In the news

Guyz guys the killings were fine

That's what I'd want when I buy my brand new expensive car, having waited an aeon for it to be delivered. Dave from round the corner rolling up and presenting me with the keys...

I'd feel valued.

Honestly, this government. What a sorry saga.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/27/government-hid-details-of-northern-powerhouse-minister-james-wharton-visits-to-the-north

Obviously, authorities quite often try to batten down the hatches (see Iraq war etc.), but over something so trivial that really doesn't surprise anyone ...

I was reading about this last night, absolute joke. What seems stupid is that they could have spun that so easily, made up a load of toss about meeting in London, better positioned to negotiate deals whatever, whatever, instead they chose to play it like fucking loonies.

Ah, but efforts to do something in the North are seemingly advancing, mustn't grumble:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/28/nuclear-waste-national-parks-lake-district-conservation-groups

“what appears to have been a strategy of wilful procrastination in order to obstruct a request for information”

Every FOI request ever

I did one to Lancashire Police before asking for their correspondence, minutes, risk assessment, etc for a policing operation for a football match.

It involved hundreds of police, horses, about 80 coaches, etc. According to the police there were no written records ...

Oh lol

https://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/alexwickham/the-tories-have-accidentally-revealed-the-personal-mobile?bftwuk=

https://twitter.com/dawnhfoster/status/1046022868251873280?s=21

Years ago I heard an MP whinging on the today program about the pointlessness of FOI. The example he gave was that they had to disclose how much was spent in the last year on Ferrero Rocher for the ambassador's receptions.

It made me love FOI just a little bit more

From my experience (responding to two or three FOI every day at a gov agency) 50%+ of FOI are companies fishing for commercial information about upcoming opportunities. Not what FOI was intended for.

I did research into the US FOI rules ahead of the UK ones coming in and it’s exactly the same there. Seems a price worth paying for better transparency.

Seems to me that even if each individual applicant’s motive is purely their own profit, the overall effect is that it makes corruption that much harder. A typical scenario in a highly corrupt country would be that such commercial opportunities are kept hidden and given straight to the leader’s inner circle.

I hadn't really thought of it like that. Fair point.

In reality it is questions like:

How much money have you spent on x in y years?

Have you plans to spend more on x?

Which suppliers do you use to buy x?

Who is the manager in charge of contracts with those suppliers.

Pleas3 send us an org chart with phone numbers...

Etc etc

Easiest thing is to just publish the info before they ask. Maybe something for the Digital Marketplace folk to enable

Meanwhile at the conference...

This seems to be becoming a sport.

Deep State at work.

Tipping in the news.
Seems the legislation is targeted at the wrong part of the problem.
How about raise minimum wage.

Asda getting it wrong;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45705896

Arguably wrong again with the good will gesture...

Amazon giving a hefty pay-rise above UK living wage
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/02/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-us-uk-employees

Not sure what the underlying tactic is here: generosity, an attempt to garner good publicity, difficulty in recruiting (an example of Brexit pushing up wages?)?

I wonder if she is considering a home delivery for the second one .

Still notable that they pay double the minimum wage in the USA and only just above minimum wage here.

To be fair, the minimum wage in the US is a fucking joke; ~$7.25 in some states...

True. Yet the US tend to pay more than the UK for unskilled labour. The average US factory worker earns about $4 per hour more than the average UK factory worker for example.

That's probably because we completely undervalue producing anything physical any more. That fact you've labeled factory work as unskilled says it all :)