Good afternoon folks. I have been re-admitted into the PB arena and better yet my iMac is fixed and Apple graciously declined payment.
What a momentous 24 hours leaving Cammo weaker than ever as well as making new enemies.
My twitter to Dan Hannan is making the rounds over 20 retweets so far:
Silver Shoes and 14 others retweeted you 6h: @DanHannanMEP Cameron is a big bluffer, he will never fight to leave the EU in any referendum. You know it; the Tories know it; all know it
Welcome back Mike; I am of the let them be damned by their own words school of PB contributor but I understand OGH's desire to keep a sensible ship so I'm glad you're back.
Your 20x retweeted tweet is a classic example of a "straw man" argument. Cam said he would fight for a better deal for the UK in europe and would hold a referendum to allow us to decide if we agreed with whatever outcome he achieved. He never said he would "fight to leave the EU" and I believe he is, broadly, a fan of the UK remaining a member.
He was also, of course, right about what too many tweets make.
Straw Man became Iron Man in Cammo's PR offensive. We know that the PM want's desperately for the UK to stay in the EU; but many - the majority - have come to think his offer of renegotiation and a vote thought he said it would be a fair IN/OUT referendum. It won't, and many Tories hope his two-faced trick will just ease the Tories into government in 2015. That trick is now wearing off, fast, yet you must hope that it stays the course.
Were you banned for being a boring troll?
Are you familiar with the concept of learning from your mistakes?
I welcome MikeK back.
He made an error of judgement, has apologised and that is the end of the matter.
PB needs to be a diverse site where views are robust debated and those of us of a wagering mind might tickle the odds in our favour.
There would be no point if PB simply becomes an organ for the conventional or mainstream political thought and we all chat nicely to each other about the greater meaning of life after my ARSE retires.
Good afternoon folks. I have been re-admitted into the PB arena.
Great - we were short of hectoring Kippers blind to their plunging poll ratings.
I wouldn't put much faith in those recent polls. No, we are not blind to them and think them a passing summer fancy. How your salivary glands must have worked overtime when you first saw the ICM poll.
There's been a lot about the new gender balance of the Cabinet, but those of us on Toff watch might want to note the promotion of Greg Clark: son of a milkman and checkout operator from Middlesbrough. I guess he must have prepared by learning the words of the Eton boating song?
Labour Great Grimsby shortlist: Katie Ghose (you know her), Ros James (local Cllr), Shona McIsaac (former Cleethorpes MP), Melanie Onn (Unision regional organiser for Yorkshire, former Labour HQ staffer).
Good afternoon folks. I have been re-admitted into the PB arena.
Great - we were short of hectoring Kippers blind to their plunging poll ratings.
I wouldn't put much faith in those recent polls. No, we are not blind to them and think them a passing summer fancy. How your salivary glands must have worked overtime when you first saw the ICM poll.
I can't make you believe polls - but here is the trend
Good afternoon folks. I have been re-admitted into the PB arena.
Great - we were short of hectoring Kippers blind to their plunging poll ratings.
I wouldn't put much faith in those recent polls. No, we are not blind to them and think them a passing summer fancy. How your salivary glands must have worked overtime when you first saw the ICM poll.
LibDems and Kippers unite for the first time, ever. Ignore recent polls they both say.
The moves on the Law Officers are concerning. Are the tories really going to commit themselves to withdrawing from the ECHR? The Court can be seriously annoying but that would be an extraordinary step for a Western government supposedly committed to the extension of human rights to take.
The sensible middle way is to maintain the Human Rights Act 1998 and the entrenchment of Convention Rights in the three devolution settlements, but to provide that no British court may have regard to a judgment of the Strasbourg court. Then we must hope that Jonathan Sumption's neo-Hoffmannite approach to the Convention becomes accepted in the Supreme Court.
BBC - "The board of trustees at the centre of the alleged "Trojan Horse" Muslim takeover plot has resigned".
Park View Educational Trust chairman Tahir Alam said: - a "co-ordinated and vicious" attack by former Education Secretary Michael Gove and the Department for Education had left the board with no choice but to step down.
This article from 2010 shows 18% of teachers intended to vote conservative at the last election- does anyone have a better number. It would hardly show the teaching profession to be a hotbed of right wing political support with more support Labour, and Libdems, and over 50% voting for left wing parties.
