‘We had no idea whether these were police, whether they were terrorists, whether they were somebody else’

The above quote comes from a comment under cross-examination made at the inquest by one of the commuters on the same tube as Jean Charles de Menezes was shot.  Both of the commuters who gave evidence state that they heard no warning given by the cops.

Nicholas Hilliard QC, counsel to the inquest, asked him: “Had you heard anything said about police?” Mr Livock replied: “No, certainly not.

This contradicts the evidence given by the firearms cops who claim they shouted, “armed police”. And as we know, British police never ever lie, do they…..

Further criticism of the Green Paper on welfare reform

Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) have “major reservations” about the Green Paper on welfare reform (No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility).

Many of the building blocks for the proposed further advance of welfare reform are untried, and will be establishing themselves at a time of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment. The whole background against which ESA is rolled out, lone parents transfer from income support to JSA and the Flexible New Deal is introduced, may be substantially different to that against which these changes were planned.

They also argue that the Green Paper is a major departure from the principles of Beveridge, the importance of social security. The Green Paper, they maintain, puts forward policies and initiatives without being based on evidence. Their conclusion states close monitoring, evaluation and calls for a commission looking at benefits for working age people.

TUC’s comments on the Green Paper.