I was in a pub in central Cambridge this lunchtime, and I ended up talking to a Londoner for an hour. He was in his sixties, and had spent his life doing steelwork (mainly rebar) on construction sites.
We had a fascinating hour-long conversation, and we didn't discuss politics (or football) once. It reminded me that this is the way normal people are ... ;-)
Mr. Jessop, presumably you were discussing the many ways Hannibal is superior to Caesar, and the importance of differential front end grip?
Amazingly, he didn't like F1 either. Yes, I find it hard to imagine that people do not like it, but there you go. ;-)
It was a bit sad. After forty years work his body was starting to go, and he wanted to retrain. But he did not have enough spare money to retrain, and he was too old for employers to bother retraining. He said he would probably work on site for another couple of years, then it would have to be shelf-stacking until he retired. But at least that would be inside ...
It's actually one of the saner conversations I've had in that particular pub. I once taught string theory by a professor at the bar, and for once it made sense. At least until I sobered up ...
Just saw the interview with silly old Tristram Hunt posted below. Painful! Clearly Miliband has allowed him just one grotty old bone to chew on - that of 'qualified teachers' - and the poor man was obliged to mention it in every sentence. If that's Labour's policy on education then it's utter gruel.
Paul Downton - 30 poor tests for England, poor wicket keeper, averaged 19 with the bat. Who is he to decide Pietersen can't play for England again. Joke of a decision, but Downton wants the publicity as he is new to the job. Kick the lot out and put Botham and Bumble in charge.
I hazily recall that OGH has family in the teaching world, which perhaps raises Gove in his sights, but are there any other sectors that have similar polling movements?
I suspect that few social workers are Thatcherites, but the Tories used to get a lot of support from police, armed forces, doctors and nurses. Each of these may have their own grievances, and may not have swung to Labour (I suspect the kippers would gain many in the armed forces).
In other words, I think that white collar public sector professionals are a fairly keyswing voting demographic. New Labour gained many votes here, that perhaps drifted to Cameron, but are they moving back? Maybe it is just me generalising from my own experience. Does anyone have any polling evidence on the issue?
I don't get the thread header. According to the PB Stalins, the Tories are losing the votes of swivel eyed loons, teachers, in the marginals, women, nurses, utility customers, the MoD, parents, backbenchers, euro-sceptics and victims of inflation / stagnating wages. But they are still polling just under the 2010 GE result of 36%.
So there must be a whole bunch of sensible, single, childless, euro-friendly private sector working men, who live in safe seats, do not use electricity or gas, do not spend money and whose earnings continually rise above inflation to compensate for the voters the Tories have lost.
So are these people Poles living in London? Scottish Hermits living in mud huts the East End Of Glasgow? Or have the PB Stalins got this wrong?
Just reading the news about KP. England are crap so we sack our best player. Nuts.
I see the pretendee Englishman from South Africa has finally been dumped. That should improve morale in the team dressing room. KP can return to his showbusiness career as an "A lister".
Comments
Blazer mentality from the ECB. The status of KP is surely the job of the new coach. RSA, IND and AUS must be laughing tonight.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tube-strike-union-leader-crow-defends-decision-to-take-brazil-holiday-as-days-of-action-loom-9105610.html
Michael Laudrup sacked as Swansea Manager.
Re KP, the traitorous pig-dog deserves he gets today.
He committed the great piece of treachery this country has seen Kim Philby et al.
Sending texts denigrating your Captain, to your opponents.
In another era he'd be horsewhipped, in fact when you consider what we did to Lord Haw-Haw/Eric Joyce, KP has gotten off lightly.
KP, Grieg, Dernbach...
to be fair 2/3 are the most deserving of it
I'd give Dernbach the same level of abuse if he had been born in Sheffield and played for Yorkshire.
I was in a pub in central Cambridge this lunchtime, and I ended up talking to a Londoner for an hour. He was in his sixties, and had spent his life doing steelwork (mainly rebar) on construction sites.
We had a fascinating hour-long conversation, and we didn't discuss politics (or football) once. It reminded me that this is the way normal people are ... ;-)
Mr. Jessop, presumably you were discussing the many ways Hannibal is superior to Caesar, and the importance of differential front end grip?
Turns out when they do they don't like it.
Is it fair to say white South Africans playing for England have been guilty of the least loyalty?
Who has been worse than pietersen or Grieg?
It was a bit sad. After forty years work his body was starting to go, and he wanted to retrain. But he did not have enough spare money to retrain, and he was too old for employers to bother retraining. He said he would probably work on site for another couple of years, then it would have to be shelf-stacking until he retired. But at least that would be inside ...
It's actually one of the saner conversations I've had in that particular pub. I once taught string theory by a professor at the bar, and for once it made sense. At least until I sobered up ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTggc0uBA8
Mr. Jessop, that's a shame, although things could be worse.
I hazily recall that OGH has family in the teaching world, which perhaps raises Gove in his sights, but are there any other sectors that have similar polling movements?
I suspect that few social workers are Thatcherites, but the Tories used to get a lot of support from police, armed forces, doctors and nurses. Each of these may have their own grievances, and may not have swung to Labour (I suspect the kippers would gain many in the armed forces).
In other words, I think that white collar public sector professionals are a fairly keyswing voting demographic. New Labour gained many votes here, that perhaps drifted to Cameron, but are they moving back? Maybe it is just me generalising from my own experience. Does anyone have any polling evidence on the issue?
So there must be a whole bunch of sensible, single, childless, euro-friendly private sector working men, who live in safe seats, do not use electricity or gas, do not spend money and whose earnings continually rise above inflation to compensate for the voters the Tories have lost.
So are these people Poles living in London? Scottish Hermits living in mud huts the East End Of Glasgow? Or have the PB Stalins got this wrong?