Southam Observer / Nick Palmer - it would seem to me that the hostility within the teaching profession is certainly not to left wing politics. I have family members in the teaching profession, and numerous friends who are teachers and facebook is full of celebration. I can't remember the last time a domestic political story made it onto my facebook page but it has today.
The other thing from the above is that lots of the teaching profession supported the lib dems in 2010 - a kind of safe home for your vote so you could say you didnt vote for the tories or labour, but the coalition would seem to have shifted this 2010 lib dem vote to Labour, and surely the move of Gove will take the edge of hostility, and perhaps reduce the certainty to vote. If you have a large profession who loathe the secretary of state and will likely vote to remove then it would seem the only sensible option, with a more conciliatory tone until the election.
The moves on the Law Officers are concerning. Are the tories really going to commit themselves to withdrawing from the ECHR? The Court can be seriously annoying but that would be an extraordinary step for a Western government supposedly committed to the extension of human rights to take.
The sensible middle way is to maintain the Human Rights Act 1998 and the entrenchment of Convention Rights in the three devolution settlements, but to provide that no British court may have regard to a judgment of the Strasbourg court. Then we must hope that Jonathan Sumption's neo-Hoffmannite approach to the Convention becomes accepted in the Supreme Court.
Switzerland is a ECHR signatory: do its courts have regard to Strasbourg judgemnts?
Juncker's speech and reactions pro and con - worth a read even if you dislike him, as it shows the likely trend of proposals. For good or bad, he's probably the most political Commission head we've had - predecessors have tended to be more heads of the civil service than people with specific agendas. That's a consequence both of the Spitzenkandidat approach and also of Cameron's opposition, which triggered a row that made him into a more controversial and in some ways more interesting figure than the usual grey suit type.
The Gove shuffle has nothing to do with appeasing the 'blob' or the unions. If that's what was in Cameron's head - which I doubt - he'd lose more/potential votes by looking to appease.
Switzerland is a ECHR signatory: do its courts have regard to Strasbourg judgemnts?
It depends on how the convention is incorporated into domestic Swiss law(/s), about which I am entirely clueless. There is certainly a right of individual petition under article 34 of the convention for Swiss citizens to the European Court of Human Rights, whose judgments are binding on the Swiss government as a matter of international law.
''Switzerland is a ECHR signatory: do its courts have regard to Strasbourg judgments? ''
Perhaps the government has concluded it is impossible to stay in the ECHR and at the same time stop the UK courts handing down ludicrous decisions based on the right to family life.
The order for the second reading of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill has been approved by 498-31. According to the appalling Minister of State, Mr Brokenshire, the Bill is necessary to uphold "collective freedoms", whatever they may be. 31 good men and women left in Parliament.
Switzerland is a ECHR signatory: do its courts have regard to Strasbourg judgemnts?
IANAL, but is there not a difference between the way the UK courts work, based on precedent, and the way the courts in most continental countries work, based on codified law?
LIAMT can no doubt advise, but this might go part of the way towards explaining why barmy Strasbourg judgements have more ill effect and are more controversial here than elsewhere.
The order for the second reading of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill has been approved by 498-31. According to the appalling Minister of State, Mr Brokenshire, the Bill is necessary to uphold "collective freedoms", whatever they may be. 31 good men and women left in Parliament.
There's been a lot about the new gender balance of the Cabinet, but those of us on Toff watch might want to note the promotion of Greg Clark: son of a milkman and checkout operator from Middlesbrough. I guess he must have prepared by learning the words of the Eton boating song?
For the Tories who are full members of the Cabinet (and assuming that IDS is seen as state educated) my reading is:
PUBLIC SCHOOL: Cameron, Osborne, Fallon, Morgan, Hunt, Villiers = 6 STATE SCHOOL: Hague, May, Hammond, Grayling, Pickles, IDS, Truss, Greening, McLoughlin, Javid, Crabb = 11
Only 1 Old Etonian (Dave), so the least Tory toff Cabinet ever.
What a brilliant and brave reshuffle. The idea that it is 'weak' is hilarious. Gove is the particular jewel in the crown: in education he was a reactionary buffoon.
I'm not sure how much reshuffles really affect polling in the short-term, but looking ahead to next year when the opinion polls will start to matter this could be a very strong team Cameron has put in place.
