could not agree more

Yes, it was partly justifying the money; but just too busy really this year. Missed the stimulation of the fringe (CSJ / CCF) & reconnecting with friends very much. Hope to be at Spring Forum at conference 2012.

There IS a campaign group for the unemployed. For the last two years, the volunteer-led Job Clubs movement has led the way in empowering unemployed people to rebuild their lives. these Job Clubs are the best and most practical type of "campaign group". Local, grass-roots organisations, emerging naturally form the needs of the locality. Meeting regularly, the Job Clubs build confidence and restore self-esteem by focusing on the individual as a worthwhile person. not as a statistic. Job Clubs encourage self-help, skills-sharing and entrepreneurship. they have an enviable record of helping people back into work. And all at minimal or no cost to the local taxpayer. People should not be defined by the word "unemployed". any more than those in work should seek to justify themselves or be identified by their employment status. Jane Gould GB Job Clubs

No. It could be seen as another route to Westminster for aspiring candidates. Another box to tick. Another way of impressing Association selection committees of their soundness on Law & Order. Policing is not an area in which amateurs should dabble with this degree of potential influence.

i agree with everything you have written. none of this is unloving nor lacking in compassion.

right and wrong. discipline. when a parent isn't allowed to smack a child who misbehaves, no wonder the end result is the sheer chaos of a value-less society that we are seeing on our streets. We've only ourselves to blame.

These young people are NOT rioters. there is little suggestion of a cause in all of this. They are thieves who have stolen property.. They have to be taught the difference between right and wrong and the concept of property, as we no longer allow parents or teachers to do this. They certainly SHOULD be sent to a YOI. for a period of 7-14 days. It will be the shock they need. preferably a long way from home. Bring in emergency measures. Do it now in the holidays so they will not miss school. They MUST realise the seriousness of what they have done, or I'll be meeting them in a couple of years time on one of our GB JOB CLUBS pre-release prison courses when it's too late and they're already hardened criminals

How about Steve Baker? One of the most well-grounded on economics and finance. Thoughtful, hard-working and appears least reactionary of the new intake. Maybe too modest for the media to embrace.

From a (nearly) non-political point of view, limiting this meeting to the 2010 intake sounds an interesting idea. There are some awesome intellects in this group; as well as the odd example of almost comical ambitiousness! As you say, Nick de Bois has been consistently committed to the subject of NHS reform and is relentless in his involvement with & support of Chase Farm hospital in the constituency. Getting back to politics, it's a great opportunity for the Leadership to assess the potential of this group for the next couple of reshuffles.

wihtout the party political bit - i agree with you totally.

Yes, let us please continue to focus on the root causes of poverty and addressing those root causes, as IDS and other right-minded members of this coalition government are trying to do. I believe that Dr Williams' attack distracts and detracts from where the intellectual effort must be directed. We must prevent hidebound civil servants & target-driven prime government contractors from watering down coalition policies. They must not be allowed to stifle them with endless and needless bureaucratic nonsense. When we simply meet people's individual needs at and from the grass-roots in our communities, real change will be effected.

There are already massive pressures on those of us who want and need to be in our church congregations on a Sunday. For many people, those in the health and care sectors for example, work often spills into what is designated a day of rest. I take your point about opportunities for employment, of course; but feel that such a change would impact on already fragmented family life, as well as a final, public dishonoring of the Sabbath. And before anyone points out that Saturday is the the Jewish sabbath etc. (I'm racially Jewish) this country is still essentially institutionally Christian in its calendar & observations.

The biggest problem for any government of whatever hue is the inevitable bureaucracy that attaches itself to the simplest ideas. Unless a minister is prepared and has the time to challenge his civil servants, the elegantly conceived cat will morph into an unwieldy, expensive & unsuitable camel in practice.

Plans to automate the benefit system are key to more humane treatment of Jobseekers particularly in rural communities. Many of our local Job Club members do not claim JSA as can't afford the fares to nearest JC+ following Labour Government's vicious & ill-judged programme of closures. Not claiming JSA of course precludes you from associated benefits triggered by JSA.. I can only hope that this vital element of the Work Programme will be recognized as key to providing a fair & coherent re-employment service to ALL Jobseekers, regardless of location.

I might start reading the Telegraph again. Only might...

Surely the biggest winner was UK democracy? But there are other aspects of electoral reform, such as fixed-term parliaments which I'd love to see properly debated and addressed.

most of us who tweet read blogs, the odd newspaper article and even whole books as well! Political tweets are usually simply signposts for a blogpost. viz this one eg!! I love the headline-skimming character of Twitter, even though one can sometimes get the wrong end of a stick or two... Tweets can promote social connectness and raise awareness. I've even started a couple of Job Clubs via persistent & occasionally single-minded tweeting. There is room for blogs, newspapers, books, TV, travel - everything!

Quietly sidelining Big Society concedes defeat at the hands of a cynical and over-powerful left-wing media; determined to brand it as a gimmick and to those who do not believe that people shoud have real power to make decisions at gress roots level. The empowerment of communities to take adult responsibility and decide for themselves is crucial to the whole concept of social regeneration. The alternative is a continuation of spoon feeding and apparently well-meaning top-down interventions by quangos and third sector professionals. I think it's way too soon to give up. Keep it simple. keep the "professionals" out of it and Big Society will be the revolution that so many of us still believe it can be.

Many active churches already have well-established social action projects which have served their communities for decades. Some of these projects have grown into national charities. Because these projects are based on the faith of the protagonists, they will continue to be distinctive while touching individual lives and caring in communities. Far from trying to rationalize or even stigmatize Church-based initiatives, look at some examples of what they have achieved and let them get on with it as they always have done.

a truly far-sighted idea. It will be interesting to see the results, boith social and financial. This will hopefullly encourage long-term change in attitudes and enjoyment of taking individual responsibility.

Ken Clarke's reforming Green Paper recognizes that prisoners are not a sub-species. Any new visitor to a prison will say how "normal" the prisoners seem. They are people who have slipped down the snakes of life, as most of us do at some point, without being able to find a ladder to climb. A key improvement would be proper assessment at the the time of arrest which would both inform sentencing & form the basis of an individual rehab programme. Yes, it would be expensive; but less so than the soul-destroying revolving door, which Christian alludes to here. It would help to effectively focus on those offenders READY to participate in life-changing rehab. Delivering Introduction to Job Clubs, part of HMP Guys Marsh ground breaking resettlement program, we see pre release prisoners realizing for the first time that things COULD be different. We must encourage & support this aspiration & Ken Clarke's brave initiative.

some politicians are built for Opposition. Theresa May was clearly destined for office. She graces the office of Home Secretary with the dignity and gravitas that has been absent for many, many years.

Always, always. then they blame Conservatives because the healing medicine tastes bitter. something about children's teeth being set on edge comes to mind here... (PS Lovely graphic!)

so housing benefit (which is what we're actually talking about) should be based on need ? It's not a lifestyle choice then? Well, what a bizarre outbreak of common sense. well done Mr Shapps.

... and that's exactly what happened in your neck of woods, did it not, Steve? btw - great rear-guard action on the trains. no pun intended.