Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Lord Ashcroft poll is out – Labour is on course for a major

1356

Comments

  • Options
    JBriskinJBriskin Posts: 2,380
    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

  • Options

    RodCrosby said:


    By the by, Roger Helmer should have stood down when he defected as well.

    What would be the use of that?
    The seat would have just gone to the next Tory on the list...

    Exactly. The seat was won by a party on a party list not by the individual MEP. Helmer should have stood down and let the next Tory have the seat.
    Helmer did intend to do that but the Conservative Leadership would not guarantee that the seat went to the next on the list. After many months Helmer just defected instead.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,139
    edited September 2014
    Wow, people joke about tipping points, but for DH, this has to be as close to changing tack as he is going to get, it's him admitting defeat, right?

    if over the final eight months before polling day the voters see a Conservative Party that is splitting at the seams then I was wrong, Ed Miliband’s supporters were right, and Miliband will be our next prime minister.
  • Options
    Plato said:


    I've a very high opinion of those who do things that could harm them, but do it anyway. John Major's resignation as Party leader was another. That's serious cojones.

    Mr. Taffys, even if that's true, Cameron has a history of allowing votes he doesn't want (AV, Scottish independence). Why assume he won't have one on the EU, especially when his career would enjoy a similar trajectory to Crassus' post-Carrhae if he reneged?

    You don't seem to extend that to Mr Reckless.

  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
  • Options
    Life_ina_market_townLife_ina_market_town Posts: 2,319
    edited September 2014
    SeanT said:

    Serious question: will Sturgeon put indyref in the manifesto for Holyrood 2016?

    If she does I think it would be suicidal: ...

    She has problems.

    In theory, perhaps, but not in practice. The independence referendum only took place with the consent of the UK Government and Parliament. It is doubtful in the extreme whether the Scottish Parliament has the authority to call a further referendum on independence. So Ms Sturgeon may appeal to her fundamentalist supporters by promising another referendum. The UK Government will say that the September 2014 referendum settled the matter for a generation, and that it is under no obligation to facilitate any further referendum. Any Bill providing for a referendum will be challenged in the courts There will be no further referendum, but the SNP will be able to claim that "the sovereign will of the people of Scotland" (whatever that is) is being thwarted by Westminster, which will further boost their narrative of victimhood. All parties will be satisfied, but little of substance will change.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    I can't understand why they would even be annoyed at him. If a ukip politician left and stood for another party, it would be because they felt they should... Who are we to tell them otherwise?

    Carswell and Reckless could both be in the HofC as Ukip MPs now if they liked... If they had done that I could understand the vitriol
  • Options
    Speedy said:

    Well we know now that the mother of all marginals is St. Austell & Newquay.
    Plus Simon Hughes is in real danger.

    Current prices for Bermondsey-4-11 L/D 15-8 Lab with PP.Lab backed in from 9-4 to 7-4 Lads-currently suspended.With the extent of the swing from the Libs to Lab especially in London,Bermondsey is one for the popcorn.Hopefully,the result of the night.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bermondsey-byelection-1983-homophobia-hatred-smears-and-xenophobia-8508258.html
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    taffys said:

    I suspect Nigel Farage knows down well that his best chance of support is tory voters, not labour ones.

    He is selling tory waverers a vision of an election where labour will be shattered by UKIP as well as the tories, and thus it will be OK, in that case, to vote UKIP.

    Heywood and Middleton might disabuse a few of that notion.

    I think that quite astute. The policy of attempting to woo former Labour voters may work (and is likely to be of benefit in the Saxon shore as much or more than northern towns) but also helps reassure former tory voters that voting kipper is safe.

    Of course recruiting Carswell and Reckless does risk the strategy by giving UKIP a very southern English public school educated face.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    A week after Bonfire Night, an attempt will be made to land on a comet:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29380448

    Hope it comes off, though it does look unlikely. Shame stuff like this doesn't get more coverage.

    I follow it. But nothing will beat New Horizons approaching and flying by Pluto ! You can already see images of Pluto and Charon dancing around each other. Magnificent !
  • Options
    Mr. Surbiton, sounds like a party in the underworld.
  • Options
    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Fox

    And hence why there will be no UKIP / Tory pact.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,372
    edited September 2014

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    If the media run this, it is really really low. Even BuzzFeed know what is really going on here. It is a really really pathetic non-story.