New Clause 5 to the Data Regulation and Investigatory Powers Bill, in the name of Sir William Cash (Conservative, Stone), is an outstanding wrecking amendment. It would insert into the Bill:
For the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding sections 2 and 3 of the European Communities Act 1972, this Act shall have effect and shall be construed as having effect and shall be justiciable by the courts of the United Kingdom.
Given that the government claims that the Bill is necessary to address the semi-recent judgment of the Court of Justice, which has direct effect under the 1972 Act, who could object to such a reasonable provision, designed to give full effect to the Bill?
I'm disappointed to see Gove leave education. He talked a great deal of sense, and even managed to implement some of that sense. It may be an astute move by Cameron to take the potential sting out of Education prior to the GE, but I'm not sure I buy that.
I'm disappointed too to see Hague go - Hammond isn't in his league as far as I'm concerned.
However it is a positive thing that there is a good pool of un-utilised talent for Cameron to draw upon. I'm sure Ed looks on in envy in that respect.
Overall I don't see the plan, and rather hope there is one!
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
I decided that Pochettino was worth a small flutter at 33/1 to win LMA Manager of the year for 2014-2015. Small flutter is right ...... when I came to place the bet with Paddy Power, they restricted me to a maximum stake of 79p! That's a darn site better than the 7/2 odds against Spurs finishing top 4, which would certainly put him in the reckoning.
The idea that Cameron would sack either Clark or Hague to appease eurosceptics doesn't convince me at all.
Hague’s decision to stand down at the next election is for me the most intriguing – bored of politics after 26 years, or the allure of a peerage and serious money making opportunities?
As is so often the case, probably a bit of both imho.
The comments are majestic. bet this bloke thinks he "drives better after a few pints"
Actually Hague has always been a duffer who has called every major political event wrong. Grieve is no hero either, called for an inquest into death of David Kelly in opposition but soon recanted when he got his briefing from head of MI5 on appointment as AG. Yes Gove's sacking is a disaster for Britain's children but then Cameron is weak and cowardly, it was sulpherous Theresa May who demanded Gove's scalp. As for the Human Rights Act: possibly the most pernicious piece of primary legislation introduced in this country since the war. Provides huge and grotesque privileges in law to violent criminals and terrorists whilst ignoring the right to life of every citizen. This Act allows vast sums of public money to be channelled into the pockets of greedy and unprincipled lawyers and protects no honest person's human rights.
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
The comments are majestic. bet this bloke thinks he "drives better after a few pints"
Actually Hague has always been a duffer who has called every major political event wrong. Grieve is no hero either, called for an inquest into death of David Kelly in opposition but soon recanted when he got his briefing from head of MI5 on appointment as AG. Yes Gove's sacking is a disaster for Britain's children but then Cameron is weak and cowardly, it was sulpherous Theresa May who demanded Gove's scalp. As for the Human Rights Act: possibly the most pernicious piece of primary legislation introduced in this country since the war. Provides huge and grotesque privileges in law to violent criminals and terrorists whilst ignoring the right to life of every citizen. This Act allows vast sums of public money to be channelled into the pockets of greedy and unprincipled lawyers and protects no honest person's human rights.
2 posts? I seem to remember many questioning my claim to have working class mates?
Opinium survey on the usual political questions plus a bunch of kite-flying about tolls roads and privatising road use including targeted advertising. Not obviously biased one way or another - I wonder who it's from.
The idea that Cameron would sack either Clark or Hague to appease eurosceptics doesn't convince me at all.
Hague’s decision to stand down at the next election is for me the most intriguing – bored of politics after 26 years, or the allure of a peerage and serious money making opportunities?
As is so often the case, probably a bit of both imho.
Hague is a very decent guy with a generosity of spirit not often found in politics. I expect the filthy smears from some sections of the press made him think that it isn't really worthwhile to serve the country when there are such vermin around.
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
I think "bend over arse licking" is a gender and sexuality neutral insult and accordingly shouldn't get the language police too excited.
It turns out that the atrocious authoritarian, Robert Buckland, has been appointed HM Solicitor General. This is the man who led the campaign for the so-called 'emotional neglect' of children to be made an indictable offence, punishable by up to a decade in prison.
