Lead story
Ukraine: Which side are you on?
by Daphne Liddle
LEFT Social Democrats have some strange habits. They can recognise the evils of United States and British imperialism, deplore the atrocities they carry out, acknowledge that the venal interests of giant capitalist interests are behind their warmongering — and yet still see the governments of the targeted nations as the greater transgressors.
When the US and Britain first wage war against Iraq to gain control of its oil supplies, many left social democrats initially supported the attack because of the western media monsterisation of Saddam Hussein. And likewise with Libya and Gaddafi.
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[ Ukraine: Which side are you on? ]
‘Brutal and bullying’ culture in job centres
AN ANONYMOUS whistleblower, formerly employed for more than 20 years by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), spoke to Work and Pensions Secretary Ian Duncan Smith, along with Tory MP Esther McVey and Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, the member of the DWP Select Committee who set up the meeting. Neil Couling, Head of Jobcentre Plus, was also present.
“The pressure to sanction customers was constant,” he said. “It led to people being stitched-up on a daily basis.” “We were constantly told ‘agitate the customer’ and that ‘any engagement with the customer is an opportunity to sanction’,” he told them.
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[ ‘Brutal and bullying’ culture in job centres ]