    And I say this as somebody who think Shapps is a complete tw@t, and although the Mirror sting was pretty damn low entrapment journalism, the minister who resigned should never get into sending dick pics.

    If politics /media stories are going to come down to checking every politicians follows (not even anything they have publicly stated on twitter or facebook), well the papers should be full every day of 50 stories of "leading politician" follows insert "morally ambiguous" individual.
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    You're right, I don't because he was a twat.

    He didn't do it out of principle - he did it to inflict pain and humiliation on his former Party and friends for a cheap PR moment in the sun.

    I've no acceptable adjectives to describe my contempt for him.

    Plato said:


    I've a very high opinion of those who do things that could harm them, but do it anyway. John Major's resignation as Party leader was another. That's serious cojones.

    Mr. Taffys, even if that's true, Cameron has a history of allowing votes he doesn't want (AV, Scottish independence). Why assume he won't have one on the EU, especially when his career would enjoy a similar trajectory to Crassus' post-Carrhae if he reneged?

    You don't seem to extend that to Mr Reckless.

  • Options
    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    edited September 2014
    but also helps reassure former tory voters that voting kipper is safe.

    The labour guys on here think Farage is diddly squat in their back yards, even Rotherham. Cameron needs to hammer the same point. Farage is only taking our votes, not the enemy's.

    He is only pretending to hurt labour. Labour voters think he's a clown.
  • Options
    JBriskin said:

    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

    He must have been reading Mr Hitchens column.
  • Options

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    It seems to be a bit more than that to me. The reaction on the streets of Rochester today to the planned walkabout was interesting.
  • Options
    What I want to know: why isn't Roger Lord putting himself forward for this seat?
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,372
    edited September 2014
    surbiton said:

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
    Not sure your lot are much different...plenty of sex scandals of Labour politicians in government, John Prescott wouldn't even do the decent thing. Remember, the one who brought the prozzie back into the HoC for a bit of action, etc.

    And if we ever do get to the bottom of what was going on in the 70 and 80s with public figures and their evening "entertainment", I suspect no party will be able to claim any moral high ground.
  • Options
    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737

    RodCrosby said:


    By the by, Roger Helmer should have stood down when he defected as well.

    What would be the use of that?
    The seat would have just gone to the next Tory on the list...

    Exactly. The seat was won by a party on a party list not by the individual MEP. Helmer should have stood down and let the next Tory have the seat.
    Well there are pointless gestures, and there are pointless gestures...

    A defection will always injure the former party, at least in the simple arithmetic sense (they lose a seat), and often politically as well (shock, recrimination, panic in the ranks.)

    That's politics. Deal with it!
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Depraved?

    Golly. Being depraved sounds rather fun and naughty to me. You're sounding very Puritanical there. No piano legs on show in your house.
    surbiton said:

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
  • Options

    SeanT said:

    Itajai said:

    A majority of 62 would mean Labour winning 356 seats. Almost 100 gains. Do we really believe that?

    Yes, the 2010 Lib Dem defectors and the 2010 Con to Kipper switchers makes Ed's job so much easier.
    But Ed makes Ed's job so much harder.

    It is almost impossible to see him as PM. Yet it's almost impossible to see the Tories surviving in power, what with UKIP eating up their votes, and the electoral bias against them.

    Next year, something almost impossible must happen.

    Some people last week speculated that Labour's brand is strong enough to cope with Ed being crap.

    As I said, the most interesting poll this weekend was the one showing Labour comfortably holding Rotherham, and their share of the vote up!

    It kinda proves that UKIP doing well in the North/with the working class is all fart and no follow through.
    Take a look at the local election results in Rotherham.

    There's also the issue that all the attention is being focused on Rotherham constituency and not on Rother Valley and Wentworth & Dearne constituencies.
  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    I see the hardcore Tory shills are still foaming at the mouth over UKIP, so much so they're resorting to Dan Hodges articles!

    Tories Do. Not. Know. Why they are hated left and right. That's what makes it so funny.

    *munches popcorn*
  • Options
    JBriskinJBriskin Posts: 2,380

    JBriskin said:

    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

    He must have been reading Mr Hitchens column.
    Was the Liddle one the PB Hodges briefing notes today? - honestly, y'guys need to keep me more in the loop.

