Has the Prime Minister been caught lying? He apparently claimed that the number of workless households doubled under Labour. However that doesn't appear to be the case if you look at ONS figures that show the number falling then rising again with the financial crash with the numbers heading back towards where they were when Labour came to power. So where does Cameron get his doubling from?
Personally I think 2016 will be Christie-Rubio v Clinton-Castro, but Christie will face a very tight nomination battle from a conservative candidate like Ted Cruz. If Hillary runs, I doubt Biden will also stand
"Shriekers" ought to be an unMcMentionable. Especially if I'm unable to directly McConfront.
As should the Mc prefix (except when it's actually needed). We Scots are not all Highlanders, and you use it so much that I keep finding myself wondering why on earth the interest in Gaelic culture ...
Sun_Politics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead drops to four points: CON 33%, LAB 37%, LD 10%, UKIP 12%
Genuine question please - when summaries like this for Westminster are presented, are we to do a mental deduction and assume that the 100 minus the total is 'other parties' or what? I know one can go and look it up, but I'm just wondering if there is a convention on how such things are given in summary.
Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.
Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?
Lol, which one of the many would that be? The Better Together Drumoak & Crathes Door Knocking Event?
It's also painfully obvious most of the shriekers haven't even saw or read the 'speech'. Lets just say as a political call to arms it's not quite up there with "shipbuilding".
"In Japanese myth, the rabbits on my old costume that Kate’s wearing actually live on the moon, Kate comes from Venus and I'm from Mars. So that's nice!! I’m completely delighted to have a BRIT for being the best male. But I am, aren't I Kate? I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much. Scotland please stay with us."
Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?
Lol, which one of the many would that be? The Better Together Drumoak & Crathes Door Knocking Event?
They had best get a move on since the shriekers seem to think they can keep this up from now until september. Great entertainment though.
Good to see Bowie take the Cameron approach of getting other people to deliver his message. Apparently next week Bryan Ferry will actually be coming to Scotland in person to threaten us.
Genuine question please - when summaries like this for Westminster are presented, are we to do a mental deduction and assume that the 100 minus the total is 'other parties' or what? I know one can go and look it up, but I'm just wondering if there is a convention on how such things are given in summary.
What has Jeb been up to since he stopped being governor? It's been a while. He is supposed to be a lot smarter than his brother (admittedly not a very high bar).
For the reasons JackW set out on the previous thread it is very, very difficult to see a path to victory for the GOP candidate without Florida.
Maybe a hispanic who can bring some states that have drifted away back into play? And a woman to take on Hilary? There are so many boxes the GOP have to tick to even get in the game that it is tricky.
Susana Martinez, governor of New Mexico, ticks more of these boxes than most but I have no idea if she is smart enough.
George Bush is (was?) an intelligent man - yes I said it. His cognitive functions sadly declined whilst he was in the presidency. See this vid.
Interesting. I had not seen that before. You can always be a little selective but there is no question that in Texas he was articulate and had a clear vision of what he wanted. By the time he was President he didn't.
On topic, the Tea Partiers will not kill Christie off. Every cycle since Ive been on this forum. I keep hearing how some noisy minority with the GOP will finish the middle of the road candidate and I don't believe it this time either.
What will kill Christie is the mans own hubris and I'm not quite yet sure the bridge issue is the death of him either. The GOP has a fair chance this cycle it will want a winner. If it picks a real oddball it'll have lost its political marbles and I don't think it has yet.
Off topic, Ukraine:
Last night I posted about how the opposition needed the President to blink and he was somewhat wobbly. Has this happened with the truce tonight? On the surface you might think so. I'm not wholly sure. There is a school of thought that this is a breathing space for the authorities. Bearing in mind as I suggested last night that the opposition needed to spread the street protests there is evidence that they have today in both Kiev and a number of regional cities. The authorities will need to get things in place if they intend to crack down. Is this actually a truce that the government wants, not needs?
The dismissal of the chief of the army reflects another element of my post last night asking why the army hadn't turned up and that it might have been due to a stiffling internal debate. The head of the army was the victim of that debate. Initial stories have it he refused to put armour on the streets but I dont have that 100%
So Mr Brown's main aspect, and importance, is that he is Scottish? Not Labour? The chap who famously claimed he was North British when asked live on TV?
And that DT piece is a 2010 newspaper article too of doubtful relevance ...
I don't know enough about the family and children issue raised by others on this thread to judge in detail but it seems to be an almost all-party backed bill with quite a lot of wider backing. Surely it is the sort of thing that newspapers like the Express demand every time some poor child is murdered or exploited by its parents or through their neglect, so it is a bit much for them to complain about it. Certainly the Tories don't seem to have been upset enough to vote against it, though this piece is not at all clear so it is best to wait for the papers tomorrow for enlightenment.
Lloyds to domicile TSB in England as Scottish fears mount But the challenger bank will remain Scottish despite changes to holdings company, says Lloyds
Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?
Lol, which one of the many would that be? The Better Together Drumoak & Crathes Door Knocking Event?
It's also painfully obvious most of the shriekers haven't even saw or read the 'speech'. Lets just say as a political call to arms it's not quite up there with "shipbuilding".
"In Japanese myth, the rabbits on my old costume that Kate’s wearing actually live on the moon, Kate comes from Venus and I'm from Mars. So that's nice!! I’m completely delighted to have a BRIT for being the best male. But I am, aren't I Kate? I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much. Scotland please stay with us."
So that's.. clear??
Crystal.
LOL.
And for the avoidance of doubt Mick please never suggest that I ever even hinted that Gordon Brown could make anything better.
Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.
"Shriekers" ought to be an unMcMentionable. Especially if I'm unable to directly McConfront.
As should the Mc prefix (except when it's actually needed). We Scots are not all Highlanders, and you use it so much that I keep finding myself wondering why on earth the interest in Gaelic culture ...
That's not really a fair trade; if you can throw in chortles, PBHodges, Osbrownes & Cammies then we may have a deal.
"Shriekers" ought to be an unMcMentionable. Especially if I'm unable to directly McConfront.
As should the Mc prefix (except when it's actually needed). We Scots are not all Highlanders, and you use it so much that I keep finding myself wondering why on earth the interest in Gaelic culture ...
That's not really a fair trade; if you can throw in chortles, PBHodges, Osbrownes & Cammies then we may have a deal.
Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.
I thought that rung a bell.
Station to Station's January 1976 release was followed in February by a 3-and-a-half-month concert tour of Europe and North America. Featuring a starkly lit set, the Isolar – 1976 Tour highlighted songs from the album, including the dramatic and lengthy title track, the ballads "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing", and the funkier "TVC 15" and "Stay". The core band that coalesced around this album and tour—rhythm guitarist Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis—continued as a stable unit for the remainder of the 1970s. The tour was highly successful but mired in political controversy. Bowie was quoted in Stockholm as saying that "Britain could benefit from a Fascist leader", and was detained by customs on the Russian/Polish border for possessing Nazi paraphernalia.[62] Matters came to a head in London in May in what became known as the "Victoria Station incident". Arriving in an open-top Mercedes convertible, the singer waved to the crowd in a gesture that some alleged was a Nazi salute, which was captured on camera and published in NME. Bowie said the photographer simply caught him in mid-wave.[63] He later blamed his pro-Fascism comments and his behaviour during the period on his addictions and the character of the Thin White Duke.[64] "I was out of my mind, totally crazed. The main thing I was functioning on was mythology ... that whole thing about Hitler and Rightism ... I'd discovered King Arthur".[61] According to playwright Alan Franks, writing later in The Times, "he was indeed 'deranged'. He had some very bad experiences with hard drugs.
It's also common knowledge that there have been health fears around Bowie for years, hence his seclusion even now. I greatly respect him as an artist but as a political activist?? I'm afraid not.
The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.
Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.
I thought that rung a bell.
Station to Station's January 1976 release was followed in February by a 3-and-a-half-month concert tour of Europe and North America. Featuring a starkly lit set, the Isolar – 1976 Tour highlighted songs from the album, including the dramatic and lengthy title track, the ballads "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing", and the funkier "TVC 15" and "Stay". The core band that coalesced around this album and tour—rhythm guitarist Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis—continued as a stable unit for the remainder of the 1970s. The tour was highly successful but mired in political controversy. Bowie was quoted in Stockholm as saying that "Britain could benefit from a Fascist leader", and was detained by customs on the Russian/Polish border for possessing Nazi paraphernalia.[62] Matters came to a head in London in May in what became known as the "Victoria Station incident". Arriving in an open-top Mercedes convertible, the singer waved to the crowd in a gesture that some alleged was a Nazi salute, which was captured on camera and published in NME. Bowie said the photographer simply caught him in mid-wave.[63] He later blamed his pro-Fascism comments and his behaviour during the period on his addictions and the character of the Thin White Duke.[64] "I was out of my mind, totally crazed. The main thing I was functioning on was mythology ... that whole thing about Hitler and Rightism ... I'd discovered King Arthur".[61] According to playwright Alan Franks, writing later in The Times, "he was indeed 'deranged'. He had some very bad experiences with hard drugs.
It's also common knowledge that there have been health fears around Bowie for years, hence his seclusion even now. I greatly respect him as an artist but as a political activist?? I'm afraid not.
The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.
Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.
Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.
Yep. It wasn't just limited to one tour or one album. He seemed to flirt with it a great deal. To be honest anyone putting much store in that speech can't be aware of Bowie's long documented battles against ill-health and hard drugs. It's extremely unlikely he will try and explain himself or actively back the No campaign but the right wingers on here won't know that. Though I can see how advocating a "hardcore rightwing government" would make the shriekers on here wet themselves with pleasure at the very thought.
Does anyone know how many favourite Scottish Band, the Trashcan Sinatras are planning to vote?
I think it's an Aye.
'It has always been a source of frustration to me that the generally socially conscious, community based, fair minded voting patterns of Scotland have been relatively futile in impact. In fact, for the majority of my life, Scotland has been governed by non socially conscious governments. It felt awful and frustrating to live through, still does, and now there is a chance, one chance, to take what will always be, to some degree, a leap in the dark and take hold of complete autonomy for ourselves.'
Does anyone know how many favourite Scottish Band, the Trashcan Sinatras are planning to vote?
I think it's an Aye.
'It has always been a source of frustration to me that the generally socially conscious, community based, fair minded voting patterns of Scotland have been relatively futile in impact. In fact, for the majority of my life, Scotland has been governed by non socially conscious governments. It felt awful and frustrating to live through, still does, and now there is a chance, one chance, to take what will always be, to some degree, a leap in the dark and take hold of complete autonomy for ourselves.'
John Douglas from the Trashcan Sinatras
Cheers, I met the band after a gig a few years ago, really nice people.
While we are in the company of friends must say that the bile over the referendum on here has been utterly embarrassing at times. I am a unionist for emotional reasons, but Scottish independence is a perfectly reasonable proposition, and were I Scots I might very well vote Yes.
I was at a "Scotland's Future" event tonight with Kenny Macaskill as main speaker. He finally admitted the main downside to independence - - no one else to blame.
While we are in the company of friends must say that the bile over the referendum on here has been utterly embarrassing at times. I am a unionist for emotional reasons, but Scottish independence is a perfectly reasonable proposition, and were I Scots I might very well vote Yes.
The May EU elections are next and yet some on here are ready to call it now and appear to be doing all they can to confirm every stereotype of out of touch tories. More fool them.
Nothing will stop the activists for Yes working their arse off come august/september and they've been working pretty damn hard as it is. Not a Bowie speech, not the infrequent polling, not any amount of 'interventions' by tories from westminster. This isn't a game and a great many people have been working all their political lives for this. To misunderstand or underestimate the seriousness with which Independence is taken by those who want to win would be one of the greatest political mistakes ever made by the unionist parties.
2011 wasn't a fluke and it would have been lost had the SNP base not been utterly determined and the campaign not conducted with the scottish public first and foremost in mind.
Kevin Pringle @KevinJPringle 8 mins Check tweets in morning for the first #indyref poll since the @George_Osborne £ speech - a big boost for #Yes & backlash against No parties.
Comments
Trumpet blare overpowering
Yet no sound echoes
M.P. Thribb (£17 1/2 million fee)
@gabyhinsliff: Bowie tells Scotland to 'stay with us' (via Kate Moss). unexpected. #brits2014
And this one was conducted post George Osborne's intervention
@TelePolitics: Scottish ministers threatened with legal action over 'state guardian' plans http://t.co/MDOcZMD0VZ
1/5 NO
7/2 YES
'I do wonder if Eck, realising he has blown his chance, is tempted to throw the game.
Abandon all pretence (not that there is much) of rational debate, and just go full on Braveheart'. '
I thought we had more or less reached Braveheart in Brigadoon?
http://www.nudoadopt.com/italia.php
Rosette falls silently
the people have spoken
Braveheart mourns lost dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74bMmkXXVvQ
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/lucyjones/100007933/peppa-pig-snubs-gordon-brown-can-labour-sink-any-lower/
Lets just say as a political call to arms it's not quite up there with "shipbuilding". So that's.. clear??
What will kill Christie is the mans own hubris and I'm not quite yet sure the bridge issue is the death of him either. The GOP has a fair chance this cycle it will want a winner. If it picks a real oddball it'll have lost its political marbles and I don't think it has yet.
Off topic, Ukraine:
Last night I posted about how the opposition needed the President to blink and he was somewhat wobbly. Has this happened with the truce tonight? On the surface you might think so. I'm not wholly sure. There is a school of thought that this is a breathing space for the authorities. Bearing in mind as I suggested last night that the opposition needed to spread the street protests there is evidence that they have today in both Kiev and a number of regional cities. The authorities will need to get things in place if they intend to crack down. Is this actually a truce that the government wants, not needs?
The dismissal of the chief of the army reflects another element of my post last night asking why the army hadn't turned up and that it might have been due to a stiffling internal debate. The head of the army was the victim of that debate. Initial stories have it he refused to put armour on the streets but I dont have that 100%
Interesting times.
And that DT piece is a 2010 newspaper article too of doubtful relevance ...
I don't know enough about the family and children issue raised by others on this thread to judge in detail but it seems to be an almost all-party backed bill with quite a lot of wider backing. Surely it is the sort of thing that newspapers like the Express demand every time some poor child is murdered or exploited by its parents or through their neglect, so it is a bit much for them to complain about it. Certainly the Tories don't seem to have been upset enough to vote against it, though this piece is not at all clear so it is best to wait for the papers tomorrow for enlightenment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26208628
But the challenger bank will remain Scottish despite changes to holdings company, says Lloyds
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10650071/Lloyds-to-domicile-TSB-in-England-as-Scottish-fears-mount.html
Crystal.
LOL.
And for the avoidance of doubt Mick please never suggest that I ever even hinted that Gordon Brown could make anything better.
LOL
Night all.
The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.
#scottishbowie
http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/93269/daily_mirror_thursday_20th_february_2014.html
A random Labour slump with YouGov.
A random intervention from David Bowie.
Random.
MOE.
The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.
Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xG3D8OMQk
Wheel out the Darien Big Guns!
To be honest anyone putting much store in that speech can't be aware of Bowie's long documented battles against ill-health and hard drugs. It's extremely unlikely he will try and explain himself or actively back the No campaign but the right wingers on here won't know that. Though I can see how advocating a "hardcore rightwing government" would make the shriekers on here wet themselves with pleasure at the very thought.
LOL
'It has always been a source of frustration to me that the generally socially conscious, community based, fair minded voting patterns of Scotland have been relatively futile in impact. In fact, for the majority of my life, Scotland has been governed by non socially conscious governments. It felt awful and frustrating to live through, still does, and now there is a chance, one chance, to take what will always be, to some degree, a leap in the dark and take hold of complete autonomy for ourselves.'
John Douglas from the Trashcan Sinatras
He finally admitted the main downside to independence -
- no one else to blame.
Nothing will stop the activists for Yes working their arse off come august/september and they've been working pretty damn hard as it is. Not a Bowie speech, not the infrequent polling, not any amount of 'interventions' by tories from westminster. This isn't a game and a great many people have been working all their political lives for this. To misunderstand or underestimate the seriousness with which Independence is taken by those who want to win would be one of the greatest political mistakes ever made by the unionist parties.
2011 wasn't a fluke and it would have been lost had the SNP base not been utterly determined and the campaign not conducted with the scottish public first and foremost in mind.
Check tweets in morning for the first #indyref poll since the @George_Osborne £ speech - a big boost for #Yes & backlash against No parties.