Pop over to Poland: Gdansk flights from just £19rtn

Dzień dobry pirates! Plot yourselves an autumn city break to picturesque Poland with these bargain flights to Gdansk on the Baltic coast! We've added departures in September and October, an ideal time for a city break. For a few pounds more you can fly out there during Christmas Markets season - find some dates below!… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cheltenham 4* Malmaison stay from £49.50pppn - incl. Christmas & 2019 dates

Pirates can now take a charming staycation in Cheltenham, close to the Cotswolds, from just £49.50 per person, per night, based on 2 sharing -- including peak season dates around Christmas! This 4* Malmaison hotel is just 5 minutes from the city centre along the Montpellier Gardens. For an extra touch of luxury, upgrade your… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Awesome Edinburgh 4* aparthotel stay from £48.50pp - incl. some Christmas market dates

Pirates, we have come across this super cute aparthotel 'Eden Locke' in Edinburgh located on George Street just a short stroll from the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle. The cheapest dates are in November which in the later half of the month is perfect for all the Christmas festivities that goes on in the City.… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

All inclusive beachside bliss: 7nts in Mexico from £752pp incl. flights, new hotel & more

Reckon you can squeeze some more sun out of your summer? Well, so do we! That's why we're bringing you this deal to Mexico, departing in October, to the new beachfront resort of Riu Dunamar. Not only can you enjoy the all inclusive basis surrounded by modern 4* surroundings, you can also wander down to… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Get the crew to Greece: 7nts in autumn from £271pp incl. flights & villa w/ private pool - sleeps 4

Grab a bunch of mates and say "see ya" to the impending winter with an autumn escape to Greece. Stay in you very own villa with private pool, over looking the sea, for a week. The temperatures in Rhodes at this time of year are still comfortably in the 20s, so whether you still have… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Luxury Asia island 10nt escape from £694pp - incl. 5* resort, direct flights, bags & breakfast

For pirates keen to try something a bit different (but still on a tight budget) why not check out the island of Hainan in Southeast Asia? The Chinese island has just launched 30-day visa free travel for UK tourists and direct flights from London are on sale with China Southern. We found a seriously lush… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Flights to Greece from £37 return - Thessaloniki, Kefalonia & Athens (Oct & Nov)

Pirates, we have come across these great flights to Greece including Kefalonia, Thessaloniki and the wonderful capital city of Athens. The dates span October through to November where the weather should reach high teens/low 20's. Flight details Direct flights Fly to Thessaloniki, Kefalonia, Athens Departures from London Dates between October and November Example date Thessaloni:… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Try something different: Flights to Ukraine from £40 return *visit Lviv or Kiev*

Pirates, try something different with a trip to the Ukraine at low prices: check out flights to the gorgeous city of Lviv from £40 return or the buzzing capital Kiev from £43 return. A visit to this vibrant country is visa-free, and it's an inexpensive destination to explore. Flight details Direct flights with Ryanair /… Bosun-Dawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

LTDA calls for investigation into Uber legal bias

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The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association has today called on the Lord Chief Justice to investigate accusations of bias in the decisions of Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot around Uber.Following a front-page Observer article this weekend, more allegations have come to light about the decisions of Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot. While she has withdrawn from presiding over upcoming licensing appeals, significant questions remain about her decisions in recent cases in London and Reading and her unwillingness to recuse herself in cases involving Uber.Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the LTDA, said:“It’s appalling that Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot has been involved in so many cases which have backed Uber, without disclosing her links to the company.“We want the Lord Chief Justice to investigate as a matter of urgency to restore faith in our legal system.”Significant doubt has been cast over the previous decisions of this judge, due to:

An apparent determination on the part of Judge Arbuthnot to preside over a number of cases related to Uber. The Chief Magistrate has ordered five matters relating to Uber to be allocated to her for hearing. This includes two prosecutions of Uber drivers for plying for hire which were allocated to her on the initiative and application of Uber-funded lawyers. It also includes the appeals in Brighton and York against refusals to renew Uber’s license, which were transferred to her out of the locality without any hearing in open court.It has emerged over the weekend that the Chief Magistrate has assigned the Brighton and Hove appeal to another judge. The LTDA is concerned that this personal selection of another judge represents retention of influence over the hearing of this Uber appeal.A rush to complete cases. While five days in court were allocated for Uber’s appeal against Transport for London, it was completed in only two. The LTDA was limited to only five minutes of oral submission in the case.Political interference in licensing. Detailed press reports are available on the intervention of 10 Downing Street in Transport for London’s decisions around Uber in 2014 and 2015, when Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson was in post. The Conservative Party ran a petition calling on Sadiq Khan, Labour Mayor of London, to ‘rethink’ his decision to refuse to license Uber in September 2017.Family connections. The Chief Magistrate is married to senior Conservative politician Lord Arbuthnot. Lord Arbuthnot is a former director of and current senior consultant to SC Strategy, a company which advises one of Uber’s biggest investors, the Qatar Investment Authority. Despite this connection being a potential conflict of interest, the Chief Magistrate has put herself forward for no fewer than five cases involving Uber.

The brother of the Chief Magistrate, Bartholomew Broadbent, wrote in January 2015 to a regulator in Charleston, South Carolina, in strong support of Uber. He praised Uber in relation to a request for the authority to reinstate Uber services in the city.At present, there is no mechanism by which the parties to a dispute can be made aware of a potential conflict of interest, such as this family connection, at the outset of a hearing.The LTDA has been campaigning against the relicensing of Uber in London, on the basis that it is not a fit and proper operator. Its recent ‘Real Cost of Uber’ campaign highlighted issues around Uber’s use of data, its unfair business practices and its record on safety in London.

August 20, 2018 at 05:09PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Winter wonders: 3-5nt New York getaway from £459pp - incl. 4* Manhattan hotel, flights & boat tour

Pirates, now is the time to plot your trip to the Big Apple with this New York holiday from TourCenter! It may be known as The City That Never Sleeps, but you'll be getting plenty of shut eye at a comfy 4* Holiday Inn, situated right in downtown Manhattan. Flights are included, as well as… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

LTDA calls for investigation into Uber legal bias

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The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association has today called on the Lord Chief Justice to investigate accusations of bias in the decisions of Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot around Uber.

Following a front-page Observer article this weekend, more allegations have come to light about the decisions of Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot. While she has withdrawn from presiding over upcoming licensing appeals, significant questions remain about her decisions in recent cases in London and Reading and her unwillingness to recuse herself in cases involving Uber.Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the LTDA, said:“It’s appalling that Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot has been involved in so many cases which have backed Uber, without disclosing her links to the company.“We want the Lord Chief Justice to investigate as a matter of urgency to restore faith in our legal system.”

Significant doubt has been cast over the previous decisions of this judge, due to:

An apparent determination on the part of Judge Arbuthnot to preside over a number of cases related to Uber. The Chief Magistrate has ordered five matters relating to Uber to be allocated to her for hearing. This includes two prosecutions of Uber drivers for plying for hire which were allocated to her on the initiative and application of Uber-funded lawyers. It also includes the appeals in Brighton and York against refusals to renew Uber’s license, which were transferred to her out of the locality without any hearing in open court.It has emerged over the weekend that the Chief Magistrate has assigned the Brighton and Hove appeal to another judge. The LTDA is concerned that this personal selection of another judge represents retention of influence over the hearing of this Uber appeal.