It turns out that the atrocious authoritarian, Robert Buckland, has been appointed HM Solicitor General. This is the man who led the campaign for the so-called 'emotional neglect' of children to be made an indictable offence, punishable by up to a decade in prison.
That's not encouraging. He demonstrates that not every kind of bad legislation comes from Brussels. Much of it is home-grown.
The idea that Cameron would sack either Clark or Hague to appease eurosceptics doesn't convince me at all.
I don't see either as a sacking, but it is very conceivable that he would agree with them, given that they are going by next May, that their going now might send a eurosceptic message not so much to appease his own backbenchers who probably have the sense to remain disciplined till the GE, but to inveigle errant kippers back into the Tory fold.
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
What utter rubbish. I too listened to that interview on my drive back from work. Obviously you are completely unaware of the importance of the job that Cameron has asked him to do and its consequent implications.
The moves on the Law Officers are concerning. Are the tories really going to commit themselves to withdrawing from the ECHR? The Court can be seriously annoying but that would be an extraordinary step for a Western government supposedly committed to the extension of human rights to take.
The sensible middle way is to maintain the Human Rights Act 1998 and the entrenchment of Convention Rights in the three devolution settlements, but to provide that no British court may have regard to a judgment of the Strasbourg court. Then we must hope that Jonathan Sumption's neo-Hoffmannite approach to the Convention becomes accepted in the Supreme Court.
Would such a move violate the terms of the UK's membership of the EU?
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
Needless to say not all UKIP supporters would agree with either what MikeK says nor the way he says it. Personally I am sorry to see Gove go but would not expect him to start throwing his toys out of the pram as Mike seems to think he should do. Unfortunately I think Mike sees Give as a Tory first, middle and last and will find it difficult to find anything good to say about him no matter what. Such fanatical party belief is a blight on politics no matter which party is being supported.
And finally, to confirm what Mike Smithson has said, Gove was definitely unpopular with far more than just the NUT leadership. Many, probably the overwhelming majority, of teachers genuinely had what amounted to a swivel-eyed hatred for him (yes, really, you do get people who will rant, stamp and shout at the mere mention of his name). Just because the NUT are almost as derided and unpopular outside a hardcore of their members doesn't mean that they were unrepresentative on this issue.
Some of us not directly involved with schools share similar views of Mr. Gove. I note that in the latest issue of Private Eye, number 1370, page six, cheekily offers the possibility that Gove could be offered the editorship of the Daily Mail, down the line.
I say that this would seem to be entirely consistent. But heck, what do I know?
Gove going is a terrible decision for our education system. My only hope is that Nicky Morgan will continue a programme of radical change that might even exceed what Give was attempting. If not we will see our education system slip back into the third rate mediocrity where it languished for sop many years under Labour.
Sorry if I gave the impression that I think it's impossible to do worse. Maybe they're working on it as we speak.
We know it is possible to do a lot worse. Labour did it for 13 years.
I'm not party political on this. I'm a puritan.The education system is too important (and so is the Health Service). Roughly speaking I think our politicians should take the system we have, or had, and try to improve it by degrees it over a long period. What Blair, Gove and no doubt others have done (in my opinion) is to try to seem revolutionary by dreaming up "initiatives" and further complications and twists for the sake of short term political points. I just hate this attitude, not least because I don't believe it properly appreciates the good work of many teachers and heads.
David Hanson (Labour, Delyn) defending the indefensible. On the one hand, he claims that the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill is vitally necessary for the United Kingdom's national security. On the other hand, he claims that a new clause, ensuring it would have effect regardless of what the CJEU says about it, is also unnecessary. Is the Labour position really that membership of the European Union trumps British national security?
The idea that Cameron would sack either Clark or Hague to appease eurosceptics doesn't convince me at all.
Hague’s decision to stand down at the next election is for me the most intriguing – bored of politics after 26 years, or the allure of a peerage and serious money making opportunities?
As is so often the case, probably a bit of both imho.
I imagine this is what is behind Hague's decision and the massive earnings referred to date from 9 years ago:
The thing is - it's probably quite difficult to become stinking rich, whilst continuing in Government - yes you receive very generous severance pay and way over the top pension benefits, but you really need to retire early at the height of your powers and do a Tony Blair to make serious millions.