  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    Golly! This polling is terrible news for Ed Miliband!

    *crunch*
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    It seems to be a bit more than that to me. The reaction on the streets of Rochester today to the planned walkabout was interesting.
    SWP never were much in love with ukip though
  • Options
    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    isam said:

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    I can't understand why they would even be annoyed at him. If a ukip politician left and stood for another party, it would be because they felt they should... Who are we to tell them otherwise?

    Carswell and Reckless could both be in the HofC as Ukip MPs now if they liked... If they had done that I could understand the vitriol
    It's the timing of it. You decide to do it, you owe it to everyone to get on and do it. This minimises the period of time during which you "have to" lie about your intentions, apart from anything. The surprise, surprise way of making the announcement makes him look like a duplicitous c__t.

    Defecting of itself is implicitly permissible, and in some circumstances mandatory, because of the principle that we elect the mp not the party.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    surbiton said:

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
    Not sure your lot are much different...plenty of sex scandals of Labour politicians in government, John Prescott wouldn't even do the decent thing. Remember, the one who brought the prozzie back into the HoC for a bit of action, etc.

    And if we ever do get to the bottom of what was going on in the 70 and 80s with public figures and their evening "entertainment", I suspect no party will be able to claim any moral high ground.
    Did John Prescott send out images of himself in, let's say, with not much on ?
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Tracey's diaries were hilarious about Mr Prescott.

    Was it Nigel Griffiths [Gordon's best man] who was caught by the NOTW in the HoC with a lady of the night?

    As the NOTW website is defunct, I'm at a loss to linky to the original story.

    At least no badgers were involved.

    surbiton said:

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    snip

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
    Not sure your lot are much different...plenty of sex scandals of Labour politicians in government, John Prescott wouldn't even do the decent thing. Remember, the one who brought the prozzie back into the HoC for a bit of action, etc.

    And if we ever do get to the bottom of what was going on in the 70 and 80s with public figures and their evening "entertainment", I suspect no party will be able to claim any moral high ground.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118

    SeanT said:

    Itajai said:

    A majority of 62 would mean Labour winning 356 seats. Almost 100 gains. Do we really believe that?

    Yes, the 2010 Lib Dem defectors and the 2010 Con to Kipper switchers makes Ed's job so much easier.
    But Ed makes Ed's job so much harder.

    It is almost impossible to see him as PM. Yet it's almost impossible to see the Tories surviving in power, what with UKIP eating up their votes, and the electoral bias against them.

    Next year, something almost impossible must happen.

    Some people last week speculated that Labour's brand is strong enough to cope with Ed being crap.

    As I said, the most interesting poll this weekend was the one showing Labour comfortably holding Rotherham, and their share of the vote up!

    It kinda proves that UKIP doing well in the North/with the working class is all fart and no follow through.
    Take a look at the local election results in Rotherham.

    There's also the issue that all the attention is being focused on Rotherham constituency and not on Rother Valley and Wentworth & Dearne constituencies.
    Shhh

    Apparently ukip up 31 points in Rotherham means they're making no progress in the North

    As labour are up as well... Who does that leave as the strugglers?
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,372
    edited September 2014
    Did John Prescott send out images of himself in, let's say, with not much on ?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IjFezyNLdWY/TrBKeH2Hp2I/AAAAAAAAE1A/nO9Qj2coiCU/s400/bryant.jpg

    Now go away you silly boy.

    My opinion of Mps is very low and if you looked over the past few threads I have stated my opinion on Brooks. But we can back and forth "sex" scandals to the cows come home, it isn't unique to any political party.

    And also by the standards of historical sleaze, this is really really minor. Bloke send dick pic, wow...and even more sleazy, man has a program auto follow people on twitter, and we found that it followed a porn star (but no suggestion he has ever interacted, let alone got up to dirty deeds with said lady).
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    taffys said:

    but also helps reassure former tory voters that voting kipper is safe.

    The labour guys on here think Farage is diddly squat in their back yards, even Rotherham. Cameron needs to hammer the same point. Farage is only taking our votes, not the enemy's.

    He is only pretending to hurt labour. Labour voters think he's a clown.

