Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Mr Speaker - You're Fired! Update
The Speaker has announced his intention to resign on Sunday 21st June and the election of a new Speaker will take place on Monday 22nd June. The statement took approximately 35 seconds.
Mr Speaker - You're Fired!
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, is to announce that he will step down. He will make an announcement on his future at 2.30pm today.
He has been heavily criticised over the expenses scandal revealed in the Daily Telegraph recently.
It is right that he stands down but should he be on his own? MPs are rushing to pay back expenses that they should never have been paid. But what is their penalty/punishment? Should they be allowed to stand at the next election? Should they pay a fine?
It is time that the words 'public servant' meant something especially the word 'servant'.
Who will replace Mr Speaker? It will need to be a strong leader that has the will to defend the public against abuses of the system and restore confidence oin politics. He must also have the power and wit to clearly define the rules on expenses. Officials who let politicians claim excess must be fired. It will be interesting to find a strong politician who is not affected by the recent scandal.
He has been heavily criticised over the expenses scandal revealed in the Daily Telegraph recently.
It is right that he stands down but should he be on his own? MPs are rushing to pay back expenses that they should never have been paid. But what is their penalty/punishment? Should they be allowed to stand at the next election? Should they pay a fine?
It is time that the words 'public servant' meant something especially the word 'servant'.
Who will replace Mr Speaker? It will need to be a strong leader that has the will to defend the public against abuses of the system and restore confidence oin politics. He must also have the power and wit to clearly define the rules on expenses. Officials who let politicians claim excess must be fired. It will be interesting to find a strong politician who is not affected by the recent scandal.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
NICE in Belfast
No I am not referring to the weather unfortunately
Every two months the NICE (Board holds its meeting in a different venue; moving from region to region to ensure that all those interested can come along to hear about the latest developments at NICE and question the Board about policy.
A question time session is also held before the main Board meeting. This session offers a great opportunity for you to raise any questions you have about the work of NICE and is open to the general public.
NICE Question Time will take place on Wednesday 20 May 2009:
12.30pm – 1.45pm
Followed by the NICE Public Board Meeting:
2.00pm – 4.OO pm
Venue: Belfast City Hospital
51 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AB
For more info and to book a place. Log on to
http://www.nice.org.uk/boardmeetingmay09
Every two months the NICE (Board holds its meeting in a different venue; moving from region to region to ensure that all those interested can come along to hear about the latest developments at NICE and question the Board about policy.
A question time session is also held before the main Board meeting. This session offers a great opportunity for you to raise any questions you have about the work of NICE and is open to the general public.
NICE Question Time will take place on Wednesday 20 May 2009:
12.30pm – 1.45pm
Followed by the NICE Public Board Meeting:
2.00pm – 4.OO pm
Venue: Belfast City Hospital
51 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AB
For more info and to book a place. Log on to
http://www.nice.org.uk/boardmeetingmay09
Skills and the Recession
There is an interesting piece of analysis from Laurence Downey the NI Manager for the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in the Belfast Telegraph today.
This recession with its global perspective is like no other. The labour market in Northern Ireland is facing significant challenges. Many jobs no longer feel as secure as before and for those individuals who are made redundant the prospects of finding a new job appear increasingly difficult. Our young people currently completing their education and training will be entering a depressed job market with limited employment opportunities.
In his recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer forecast a return to economic growth in a year’s time. Many commentators and political opponents consider this expectation as being too optimistic and think it will take more like two years to see our economy returning to stable and sustained growth. We can be sure that the current downturn will make it a tough time for business both large and small for some time to come.
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have a vital role to play in supporting economic recovery and growth. They provide employers with a unique forum to express the skills and productivity needs that are pertinent to their sector. As independent employer-led organisations each SSC is responsible for tackling the skills and productivity needs of a specific economic sector across the UK. Sector Skills Councils represent 90% of the UK workforce from construction to hospitality, engineering to health, and many more.
In Northern Ireland, Sector Skills Councils are providing robust sector specific Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) working in consultation with employers. This detailed LMI is being used by SSCs to continuously influence Government skills policy, strategy and funding and to ensure the wide range of organisations providing education and training are meeting the needs of employers.