A rush to complete cases. While five days in court were allocated for Uber’s appeal against Transport for London, it was completed in only two. The LTDA was limited to only five minutes of oral submission in the case.Political interference in licensing. Detailed press reports are available on the intervention of 10 Downing Street in Transport for London’s decisions around Uber in 2014 and 2015, when Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson was in post. The Conservative Party ran a petition calling on Sadiq Khan, Labour Mayor of London, to ‘rethink’ his decision to refuse to license Uber in September 2017.Family connections. The Chief Magistrate is married to senior Conservative politician Lord Arbuthnot. Lord Arbuthnot is a former director of and current senior consultant to SC Strategy, a company which advises one of Uber’s biggest investors, the Qatar Investment Authority. Despite this connection being a potential conflict of interest, the Chief Magistrate has put herself forward for no fewer than five cases involving Uber.

The brother of the Chief Magistrate, Bartholomew Broadbent, wrote in January 2015 to a regulator in Charleston, South Carolina, in strong support of Uber. He praised Uber in relation to a request for the authority to reinstate Uber services in the city.At present, there is no mechanism by which the parties to a dispute can be made aware of a potential conflict of interest, such as this family connection, at the outset of a hearing.

The LTDA has been campaigning against the relicensing of Uber in London, on the basis that it is not a fit and proper operator. Its recent ‘Real Cost of Uber’ campaign highlighted issues around Uber’s use of data, its unfair business practices and its record on safety in London.

August 20, 2018 at 04:40PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Super bargain alert: Hotel rooms in Poland from £4pppn

Pirates, stop what you're doing right now and grab this unreal deal before it's gone. Get a head start on your plans for a Polish getaway in 2019 with these bargain hotel rooms in a number of different cities from as little as £4pppn - that's right, you read that correctly. For some small change… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Mediterranean Dreaming: 5nts cruise from £216pp incl. meals *see Italy, Malta & Spain*

Pirates, if you fancy sailing the Mediterranean in style, try this tasty cruise: 5 nights from £216pp (about £43pppn) and taking in Italy, Malta, Majorca and Mainland Spain. Meals are included and the ship has impressive facilities: massiva spa, theatre, waterfall, zen garden and casino for starters! Cruise details: Travel duration: 5 nights Departs from… Bosun-Dawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Keep It In The Family Arbuthnot. Baron James asked To Return Excessive Expenses... A Blast From The Past !

James Arbuthnot, the chairman of the defence select committee, has been asked to pay back £12,241 in gardening, cleaning and maintenance claims that have been deemed “excessive” by the independent auditor.

The member for North East Hampshire, who went to Eton and is the second son of a baronet, was not told how much he should repay for other claims, however, and has offered to give back £13,486 in total.

Mr Arbuthnot designated a rented property in a Hampshire village as his second home in 2007, which he told the fees office was “an expensive house to run”.

He submitted one hand-written invoice for a three-month period, for "grass, strim, pool, fuel'', which came to £776. The bill for these services for the whole 2006-07 financial year was pounds £1,471.

When The Daily Telegraph disclosed his claims, he said he had made an “error of judgment” in using public funds to clean his swimming pool and promised to repay the money.

Related Articles

Tory MP David Wilshire to resign over expenses 15 Oct 2009

Mr Arbuthnot has been told by Sir Thomas, who has been brought in to assess all claims made under the second home allowance since 2004, that he must pay back £5,840 for gardening services that exceeded his retrospective limit of £1,000 a year.

He was also asked to pay back £5,238 for cleaning services after going over the £2,000 annual maximum set by the auditor, and just over £1,000 for a maintenance bill about which he was asked to provide further details.

Mr Arbuthnot said Sir Thomas did not suggest an amount he should repay for other bills - such as repairs to a summerhouse that the auditor says were not claimable because it was not attached to his second home - so has suggested figures himself.

He told a local newspaper that he had been asked to repay £12,241 but proposed to pay back £13,486 in total. He has already paid back £10,106 since June.

In a covering letter to Sir Thomas, Mr Arbuthnot said: “I have consistently supported efforts to ensure the expenses system is replaced with procedures which are fair, honest and transparent.”