    Until 8th May, I will only say Farage is contributing to the tapestry of British democracy !
  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    surbiton said:

    PBTories already seems to have taken on a loser's persona - whining and bitching. What did you think Reckless would say when asked point blank ? He could indeed say now that when he said what he said, he meant every word.

    Partly, it is probably true. Until Clacton, no one could be 100% sure what kind of reception they would get.

    There will be more liars as I am sure many other suspects are being asked the same question. A queue is forming !

    When is Cameron speaking ?

    They have no idea why they're hated on the Right and bleeding voters to UKIP.

    They have no idea why they're hated on the Left and have energised Lab and former Libs to vote tactically to get the b*stards out.

    Instead they whinge, moan, smear, scapegoat, blame. The default Tory position.

    The Conservative Party needs root and branch modernisation if it is to survive.

    But knowing them, they'll probably elect Liam Fox or Boris bloody Johnson as leader when they're booted out!
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    Did John Prescott send out images of himself in, let's say, with not much on ?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IjFezyNLdWY/TrBKeH2Hp2I/AAAAAAAAE1A/nO9Qj2coiCU/s400/bryant.jpg

    Now go away you silly boy.

    My opinion of Mps is very low and if you looked over the past few threads I have stated my opinion on Brooks. But we can back and forth "sex" scandals to the cows come home, it isn't unique to any political party.

    Something wrong with your eyesight ? Are you still practising your teenage skills ?

  • Options
    isam said:

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    It seems to be a bit more than that to me. The reaction on the streets of Rochester today to the planned walkabout was interesting.
    SWP never were much in love with ukip though
    Carswell managed to take a good chunk of the voluntary party in his constituency with him.

    Let's see if the same thing happens with Reckless.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited September 2014
    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    There is so much wrong with that selfie. And before selfies became so ubiquitous.

    Still, I'm sure Jockey were delighted by the free publicity.

    Did John Prescott send out images of himself in, let's say, with not much on ?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IjFezyNLdWY/TrBKeH2Hp2I/AAAAAAAAE1A/nO9Qj2coiCU/s400/bryant.jpg

    Now go away you silly boy.

    My opinion of Mps is very low and if you looked over the past few threads I have stated my opinion on Brooks. But we can back and forth "sex" scandals to the cows come home, it isn't unique to any political party.

  • Options
    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    But UKIP can't even take the lead in Rotherham - despite everything - what chance have they elsewhere.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,177
    edited September 2014
    Do any of the PB Tory blusterers have any thoughts on this old item:

    ' Shadow chancellor George Osborne said he offered Lib Dem frontbencher David Laws, seen as being on the right of his party, a seat in the shadow cabinet. '

    ' "We talk to lots of people. I've had conversations with Labour MPs and Liberal Democrats but no-one yet has taken the bait." '

    ' Press reports last month suggested that Mr Osborne "invited himself in" to Mr Law's office at the Commons and told him he would be offered a shadow cabinet position if he defected to the Conservatives. '

    ' Within days of becoming leader in 2005, Mr Cameron launched a website urging Lib Dem supporters to defect. '

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6485101.stm
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 31,060
    edited September 2014
    RodCrosby said:

    RodCrosby said:


    By the by, Roger Helmer should have stood down when he defected as well.

    What would be the use of that?
    The seat would have just gone to the next Tory on the list...

    Exactly. The seat was won by a party on a party list not by the individual MEP. Helmer should have stood down and let the next Tory have the seat.
    Well there are pointless gestures, and there are pointless gestures...

    A defection will always injure the former party, at least in the simple arithmetic sense (they lose a seat), and often politically as well (shock, recrimination, panic in the ranks.)

    That's politics. Deal with it!
    In the case of MPs I agree entirely. I love to see MPs defect although of course I would prefer iot not to be from the party I am supporting. But the basic principle is that we elect an individual representative and if he or she feels the party is no longer reflecting the values and positions they campaigned for during the election then they should absolutely defect.

    MEPs are different. We clearly vote for a party in the Euro elections not an individual representative and as such it is the voters who are being betrayed if an MEP defects and does not surrender their seat.
  • Options
    CD13CD13 Posts: 6,352

    Stop whingeing about defections - they are a fact of life in politics.

    From the wiki entry for Parachutist Shaun ...

