The Gtr Manchester Police Federation spokesman wasn't pulling any punches in that article nor in his radio interviews, you'd expect him to have a political bias as he is basically a union leader but he does have a very valid viewpoint in ridiculing the private sector's attempts to replicate what his police force do every day of the week.

On the other hand what do we honestly expect, with all due respect to those who applied for security guarding jobs at G4S for the period of the Olympics, here we have a situation where there is a genuine need for security and where there is the outside possibility that without security there could be attacks on various teams (hello, Munich Olympics anyone ?), and so in a meeting of senior organisers or even politicians at some time during the past seven years, somebody thought it would be adequate to use temporary, short contract employees on minimum wage, many of whom do not hold security credentials and have had to be trained (so we deduce that they've never done the job before) - and its likely that these people have come from either low paid jobs or been taken from the lines of the unemployed, its hardly surprising that many of them have failed to turn up at places of employment this morning - many of us know what its like to be living on a basic income, its quite likely that when told to report to a hotel in manchester that they couldn't afford to get there if transport wasn't available.

Some simple questions need to be asked - what are the terms of their employment and how are they being deployed to the various sites - the very least that the police do is transport their officers to sites properly, and pay them more than £8 an hour to do a serious job.

When will our incompetent Home Secretary (yes, yet another one!) resign?

It's all Labour's fault

If it doesn't Osborne needs a miracle. Suggestions that if things don't improve soon he's out and Hague may be his replacement.

A report commissioned by this current government by PWC a couple of years ago showed that its normal for any economic benefits of any of the modern Olympic games to drop after the Games have finished, which makes sense really, apparently this was very noticeable after the Athens Games - if the current government hopes that any Olympic boost to the economy will continue into quarter four then they are the only ones with such a hope.

Thought some of you may be interested in this. Quote It’s working! Moments after launching the petition calling on companies like McDonald’s to give up their Olympic tax breaks, their rattled PR team were on the phone. [1 Minutes later they publicly confirmed they wouldn’t be taking up the tax dodge. [2 If you didn’t sign the petition because you weren’t sure it would work, now you know it can. It’s an exciting start. But there are lots of other sponsors who still haven’t budged. Let’s turn up the pressure by keeping the petition growing. Every name helps. Can you sign the petition now and tell the other sponsors to pay their fair share? https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging Next in our sights is Coca-Cola. They’ll be supersizing their profits at the Olympics, expecting to sell 23 million drinks. [3 Together let’s make sure that they’re paying their fair share in tax. Their close relationship with McDonald’s will make dodging the issue even harder for them now. The petition’s already got nearly 100,000 names. If you can help push it past that target we’ll organise a high profile hand-in to Coke’s London headquarters and a simultaneous people-powered flood of messages to them via Facebook and Twitter. Together, we’ll make a splash they can’t ignore! 38 Degrees members have been campaigning against tax dodging because things get cut when businesses don’t pay their fair share. The Olympics is a powerful global symbol. Taking on this particular tax dodge won’t fix the whole problem but it’ll send a strong message that we expect these massive multinationals to do the right thing. If we can get to 100,000 signatures, we’ll organise a hand-in at Coke’s London headquarters this Friday. Click below to add your name now: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging Thanks for being involved, David T, Robin, Belinda and the 38 Degrees team PS: The secretive nature of these companies’ tax arrangements makes it difficult to figure out exactly how much this Olympic tax dodge is worth. Let’s use people power to shine a light on what they’re up to. Can you call on Coca-Cola to front up? Sign the petition here: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging NOTES [1 Ethical Consumer: The Great Olympic Tax Swindle www.ethicalconsumer.org/commenta ... indle.aspx [2 McDonald’s: Olympic Tax Exemption Clarification www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/About ... ption.html [3 Coca-Cola: What does Coca-Cola’s sponsorship bring to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games? www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/olympic- ... -2012.html'"

Thought some of you may be interested in this. Quote It’s working! Moments after launching the petition calling on companies like McDonald’s to give up their Olympic tax breaks, their rattled PR team were on the phone. [1 Minutes later they publicly confirmed they wouldn’t be taking up the tax dodge. [2 If you didn’t sign the petition because you weren’t sure it would work, now you know it can. It’s an exciting start. But there are lots of other sponsors who still haven’t budged. Let’s turn up the pressure by keeping the petition growing. Every name helps. Can you sign the petition now and tell the other sponsors to pay their fair share? https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging Next in our sights is Coca-Cola. They’ll be supersizing their profits at the Olympics, expecting to sell 23 million drinks. [3 Together let’s make sure that they’re paying their fair share in tax. Their close relationship with McDonald’s will make dodging the issue even harder for them now. The petition’s already got nearly 100,000 names. If you can help push it past that target we’ll organise a high profile hand-in to Coke’s London headquarters and a simultaneous people-powered flood of messages to them via Facebook and Twitter. Together, we’ll make a splash they can’t ignore! 38 Degrees members have been campaigning against tax dodging because things get cut when businesses don’t pay their fair share. The Olympics is a powerful global symbol. Taking on this particular tax dodge won’t fix the whole problem but it’ll send a strong message that we expect these massive multinationals to do the right thing. If we can get to 100,000 signatures, we’ll organise a hand-in at Coke’s London headquarters this Friday. Click below to add your name now: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging Thanks for being involved, David T, Robin, Belinda and the 38 Degrees team PS: The secretive nature of these companies’ tax arrangements makes it difficult to figure out exactly how much this Olympic tax dodge is worth. Let’s use people power to shine a light on what they’re up to. Can you call on Coca-Cola to front up? Sign the petition here: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging NOTES [1 Ethical Consumer: The Great Olympic Tax Swindle www.ethicalconsumer.org/commenta ... indle.aspx [2 McDonald’s: Olympic Tax Exemption Clarification www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/About ... ption.html [3 Coca-Cola: What does Coca-Cola’s sponsorship bring to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games? www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/olympic- ... -2012.html'"

Brilliant. We can make a difference.