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
I think "bend over arse licking" is a gender and sexuality neutral insult and accordingly shouldn't get the language police too excited.
Thanks for that JackW and an additional thank you for the welcome back about 50 mins ago.
There was no homophobic intent in my remark about arse licking, @Felix. It must be your mind that is a bit warped by too much PC, but there it is.
Would such a move violate the terms of the UK's membership of the EU?
The Court of Justice has not provided a definite answer to that question, but my solution would almost certainly result in infraction proceedings being taken against the United Kingdom by the Commission. A recent House of Commons Library Note (SN/06577) provides a useful, and short summary of the relevant arguments. Then again, I am entirely in favour of seceding from the European Union.
The Court of Justice has not provided a definite answer to that question, but my solution would almost certainly result in infraction proceedings being taken against the United Kingdom by the Commission. A recent House of Commons Library Note (SN/06577) provides a useful, and short summary of the relevant arguments. Then again, I am entirely in favour of seceding from the European Union.
Thanks for that link. The executive summary seems to be: Who knows?
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
Needless to say not all UKIP supporters would agree with either what MikeK says nor the way he says it. Personally I am sorry to see Gove go but would not expect him to start throwing his toys out of the pram as Mike seems to think he should do. Unfortunately I think Mike sees Give as a Tory first, middle and last and will find it difficult to find anything good to say about him no matter what. Such fanatical party belief is a blight on politics no matter which party is being supported.
Do you really think that the term "arse licking" is homophobic @Richard_Tyndall? You are also absolutely wrong about my thinking on Gove. You should listen to that interview and a more evasive slithery jelly fish would be hard to find in the political sea. That he was a fair Education minister is not in dispute by me, at least. But he sank in my estimation today.
And finally, to confirm what Mike Smithson has said, Gove was definitely unpopular with far more than just the NUT leadership. Many, probably the overwhelming majority, of teachers genuinely had what amounted to a swivel-eyed hatred for him (yes, really, you do get people who will rant, stamp and shout at the mere mention of his name). Just because the NUT are almost as derided and unpopular outside a hardcore of their members doesn't mean that they were unrepresentative on this issue.
Some of us not directly involved with schools share similar views of Mr. Gove. I note that in the latest issue of Private Eye, number 1370, page six, cheekily offers the possibility that Gove could be offered the editorship of the Daily Mail, down the line.
I say that this would seem to be entirely consistent. But heck, what do I know?
Gove going is a terrible decision for our education system. My only hope is that Nicky Morgan will continue a programme of radical change that might even exceed what Give was attempting. If not we will see our education system slip back into the third rate mediocrity where it languished for sop many years under Labour.
Sorry if I gave the impression that I think it's impossible to do worse. Maybe they're working on it as we speak.
We know it is possible to do a lot worse. Labour did it for 13 years.
I'm not party political on this. I'm a puritan.The education system is too important (and so is the Health Service). Roughly speaking I think our politicians should take the system we have, or had, and try to improve it by degrees it over a long period. What Blair, Gove and no doubt others have done (in my opinion) is to try to seem revolutionary by dreaming up "initiatives" and further complications and twists for the sake of short term political points. I just hate this attitude, not least because I don't believe it properly appreciates the good work of many teachers and heads.
Whereas I would consider that the system we had in 2010 had been so corrupted as to be no longer fit for purpose and was in need of radical change. Gove's reforms seemed to be coherent and designed to bring about as much useful change as possible within the time constraints he knew he would have - at best 5 years.
It is just a shame he has not had longer to complete the changes as I do fear our education system still needs massive further change to get it back to what should be expected of a leading economic power.
I'm not sure I'll want to invite the police around when I've been burgled if officers are 'formerly' part of the criminal underworld and might be scoping the joint. Why must the people enforcing the law have to start recruiting law breakers? What possible reason could there be for the shortage? Oh, maybe this:
So the Met is going to start recruiting convicted violent criminals in London, because the law abiding applicants from outside of London are too white.
For ####'s sake, you couldn't make it up. Who's the idiot responsible for this?
I decided that Pochettino was worth a small flutter at 33/1 to win LMA Manager of the year for 2014-2015. Small flutter is right ...... when I came to place the bet with Paddy Power, they restricted me to a maximum stake of 79p! That's a darn site better than the 7/2 odds against Spurs finishing top 4, which would certainly put him in the reckoning.