Source :-

MPs' expenses

News »

UK News »

Martin Beckford »

In MPs' Expenses

How the Daily Telegraph exposed the dry rot fraudster

MPS' expenses: the most bizarre claims 

Bizarre MPs' expense claims

Mother and son both claimed for flat owned by her daughter  

Keeping it in the family

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Winter fun: Downtown Las Vegas group getaway from £397pp - 7nts hotel, luggage & flights

Ahoy, any pirates fancy heading to Vegas at the beginning of next year? We have come across this bargain getaway to Las Vegas departing in January! We have also included prices if you wish to travel this year and more months in 2019. The deal is based on 4 sharing so grab your mateys and… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Warm up in Cuba this winter: 7nts all inclusive from £725pp incl. flights, Iberostar hotel & more

Ditch the stress of the festive season and treat yourself to an early Christmas present this year with a beachfront trip to Cuba. Staying at the 4* Iberostar Bella Vista, you and your favourite ship mate will get to enjoy 7 nights in the sun. The hotel lies right on the beach, so lap up… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

The Real Reason Judge Emma Arbuthnot Stepped Down. SPD Complaint 13/07/2018

Below is Sean Paul Day's letter of complaint to the Judical Conducts Office.

Why is it that again, an ordinary rank and file working driver has had to do what drivers are paying their respective orgs to do. 

I’m writing amidst the growing concern over what appears to be a conflict of interest where certain political affiliations might be construed as showing favour in respect of a particular company,  undermining the Chief Magistrate’s impartiality in two cases.

 

Senior District Judge (chief magistrate) Emma Arbuthnot oversaw proceedings at Westminster Magistrates court on the 6th July 2018 and Reading Magistrates Court on the 10th July 2018. The first case was brought by Uber as a matter of  appeal under the Private Hire Vehicles Act 1998 and by Reading Council in a case to determine if a driver using the Uber ‘model’ on the dates given was Plying for Hire? Both cases can be found here 

 

Case 1

https://is.gd/mFN22t

 

Case 2

https://is.gd/UuR5mA

 

The conflict arises due to Magistrate Arbuthnot’s marriage to Baron James Arbuthnotand his friendship with the former PM David Cameron. Cameron’s close relationship with individuals working for Uber in marquee positions is well documented. This is further evidenced by Uber’s close links with  the previous administration at Number 10 & 11  who now enjoy financially rewarding positions with companies who invest heavily in Uber Technologies Inc. Cameron also nominated James Arbuthnot as a Life Peer in the Dissolution Peerages List 2015 of August 2015. The concern is that JamesArbuthnot’s closeness to the former PM might compromise Magistrate Arbuthnot’s ability to apply discernment in cases involving Uber. The concern is legitimately heightened on learning the same Magistrate has presided over a second trial involving Uber and both times Magistrate Arbuthnot has ruled in Uber’s favour. 

 

Without considering the merits of both cases in detail the conflict of interest was compounded on during the Reading verdict when Judge Emma Arbuthnot on Page 4, section 14 (how the app works)…in her summary stated that it was the driver who accepts the job and only then Uber makes the booking. This is illegal act that contravenes  legislation laid out as part of the 1998 PH Regulations.

 

TfL Operator License explicitly state in their terms that a Private Hire booking can only be accepted by a licensed operator at their registered operating centre.. There is a specific duty on private hire operators to keep certain records of their operation. These include booking records which must include ‘the main destination specified at the time of the booking’ (paragraph 4(d) of the PHV (London) (Operators’ Licence) Regulations. To disambiguate, the defining characteristic of a PHVs is that it must beaccepted through an operator. The Act also references  that no person other than a Private Hire Operator (PHO) shall make provision to accept a booking.  

 

No person shall in London make provision for the invitation or acceptance of  Private hire bookings unless he is the holder of a Private Hire Operators license for London (In this Act, referred to as London is PHV operators license

 

A  person who makes provision for the invitation or acceptance of Private hire bookings or who accept such a booking in contravention of his section is guilty offence and liable  on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level four or standard style.