Signed - maybe if I'd sponsored the Olympics then HMRC wouldn't be sending me threatening letters for £102 that they claim I owe from 2005 - they don't even have the integrity to explain how they came to that figure or why I owe it, in fact their correspondence is no more than an ugly extortion campaign against self employed and previously self employed people like myself, dredging the bottom of the sea for the sorts of amounts that they couldn't be d even reminding you about in the good times.

Some intersting views here: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... 52868.html What a sick irony it'll be if we get a huge, negative Olympic tourist premium. Also, we were supposed to be showcasing London and Britain - the world has seen the security shambles, 4 hour journey's from the airport, etc. Got a bit of work to do yet to sell the country.

Some intersting views here: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... 52868.html What a sick irony it'll be if we get a huge, negative Olympic tourist premium. Also, we were supposed to be showcasing London and Britain - the world has seen the security shambles, 4 hour journey's from the airport, etc. Got a bit of work to do yet to sell the country.

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-i-love-the-olympics--but-not-here-7953428.htmlThis would be more pleasant than armed soldiers patrolling the event, and other security measures such as placing surface-to-air missiles on council estate roofs. If the Palestinians do that they get screamed at for using civilians as a "human shield", but we're doing it to protect the 200 metres backstroke.[/url

That is a superb comment.

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ministers-line-up-to-lobby-for-olympic-billions-7953433.htmlThat Olympic economic boost? Well, it's not about creating jobs in this country.[/url

Will the armed forces be compelled to wear Adidas branded uniforms?

[url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9821083.print/Because the kids at the opening ceremony are being told to[/url

I have reached the conclusion that Locog would fellate a mile-long corporate cock

ordinarily that would be statute barred as its a 'debt' older than 6 years. Unfortunately the taxman is exempted from the limitation act. They did this to me this year seeking over a grand from 2003. When I rang to query how they knew I owed it they didnt, as they didnt have any records going back that far and dropped it. The hard part will be getting through to the useless buggers and you'll probably have to go into the tax office which has a direct line to the dept in question

[url=http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012/07/graffiti-raids-across-london-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/And this is fun too.[/url

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/17/nick-buckles-g4s-olympic-chaos?INTCMP=SRCHAnd some very funny sketch writing.[/url

Thanks Mintball.
I did watch it live and I was shocked how blasé he seemed to be about it all.
I did actually laugh when he stated that he found out who hadn't turned up at 9PM on the evening when is was to late to do anything about it.
A point that isn't mentioned is that Vaz asked him that seeing how they had signed a contract for 10,400 exactly how many they had tried to employ for the job his reply with no sign of it being a problem was '10,400'...............Yes that is right they expected that EVERY single person contracted wouldn't get injured or ill in over 2 months.
Clueless doesn't come close.

Also they have said they can deliver 7,000 security now do we trust that figure?
If as seems to be the norm only 1/3 turn up then there is going to be a shortfall of around 4,500 and if that happens who the hell are going to fill those places in the short term?
Long term the forces will cover as those on leave are recalled but that can't happen overnight so I have a sneaking feeling that the police are going to have to fill the void however big it is.
Which leaves me to ask if that is the case exactly who is going to police the country/capital?
Are we going to have to hope that certain rather nasty groups will not just find a none olympic area and go nuts there?

Back on the "kid's shoes" case.

As someone on twitter pointed out, it's seems entirely reasonable for Adidas to force kids to wear their trainers in the opening ceremony, after all they force kids to make the damn things

Its no coincidence that Cameron is in Afghanistan today - they flew out there in a Hercules and will be trying to bring back as many Security Accredited troops as possible, "Have you ever done any door jobs while you've been home on leave and fancied a bit of extra cash ?" answer yes and you're on the plane.

I went for a job interview many moons ago when they were in the early stages of handling outsourcing work with the prisons back when it was Group 4. They re-branded after the bad press they get with that and it's inevitable that another re-branding will follow. A friend of mine was working in their HR department (I think she still may be there as it was earlier this year). If I see her again soon I'll ask her if there's any gossip. Wouldn't surprise me if she's been shunted down there to help out because they expect a lot from their middle management professionals, probably too much.

It's gonna get mighty embarassing if the squaddies [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18798792get their weapons pickpocketed[/url

[url=http://thevoluptuousmanifesto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/grumbling-for-britain.html?spref=tw'What do you mean, I can't use those words to promote anything for the next umpteen weeks?'[/url

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... nt_count=1 A sort-of-legal protest and comment.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... nt_count=1 A sort-of-legal protest and comment.

Been taken down mate