** cough ** ** cough ** ** bale opens the scoring ** ** cookie scores a ton ** * goes for a lie down *
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
I think "bend over arse licking" is a gender and sexuality neutral insult and accordingly shouldn't get the language police too excited.
Thanks for that JackW and an additional thank you for the welcome back about 50 mins ago.
There was no homophobic intent in my remark about arse licking, @Felix. It must be your mind that is a bit warped by too much PC, but there it is.
Playing the man not the argument... A tactic that has led to catastrophic decision making over the last 45 years or so
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
I think "bend over arse licking" is a gender and sexuality neutral insult and accordingly shouldn't get the language police too excited.
Thanks for that JackW and an additional thank you for the welcome back about 50 mins ago.
There was no homophobic intent in my remark about arse licking, @Felix. It must be your mind that is a bit warped by too much PC, but there it is.
Ok .... but now back to the usual disagreements or some will be inviting us to get a room !!
I'm not sure I'll want to invite the police around when I've been burgled if officers are 'formerly' part of the criminal underworld and might be scoping the joint. Why must the people enforcing the law have to start recruiting law breakers? What possible reason could there be for the shortage? Oh, maybe this:
So the Met is going to start recruiting convicted violent criminals in London, because the law abiding applicants from outside of London are too white.
For ####'s sake, you couldn't make it up. Who's the idiot responsible for this?
Bizarre, drug dealer ok, armed robber not...I mean drug dealers have never been known to be involved in violent crime.
Just heard Michael Gove being grilled on Live at Five on BBC 4. What a disaster for him. He comes over as a slithery jelly fish, willing to do his masters (the PM) every bidding. He couldn't be more evasive, "demotion of course not, I couldn't be happier, it's what I really wished for", etcetera etcetera. He will now become known as bend over arse licking Gove. What a sad end to a politucal career.
Welcome back - nice to see a UKIP supporter so blunt in using homphobic terminology as his 'considered' commentary on today's events.
I think "bend over arse licking" is a gender and sexuality neutral insult and accordingly shouldn't get the language police too excited.
Thanks for that JackW and an additional thank you for the welcome back about 50 mins ago.
There was no homophobic intent in my remark about arse licking, @Felix. It must be your mind that is a bit warped by too much PC, but there it is.
Ok .... but now back to the usual disagreements or some will be inviting us to get a room !!
And finally, to confirm what Mike Smithson has said, Gove was definitely unpopular with far more than just the NUT leadership. Many, probably the overwhelming majority, of teachers genuinely had what amounted to a swivel-eyed hatred for him (yes, really, you do get people who will rant, stamp and shout at the mere mention of his name). Just because the NUT are almost as derided and unpopular outside a hardcore of their members doesn't mean that they were unrepresentative on this issue.
Gove going is a terrible decision for our education system. My only hope is that Nicky Morgan will continue a programme of radical change that might even exceed what Give was attempting. If not we will see our education system slip back into the third rate mediocrity where it languished for sop many years under Labour.
.
We know it is possible to do a lot worse. Labour did it for 13 years.
I'm not party political on this. I'm a puritan.The education system is too important (and so is the Health Service). Roughly speaking I think our politicians should take the system we have, or had, and try to improve it by degrees it over a long period. What Blair, Gove and no doubt others have done (in my opinion) is to try to seem revolutionary by dreaming up "initiatives" and further complications and twists for the sake of short term political points. I just hate this attitude, not least because I don't believe it properly appreciates the good work of many teachers and heads.
Whereas I would consider that the system we had in 2010 had been so corrupted as to be no longer fit for purpose and was in need of radical change. Gove's reforms seemed to be coherent and designed to bring about as much useful change as possible within the time constraints he knew he would have - at best 5 years.
It is just a shame he has not had longer to complete the changes as I do fear our education system still needs massive further change to get it back to what should be expected of a leading economic power.
Totally agree. Not possible to turn around an education system that had been going along the wrong route for the last 40 years, in 5 years; and especially when you keep banging your head against walls cemented in place my multifarious vested interests whose primary interest is often not that of the pupils.
I'm not sure I'll want to invite the police around when I've been burgled if officers are 'formerly' part of the criminal underworld and might be scoping the joint. Why must the people enforcing the law have to start recruiting law breakers? What possible reason could there be for the shortage? Oh, maybe this:
So the Met is going to start recruiting convicted violent criminals in London, because the law abiding applicants from outside of London are too white.
For ####'s sake, you couldn't make it up. Who's the idiot responsible for this?
Bizarre, drug dealer ok, armed robber not...I mean drug dealers have never been known to be involved in violent crime.
I would have thought the stranger contradiction was mugger ok, Essex resident not. It's hard to imagine a clearer case of weakening the quality of a profession for the sake of "diversity".
I see Nicky Morgan has climbed the greasy pole. She was a passionate supporter of Loughborough Fire Station as a Tory PPC, trying to halt the cutting of Loughborough's retained crew, citing safety concerns about not having enough crew for the largest town in Leicestershire, with a huge turnout area. Strangely enough, she's not bothered about Loughborough going to one pump, with just 4 bodies on it, a cut that will genuinely endanger both the public and firefighters now that she's in government. How times change, eh?
I'm not sure I'll want to invite the police around when I've been burgled if officers are 'formerly' part of the criminal underworld and might be scoping the joint. Why must the people enforcing the law have to start recruiting law breakers? What possible reason could there be for the shortage? Oh, maybe this:
So the Met is going to start recruiting convicted violent criminals in London, because the law abiding applicants from outside of London are too white.
For ####'s sake, you couldn't make it up. Who's the idiot responsible for this?
Bizarre, drug dealer ok, armed robber not...I mean drug dealers have never been known to be involved in violent crime.
I would have thought the stranger contradiction was mugger ok, Essex resident not. It's hard to imagine a clearer case of weakening the quality of a profession for the sake of "diversity".
I can't see how that is going to hold up in court. If you can't bar somebody from a job, because they are an EU citizen, how can you bar somebody from a job because of they live 10 miles in the wrong direction?
Ignore those silly people who set these academic tests! You're smart because you "wonder about the future"!
This is exactly the reason we need Gove at education.
"Sadly, the letter isn’t an original idea, or even an original letter, as the text is lifted from a note to students from an American school last year."
Comments
Unlike kipper haters who refuse to believe the good ones and place total faith in the bad ones!
At least you put your money where your mouth is, a rare sight on here nowadays
He made an error of judgement, has apologised and that is the end of the matter.
PB needs to be a diverse site where views are robust debated and those of us of a wagering mind might tickle the odds in our favour.
There would be no point if PB simply becomes an organ for the conventional or mainstream political thought and we all chat nicely to each other about the greater meaning of life after my ARSE retires.
422 votes in favour
250 against
47 abstentions
10 spoilt
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v1-aXNoGwZSLOIWziLoqq9rbN3MHg6qezWKbjsAkunw/edit#gid=1268197642
Park View Educational Trust chairman Tahir Alam said: - a "co-ordinated and vicious" attack by former Education Secretary Michael Gove and the Department for Education had left the board with no choice but to step down.
Consider it a leaving gift Mr Alam…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28317920
This article from 2010 shows 18% of teachers intended to vote conservative at the last election- does anyone have a better number. It would hardly show the teaching profession to be a hotbed of right wing political support with more support Labour, and Libdems, and over 50% voting for left wing parties.
Southam Observer / Nick Palmer - it would seem to me that the hostility within the teaching profession is certainly not to left wing politics. I have family members in the teaching profession, and numerous friends who are teachers and facebook is full of celebration. I can't remember the last time a domestic political story made it onto my facebook page but it has today.
The other thing from the above is that lots of the teaching profession supported the lib dems in 2010 - a kind of safe home for your vote so you could say you didnt vote for the tories or labour, but the coalition would seem to have shifted this 2010 lib dem vote to Labour, and surely the move of Gove will take the edge of hostility, and perhaps reduce the certainty to vote. If you have a large profession who loathe the secretary of state and will likely vote to remove then it would seem the only sensible option, with a more conciliatory tone until the election.
http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/parliament-elects-politically-ecumenical-juncker-commission-president
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100280020/william-hague-had-to-go-and-moving-michael-gove-is-madness-six-points-on-the-cabinet-reshuffle/
Perhaps the government has concluded it is impossible to stay in the ECHR and at the same time stop the UK courts handing down ludicrous decisions based on the right to family life.
