No doubt about it televised cricket belongs on the BBC.What on earth is the point of having an Establishment if it does not represent the supremacy of cricket to all other sports in the nation's TV broadcasts?I refuse to have Murdoch in the house.
Conservatives to poll more votes and win more seats than Labour 11/10 Labour to poll more votes and win more seats than Conservatives 11/8 Labour to poll fewer votes and win more seats than Conservatives 11/4 Conservatives to poll fewer votes and win more seats than Labour 66/1
Well I've lost all my bets today. But there's always Iran/Nigeria and USA/Ghana!
Placing your money in any venture involving Nigeria is an interesting notion .... or "brave" as civil servants are want to advise their minsters at times.
Europe's most robust economy, Cameron bitch-slapped and 2-0 up against 10 man Portugal, why shouldn't she be looking pleased ?
Germany Europe's most robust economy?
Hmm. It's the biggest, by sheer size of population, but there are others which are considerably richer per head (Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Austria) and others with lower unemployment, better growth, &c.
Germany is best described as the "least damaged of Europe's large economies in the Great Recession", a rather different thing.
nah they've been the worlds No1 or No2 exporter for the last decade, slugging it out with China. Germany is well ahead on GDP having recovered lost production in about 3 years. We've just reached our 2008 peak.
They are of course heavily assisted by the Euro keeping their currency artifically low, hence why they love Europe and all the medlands are pissed off since they pick up the bill for germany's cost advantage.
Germany are the only football team that are both excellent and non-exciting to watch. Watching them play is a bit like watching an experiment in football tactics.
Germany are the only football team that are both excellent and non-exciting to watch. Watching them play is a bit like watching an experiment in football tactics.
Difficult to get to grips with the fact that the Iraqi armed forces have basically been taken over by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. But that looks like the current situation.
Message to SeanT – lots of people who've just read Millions Of Women Are Waiting To Meet You on Amazon reviews are offering to buy you a drink. Just in case you didn't know.
Gazprom this morning turned off the supply of gas on credit to Ukraine. It followed the break-down of tripartite discussions including the EU over the payment of $1.95 bn of outstanding debt due for payment to Russia by 10.00 Moscow time.
As ITAR-TASS put it
Russian state energy giant Gazprom on Monday switched to prepayment mode in gas supplies to Ukraine’s state oil and gas company Naftogaz because Ukraine failed to pay part of its gas debt by the deadline of 10:00 Moscow time (06:00 GMT) Monday.
The situation is not as critical as might appear due to the Ukraine stockpiling Russian gas supplies in underground bunkers over the past few months. It is thought the emergency stocks will cover the Ukraine's needs until December 2014.
Again from ITAR-TASS:
Ukraine had pumped astronomic amounts of gas to its own underground gas storage facilities. Out of more than 12.5 billion cubic meters of gas in Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities (UGSF), 11.5 billion is unpaid Russian gas. [Alexei] Miller [CEO of Gazprom] also said that in order to get through the winter season comfortably, Ukraine must have more than 18 billion cubic meters of gas in its UGSFs.
Between now and the onset of winter, the Ukraine is expected to try to negotiate 'reverse-flow' deals with EU countries supplied by Russia through the pipelines and compressor stations located on Ukraine's territory. Alive to this being a means by which the Ukraine could continue to default on gas payments to Russia, Gazprom has warned its EU customers of risks to supply through the Ukraine and switched volume to its Nord-Stream infrastructure which bypasses the Ukraine.
So what is the dispute about? Just debt repayment? No, it is more about the costs of supply. The Ukraine wants gas supplied at the same price it is sold to Belarus and Kazakhstan. As Miller put it:
The whole logic of negotiations, which the Ukrainian side tried to impose, was to get a super-low price at the level Russia sells gas to the countries of the Customs Union (of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan), he said.
So Russia wants the Ukraine to pay a premium on its energy supplies for flirting with the EU and also expects the EU to pick up the Ukraine's tab in order to guarantee continuity of supply to Gazprom's customers west of the Ukraine.
Will the EU allow this? Well, yes:
Ukraine can use the European Union’s 1.6 billion-euro aid to repay its gas debts for Russian natural gas supplies, European Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said on Monday.
