'The experience of President Hollande is a salutary lesson for those who think the Left has the solutions when it is more often the creator of the problem. At least the French Socialists, who are in office for the first time in 20 years, can legitimately claim they were not around when the economic mistakes were being made. Labour, by contrast, was not only at the scene of the crime, but its perpetrator. It should not be allowed to forget it.
So we changed the system to comprehensive and wrote off 100% (unless you could go to a private school)
I went to comprehensive schools and am a Specialist in a teaching hospital, my siblings did also and are respectively an LSE educated economist and an electronic engineer with Cambridge PhD.
Pity we have such stunted lives, if we had gone to private schools we would be demi-gods by now!
Fair point, Mr Socks. But is it not also true that the 80% who didn't go to grammar (i.e. went to Secondary Moderns) were not written off either, and if they were, perhaps the better solution would be to improve the status of secondary moderns, rather than abolish grammar schools.
My brother (the LSE educated economist) failed his 11+, but was saved going to a secondary modern because Mrs T who was education minister at the time abolished selection in our district. I cannot believe that he would have done anywhere as well if they had not been abolished.
No one seems to object to academic selection at aged 18, but 11 is far too young. Overall streaming within schoolsis far better. I also think that there is more to life than exams and that I benefitted from mixing with pupils of varying ability and background at school.
They really do hate people different to themselves.
What's worse is that its a petulant, nasty, insecure hatred.
There was a time when people born to privilege showed a little class and understood that concepts such as service and loyalty were two way.
I think you are misinterpreting this.
You've argued yourself that UKIP voters are disproportionately drawn from those who are under most pressure from immigration (wage pressure), offshoring (job losses) and economic policy (house prices, confiscation of savings).
Is it unreasonable to say that they are the people who have lost out most from globalisation & that this is a key driver of their decision to vote against all the establishment parties?
On this basis, they really are "life's losers" - and I suspect it was this definition [which is useful] that was being used rather than just calling them "Losers".
Perhaps I misinterpreted all the clowns, loonies, fruitcakes and closet racists comments as well ?
You sound as desperate to make excuses for them as you did when you tried to explain away Cameron's lie about "paying down Britain's debts" as another 'misinterpretation.
You and the rest of the Conservatives would do better condemning the chumocracy which has taken over your party than making excuses for them.
"Foreigner pension crackdown will be 'bureaucratic nightmare' Plans to close the loophole that allows hundreds of thousands of foreigners to receive UK state pensions will be an expensive "bureaucratic nightmare" that could cost as much as it saves, experts warn."
Tho this time we can lay the blame at the door of the Lib Dems....
Minister on radio today explained it properly and few foreigners will lose out, it will mainly be British people living in Britain that lose out. The foreigner bit is to hide the fact that it is local people that will lose.
Even among professional people of my parents' generation, a large number didn't go to university. Up till 1970 or so, solicitors and accountants were more likely to start articles directly on leaving school, rather than entering as graduates.
Even now many accountants didn't study accountancy at university, and I think to a lesser extent solicitors as well, but only qualified through a combination of work experience and part time study.
With increased tuition fees many of these type of people might not decide to go to university at all but look to start work at 18.
Syria crisis: UN's Del Ponte says evidence rebels 'used sarin'
Testimony from victims of the conflict in Syria suggests rebels have used the nerve agent, sarin, a leading member of a UN commission of inquiry has said
It's a bit different to Bane of Souls, but hopefully I'll retain the good stuff and add some new interesting thingummyjigs.
Now, to awkwardly self-promote elsewhere! [NB a KDP book takes a while to show up on Amazon, so that won't be up until tomorrow at the earliest].
F1: if I suddenly disappear (possible, given computer woe) then someone else can feel free to write the F1 articles on pb2 this weekend, if they want to. If not, that's cool too (though hopefully I'll be here to write them).
Another SNP councillor defection in Scotland . Aberdeenshire East Garioch councillor Fergus Hood previously the SNP Finance Spokesman has left the SNP and joined the Lib Dems .My forecast that they will cease to have the largest number of councillors sometime next year is on target ,
"Foreigner pension crackdown will be 'bureaucratic nightmare' Plans to close the loophole that allows hundreds of thousands of foreigners to receive UK state pensions will be an expensive "bureaucratic nightmare" that could cost as much as it saves, experts warn."
Tho this time we can lay the blame at the door of the Lib Dems....
Minister on radio today explained it properly and few foreigners will lose out, it will mainly be British people living in Britain that lose out. The foreigner bit is to hide the fact that it is local people that will lose.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely the savings you make on this kind of 'crackdown' would be cumulative each year, while the costs would remain relatively static (i.e. you only have to find out who they are once). Then with subsequent applications for married persons pension you ensure there are proper checks done prior to approval.
The locals were really not that bad for the tories, a political map of England still looks pretty blue, at least geographically. The lack of progress by Labour is seriously encouraging.
Nevertheless, without any need for panic, it is time that Cameron got his cabinet in the shape that he wants it to be at the next election. He should remember the commitments he gave about the proportion of women to be in his cabinet and act to fufil that pledge.
He must find more people of ability, people who did not have the benefit of a proper education but have managed to overcome that deficiency, to be the face of the party and, where possible, get them into the positions that are going to be the centrepiece of the campaign. He needs to think who he wants on the Today program and R5 between now and the election.
In the excellent metaphor used on here the other day he needs to get the barnacles off his boat and concentrate on the key themes that he will be using in 2015 to the exclusion of all else. The time for distractions is over.
Cameron is lucky. The economy is turning and he has Ed for an opponent. Winners are those that seize their luck and take advantage of it. It is time to act.
My forecast that they will cease to have the largest number of councillors sometime next year is on target ,
Care to remind everyone how many MSPs and councillors the lib dems have left in scotland?
I know you're still basking in the glorious victory of the lib dems being less popular than the BNP in South Shields, but you might want to take a look at how many councillors you are down to across the country too before Clegg leads you on to yet another 'triumph' next year.
There really needs to be a single website where this detailed data is readily available. So that constituency aggregates can be found via a few clicks and other comparisons made.
Humour me, I just can't see how you would actually lose money by doing something like that!
None of the people quoted as having a pension based on a husband's record are going to lose a penny. The government has no plans to strip them of their pension.
My forecast that they will cease to have the largest number of councillors sometime next year is on target ,
Care to remind everyone how many MSPs and councillors the lib dems have left in scotland?
I know you're still basking in the glorious victory of the lib dems being less popular than the BNP in South Shields, but you might want to take a look at how many councillors you are down to across the country too before Clegg leads you on to yet another 'triumph' next year.
Why do you think the SNP are going backwards in Scotland and the Lib Dem vote is now rising ( albeit from a low base ) ? The Leaderdale/Melrose byelection last week continued the trend with the Lib Dems overtaking the SNP on 1st preference votes .
There really needs to be a single website where this detailed data is readily available. So that constituency aggregates can be found via a few clicks and other comparisons made.
Good luck finding it because a few PBers have already had a go. The papers and news sites coverage is lamentable.
Humour me, I just can't see how you would actually lose money by doing something like that!
None of the people quoted as having a pension based on a husband's record are going to lose a penny. The government has no plans to strip them of their pension.
Sorry didn't realise we weren't allowed to speculate on anything that isn't government policy.
Why do you think the SNP are going backwards in Scotland
I don't. At the last meaningful test of mass votes in local elections in scotland the lib dems had a meltdown while the SNP won the popular vote most seats won and seats gained. It's merely a pity there weren't any mass local elections in scotland this year but that's the cycle and you should be grateful for it. Unless you really are delusional enough to think the lib dems would have got anything other than another hammering?
and the Lib Dem vote is now rising ( albeit from a low base ) ? The Leaderdale/Melrose byelection last week continued the trend with the Lib Dems overtaking the SNP on 1st preference votes .
Borders party won that one with the tories second.
Clegg's claiming he is "back in the saddle" after losing another 124 councillors last week. Who can doubt him? Certainly not those 124 councillors who will be delighted at his amusing boasting.
Maybe you should have looked closer at why the defection happened before crowing about it?
Fergus Hood, re-elected in Aberdeenshire in May last year, said his decision was based on local politics and he will still be voting Yes in the independence referendum next year.
He also claimed there is a pro-independence element within his new party.
"I admire the work of the Scottish Government and the SNP ministers but locally it's been an issue for a while with internal politics," he said.
"The Liberals are an approachable group and have talented folk. I've been working closely with them for a while on local issues.
"I am still in favour of independence and support the Yes Scotland campaign but won't actively campaign with it."
His new party is comfortable with his view on independence, he said.
That should please wee Willie Rennie.
Again, what is the approx. number lib dem councillors/MSPs in scotland you are down to? Feel free to add in 'all' those defections since 2012 if you think it will make the number look any less pathetic.
'The lack of progress by Labour is seriously encouraging.'
I was amazed at how poor their performance was,didn't even reach Railings & Thatcher's forecast,plus media forecasts of the Tories losing up to 700 seats.
A perfect storm for Labour,a cow's backside and a musical instrument comes to mind.
"Recently on Newsnight Scotland, Professor John Curtice informed us that there is no consistent poll evidence that suggests Scottish voters have markedly different views on Europe from those in the rest of the UK. "
Britishness was created from the political unification of these islands after 1707, and is expansive and inclusive in its outlook. It had to be in order that the Union might prosper; it had the Scottish-driven 18th and 19th-century liberal enlightenment of Adam Smith, David Hume, Robert Burns, Thomas Carlyle and Walter Scott to underpin it. Britishness symbolises not mystical notions, but philosophical ideas like the rule of law, respect for private property, free market exchange, self-reliance, mutual support and respect, individual rights, liberty and democracy.
It's always going to be down to amateurs to collate the data. Public money isn't going to be spent on it because they'd say only a few anoraks are interested.
Reminds me of the US presidential election where myself and another person in America were the only people adding up the presidential totals because the networks weren't interested once the winner had been called.
Just in case it doesn't come back the point I was making was the Yougov material which showed leads for Cameron over Miliband and for Cameron and Osborne over Miliband and Balls was achieved on data which showed that 6% (yes SIX) thought the economy was doing well and 71% thought it was doing badly.
If Labour cannot persuade people that they are offering a better alternative in those circumstances what is going to happen to their support if the economy picks up?
No one seems to object to academic selection at aged 18, but 11 is far too young. Overall streaming within schoolsis far better. I also think that there is more to life than exams and that I benefitted from mixing with pupils of varying ability and background at school.
The locals were really not that bad for the tories, a political map of England still looks pretty blue, at least geographically.
Cameron is lucky. The economy is turning and he has Ed for an opponent. Winners are those that seize their luck and take advantage of it. It is time to act.
I'll be very surprised if Mr Cameron makes to the GE. UKIP are likely to get a poll boost from their performance in the locals.
At what point do you think the parliamentary Conservative Party will try to change their leadership team? When they're polling at 28%? 25%? 22%?
Why do Oxford folk go on about their colleges? Weird. Doesn't seem to impact other institutions quite as much.
No-one ever seems to say they went to the University of London; they went to UCL, Imperial, or KCL instead, so they're as bad as Oxford really. Don't know why Cambridge alumni don't mention their college as much, but I don't think they're secretive about it. Durham alumni wouldn't mention it because nobody else would know what they were talking about.
Imperial is not part of the University of London. The remaining London colleges are run entirely separately. Quite different beasts.
Imperial has only been independent since 2007, so most alumni were of the University of London. It may be a different beast but it's still a collegiate university, and without it I'd have just had Durham.
The University of London is actually a federal university, rather than a collegiate one. Each of the constituent universities (not colleges) has their own degree-awarding powers, unlike in a collegiate university.
John Curtice also informed us how scottish labour were going to win the 2011 scottish elections so I'd take his predictions with a pinch of salt.
Since I know some clearly aren't aware of who he is, the author of the piece Richard Mowbary is most well know in scotland for being one of those behind the infamous "think twice" campaign against devolution. Does anyone seriously need need reminding how that turned out?
The locals were really not that bad for the tories, a political map of England still looks pretty blue, at least geographically.
Cameron is lucky. The economy is turning and he has Ed for an opponent. Winners are those that seize their luck and take advantage of it. It is time to act.
I'll be very surprised if Mr Cameron makes to the GE. UKIP are likely to get a poll boost from their performance in the locals.
At what point do you think the parliamentary Conservative Party will try to change their leadership team? When they're polling at 28%? 25%? 22%?
Would you like a bet on that? Small wagers, fun only. I am willing to bet that Cameron will lead the tories into the next election.
If Dorries defected it would be a disaster for Farage and confirm what we already suspected - that UKIP is a rag-tag-and-bobtail outfit comprising low-intellect exhibitionists, flat-Earth conspiracy mongers, the God brigade, assorted mystics and the psychologically fragile. The sane would flee UKIP's support and Farage would be left as a sort of Lord Such figure - grimly unamusing and a little bit tragic.
I see that the PB tally of female posters is vanishingly small - perhaps those who are obsessed by M/F %s would reflect on that for a moment.
OT Just watching JAG - crikey S1 is like stepping back in time - i know its a decade old but WOW. And I've just noticed John Locke from Lost as a lead character and very youthful - would never have recognised him bar his voice. It was a James Mason moment.
"Recently on Newsnight Scotland, Professor John Curtice informed us that there is no consistent poll evidence that suggests Scottish voters have markedly different views on Europe from those in the rest of the UK. "
(I am doubtful about that claim and would like to see the numbers), but that being so, then UKIP's relative failure in Scotland would appear to suggest that their success elsewhere has very little to do with Europe and that a lurch to the right on that subject will not kill the Kipper surge.
Crikey! The "serial labour voting" "floating voter" is lecturing PB it's composition.
Perhaps the inept tory spinner should get Cammie to tell the female posters to "calm down dear" since she voted for him at the locals. Golly indeed. ;^ )
“Help to Buy is a reckless scheme that uses public money to incentivise the banks to lend precisely to those individuals who, absent the scheme, would not and should not be offered credit," said Andrew Brigden, a senior economist at Fathom. "Had we been asked to design a policy that would guarantee maximum damage to the UK’s long-term growth prospects and its fragile credit rating, this would be it.” The consultancy said that the scheme could push up house prices by almost 30pc from the current average of £233,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
"Had we been asked to design a policy that would guarantee maximum damage to the UK’s long-term growth prospects and its fragile credit rating, this would be it.”
Instead Osborne asked the Treasury to design the most counterproductive policy they could come up with. The Boy done good on that measure, he's exceeeded all expectations.
I take the best part of the day to enjoy the bank holiday sun and return to find tim has been raining on the PB parade.
Before we start accusing Osborne of generating a housing boom, let's have a look at some ONS statistics, shall we:
UK House Price Index [ONS] UK Eng. Wal. Sco. N.I.
1997 Q1 60.0 58.5 65.4 77.8 67.1 2002 Feb 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 [Index] 2007 Oct 184.4 179.2 221.6 225.2 276.7 [Peak] 2010 Jun 177.1 173.0 210.9 222.1 174.8 2013 Feb 176.2 173.2 204.9 209.7 136.3
Now this does rather look to me that the housing price inflators were Blair and Brown rather than Cameron and Osborne.
And whilst we are here, it does look as though Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to be the major beneficiaries of a government intervention to stablilise the residential construction and mortgage provision sectors and housing purchase market.
Who says that Boy George doesn't help the 'losers'?
"Recently on Newsnight Scotland, Professor John Curtice informed us that there is no consistent poll evidence that suggests Scottish voters have markedly different views on Europe from those in the rest of the UK. "
Britishness was created from the political unification of these islands after 1707, and is expansive and inclusive in its outlook. It had to be in order that the Union might prosper; it had the Scottish-driven 18th and 19th-century liberal enlightenment of Adam Smith, David Hume, Robert Burns, Thomas Carlyle and Walter Scott to underpin it. Britishness symbolises not mystical notions, but philosophical ideas like the rule of law, respect for private property, free market exchange, self-reliance, mutual support and respect, individual rights, liberty and democracy.
The University of London is actually a federal university, rather than a collegiate one. Each of the constituent universities (not colleges) have their own degree-awarding powers, unlike in a collegiate university.
Ok, but it's still made up of colleges so was worth comparing in the original context. They have a website for their inter-collegiate halls of residence http://www.halls.london.ac.uk/
The locals were really not that bad for the tories, a political map of England still looks pretty blue, at least geographically.
Cameron is lucky. The economy is turning and he has Ed for an opponent. Winners are those that seize their luck and take advantage of it. It is time to act.
I'll be very surprised if Mr Cameron makes to the GE. UKIP are likely to get a poll boost from their performance in the locals.
At what point do you think the parliamentary Conservative Party will try to change their leadership team? When they're polling at 28%? 25%? 22%?
Would you like a bet on that? Small wagers, fun only. I am willing to bet that Cameron will lead the tories into the next election.
I'd rather not. Sorry.
You can of course point a cyber-finger at me and shout "I told you so Muppet!" if Mr Cameron wins through. :-)
Comments
'The experience of President Hollande is a salutary lesson for those who think the Left has the solutions when it is more often the creator of the problem.
At least the French Socialists, who are in office for the first time in 20 years, can legitimately claim they were not around when the economic mistakes were being made. Labour, by contrast, was not only at the scene of the crime, but its perpetrator. It should not be allowed to forget it.
New Labour gone but not forgotten.
No one seems to object to academic selection at aged 18, but 11 is far too young. Overall streaming within schoolsis far better. I also think that there is more to life than exams and that I benefitted from mixing with pupils of varying ability and background at school.
You sound as desperate to make excuses for them as you did when you tried to explain away Cameron's lie about "paying down Britain's debts" as another 'misinterpretation.
You and the rest of the Conservatives would do better condemning the chumocracy which has taken over your party than making excuses for them.
With increased tuition fees many of these type of people might not decide to go to university at all but look to start work at 18.
It's a bit different to Bane of Souls, but hopefully I'll retain the good stuff and add some new interesting thingummyjigs.
Now, to awkwardly self-promote elsewhere! [NB a KDP book takes a while to show up on Amazon, so that won't be up until tomorrow at the earliest].
F1: if I suddenly disappear (possible, given computer woe) then someone else can feel free to write the F1 articles on pb2 this weekend, if they want to. If not, that's cool too (though hopefully I'll be here to write them).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22425031
Good day to bury bad news.
Happily the tories have at least stopped banging on about Europe..
Almost.
Courier_politics @Cou_politics 1h
Defence Secretary hints at moves to introduce EU referendum bill: The Conservatives could publish a draft bill... http://bit.ly/18MyiIu
If yet more inept posturing doesn't convince Eurosceptic backbenchers and UKIP what will?
Nevertheless, without any need for panic, it is time that Cameron got his cabinet in the shape that he wants it to be at the next election. He should remember the commitments he gave about the proportion of women to be in his cabinet and act to fufil that pledge.
He must find more people of ability, people who did not have the benefit of a proper education but have managed to overcome that deficiency, to be the face of the party and, where possible, get them into the positions that are going to be the centrepiece of the campaign. He needs to think who he wants on the Today program and R5 between now and the election.
In the excellent metaphor used on here the other day he needs to get the barnacles off his boat and concentrate on the key themes that he will be using in 2015 to the exclusion of all else. The time for distractions is over.
Cameron is lucky. The economy is turning and he has Ed for an opponent. Winners are those that seize their luck and take advantage of it. It is time to act.
I know you're still basking in the glorious victory of the lib dems being less popular than the BNP in South Shields, but you might want to take a look at how many councillors you are down to across the country too before Clegg leads you on to yet another 'triumph' next year.
Thanks for the useful info on this thread and the previous one.
In case you missed it:
Full spreadsheet for SurreyCC elections available to download (includes 2009 & 2005 elections)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxc8YBRHB-zQSW1ZM2p2Nnl1Qkk/edit?usp=sharing
There really needs to be a single website where this detailed data is readily available. So that constituency aggregates can be found via a few clicks and other comparisons made.
It's merely a pity there weren't any mass local elections in scotland this year but that's the cycle and you should be grateful for it. Unless you really are delusional enough to think the lib dems would have got anything other than another hammering?
Borders party won that one with the tories second.
Clegg's claiming he is "back in the saddle" after losing another 124 councillors last week. Who can doubt him? Certainly not those 124 councillors who will be delighted at his amusing boasting.
Maybe you should have looked closer at why the defection happened before crowing about it? That should please wee Willie Rennie.
Again, what is the approx. number lib dem councillors/MSPs in scotland you are down to?
Feel free to add in 'all' those defections since 2012 if you think it will make the number look any less pathetic.
'The lack of progress by Labour is seriously encouraging.'
I was amazed at how poor their performance was,didn't even reach Railings & Thatcher's forecast,plus media forecasts of the Tories losing up to 700 seats.
A perfect storm for Labour,a cow's backside and a musical instrument comes to mind.
Hear! Hear!
It's always going to be down to amateurs to collate the data. Public money isn't going to be spent on it because they'd say only a few anoraks are interested.
Reminds me of the US presidential election where myself and another person in America were the only people adding up the presidential totals because the networks weren't interested once the winner had been called.
Northampton North
Lab 5262 26.8%
Con 4932 25.2%
UKIP 4524 23.1%
LD 4003 20.4%
Oth 882 4.5%
Nothing wrong in being an anorak!
If Labour cannot persuade people that they are offering a better alternative in those circumstances what is going to happen to their support if the economy picks up?
No one seems to object to academic selection at aged 18, but 11 is far too young. Overall streaming within schoolsis far better. I also think that there is more to life than exams and that I benefitted from mixing with pupils of varying ability and background at school.
Completely agree, Mr Foxinsoxuk.
At what point do you think the parliamentary Conservative Party will try to change their leadership team? When they're polling at 28%? 25%? 22%?
Since I know some clearly aren't aware of who he is, the author of the piece Richard Mowbary is most well know in scotland for being one of those behind the infamous "think twice" campaign against devolution. Does anyone seriously need need reminding how that turned out?
I see that the PB tally of female posters is vanishingly small - perhaps those who are obsessed by M/F %s would reflect on that for a moment.
OT Just watching JAG - crikey S1 is like stepping back in time - i know its a decade old but WOW. And I've just noticed John Locke from Lost as a lead character and very youthful - would never have recognised him bar his voice. It was a James Mason moment.
Perhaps the inept tory spinner should get Cammie to tell the female posters to "calm down dear" since she voted for him at the locals. Golly indeed. ;^ )
Before we start accusing Osborne of generating a housing boom, let's have a look at some ONS statistics, shall we: Now this does rather look to me that the housing price inflators were Blair and Brown rather than Cameron and Osborne.
And whilst we are here, it does look as though Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to be the major beneficiaries of a government intervention to stablilise the residential construction and mortgage provision sectors and housing purchase market.
Who says that Boy George doesn't help the 'losers'?
You can of course point a cyber-finger at me and shout "I told you so Muppet!" if Mr Cameron wins through. :-)