    "After being sacked from the Tory front bench, Woodward then controversially left the Conservative party to move to the ruling Labour Party ... Woodward's local Conservative constituency association requested that he resign and run again in a by-election, under the Labour banner, as he had originally won the safe Conservative seat by campaigning as a Conservative. Woodward refused to hold a by-election, and continued to represent his constituency for two years."

    Reckless may or may not be a shit, but at least he is asking the electorate.
  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?
  • Options
    IOS said:

    But UKIP can't even take the lead in Rotherham - despite everything - what chance have they elsewhere.

    UKIP won Rotherham in the 2014 local elections.

    http://www.fabians.org.uk/election-2014-the-numbers/
  • Options

    Do any of the PB Tory blusterers have any thoughts on this old item:

    " Shadow chancellor George Osborne said he offered Lib Dem frontbencher David Laws, seen as being on the right of his party, a seat in the shadow cabinet. "

    " We talk to lots of people. I've had conversations with Labour MPs and Liberal Democrats but no-one yet has taken the bait. "

    " Within days of becoming leader in 2005, Mr Cameron launched a website urging Lib Dem supporters to defect. "

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6485101.stm

    Almost as if he planned to form a coalition.
  • Options
    kle4 said:

    Wow, people joke about tipping points, but for DH, this has to be as close to changing tack as he is going to get, it's him admitting defeat, right?

    if over the final eight months before polling day the voters see a Conservative Party that is splitting at the seams then I was wrong, Ed Miliband’s supporters were right, and Miliband will be our next prime minister.

    Leaving aside that it is seven months, he may be right but for the wrong reasons. Splits do not make parties unpopular, it is that unpopular parties split, as MPs cast around for scapegoats and panaceas. If Carswell and Reckless foresaw a Tory landslide, they'd have stayed put.
  • Options
    Plato said:

    You're right, I don't because he was a twat.

    He didn't do it out of principle - he did it to inflict pain and humiliation on his former Party and friends for a cheap PR moment in the sun.

    I've no acceptable adjectives to describe my contempt for him.

    Plato said:


    I've a very high opinion of those who do things that could harm them, but do it anyway. John Major's resignation as Party leader was another. That's serious cojones.

    Mr. Taffys, even if that's true, Cameron has a history of allowing votes he doesn't want (AV, Scottish independence). Why assume he won't have one on the EU, especially when his career would enjoy a similar trajectory to Crassus' post-Carrhae if he reneged?

    You don't seem to extend that to Mr Reckless.

    A perfect example of my Blackadder quote earlier.
  • Options
    NormNorm Posts: 1,251
    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    That's a surprise - I saw them in my university sports hall 35 years ago.
  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
  • Options

    RodCrosby said:

    Oh, stop whining about Reckless. When you are considering defection, you don't give your colleagues 6 months notice...

    No, but you don't tell bare-faced lies to your friends and colleagues less than 24 hours beforehand either and timing that announcement to do maximum damage to them.

    It's seen as self-serving and vindictive: you run the risk of losing both trust and respect.
    The Tory reaction does remind me of the Black Adder Goes Forth discussion on spies


    Captain Darling: So you see, Blackadder, Field Marshall Haig is most anxious to eliminate all these German spies.

    General Melchett: Filthy hun weasels, fighting their dirty underhand war!

    Captain Darling: And fortunately, one of our spies...

    General Melchett: Splendid fellows, brave heroes risking life and limb for Blighty!
    It seems to be a bit more than that to me. The reaction on the streets of Rochester today to the planned walkabout was interesting.
    You mean socialist workers and diehard Tories uniting. It was indeed interesting but says little about anything except idiotic party fanaticism.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    When Carswell defected I said he would be 1/3 or shorter to win Clacton for ukip

    4/6 was available

    People on here said that the euro result in the area wasn't to be trusted,supposed shrewdies said the conservatives were the value at 4/1, others said "labour might sneak through the middle"...

    Then the story was how the local kippers would be up in arms over Roger Lord, he might defect to the Tories and split the right etc etc

    Pol comes out, he's 44% clear

    Carswell 1/33 , just a question of how far he wins

    Same things being said about Reckless now

  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited September 2014
    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Send pictures of his dick to girls half his age...