Does Russian need the money? Well, no, according to ITAR-TASS:
Russia’s foreign debt (including the former Soviet Union’s obligations assumed by Russia) [...] stood at $55.79 billion as of January 1, 2014 and at $54.875 billion as of May 1, thus decreasing by 1.8% in the first five months of the year and by 0.1% in May..
And what is more Russia was willing to continue to finance the Ukraine's continued supply of energy according to Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister:
“We were ready to discuss the economic situation in Ukraine and were ready to put forward specific options of financial support,” Novak said.
Some sanctions being imposed on Russia by the EU and US here. It very much looks as if Russia is bidding up the cost to the EU of gaining the Ukraine's political allegiance.
All well and good you might say, but it us, the taxpayers, who will be paying the premium.
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK (EDIT) average wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK minimum wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK minimum wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
Should have guessed it was Lord Foukes of Cumnock (he of comprehensive schools in his time, who'd have guessed?) who reported those cybernats - a name he reputedly himself invented.
@TOPPING Get the government to build mud huts so workers can afford to work for $2 a day, and have a roof over their heads?
Thing is, to, um, flesh out my comment, that many on the left (I appreciate you are, what was it, a "civilised anarchist"?) want to attack the symbol of the society in which they live which they believe represents a gross unfairness.
But compared with so many in the LDCs everyone here is unimaginably wealthy. And it seems that those who complain about the pay inequality often believe that their own level of pay is about right and, as the cliche has it, those who earn far more, do so unfairly.
But what would they have those "rich" do that they are not doing for those on $2/day?
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK minimum wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
I am not sure, it will be interesting when it does come out. I believe Farage said it is due soon, and it will probably be the first manifesto of this coming election.
They could stop exploiting them for a start? Remember that the rich are only rich until those below decide otherwise. ;-)
Roman Abramovitch is reported to have purchased his own personally designed submarine. He has fitted it out with gold taps, jacuzzi baths and double beds.
The ex-communist is so confident of avoiding the second revolution that he has offered $25 million to any outsider who can locate it.
@AveryLP He may need it, the Russian people are starting to think unbridled capitalism is not quite what they imagined it would be, and are becoming distinctly anti Western in their outlook. You may need to show them your yellow boxes at this rate?
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK (EDIT) average wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
The oligarchs want everyone on $2/day and will buy as many members of the political class as they need to achieve it.
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK minimum wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
That's a very disappointing link. I was hoping that the High Pay Centre was a club I could join with refreshingly excessive subscription fee.
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Socialists always consider the banker in South Kensington on a stonking great salary when they talk about pay inequality.
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK (EDIT) average wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
The oligarchs want everyone on $2/day and will buy as many members of the political class as they need to achieve it.
Putin's neutralisation of the oligarchs (by enriching them) has been one of his smartest moves. It has taken away at a stroke a powerful source of internal dissent.
(Apologies if you were making some vital allegorical point concerning the UK.)
@LBC: On Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman tells @IainDale that: 'he was right to pose with the Sun and right to apologise for it afterwards'.
Erm
That cannot possibly be genuine, can it? Dear gods. I'm sure they'll do an adequate or at least not disastrous job running the country in a year's time, but Labour really are not exuding much confidence in themselves.
@AveryLP He may need it, the Russian people are starting to think unbridled capitalism is not quite what they imagined it would be, and are becoming distinctly anti Western in their outlook. You may need to show them your yellow boxes at this rate?
Nonsense, Smarmy.
It has been said the USA is a nation which has moved from barbarism to decadence without encountering civilisation on the way.
Russia is moving with ease from communism to global wealth without the need to call in aid an industrial revolution.
On topic, I don't know if this has been covered in discussions over previous Ashcroft polls, but the high "other Others" score does seem rather chunky. It's not just that the traditional Others (not Con, Lab or LD) has jumped from 9% at the last election to 28% here, it's also that those who are neither "Big Three" voters or UKIP voters have gone from 6% to 13%.
If we assume that SNP/Plaid aren't going to account for much more than 3-4% of the GB vote (due to the limited numbers of seats in which they stand), then that's about 10% to go to the Greens, BNP, English Democrats, Respect, TUSC ...
