Did the Tory war on the poor weed out magistrates opposed to 'push button' mass-destruction in the name of 'debt recovery'

Reflecting on the two most recent Kwug Blog posts,

1. Unjustly treated Revd Paul Nicolson points to the mass-destruction perils of 'push button justice' over civil debt (1) and
2. Alleged 'left wing bias' in schools and social work education

it strikes me that those two blog posts link in with previous Kwug Blog posts about magistrates. (3)

Magistrates are sworn to 'uphold the law' — whatever that law might be — and when Michael Gove was Justice Secretary [sic] he brought in legal charges that so disgusted some magistrates that they felt obliged to resign in protest to changes he sought to bring in regarding criminal courts charges. (4)

In my experience, when truly socially engaged professionals such as good Disability Employment Advisers have been faced with 'service constraints' that are against the interests of the people before them, they have sought employment elsewhere; what that leaves amounts to postholders that are purely 'functionaries' or mercenaries, serving really only as 'window dressing'.

Revd Paul Nicolson's court summons yesterday was in response to a civil debt rather than a criminal case, but I believe it does tie in with my point about 'service delivery'. Barrister Alan Murdie has written two Big Issue articles regarding the kind of justice meted out to Council Tax debtors:

• The great British council tax scandal – a Big Issue investigation (5) and
• Council Tax Scandal Part II: The Human Cost (6)

It was those poor people's interests Paul seeks to highlight with his campaign of Civil Disobedience.

An eye-witness of yesterday's proceedings gives this account:

The Judge didn't allow an adjournment, despite RP [Revd Paul] needing more time to understand a council document, plus hadn't had a response from independent auditor. Judge stated his "hands are tied" and has "no discretion"...how can one 'judge' with such constraints? Council got eventually what they wanted, but look crumby!

Yesterday I wrote Paul that I regard him as a modern day Conscientious Objector. This was after I had blogged about the parallels between

1. Paul's Guardian letter pointing out that people whose mental health had been severely harmed by benefit sanctions and the like being prescribed tranquilisers rather than a resolution of their sanctions by the Department for Work & Pensions, and
2. World War 1 bullying of people into becoming 'combatants'.

Today, a statement by the late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo reminds me of a world without people of courage such as Paul Nicolson:

'If you want to enter hell, don't complain of the dark....' (7)

Perhaps magistrates such as the one presiding over Paul's case are gatekeepers for such a hell, telling them that the harm done to society by Civil Disobedience must be punished while the hell that they are allowing to creep in is inevitable because magistrates are sworn to uphold the law?

It also strikes me that were someone to write someone else, "What words would you like to be your epitaph?" that query would be generally regarded as a death threat. Yet such a query can be an invitation to examine one's life and seek to live a better one.

Dude Swheatie of Kwug

PS: Meanwhile those who attack defenders of public spending and investment in society as 'politically motivated' while being keen to stand as Tory candidates in council elections (8) — especially when the defenders of public spending and investment invest their own lives in public service delivery — remind me of a Flanders & Swann comment in the 1960's that 'strictly non-political' translated in reality as 'very right wing'.

Notes

1. http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/unjustly-treated-revd-paul-nicolson-points-to-mass-destruction-perils-of-push-button-justice-over-civil-debt.html
2. http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/alleged-left-wing-bias-in-schools-and-social-work-education.html
3. http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=magistrates+gove
4. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/criminal-courts-charge-mass-resignations-amid-judicial-revolt-against-extremely-unfair-fees-10492130.html
5. https://bigissue.com/news/great-british-council-tax-scandal-big-issue-investigation/
6. https://bigissue.com/news/council-tax-scandal-part-ii-human-cost/
7. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-40585327
8. http://camdennewjournal.com/article/face-of-governments-teacher-recruitment-drive-rails-against-lefty-bias-in-schools

1. 
   

Alleged 'left wing bias' in schools and social work education

The Camden New Journal home page currently leads with

http://camdennewjournal.com/article/face-of-governments-teacher-recruitment-drive-rails-against-lefty-bias-in-schools

— a CNJ exclusive.

It reminds me very creepily of

http://www.socialworkfuture.org/articles-resources/resources/192-why-gove-is-wrong

Dude Swheatie of Kwug

From New Internationalist magazine

Could Brexiteers Johnson, Gove, Farage be prosecuted for lies?

By Vanessa Baird | 2

 

  115  441  

Anti-Brexit protest, London, July 2016. by Vanessa Baird

Vanessa Baird reports on new citizen initiatives calling for honesty in politics.

A crowd-funded campaign could see leading British political figures such as Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Michael Gove facing legal investigation for their conduct during the EU referendum campaign.....