What can be done now to prepare the economy for future recovery and growth? It is not sufficient to only address unemployment. New jobs are emerging in a variety of identifiable areas; green technologies, low carbon, sustainable design, the digital and creative industries and a manufacturing sector that is rebalancing. Investment must also be focused on indigenous training that leads to higher level skills, reintegrates the workless back into sustainable employment and specifically attacks underlying skills gaps and shortages more so than ever.
Government led approaches continue to struggle to support existing businesses and individuals impacted by the downturn. Redundancies at F G Wilson, Bombardier, Wrightbus and Visteon, are just some examples of recent blows to Northern Ireland’s economy, particularly our manufacturing base. Northern Ireland cannot afford to fall behind now. The pain that our economy and our people are going through at present is hopefully temporary. It is up to all elements in our economy - government, employers, trade unions, education & training providers and sector skills councils - to work collaboratively to prepare for recovery, no matter how long it takes, so that we can be in a strong position to exploit the new opportunities that will inevitably emerge as we come out of recession.
For employers and employees in Northern Ireland the provision of education and training is changing, and striving to become far more responsive to the needs of the wider economy. Sector Skills Councils are at the heart of this demand-led approach with responsibility for National Occupational Standards (the building blocks for vocational qualifications) and apprenticeship frameworks within the Department for Employment and Learning’s flagship ApprenticeshipsNI programme. Increasingly, their LMI is being utilised to underpin up-to-date careers information, advice and guidance. SSCs are influencing and supporting policy and programmes in relation to employability skills and management & leadership. A major and much needed development is new policy and funding directed towards up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives for existing employees.
Our Assembly admittedly has limited powers and an even more limited budget. However, bold action is needed now to do what we can to protect our economy and invest in our future. The Programme for Government has as its central aim the creation of a dynamic innovative economy. In order to achieve this, the Executive will have to help create business confidence and that is done through investing in skills that will enable business to grow and lead in the future. A strong sect oral approach led by the Sector Skills Councils is absolutely vital to protect skills and jobs and prepare Northern Ireland for recovery.
This recession with its global perspective is like no other. The labour market in Northern Ireland is facing significant challenges. Many jobs no longer feel as secure as before and for those individuals who are made redundant the prospects of finding a new job appear increasingly difficult. Our young people currently completing their education and training will be entering a depressed job market with limited employment opportunities.
In his recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer forecast a return to economic growth in a year’s time. Many commentators and political opponents consider this expectation as being too optimistic and think it will take more like two years to see our economy returning to stable and sustained growth. We can be sure that the current downturn will make it a tough time for business both large and small for some time to come.
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have a vital role to play in supporting economic recovery and growth. They provide employers with a unique forum to express the skills and productivity needs that are pertinent to their sector. As independent employer-led organisations each SSC is responsible for tackling the skills and productivity needs of a specific economic sector across the UK. Sector Skills Councils represent 90% of the UK workforce from construction to hospitality, engineering to health, and many more.
In Northern Ireland, Sector Skills Councils are providing robust sector specific Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) working in consultation with employers. This detailed LMI is being used by SSCs to continuously influence Government skills policy, strategy and funding and to ensure the wide range of organisations providing education and training are meeting the needs of employers.
What can be done now to prepare the economy for future recovery and growth? It is not sufficient to only address unemployment. New jobs are emerging in a variety of identifiable areas; green technologies, low carbon, sustainable design, the digital and creative industries and a manufacturing sector that is rebalancing. Investment must also be focused on indigenous training that leads to higher level skills, reintegrates the workless back into sustainable employment and specifically attacks underlying skills gaps and shortages more so than ever.
Government led approaches continue to struggle to support existing businesses and individuals impacted by the downturn. Redundancies at F G Wilson, Bombardier, Wrightbus and Visteon, are just some examples of recent blows to Northern Ireland’s economy, particularly our manufacturing base. Northern Ireland cannot afford to fall behind now. The pain that our economy and our people are going through at present is hopefully temporary. It is up to all elements in our economy - government, employers, trade unions, education & training providers and sector skills councils - to work collaboratively to prepare for recovery, no matter how long it takes, so that we can be in a strong position to exploit the new opportunities that will inevitably emerge as we come out of recession.