    That don't exist!!
  • Options
    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Ironically, the replacement minister has written a book about political scandals.
    https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/the-eye-of-the-storm-hardback
  • Options
    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Another Dave

    But they ain't winning the parliamentary seat.
  • Options
    IOS said:

    Another Dave

    But they ain't winning the parliamentary seat.

    You hope.
  • Options
    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    That's a Danny Baker joke that is - they haven't really reformed.

    BTW, I saw the Libertines at Brixton about ten years ago. Think I was in a worse state than they were. Good times.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited September 2014
    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    Only been to the ap for the darts.... Bit too big

    Brixton academy is good, so is the forum

    Venues, just like the state, should be small enough for everyone to feel involved rather than too big and distant!
  • Options
    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Agreed. It is ridiculous that a very minor indiscretion has resulted in what appears to be the end of his career and his public humiliation.
  • Options
    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    He thinks he's done something wrong.
  • Options
    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    Prefer the Shepherds Bush Empire or Hammersmith Odeon myself, but I would even go to Milton Keynes Bowl to see the Jam once again.
  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955
    Blueberry said:

    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    That's a Danny Baker joke that is - they haven't really reformed.

    BTW, I saw the Libertines at Brixton about ten years ago. Think I was in a worse state than they were. Good times.
    Heh think I might have been at that gig too! They were amazing, the Libertines. Burned brightly and briefly, can't believe it was so long ago.

  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Blueberry said:

    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    That's a Danny Baker joke that is - they haven't really reformed.

    BTW, I saw the Libertines at Brixton about ten years ago. Think I was in a worse state than they were. Good times.
    Oh Danny Baker you swine!!!

    Why would he??
  • Options
    More Tory internal division.Bow Group boycotts Tory conference.This is the same Bow Group that had Sir John Major as President indicating serious splits at the top of the Tory party,riven by division.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/conservative-conference-bow-group-thinktank-boycotts-conference-over-snub-to-rankandfile-members-9761127.html
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    isam said:

    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Send pictures of his dick to girls half his age...

    That don't exist!!
    To be pedantic, he thought he was sending pics to girls half his age !
  • Options
    perdixperdix Posts: 1,806
    JBriskin said:

    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

    The backlash against Murdoch is continuing. Nobody should buy from his companies while he is still around. He is not interested in the welfare of the British nation, just how much money he can make.

  • Options
    HughHugh Posts: 955

    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    Prefer the Shepherds Bush Empire or Hammersmith Odeon myself, but I would even go to Milton Keynes Bowl to see the Jam once again.
    No doubt smaller venues are better. I saw Oasis at Liverpool Royal Court in about 1993, just before Definitely Maybe came out. Amazing.
  • Options
    ArtistArtist Posts: 1,883
    edited September 2014
    isam said:

    When Carswell defected I said he would be 1/3 or shorter to win Clacton for ukip

    4/6 was available

    People on here said that the euro result in the area wasn't to be trusted,supposed shrewdies said the conservatives were the value at 4/1, others said "labour might sneak through the middle"...

    Then the story was how the local kippers would be up in arms over Roger Lord, he might defect to the Tories and split the right etc etc

    Pol comes out, he's 44% clear

    Carswell 1/33 , just a question of how far he wins

    Same things being said about Reckless now


    1/2 is good value on the assumption he has at least a 10% lead from private polling.

    The media are trying to build the narrative that his constituents are unhappy with him but the majority of people in the area voted for UKIP only four months ago and it's far from a Tory heartland, having been a marginal until recently.
  • Options
    Interesting to note that it is almost 40 years since an MP defected TO the Conservatives.
  • Options
    It should be remembered that the LibDems who were at the top of the Cameroons target list were Mark Oaten and David Laws.

    Nice pair of sleezebags there.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    IOS said:

    But UKIP can't even take the lead in Rotherham - despite everything - what chance have they elsewhere.

    UKIP won Rotherham in the 2014 local elections.

    http://www.fabians.org.uk/election-2014-the-numbers/
    Have you seen the poll financed by....................UKIP
  • Options
    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    surbiton said:

    surbiton said:

    SeanT said:

    dr_spyn said:

    Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 37s
    Uh-oh. Now Grant Shapps (or his account) follows porn star, dominatrix + erotic writer on Twitter. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/grant-shapps-follows-at-least-one-porn-star-on-twitter#3ns9l70

    I wonder if he is on speaking terms with the MP for Devizes, she might not be impressed.