The Greens aren't likely to stand in much more than half of the possible seats, I'd guess - so half (at least) of their vote share is going elsewhere or sitting on their hands. The same with a significant chunk of the others here.
Where to? If it's close enough, even these numbers could be crucial.
On a wider view, these low scores for all parties look to me simply that the public are supremely unimpressed by the range on offer. Are all of the Big 3 parties close to their tribal cores (well, the Yellows, for sure!)? Would that imply that the unimpressed masses are likely to be more fickle than normal in their allegiances? That the potential for shifting around is likely to be greater than we'd usually anticipate?
Comments
If he hadn't walked off and waited for the decision it would have been given not out.
In the WC at the bottom of the garden?
{This is PB].
Justice done.
PB Golden Rule tarnished.
Or is this not allowed?
43.5% at Paddy Power
44% at Ladbrokes
10/11 both above and below the line.
22.7 Gordons = 1 Osborne
Over 70% tightens to 4/6 at William Hill (from 8/11).
The Ladbrokes Line is now at 78% Turnout -> 5/6 both above and below that line.
The promise of an effluent future.
You are on the gin again, Mr. Brooke!
Nigeria 1.9
Draw 3.6
http://www.betfair.com/exchange/football/market?id=1.112173732&exp=e
Conservatives to poll more votes and win more seats than Labour 11/10
Labour to poll more votes and win more seats than Conservatives 11/8
Labour to poll fewer votes and win more seats than Conservatives 11/4
Conservatives to poll fewer votes and win more seats than Labour 66/1
They are of course heavily assisted by the Euro keeping their currency artifically low, hence why they love Europe and all the medlands are pissed off since they pick up the bill for germany's cost advantage.
Yes 4.7
No 1.26
http://www.betfair.com/exchange/politics/market?exp=e&id=1.110033387
Birmingham Hodge Hill (Lab Maj, Liam Byrne = 10,302)
Lab 1/100
UKIP 25/1
LD 66/1
100 bar
Birmingham Perry Barr (Lab Maj, Khalid Mahmood = 11,908)
Lab 1/100
Con 25/1
UKIP 50/1
LD 50/1
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/10903951/Margaret-Thatcher-was-a-champion-of-freedom-exactly-what-Europe-needs-now.html
I think a period of betting abstention from me would be welcome.
Its about time Chilcott told us the real facts.
Erm
Did they read SeanT's previous post then?
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/16/harriet-harman-lbc-radio-phone-in
Yes.
Think this is the first World Cup where I don't give a fuck about the fact I don't give a fuck whether England win."
https://twitter.com/thomasknox
Know your enemy...
Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on your link and found a socialist whinge-fest. Don't do this again, please.
Gazprom this morning turned off the supply of gas on credit to Ukraine. It followed the break-down of tripartite discussions including the EU over the payment of $1.95 bn of outstanding debt due for payment to Russia by 10.00 Moscow time.
As ITAR-TASS put it
Russian state energy giant Gazprom on Monday switched to prepayment mode in gas supplies to Ukraine’s state oil and gas company Naftogaz because Ukraine failed to pay part of its gas debt by the deadline of 10:00 Moscow time (06:00 GMT) Monday.
The situation is not as critical as might appear due to the Ukraine stockpiling Russian gas supplies in underground bunkers over the past few months. It is thought the emergency stocks will cover the Ukraine's needs until December 2014.
Again from ITAR-TASS:
Ukraine had pumped astronomic amounts of gas to its own underground gas storage facilities. Out of more than 12.5 billion cubic meters of gas in Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities (UGSF), 11.5 billion is unpaid Russian gas. [Alexei] Miller [CEO of Gazprom] also said that in order to get through the winter season comfortably, Ukraine must have more than 18 billion cubic meters of gas in its UGSFs.
Between now and the onset of winter, the Ukraine is expected to try to negotiate 'reverse-flow' deals with EU countries supplied by Russia through the pipelines and compressor stations located on Ukraine's territory. Alive to this being a means by which the Ukraine could continue to default on gas payments to Russia, Gazprom has warned its EU customers of risks to supply through the Ukraine and switched volume to its Nord-Stream infrastructure which bypasses the Ukraine.