For employers and employees in Northern Ireland the provision of education and training is changing, and striving to become far more responsive to the needs of the wider economy. Sector Skills Councils are at the heart of this demand-led approach with responsibility for National Occupational Standards (the building blocks for vocational qualifications) and apprenticeship frameworks within the Department for Employment and Learning’s flagship ApprenticeshipsNI programme. Increasingly, their LMI is being utilised to underpin up-to-date careers information, advice and guidance. SSCs are influencing and supporting policy and programmes in relation to employability skills and management & leadership. A major and much needed development is new policy and funding directed towards up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives for existing employees.
Our Assembly admittedly has limited powers and an even more limited budget. However, bold action is needed now to do what we can to protect our economy and invest in our future. The Programme for Government has as its central aim the creation of a dynamic innovative economy. In order to achieve this, the Executive will have to help create business confidence and that is done through investing in skills that will enable business to grow and lead in the future. A strong sect oral approach led by the Sector Skills Councils is absolutely vital to protect skills and jobs and prepare Northern Ireland for recovery.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Niall Stanage Obama Lecture
Just in case anyone missed it.
http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=2599
Just copy this into address bar. It is in two audio parts.
http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=2599
Just copy this into address bar. It is in two audio parts.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Warning shot from the US
President Obama delivered on another campaign promise this week that of protecting US businesses and of protecting jobs at home. I was privileged enough to be working on the campaign in Ohio when the then Senator said that he would stop tax breaks for business taking jobs overseas
"When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or allowing every job to disappear overseas. The truth is, we won't be able to bring back every job that we've lost, but that doesn't mean we should follow John McCain's plan to keep giving tax breaks to corporations that send American jobs overseas. I will end those breaks as President, and I will give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create right here in the United States of America."
The big fear has been that the President would remove tax breaks in total from US companies setting up outside the USA. In the end his policy removes tax breaks on expenses and targets tax havens. So much or the good news.
"Nearly one-third of all foreign profits reported by U.S. corporations in 2003 came from just three small, low-tax countries: Bermuda, the Netherlands, and Ireland"
So Ireland is on the agenda! As a potential target of future US taxation policy I am not sure Ireland wants this kind of attention. Given the special importance of the all-island economy, in the present economic difficulties, dont think for a moment that Northern Ireland will not be affected. Watch this space!
"When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or allowing every job to disappear overseas. The truth is, we won't be able to bring back every job that we've lost, but that doesn't mean we should follow John McCain's plan to keep giving tax breaks to corporations that send American jobs overseas. I will end those breaks as President, and I will give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create right here in the United States of America."
The big fear has been that the President would remove tax breaks in total from US companies setting up outside the USA. In the end his policy removes tax breaks on expenses and targets tax havens. So much or the good news.
"Nearly one-third of all foreign profits reported by U.S. corporations in 2003 came from just three small, low-tax countries: Bermuda, the Netherlands, and Ireland"
So Ireland is on the agenda! As a potential target of future US taxation policy I am not sure Ireland wants this kind of attention. Given the special importance of the all-island economy, in the present economic difficulties, dont think for a moment that Northern Ireland will not be affected. Watch this space!
Heaney and Ervine
I only met David Ervine a few times but like most people I found him to be good humoured, intelligent and above all one of the few straight talking sensible politicians in the Assembly. In times of difficulty he will always be missed.
"Education, according to the poet Robert Frost, changes the plane of regard - and David Ervine would have agreed.
"He was an exemplary man of our place and our peace, somebody who believed that where there was a right word there was a right way, and acted accordingly."
"Education, according to the poet Robert Frost, changes the plane of regard - and David Ervine would have agreed.
"He was an exemplary man of our place and our peace, somebody who believed that where there was a right word there was a right way, and acted accordingly."
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