means putting people out of jobs which means that they don't pay tax, they don't spend money and they probably claim benefits which costs more money!

There's no easy solution (which is what the FT article is saying but with numbers etc to back it up!) and I wish all the politicians would recognise that and be honest about it. Maybe we do need to cut public spending but we need to recognise that that will put many people out of jobs.

Of course, MPs like Nicholas Winterton (Tory MP Sir Nicholas Winterton blasts new economy travel rule | Mail Online) won't really care - the people who are put out of jobs will be hoi polloi and not like him!

[torledo]

The widespread planned redundancies underline warnings that former public-sector workers will account for most of the expected increase in dole queues over the next six months...

does this mean an expected increase in new jobless claims ? Does that not need to be tempered with the idea that the private sector may have gone through the worse of the unemployment, and firms would in theory be now looking to create jobs and possibly hire more full-time staff. a bit of a role reversal of what we saw during the recession....

I think the issue of public spending cuts maybe can be addressed this fiscal year if there is recovery, but obviously with so many jobs dependant on public spending then i think that's why there won't be swinging cuts.

obviously a govt. doesn't just stop spending and 'cuts' seem to mean not spenidng at the same rate as before, and whoever gets in won't necessarily mothball these big spending projects. But i think there's an urgent need to reevaluate the spending commitments.

[GrumbleDook]

The problem with the story about first-class travel is this. MPs are expected to work whilst traveling. It is something they have always done and this will often require a small thing like sitting down on a train. I don't get covered for first-class when traveling but will pay to upgrade if possible as it allows me to work. I am annoyed that I have to do this at times, to be honest. If I am traveling to meetings then I will often drive, but if I could take the train and still work then I would. It is much more efficient surely to have me traveling *and* working.

I think a lot of the stuff being hammered out under the reform of MP expense claims is a darn good thing, but some are just being done to appease the media. If the wife / husband of an MP is a bloody good secretary / PA then how can they legally be barred from doing the job. Yes, there should be a fair and independent interview process rather than just being given then job (in spite of the fact that they may have been doing it free of charge whilst their partner / husband / wife was getting into the political arena) and I can see that ... but just barring them completely is both improper and I would be interested to see if any of the spouses take their other half (or HM Govt ) to tribunal over it. Will they be made redundant and if so who will pay the bill?

[srochford]

The problem with the story about first-class travel is this. MPs are expected to work whilst traveling. It is something they have always done and this will often require a small thing like sitting down on a train.

Of course they're probably going to work while travelling but there's a good few people manage to do work travelling in steerage on the Virgin trains that Winterton uses. Maybe he does need to travel in first class in order to do his work; it's more the tone of his comments that are offensive!

[KarlGoddard]

Of course they're probably going to work while travelling but there's a good few people manage to do work travelling in steerage on the Virgin trains that Winterton uses. Maybe he does need to travel in first class in order to do his work; it's more the tone of his comments that are offensive!

Exactly! No doubt one could work more productively in a 1st Class carriage, but saying that folk who don’t travel 1st Class are somehow different was the point of outrage.

I’ve never had any issues working in standard class – I always choose a quiet coach and book seats nowhere near the loo’s or luggage racks so there’s not a lot of traffic passing me.

I personally think anyone who is paid from the public purse, including myself as I work via the LA, should go for the best value. If they want 1st Class they should pay for the upgrade themselves

[broc]

There's still an election to come, and massive cuts in public spending to be delivered by whoever gets in power.

Some LAs are trying to rush their BSF bids through and get funding committed & contracts signed before the election to avoid/reduce the possibility of cuts & maximise their public relations 'benefits' of having new schools for their voters children.