LIAMT can no doubt advise, but this might go part of the way towards explaining why barmy Strasbourg judgements have more ill effect and are more controversial here than elsewhere.
Of equal interest will be labour's opinions on what Juncker plans, given they have decided not to offer a referendum.
PUBLIC SCHOOL: Cameron, Osborne, Fallon, Morgan, Hunt, Villiers = 6
STATE SCHOOL: Hague, May, Hammond, Grayling, Pickles, IDS, Truss, Greening, McLoughlin, Javid, Crabb = 11
Only 1 Old Etonian (Dave), so the least Tory toff Cabinet ever.
I'm not sure how much reshuffles really affect polling in the short-term, but looking ahead to next year when the opinion polls will start to matter this could be a very strong team Cameron has put in place.
expect a call from Eck.
I'm disappointed too to see Hague go - Hammond isn't in his league as far as I'm concerned.
However it is a positive thing that there is a good pool of un-utilised talent for Cameron to draw upon. I'm sure Ed looks on in envy in that respect.
Overall I don't see the plan, and rather hope there is one!
As is so often the case, probably a bit of both imho.
Actually Hague has always been a duffer who has called every major political event wrong. Grieve is no hero either, called for an inquest into death of David Kelly in opposition but soon recanted when he got his briefing from head of MI5 on appointment as AG. Yes Gove's sacking is a disaster for Britain's children but then Cameron is weak and cowardly, it was sulpherous Theresa May who demanded Gove's scalp. As for the Human Rights Act: possibly the most pernicious piece of primary legislation introduced in this country since the war. Provides huge and grotesque privileges in law to violent criminals and terrorists whilst ignoring the right to life of every citizen. This Act allows vast sums of public money to be channelled into the pockets of greedy and unprincipled lawyers and protects no honest person's human rights.
http://www.ukip.org/farage_on_juncker_election
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQWPR9TM0Gk
If you were really clearing out the stables and tackling the blob...
And plenty of rightwing movement for party discipline and Operation Out-Kip.
Still re-arranging the deckchairs though.
I imagine this is what is behind Hague's decision and the massive earnings referred to date from 9 years ago:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4285709.stm
The thing is - it's probably quite difficult to become stinking rich, whilst continuing in Government - yes you receive very generous severance pay and way over the top pension benefits, but you really need to retire early at the height of your powers and do a Tony Blair to make serious millions.
There was no homophobic intent in my remark about arse licking, @Felix. It must be your mind that is a bit warped by too much PC, but there it is.
But it sums labour up, they refuse to believe anyone working class would vote for anyone else...taken for granted they do the off!
You are also absolutely wrong about my thinking on Gove. You should listen to that interview and a more evasive slithery jelly fish would be hard to find in the political sea. That he was a fair Education minister is not in dispute by me, at least. But he sank in my estimation today.
It is just a shame he has not had longer to complete the changes as I do fear our education system still needs massive further change to get it back to what should be expected of a leading economic power.
http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/15/petty-crooks-to-join-police-minor-offences-to-be-ignored-4798282/
I'm not sure I'll want to invite the police around when I've been burgled if officers are 'formerly' part of the criminal underworld and might be scoping the joint. Why must the people enforcing the law have to start recruiting law breakers? What possible reason could there be for the shortage? Oh, maybe this:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/14/met-police-ban-recruits-outside-london
So the Met is going to start recruiting convicted violent criminals in London, because the law abiding applicants from outside of London are too white.
For ####'s sake, you couldn't make it up. Who's the idiot responsible for this?
** cough **
** bale opens the scoring **
** cookie scores a ton **
* goes for a lie down *
Gavin Freeguard, researcher @instituteforgove tweets:.....
Rather amusing typo....
Totally agree. Not possible to turn around an education system that had been going along the wrong route for the last 40 years, in 5 years; and especially when you keep banging your head against walls cemented in place my multifarious vested interests whose primary interest is often not that of the pupils.
http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/15/there-are-many-ways-of-being-smart-school-sends-awesome-letter-to-pupils-after-tricky-exams-4798858/
Ignore those silly people who set these academic tests! You're smart because you "wonder about the future"!
This is exactly the reason we need Gove at education.
How times change, eh?
Well there's a shock...