 

The statutory structure/definition is referred to frequently by TfL and was referenced in the legislative provisions before Justice Ouseley. 

 

CITATION Number: [2015] EWHC 2918 Admin Case No: CO/1449/2015. 

 

Conversely, at the earlier trial on the 6th, Magistrate Arbuthnot was unhesitant in her acceptance of an explanation that Uber had altered its app, and was now equipped with a feature informing the user that the booking had been accepted by Uber London LTD (ULL). Only afterwards is the user linked with a driver. If this is the case, and as yet there is no evidence to suggest it has been altered,  the app would now comply with current legislation. 

 

This I starkly inconsistent with  ‘the driver accepts...then uber confirms the booking…‘nevertheless, Arbuthnot ruled that his actions did not constitute plying for hire. Itshould be noted also that Uber do not hold a PHO licence in Reading. 

 

The case holds gravitas as a ruling either-way could detrimentally impact on the lives of tens of thousands of sole traders and their families. It would also elevate a corporate entity to a position that resides above the law of the land. The concern here, is that a certain ruling will be used to determine future  Government policies which are relevant to both cases.

 

Whilst the complexity of the issue  – such as what constitutes a Hackney Carriage- cannot be understated and until such clarity can be addressed in the Courts, it would be easy for perspicacity to prevail and weight the trial in favour of vested interests. A seismic shift culturally, in the way we move about has implications that reach far beyond taxi and minicab rivalries, and a Magistrate influenced  by a conflict of interest could prove to be a very dangerous one

 

I trust the matter will be looked in to. 

 

Yours Faithfully

Sean Paul Day

London Taxi Radio

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Last minute: Direct flights to Orlando, Florida from £199rtn - Several UK departures

Wowzers pirates, add some fun to the late summer with these incredibly cheap flights to Orlando, Florida with TUI! Flights are direct, with departures from several UK cities. We've seen availability for departures in August and September, If you'd prefer to book accommodation together with flights, check out our Holiday Finder. Flight Details Flights from… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Taxi and private hire licensing information to be entered on national database

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Information about drivers who have had their licences refused or revoked will have their details entered on to a national database for councils to check before issuing licences.

The database (also known as NR3) is an initiative of the Local Government Association (LGA) and hosted by the National Anti-fraud Network (NAFN) – an official agency that “supports the highest level of protection of the public purse & effective corporate governance.”

The LGA have recently written to local councils to encourage them to register and upload data to the database including back dating information potentially as far back as 25 years.

There has been long held concern by local councils over the practice where drivers who have had their licence refused or revoked by one council then go on to other council areas where they apply again in hope of gaining a (re)licence.

Councils will be expected to check the details of licence holders and applicants against the new national database before (re)issuing licences.

The database will only contain information about licence refusals and revocations. Using the database is currently voluntary and there is no statutory requirement on councils to upload information and to check the data base. However, there is a pending Private Members Bill, Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill, that will make it a statutory requirement if it becomes law.

Your rights

The trade needs to be aware of their rights in relation to the use of the national database.

There is a right to be informed. Taxi and private hire drivers must be told that their personal data will be used in this way, be given information about how that can access information held about them on the database and finally be informed where they can make a complaint about the use of their information. All of this is a statutory requirement under the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation.

Licence holders are also entitled to know how their data will be processed by other councils – where they are not licenced. This is important because the receiving council will be making decisions on the fitness of the licence applicant. The database must not fetter a council’s discretion – meaning that the licence holder must still have the right to a fair hearing irrespective of what information is held on the national database.

August 20, 2018 at 11:52AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Fly to Ibiza this October from £35 return - from a choice of UK airports

Pirates, check out these cheap flights to Ibiza we have come across for under £40 return. They depart in October when the weather should still be reaching a toasty 23° The flights depart from a choice of UK airports - book flights, add an accommodation and head to Ibiza for a relaxing getaway. Flight details… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT