I would ask on ConHome but I am afraid of certain people there.
They should be ashamed of themselves, Andrea
But, yeah, 2 seats looks most likely for the Tories there anyway so it may not be James Cracknell MEP this time. Wasnt Colin Moynihan's seat in the south-west? He can maybe go for that.
And Cameron seems to have slipped another reversal of his posiution in wqithout anyone noticing really.
Speaking ahead of talks with President Obama at the White House, Mr Cameron indicated that he could be prepared to support a British exit if his attempts to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU fails.
Ronnie Campbell, Rosie Cooper, John Cryer, Ian Davidson, Jim Dowd, Natascha Engel, Frank Field, Roger Godsiff, Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins, John McDonnell, Austin Mitchell, Grahame Morris, Graham Stringer, Keith Vaz.
Yeah, they should. 2-3 vile people. They reached me on another blog accusing me to pretend being a swing voter on ConHome but they were sure to have unmasked me as the assistant of a Labour MP....or something like that. That was in 2010...but I looked at the Euro selection thread yesterday and 2 of them were still there. I am afraid of them.....
Dr. Prasannan, the prequels are a great example of what happens when the storyline is sacrificed on the altar of hero (fallen hero, as it turns out) worship.
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
Ronnie Campbell, Rosie Cooper, John Cryer, Ian Davidson, Jim Dowd, Natascha Engel, Frank Field, Roger Godsiff, Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins, John McDonnell, Austin Mitchell, Grahame Morris, Graham Stringer, Keith Vaz.
No Gisella? I'm surprised.
She was probably away and didn't have time to sign. It's a name I would expect to be in that mix.
My only wonder is can they keep this EU row going long enough to crash into the gay marriage row. Now that would be funny. UKIP might overtake the Tories.
The irony is that Cameron actually did find a successful EU policy with his veto of late 2011.
Conservative MPs were cheering him and the party was 6% ahead in the polls while EdM was in big trouble.
And Cameron still went and tossed it away.
He really is a sh1te politician isn't he.
Except the number of areas the Government has vetoes on is reduced dramatically after 2014. Then most things go to Qualified Majority Voting (a list of the areas is provided in the linked article).
Dr. Prasannan, the prequels are a great example of what happens when the storyline is sacrificed on the altar of hero (fallen hero, as it turns out) worship.
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
Mr Dancer, It did seem strange in the original Star Wars that he was an "underling" to Tarkin. We know now that he was actually Palpatine's number 2.
Dr. Prasannan, the prequels are a great example of what happens when the storyline is sacrificed on the altar of hero (fallen hero, as it turns out) worship.
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
Mr Dancer, It did seem strange in the original Star Wars that he was an "underling" to Tarkin. We know now that he was actually Palpatine's number 2.
Could you handwave it as a naval style, captain on his own ship is in charge even if higher ranking person is on board?
The thing that irriated me the most was that they actually come to another blog who had nothing to do with ConHome posting their accusations and making me look as pretty silly. And whilst replying to them, I was so angry that I made more spelling mistakes than usual. And so they even told me off for my grammar!
Dr. Prasannan, the prequels are a great example of what happens when the storyline is sacrificed on the altar of hero (fallen hero, as it turns out) worship.
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
Mr Dancer, It did seem strange in the original Star Wars that he was an "underling" to Tarkin. We know now that he was actually Palpatine's number 2.
It's interesting that F1 teams, although immensely competitive, take almost the exact opposite approach to football clubs. Team principals change only very rarely and tend to hang around for ages.
You would need an electoral system that would allow that. Come back to reality Sean. UKIP will probably have less seats than the greens after the next election.
The thing that irriated me the most was that they actually come to another blog who had nothing to do with ConHome posting their accusations and making me look as pretty silly. And whilst replying to them, I was so angry that I made more spelling mistakes than usual. And so they even told me off for my grammar!
The irony is that Cameron actually did find a successful EU policy with his veto of late 2011.
Conservative MPs were cheering him and the party was 6% ahead in the polls while EdM was in big trouble.
And Cameron still went and tossed it away.
He really is a sh1te politician isn't he.
No, the irony is gullible tory eurosceptics actually believed his flounce. Along with the most amusing PBtories of course.
When they couldn't avoid the fact that it was pure posturing and bullsh*t they were less than amused.
Eurosceptics treated Cameron like a foul smell
Betrayed by their hero, Cameron's eurosceptics are quickly returning to their bitter, angry roots.
The last time David Cameron updated the Commons on his return from Brussels he was treated like a hero. The acclaim appeared to have no limits; the prodigal son, had he seen this display of lionising, must have felt like a big disappointment upon his own return. What a difference a follow-up summit makes. Today the Tory eurosceptics edged away from the PM, collectively wrinkling their noses as if he had made a bad smell.
Which will happen again because no matter how many times they get taken for fools they just keep coming back for more. Cammie will continue with empty posturing, Eurosceptics will continue banging on about Europe and Farage will keep laughing uproariously as they do all his work for him.
Dr. Prasannan, the prequels are a great example of what happens when the storyline is sacrificed on the altar of hero (fallen hero, as it turns out) worship.
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
Mr Dancer, It did seem strange in the original Star Wars that he was an "underling" to Tarkin. We know now that he was actually Palpatine's number 2.
Could you handwave it as a naval style, captain on his own ship is in charge even if higher ranking person is on board?
I handwave it as Tarkin being a total badass whom Vader respected and that other officer a recent transferee who had never believed the tales of Vader's powers (despite, you know, the Emperor being a sorcerer - a fact about the movies I loves, in that the empire was just this evil militaristic power, who just happened to be run by a sorcerer. The Malazan Book of the Fallen series had a similar gimick in its backstory as a recall, perhaps in homage) or else had just been told he had terminal cancer and 'death by Vader' is covered under the Imperial benefits package for widows.
It's interesting that F1 teams, although immensely competitive, take almost the exact opposite approach to football clubs. Team principals change only very rarely and tend to hang around for ages.
The adage out of American sports is "They can't fire all the players..."
When you've got two drivers then that's a much more feasible option.
The efficient vote distribution is precisely because of the campaigning members you dolt!
No, it's ruthless strategic decision making by the former leadership team to target financial resources and political messaging/policies at the marginal areas. Good campaigning, but ultimately has hollowed out the party and caused great damage to the political system in the UK.
The activists are just pawns to be moved around as needed. They're not rooks or bishops, not even knights. Just pawns.
I'm starting to think on Gin's line,cameron could be in trouble as tory leader,he's been found out at politics.
He certainly is/will be in big trouble if he doesn't start hearing his party and responding positively to what happened at the local elections.
As I've explained once today, the political sands have shifted. First with UKIP's election performance and then with Lord Lawson's intervention the game has changed. Cameron has been trying to behave as though these things haven't happened and his leadership has been found wanting because of this.
This latest development might just be the first signs he is waking up to the fact that the tide is coming in over the political establishments heads. Or then again it might be the final panic stricken death throws of a drowning man.
One thing I am clear about, if Cameron and those around him don't start getting into the real world his leadership is very much at risk.
And the parliamentary Tory party have lost their minds. It's hard to see how their behaviour is helping them achieve what they want, but I guess they don't care anymore. Standing on...principle?
Really that's the problem. Cameron's no longer the man they want, he cannot make himself into what they want and be believed, but it's hard to actually replace him without letting Labour in through the gaping hole that was the front door.
Bayern Munich - new manager Manchester United - new manager Manchester City - new manager Chelsea - new manager Real Madrid - new manager almost certainly PSG - Ancellotti has not confirmed he is staying (has been mentionewd for Real Madrid) Barcelona - Manager in second season having been ill for much of his first season.
Given that scenario what better time could there be for Ferguson to have retired?
Bayern Munich - new manager Manchester United - new manager Manchester City - new manager Chelsea - new manager Real Madrid - new manager almost certainly PSG - Ancellotti has not confirmed he is staying (has been mentionewd for Real Madrid) Barcelona - Manager in second season having been ill for much of his first season.
Given that scenario what better time could there be for Ferguson to have retired?
PSG announced today, that Real had asked them for permission to talk to Carlo, but they said no
That assumes he ever had a measure of it over this issue. He didn't. He just kept feeding the fires while hoping this time would draw a line under it. A somewhat peculiar expectation given how banging on about Europe has 'helped' tory leaders in the past.
Many things are noteworthy in that poll (I've not checked the thread so I imagine they've been covered already). The Conservatives on 28 might look awful, but they're only 6 points behind Labour. UKIP should be delighted with this result with a pollster who has typically had them lower than the other pollsters.
On the plus side for the Lib Dems, they could be 11 points lower.
Seats are decided by the swing. CON to LAB 7%.; LD to CON 2%. LD to LAB 9%.
Thanks, kippers !! WE understand you have a serious point - whatever that is.
Many things are noteworthy in that poll (I've not checked the thread so I imagine they've been covered already). The Conservatives on 28 might look awful, but they're only 6 points behind Labour. UKIP should be delighted with this result with a pollster who has typically had them lower than the other pollsters.
On the plus side for the Lib Dems, they could be 11 points lower.
Seats are decided by the swing. CON to LAB 7%.; LD to CON 2%. LD to LAB 9%.
Thanks, kippers !! WE understand you have a serious point - whatever that is.
Now add in some swingback, and the next tranche of UKIP gain from all parties.... and there could be three parties in the 20s in 2015.
Something else thats clear is that it looks like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
Sigh. Go away and read Kavanagh and Cowleys book on the 2010 general election. If that was the case our marginal seats would have had a uniform swing.
I cant quite remember the figures exactly but didnt Labour underperform UNS in 2010?
The Law of Averages dictate some party will do better and some worse. Barring some extraordinary polling [ like post facto exit polls ], UNS is the best guide we have.
Nadine banging on about Europe on newsnight. At least she's stopped banging on about the out of touch posh boys, for the moment.
Now she's on about 2017 not being soon enough
She simply doesn't believe it's going to happen nor do any of the tory rebels but they have to keep pushing the sooner argument rather than outright saying Cammie is a liar. They are still MPs after all and don't have the freedom Portillo did to denounce it as an "insincere ploy".
Something else thats clear is thta it looks looking like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
A prime minister can't put all foreign trips on hold just because there is some squabbling in the Westminster bubble. Nothing would ever get done in our relationships with other countries. These trips are normally planned well in advance of any political outbursts.
If Cameron can come through this with some semblance of control over his party reestablished - and it looks like a big if, even if he just becomes like Nick Clegg, a political zombie that rolls on despite no life signs evident - those who did stick with him will be safe for life under his premisership, that's for sure. He needs people around him willing to stick their necks out for him without sounding tortured about it, and if they are out there, they're not being heard.
Something else thats clear is thta it looks looking like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
A prime minister can't put all foreign trips on hold just because there is some squabbling in the Westminster bubble. Nothing would ever get done in our relationships with other countries. These trips are normally planned well in advance of any political outbursts.
What exactly is he doing in the US?
Why do our politicians not use the phone and SKYPE? Why don't they tele conference?
Something else thats clear is that it looks like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
Obama may be many things but absurd he is clearly not.
Something else thats clear is thta it looks looking like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
A prime minister can't put all foreign trips on hold just because there is some squabbling in the Westminster bubble. Nothing would ever get done in our relationships with other countries. These trips are normally planned well in advance of any political outbursts.
What exactly is he doing in the US?
Why do our politicians not use the phone and SKYPE? Why don't they tele conference?
The efficient vote distribution is precisely because of the campaigning members you dolt!
No, it's ruthless strategic decision making by the former leadership team to target financial resources and political messaging/policies at the marginal areas. Good campaigning, but ultimately has hollowed out the party and caused great damage to the political system in the UK.
The activists are just pawns to be moved around as needed. They're not rooks or bishops, not even knights. Just pawns.
Alternatively, Labour safe seats tend to be demographically disposed to produce lower turnout than Conservative safe seats.
DPJHodges If Labour were to agree to back referendum, and call for it this side of GE, David Cameron would be finished.
Oh dear I agree with Hodges.
Labour can finish Cameron's career tomorrow. But the Tories might replace him with someone who can win elections
How to be seen as an opportunistic toss**
Now seems an appropriate time to be able to get away with such opportunism, as the opponents are commiting suicide in front of him, and just need a little hand to complete the job.
You would need an electoral system that would allow that. Come back to reality Sean. UKIP will probably have less seats than the greens after the next election.
The Holyrood electoral system was expressly designed to stop the SNP ever getting a referendum-demanding majority. It failed.
No. It was designed to stop Labour ever getting a majority. It wasn't even considered that the SNP could - those central belt seats would always be Labour, wouldn't they?
Why do our politicians not use the phone and SKYPE? Why don't they tele conference?
That's not a politician thing. The technology for reasonable video conferencing has been around for ages (if not as easy and convenient as now), but most people don't like it. They put great faith in the human touch.
Besides, visits like this aren't about acutally conferencing with other leaders, the details have to be hashed out by bureacrats well in advance, surely, so they could just do it by email. Meeting other leaders is a public relations exercise, that's all.
DPJHodges If Labour were to agree to back referendum, and call for it this side of GE, David Cameron would be finished.
Oh dear I agree with Hodges.
Labour can finish Cameron's career tomorrow. But the Tories might replace him with someone who can win elections
Well just look at how many gullible idiots believed Cammie over his flounce and his Cast iron referendum pledge.
Of course little Ed could easily match the vapid cast iron commitment from Cammie on a conditional EU referendum precisely because it's so easily wriggled out and could be strung out indefinitely. He could even use all Cammie's excuses for doing so since they are already all there in place, "false choice" etc.
On topic: I haven't gone through the full thread, so apologies if this point has already been made.
I thought it would be interesting to compare with ICM a year ago:
ICM/Guardian 2012-05-20 Con 36 Lab 41 LD 11 (UKIP not separately quoted AFAIK) ICM/Guardian 2013-05-12 Con 28 Lab 34 LD 11 UKIP 18
So, if we believe ICM, the rise of UKIP over the last year has been accompanied by changes:
Con -8 Lab -7 LD No change
Thus, either it is simply not true that the rise of UKIP is disproportionately at the expense of the Tories, or it is true but it is compensated for by a swing from Labour to the Tories amongst non-UKIP supporters.
Obviously you get slightly different figures depending on exactly which ICM poll you look at, but Labour leads of 5 to 8 points were typical in late spring/early summer last year - much the same as now.
It really is incredible to think Cameron could believe this latest strategem would work. I mean, he's not that dumb surely? He has to have some kind of alterior motive on this. If your enemies, external or particularly internal, are openly rebellious and contemptuous of you, logic might be that they will change their tune when you given them what they want, but it seems far more often the truth that they just become even more contemptuous because now they know they can beat you.
Something else thats clear is that it looks like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
Obama may be many things but absurd he is clearly not.
I find him a very absurd, kind of weird character.
He had all that airy fairy rhetoric at the start, but to me comes across as very aloof and his Presidency seems to be a case of spending 8 years going absolutely nowhere?
Don't understand what all the hype is with him at all, or why our politicians and media degrade themselves by fawning all over him when he obviously hates their guts.
I suppose we must be grateful that Cameron isn't quite as embarassing as Brown when it comes to Obamaworship, but even so that ain't saying much...
On topic: I haven't gone through the full thread, so apologies if this point has already been made.
I thought it would be interesting to compare with ICM a year ago:
ICM/Guardian 2012-05-20 Con 36 Lab 41 LD 11 (UKIP not separately quoted AFAIK) ICM/Guardian 2013-05-12 Con 28 Lab 34 LD 11UKIP 18
So, if we believe ICM, the rise of UKIP over the last year has been accompanied by changes:
Con -8 Lab -7 LD No change
Thus, either it is simply not true that the rise of UKIP is disproportionately at the expense of the Tories, or it is true but it is compensated for by a swing from Labour to the Tories amongst non-UKIP supporters.
Obviously you get slightly different figures depending on exactly which ICM poll you look at, but Labour leads of 5 to 8 points were typical in late spring/early summer last year - much the same as now.
Or there is some swing from LibDem to UKIP and a simillar swing from Labour to LibDem and a smaller direct swing Labour to UKIP
Wait, I know Cameron's game now! He wants UKIP and the Torykippers to wear themselves out with impassioned rhetoric at a time of now elections, so that the size of the UKIP victory in 2014 is lessened as they will have played their hand too early and find it harder to engage with the public, while his internal enemies will have ostraxised themselves from him, leaving a loyal rump to rebuild from for 2015, knowing who his friends are.
A brilliant and unconventional strategy. Worthy of George Osborne himself, I'd say.
Well, I didn't mention the Republicans did I? They are even stranger. From what I could make out of the 2012 election Obama won because he slightly less odd than Mitt - OK, a LOT less odd than Mitt - but the whole US political system is pretty bizarre, IMO.
On topic: I haven't gone through the full thread, so apologies if this point has already been made.
I thought it would be interesting to compare with ICM a year ago:
ICM/Guardian 2012-05-20 Con 36 Lab 41 LD 11 (UKIP not separately quoted AFAIK) ICM/Guardian 2013-05-12 Con 28 Lab 34 LD 11UKIP 18
So, if we believe ICM, the rise of UKIP over the last year has been accompanied by changes:
Con -8 Lab -7 LD No change
Thus, either it is simply not true that the rise of UKIP is disproportionately at the expense of the Tories, or it is true but it is compensated for by a swing from Labour to the Tories amongst non-UKIP supporters.
Obviously you get slightly different figures depending on exactly which ICM poll you look at, but Labour leads of 5 to 8 points were typical in late spring/early summer last year - much the same as now.
I've been making this point for some time. The only plausible point someone made in response, I think tim, was that essentially the number of people "voting" has gone up by the movement of 2010 voters from "not voting" to UKIP, augmented by 2010 non-voters. Thus the effect has been to move 2010 Tories to UKIP. Which is better for the Tories than them moving to Labour, but still not great.
Still if you look at it that way, they should still be votes Labour gain rather than merely go to some third party.
Something else thats clear is thta it looks looking like a dreadful decision for Cameron to be in the US while this is all going on.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
A prime minister can't put all foreign trips on hold just because there is some squabbling in the Westminster bubble. Nothing would ever get done in our relationships with other countries. These trips are normally planned well in advance of any political outbursts.
What exactly is he doing in the US?
Why do our politicians not use the phone and SKYPE? Why don't they tele conference?
Cameron is doing several things in the US, like promoting British trade. That kind of thing needs the personal touch, not Skype. In any case he most likely would like to brief Obama in person about his visit with Putin. Some things may be better said privately, in person. The comments in the DT are very predictable... Obama is apparently a communist....
Comments
Qui Gon - The ability to speak does not make you intelligent!
And this as got me worried it's going to be another political f... up by cammers ;-)
But, yeah, 2 seats looks most likely for the Tories there anyway so it may not be James Cracknell MEP this time. Wasnt Colin Moynihan's seat in the south-west? He can maybe go for that.
Conservative MPs were cheering him and the party was 6% ahead in the polls while EdM was in big trouble.
And Cameron still went and tossed it away.
He really is a sh1te politician isn't he.
Speaking ahead of talks with President Obama at the White House, Mr Cameron indicated that he could be prepared to support a British exit if his attempts to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU fails.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10053850/David-Cameron-relationship-with-EU-is-unacceptable.html
How on earth are we expected to take Downing Street seriously when policy seems to be decided by whichever way the wind is blowing?
Yeah, they should. 2-3 vile people. They reached me on another blog accusing me to pretend being a swing voter on ConHome but they were sure to have unmasked me as the assistant of a Labour MP....or something like that. That was in 2010...but I looked at the Euro selection thread yesterday and 2 of them were still there. I am afraid of them.....
I preferred the first film, where Vader was Grand Moff Tarkin's underling, and had the piss taken out of him by an ill-advised officer on the Death Star.
My only wonder is can they keep this EU row going long enough to crash into the gay marriage row. Now that would be funny. UKIP might overtake the Tories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_the_Council_of_the_European_Union
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2010/may/04/shaun-bailey-sally-roberts-conservatives-hammersmith-heckler
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2013/May/Club-statement-13-May-2013
It did seem strange in the original Star Wars that he was an "underling" to Tarkin. We know now that he was actually Palpatine's number 2.
I believe he calls them 'uh-ohs'. It makes him feel less like a failure.
Interesting that Ferguson used his address at Old Trafford to call on the club to stand by Moyes if there are tough times, as it stood by him.
A Lib Dem, a Labour supporter, a UKIPer, a Cameroon, a Cameron hater.
If only they knew what a star you are.
But it is a silly decision.
Oops, some other party has won the election from the blind side !
The thing that irriated me the most was that they actually come to another blog who had nothing to do with ConHome posting their accusations and making me look as pretty silly. And whilst replying to them, I was so angry that I made more spelling mistakes than usual. And so they even told me off for my grammar!
I don't forget!
You would need an electoral system that would allow that. Come back to reality Sean. UKIP will probably have less seats than the greens after the next election.
That place will rot your brain.
When they couldn't avoid the fact that it was pure posturing and bullsh*t they were less than amused.
Which will happen again because no matter how many times they get taken for fools they just keep coming back for more. Cammie will continue with empty posturing, Eurosceptics will continue banging on about Europe and Farage will keep laughing uproariously as they do all his work for him.
When you've got two drivers then that's a much more feasible option.
http://www.psychforums.com/relationship/topic84035.html
The activists are just pawns to be moved around as needed. They're not rooks or bishops, not even knights. Just pawns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEPazLTGceI
Yay! I hope she's had a few at the party.
Except I am not aware of an anti SNP pro independence party (is the SSP still going?)
You need to see the back of the Tories for that analogy to work. UKIP can't overcome the hurdle of FPTP without destroying the Tories first.
Sigh. Go away and read Kavanagh and Cowleys book on the 2010 general election. If that was the case our marginal seats would have had a uniform swing.
I can't decide whether it is politics you don't really understand or if you are just a bit dim.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22507128
As I've explained once today, the political sands have shifted. First with UKIP's election performance and then with Lord Lawson's intervention the game has changed. Cameron has been trying to behave as though these things haven't happened and his leadership has been found wanting because of this.
This latest development might just be the first signs he is waking up to the fact that the tide is coming in over the political establishments heads. Or then again it might be the final panic stricken death throws of a drowning man.
One thing I am clear about, if Cameron and those around him don't start getting into the real world his leadership is very much at risk.
Really that's the problem. Cameron's no longer the man they want, he cannot make himself into what they want and be believed, but it's hard to actually replace him without letting Labour in through the gaping hole that was the front door.
Manchester United - new manager
Manchester City - new manager
Chelsea - new manager
Real Madrid - new manager almost certainly
PSG - Ancellotti has not confirmed he is staying (has been mentionewd for Real Madrid)
Barcelona - Manager in second season having been ill for much of his first season.
Given that scenario what better time could there be for Ferguson to have retired?
He will only understand if you explain it in an algorhythm
Thanks, kippers !! WE understand you have a serious point - whatever that is.
http://starwars.com/play/online-activities/crawl-creator/?cs=v6vcp82ed4
YouGov/Sun poll tonight: CON 31%, LAB 38%, LD 10%, UKIP 14%. Labour lead down at 7 points again.
I said it would look bad and it does. Whenever a leader is out of country while a crisis is going on it always looks worse. The fact he is with the absurd Obama - Someone who didn't even bother to send one representative to Baroness Thatchers funeral - Just makes it all more surreal.
Why do our politicians not use the phone and SKYPE? Why don't they tele conference?
Weekend - Mr ED no referendum (now?)
Tuesday - Oh look a political advantage. I want a referendum Now!
How to be seen as an opportunistic toss**
That's not a politician thing. The technology for reasonable video conferencing has been around for ages (if not as easy and convenient as now), but most people don't like it. They put great faith in the human touch.
Besides, visits like this aren't about acutally conferencing with other leaders, the details have to be hashed out by bureacrats well in advance, surely, so they could just do it by email. Meeting other leaders is a public relations exercise, that's all.
Of course little Ed could easily match the vapid cast iron commitment from Cammie on a conditional EU referendum precisely because it's so easily wriggled out and could be strung out indefinitely. He could even use all Cammie's excuses for doing so since they are already all there in place, "false choice" etc.
I thought it would be interesting to compare with ICM a year ago:
ICM/Guardian 2012-05-20 Con 36 Lab 41 LD 11 (UKIP not separately quoted AFAIK)
ICM/Guardian 2013-05-12 Con 28 Lab 34 LD 11 UKIP 18
So, if we believe ICM, the rise of UKIP over the last year has been accompanied by changes:
Con -8
Lab -7
LD No change
Thus, either it is simply not true that the rise of UKIP is disproportionately at the expense of the Tories, or it is true but it is compensated for by a swing from Labour to the Tories amongst non-UKIP supporters.
Obviously you get slightly different figures depending on exactly which ICM poll you look at, but Labour leads of 5 to 8 points were typical in late spring/early summer last year - much the same as now.
He had all that airy fairy rhetoric at the start, but to me comes across as very aloof and his Presidency seems to be a case of spending 8 years going absolutely nowhere?
Don't understand what all the hype is with him at all, or why our politicians and media degrade themselves by fawning all over him when he obviously hates their guts.
I suppose we must be grateful that Cameron isn't quite as embarassing as Brown when it comes to Obamaworship, but even so that ain't saying much...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFUUDrh9wNg
*chuckles*
A brilliant and unconventional strategy. Worthy of George Osborne himself, I'd say.
Still if you look at it that way, they should still be votes Labour gain rather than merely go to some third party.
The comments in the DT are very predictable... Obama is apparently a communist....