    Any idea what the seagull did to upset him? Defected to UKIP, perhaps?
    He’s currently following over 27 thousand people on Twitter, a feat likely to have been accomplished with the help of a Twitter bot which rapidly follows unsuspecting Twitter users.
    Of course, but it's his picture and his name (or at least one of them) that's doing the following. He's an absolute idiot.
    You clearly know nothing about twitter. It is totally standard way of building a following, you will find pretty much every company does it. If he had no followers, he wouldn't be doing his job properly to promote his party.

    I bet if you go and look at Labour / Labour MPs they do the same, and lets not forget about what Mr Harperson got caught doing on twitter, and that certainly wasn't a "bot".

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511016/Harriet-Harmans-MP-husband-Jack-Dromey-adds-gay-porn-Tweet-favourites.html
    Maybe I don't know much about Twitter, but I do know a bit about Politics - and it's generally not a good idea for a politician to act in a way that will invite mockery.
    Yes. You know nothing about Twitter.
    Nor do millions of older voters.

    But what they would pick up from this story is 'Top Tory being sleazy'.

    Grant Shapps is meant to promote the Conservative party to people who might vote for them, that may not be metropolitan 'sophisticates' as who follow Twitter.
    We know these Tory types are sexually depraved. This is nothing new.
    Not sure your lot are much different...plenty of sex scandals of Labour politicians in government, John Prescott wouldn't even do the decent thing. Remember, the one who brought the prozzie back into the HoC for a bit of action, etc.

    And if we ever do get to the bottom of what was going on in the 70 and 80s with public figures and their evening "entertainment", I suspect no party will be able to claim any moral high ground.
    Did John Prescott send out images of himself in, let's say, with not much on ?
    You can't take a selfie with a microscope.
  • Options
    isam said:

    Blueberry said:

    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    That's a Danny Baker joke that is - they haven't really reformed.

    BTW, I saw the Libertines at Brixton about ten years ago. Think I was in a worse state than they were. Good times.
    Oh Danny Baker you swine!!!

    Why would he??
    It's his CRAZY sense of humour. See if he can get a twitter rumour going I suppose.
  • Options
    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
  • Options
    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983

    It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    If he wasnt an expenses cheat he would be.
  • Options
    ItajaiItajai Posts: 721
    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Apparently we had a Minister for Africa. WTF??

    Wonder how many other non-job ministers are out there?
  • Options
    anotherDaveanotherDave Posts: 6,746
    edited September 2014
    surbiton said:

    IOS said:

    But UKIP can't even take the lead in Rotherham - despite everything - what chance have they elsewhere.

    UKIP won Rotherham in the 2014 local elections.

    http://www.fabians.org.uk/election-2014-the-numbers/
    Have you seen the poll financed by....................UKIP
    As a PB regular, I'm sure you know that the value of polls is in revealing trends in changes of support, rather than levels of support. Individual polls are interesting, series of polls are useful.

    In May UKIP won more votes in Rotherham than Labour did.
  • Options
    perdix said:

    JBriskin said:

    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

    The backlash against Murdoch is continuing. Nobody should buy from his companies while he is still around. He is not interested in the welfare of the British nation, just how much money he can make.

    Steve Coogan hates him so much his recent series was released on Sky
  • Options
    Mr. Neil, he did wrong with the expenses, but I don't believe his motivation was greed. It was a misguided act, and to blithely refer to him as an expenses cheat puts him in the same category of those who purposefully milked the system. I don't think that's accurate.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    "Altogether this round of polling, conducted in the six weeks to the middle of September, includes 22 seats with the usual sample of 1,000 in each seat.

    In this part of the Lib Dem-Conservative battleground I found the two parties tied on 32% of the vote. This represents an overall swing to the Tories of just 2% in this selection of seats.

    In the five more ambitious Labour targets I found the Lib Dems ten points behind, which means a swing of 12% from the Lib Dems to Labour."

    Telling paragraphs from Lord Ashcroft's paper.
  • Options
    Mr. England, Coogan's very consistent. He also really hates Top Gear, which he's been on a few times.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 36,013
    IOS said:

    Another Dave

    But they ain't winning the parliamentary seat.

