Just Fancy That - or "compare and contrast" - a déja vu edition

1. The Manchester Gazette yesterday, singing the praises of Hazel Blears’ work experience scheme.

2. The Manchester Gazette yesterday, on the subject of "A Fair Day’s Pay For A Fair Day’s Work" complete with a special mention of the work being put in on this important campaign by one Hazel Blears...

It further coincides with a renewed call last month by Salford and Eccles MP Hazel Blears for all employers, including her fellow Parliamentarians, to end the practice of offering unpaid internships. Not only are they unlawful, Ms Blears believes that they are morally wrong because they give an unfair advantage to young people from better off backgrounds who can afford to work for free.

She took to the floor of the House of Commons to ask Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure that the National Minimum Wage was enforced, and that there would be no “exploitation” of students graduating from university in her constituency, and from across the country, this summer. As the law stands, anyone who works set hours and has set responsibilities is entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.

So according to Hazel and apparently the Manchester Gazette it is (still) definitely the case that forcing graduates to take unpaid internships in order to gain experience is very very wrong, but having unemployed non-graduates do unpaid work experience under a scheme to which Hazel attaches her name is fine... especially if it offers up a "photo op" or two...

See also Just Fancy That - or "compare and contrast"

Just Fancy That - or "compare and contrast"

To be found at the personal web site of Hazel Blears MP

Item 1: Name and shame firms which use unpaid interns says Hazel

Hazel is calling on treasury chiefs to name and shame companies found to be employing unpaid interns.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has revealed that during 2012/13 it ordered nine firms to pay £200,000 to people who had worked for them as unpaid interns. But it has refused to identify any of the companies involved.

Under the law, anyone with set hours and responsibilities should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.

Hazel called for Treasury officials to do more to enforce the law when she met with Treasury officials and employment minister Jo Swinson about the problem in January...

Item 2: Kids Without Connections was launched by Salford and Eccles MP Hazel Blears last year when young people did placements with local firms.

Ms Blears began the scheme after becoming increasingly concerned by the number of young people who told her they had missed out on jobs because they did not have the experience, but they could not get the experience because they had not had a job.

But within a couple of months of celebrating their involvement in the first Kids Without Connection at a special Parliament reception, around half of the 23 young people involved had found meaningful jobs.

Ms Blears is now inviting companies interested in offering a young person up to four weeks of unpaid work experience during the second Kids Without Connections scheme to learn more about what is involved...

Obviously some types of "unemployed people" deserve to be paid at least national minimum wage whilst gaining all important work experience and some - those from poorer backgrounds, whose families may not have connections among relatives, friends and colleagues to help them get work experience, it would appear - don't.

No doubt Hazel can explain why the distinction?

The Sun do the Hazel Blears joke

From page 2: The last time I saw this joke was nearly six months ago.

Hazel Blears explains the difference between Tory recessions and Labour recessions

From The Telegraph:

"Economic recession has the power to do one of two things to a society:

It can either drive people apart, with an increase in distrust between individuals, more naked competition for jobs, a fracturing of community spirit - we witnessed this in the Eighties and early Nineties, and at its most extreme, it culminated in cars and building burning on the streets of Brixton, Birmingham and Liverpool..."

So that's a nasty Tory recession in a nutshell. Whereas a Labour recession tends to be a rather cuddly and wholesome affair:

...[or] the recession could bring neighbours closer and lead "citizens to discover new reserves of courage and kindness... Which end of the spectrum we tilt towards will depend on a decisive factor: the role of the government in valuing volunteering in creating space for local action, and in promoting innovation and experimentation."

*Jesus wept*

Which government doesn't "value volunteering"? (Clue here). How does a government "create space for local action"? Either the space is there or it isn't - if it's occupied by a business or a home then how would turning it into "space" help matters? But presumably she's blathering on about some metaphysical space anyway. How can a government "promote innovation and experimentation"? All it can do is "not discourage innovation and experimentation".

*/Jesus wept*
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PS, this is all in stark contrast to what The Home Office expect:

Ministers are bracing themselves for a rise in violent crime and burglaries and a shift to far-right extremism as the effects of the economic downturn take their toll, a leaked Home Office report to the Prime Minister says.

Which makes this one look a lot like a typical nasty Tory recession, eh?

... and then they came for the disgruntled constituents ...

A while back, Hazel Bleurgh said that the knives were out for the 'bloggers, and unless I am mistaken, she compared them disparagingly to "people who write to their local newspaper".

They've gone one better now - you can't even risk writing to your MP to complain about the fact that ... er ... your MP might be raided for being in possession of letters complaining about this.

H/t OH (and many others, of course).

Hazel Bleurgh

"Blears attacks political bloggers"

You f***ing bitch, you have just earned yourself an extra slow and painful death.

Moving swiftly on ...

Ms Blears will also attack the "deeply unhealthy" number of government jobs given to career politicians with little experience beyond Westminster... Ms Blears, who had a career as a local government solicitor before becoming an elected politician... "

Dude, WTF?

"Restricted files lost by minister"

Tee hee again!

1984 (9): The surveillance state

Isn't this how it all started?

"The guidance focuses on ...

Better use of local data - including better sharing of info and feedback from police, neighbourhood wardens and community workers.

Councils should look to bring together all key players the community - from local government agencies, the police, community and faith groups - who can come together to address issues should they arise and who will then keep a watchful eye on tension levels across the community on an ongoing basis.

[And] also encourages authorities to think about possible 'triggers' and take action by:

Monitoring racist, religious and other criminal incidents closely, looking at where and when they occur and then taking action to resolve tensions that may follow.

Countering rumours and scaremongering with myth busting info setting out the facts.

Working with local media to ensure that reporting of local issues is balanced and does not exacerbate tensions

Working closely with young people in the community from all different faith and cultural groups

Developing greater awareness that increased globalisation means international issues can play out at local level with the potential to threaten cohesion."

H/t Snafu.

See also here!