So what is the dispute about? Just debt repayment? No, it is more about the costs of supply. The Ukraine wants gas supplied at the same price it is sold to Belarus and Kazakhstan. As Miller put it:
The whole logic of negotiations, which the Ukrainian side tried to impose, was to get a super-low price at the level Russia sells gas to the countries of the Customs Union (of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan), he said.
So Russia wants the Ukraine to pay a premium on its energy supplies for flirting with the EU and also expects the EU to pick up the Ukraine's tab in order to guarantee continuity of supply to Gazprom's customers west of the Ukraine.
Will the EU allow this? Well, yes:
Ukraine can use the European Union’s 1.6 billion-euro aid to repay its gas debts for Russian natural gas supplies, European Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said on Monday.
[to be continued...]
Does Russian need the money? Well, no, according to ITAR-TASS:
Russia’s foreign debt (including the former Soviet Union’s obligations assumed by Russia) [...] stood at $55.79 billion as of January 1, 2014 and at $54.875 billion as of May 1, thus decreasing by 1.8% in the first five months of the year and by 0.1% in May..
And what is more Russia was willing to continue to finance the Ukraine's continued supply of energy according to Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister:
“We were ready to discuss the economic situation in Ukraine and were ready to put forward specific options of financial support,” Novak said.
Some sanctions being imposed on Russia by the EU and US here. It very much looks as if Russia is bidding up the cost to the EU of gaining the Ukraine's political allegiance.
All well and good you might say, but it us, the taxpayers, who will be paying the premium.
Any comment, Socrates?
They don't seem half as vexed by the fact that the UK (EDIT) average wage (£27,000) is over 60x the benchmark $2/day that so much of the world lives on and that, if they have a wage (or if they don't for that matter), they are unimaginably rich compared with such people.
Get the government to build mud huts so workers can afford to work for $2 a day, and have a roof over their heads?
"Think this is the first World Cup where I cared more about fucking around than England fucking up."
Age slowly emasculates the best of us.
Should have guessed it was Lord Foukes of Cumnock (he of comprehensive schools in his time, who'd have guessed?) who reported those cybernats - a name he reputedly himself invented.
But compared with so many in the LDCs everyone here is unimaginably wealthy. And it seems that those who complain about the pay inequality often believe that their own level of pay is about right and, as the cliche has it, those who earn far more, do so unfairly.
But what would they have those "rich" do that they are not doing for those on $2/day?
Oh dear!
They could stop exploiting them for a start? Remember that the rich are only rich until those below decide otherwise.
;-)
I am not sure, it will be interesting when it does come out.
I believe Farage said it is due soon, and it will probably be the first manifesto of this coming election.
The ex-communist is so confident of avoiding the second revolution that he has offered $25 million to any outsider who can locate it.
Get diving, Smarmy.
He may need it, the Russian people are starting to think unbridled capitalism is not quite what they imagined it would be, and are becoming distinctly anti Western in their outlook.
You may need to show them your yellow boxes at this rate?
(Apologies if you were making some vital allegorical point concerning the UK.)
Putin makes sure they don't use the money to wield political power, unless of course they agree with him.
It has been said the USA is a nation which has moved from barbarism to decadence without encountering civilisation on the way.
Russia is moving with ease from communism to global wealth without the need to call in aid an industrial revolution.
More gas, vicar?
If we assume that SNP/Plaid aren't going to account for much more than 3-4% of the GB vote (due to the limited numbers of seats in which they stand), then that's about 10% to go to the Greens, BNP, English Democrats, Respect, TUSC ...
The Greens aren't likely to stand in much more than half of the possible seats, I'd guess - so half (at least) of their vote share is going elsewhere or sitting on their hands. The same with a significant chunk of the others here.
Where to? If it's close enough, even these numbers could be crucial.
::Epic Sad Face::
Would that imply that the unimpressed masses are likely to be more fickle than normal in their allegiances? That the potential for shifting around is likely to be greater than we'd usually anticipate?
Footballer £300k a week, good. Banker £300k a year, bad.
Is The Guardian burying bad news?
Be careful what you say, or you may get a Putin polonium post through your letterbox (figuratively speaking).