More at https://newint.org/blog/2016/07/25/could-brexiteers-johnson-gove-farage-be-prosecuted-for-lies/

Change of pamphlet launch event date and other matters

 From Social Work Action Network London

 

1. Pamphlet launch date change. 'In Defence of Social Work: Why Michael Gove is wrong'' pamphlet launch with Peter Beresford OBE (Shaping Our Lives and Brunel University), will now be held at 18:30 on Tuesday 11th February at London South Bank University, a change from the originally advertised date which was a week before.

The pamphlet, which was put together as a sharp and swift response to Tory ConDem cabinet member and Education Secretary Michael Gove’s attack on social work, can be ordered by downloading the order form attached or at the following link:
http://www.socialworkfuture.org/articles-and-analysis/news/349-why-gove-is-wrong

RSVP so your name is on the door at the Keyworth Reception (no need if you have already responded).

The meeting will be held at London South Bank University (Elephant & Castle), while the room booked is now Keyworth Lecture Theatre A, it is in the Keyworth Building as before, on Keyworth Street, London SE1 6NG. Nearest tube is Elephant & Castle, exit from the Bakerloo Line exit (following signs to South Bank University). 

2. SWAN Conf 2014 and call for papers. Please book now for the 2014 SWAN Conference in Durham here. SWAN Conf 2014 call for papers and workshops is attached below. Please send proposals to swannortheast@gmail.com by 28th Feb!
3. UKIP attack on Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS). Many of you will remember our colleagues in BAPS who spoke at last year's conference, defending services from mass privatisation. They have asked us to share with you after a UKIP threat to “crash” a meeting. After their members comments on women, disabled children and gay marriage, I think we know what a nasty, discriminatory organisation they are:

http://barnetalliance.org/2014/01/15/you-ask-the-questions-of-candidates-in-the-local-elections-public-meeting-threatened-by-ukip/

4. Women's Group Skills Swap in South East London. SWAN London member Keeley, has asked us to share with you details of a Women's Skills Swap event on Sunday 2nd February in Ladywell (nr Lewisham) - the first event is an introduction to Turkish!

Best wishes

Dan

SWAN London

Why Michael Gove is wrong — Social Work Action Network pamphlet launch with Peter Beresford, 4th Feb

From our friends in Social Work Action Network London

On Friday, 17 January 2014, 8:20, Swan London wrote:

Dear SWAN London list members

Pamphlet launch at 18:30 on 4th February at London South Bank University

SWAN is about to launch the pamphlet, 'In Defence of Social Work: Why Michael Gove is wrong'. This publication was put together as a sharp and swift response to Tory ConDem cabinet member and Education Secretary Michael Gove’s attack on social work. On the 12 November 2013, Gove repeated some familiar right-wing themes in his ‘considerations’ on social work. In particular Gove attacked social work education and practitioners who hold a strong social justice analysis and motivation at the centre of their work. 

Peter Beresford OBE, who contributed the chapter 'Frontline and social work education' will be speaking and holding a short discussion session as part of the launch. Peter is Professor of Social Policy at Brunel University, a long term mental health service user and Chair of Shaping Our Lives, the disabled people’s and service users’ organisation and network. Twitter: @beresfordpeter

Copies of the pamphlet will of course be available to buy at the launch event. The cover price of the pamphlet is £3, but we will be selling it at the discounted rate of £2. We can offer further discount to bulk purchases from trade union branches and universities. 

The meeting will be from 18:30-20:30 on Tuesday 4th February. This will be held at London South Bank University (Elephant & Castle), Lecture Theatre A, in the Keyworth Building Keyworth Street, London SE1 6NG. Nearest tube is Elephant & Castle, exit from the Bakerloo Line exit (following signs to South Bank University). 

The pamphlet can be ordered by going to 
http://www.socialworkfuture.org/articles-and-analysis/news/349-why-gove-is-wrong

This will be a great event to bring along colleagues and friends who are not familiar with SWAN and our work. 

NB: RSVP BY EMAIL TO THIS ADDRESS. This helps us plan numbers for the event. 

See you in February

Dan

SWAN London

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Social Work Action Network (SWAN) London

Visit the SWAN London blog for latest information here.
Visit the national SWAN website here.

Sign up for the Critical and Radical Social Work journal for free here.

Colonising growing minds

Education Secretary and Rupert Murdoch disciple Michael Gove would have us believe that if people are poor, then that is their fault. Sounds very much like Iain Duncan Smith, Lord Freud, David Cameron, George Osborne, et al.

What are the consequences for society and the caring professions in Michael Gove's approach?

Gove slams social work education

Education secretary claims social work training is currently dominated by dogma and theories of society.