    No votes have been cast yet. The Survation poll and local election results both suggest they're in contention.
  • Options
    Itajai said:

    Hugh said:

    The Newmark thing is utterly pathetic. He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have resigned, God I hate the British Press.

    Most interesting thing about the story to me was finding out we had a Minister for Civil Society. What the boggins does one of them do then, anyone know?

    Apparently we had a Minister for Africa. WTF??

    Wonder how many other non-job ministers are out there?
    An absolutely stupid number. This is article from a few days ago is about Miliband shadow cabinet, but the same applies to Coalition.

    Miliband has got 138 people packed on to the Labour frontbench

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2765407/Miliband-SACK-1-5-frontbenchers-wins-election-rules-stop-wasting-public-money-ministers.html

    When you have 138 people, not sure "frontbench" is the correct term anymore!!! Might be simpler to count those that don't have a job.
  • Options
    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983

    to blithely refer to him as an expenses cheat puts him in the same category of those who purposefully milked the system

    That was my intention.
  • Options
    Mr. Urquhart, it does seem an utterly ridiculous situation.
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,077
    I'm not sure whether Newmark had to resign but perhaps he WANTED to resign?
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,177
    edited September 2014

    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    Its remarkable the high regard the expenses cheat Laws is held for his work as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    A POSITION HE HELD FOR THE GRAND TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN DAYS

    Laws must be absolutely brilliant to have created this impression in his SEVENTEEN DAYS.

    And yet I've not heard anything about his achievements during his position of Schools Minister which he has had for the past two years.

    Could it be that the accolades paid to Laws for his SEVENTEEN DAYS as Chief Secretary to the Treasury were perhaps a tad overblown ?

  • Options
    Hugh said:

    Hugh said:

    isam said:

    @southamobserver

    The Jam reform as support for The Libertines at Ally Pally tonight

    Danny Baker (@prodnose)
    28/09/2014 19:15
    Now I can say. Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton will be taking to the stage for the 1st time in decades tonight. At last.

    Christ that would be a belter if it wasn't at Ally Pally. Such a shite venue.

    Should've done it at Brixton Academy, best in the world.
    Prefer the Shepherds Bush Empire or Hammersmith Odeon myself, but I would even go to Milton Keynes Bowl to see the Jam once again.
    No doubt smaller venues are better. I saw Oasis at Liverpool Royal Court in about 1993, just before Definitely Maybe came out. Amazing.
    Think I am much older than you (59) and i haven't seen Oasis, but in the 70's I saw loads of new bands at small venues. Sunday afternoons was always at the Roundhouse, saw the Damned, Motörhead, Talking Heads and loads more.

    Saw a lot of punk bands at Brunel, Clash and the Stranglers. Bruce Springsteen at Hammersmith when he fist came over in 1975, and loads of brilliant pub rock bands like Dr Feelgood and Graham Parker and the Rumour at various venues such as the Torrington, Half Moon, Nashville, Dingwalls etc
  • Options
    There's some more marginal polling out at 00.01
  • Options
    ItajaiItajai Posts: 721

    Mr. England, Coogan's very consistent. He also really hates Top Gear, which he's been on a few times.


    You tell he´s a true Labourite. It´s the consistency.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited September 2014
    Mike tries to be smart in explaining why he backed Tories at 2.65/1 to win Rochester and Strood

    This will be deleted when he realises 2.65/1 is about 27%

    Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB)
    28/09/2014 20:25
    @StuartDodgson Because I believe that the Tories have better than a 37.7% chance in holding the seat.

    Why be so aggressive all the time if you make so many ricks?
  • Options
    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983

    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    Its remarkable the high regard the expenses cheat Laws is held for his work as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    A POSITION HE HELD FOR THE GRAND TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN DAYS

    Laws must be absolutely brilliant to have created this impression in his SEVENTEEN DAYS.

    And yet I've not heard anything about his achievements during his position of Schools Minister which he has had for the past two years.

    Could it be that Laws was perhaps a tad overrated during his SEVENTEEN DAYS as Chief Secretary to the Treasury ?

    Laws had two major achievements as CST:

    (1) Publicised what was meant to have been a private joke.
    (2) Exposed as an expenses cheat.

    Was it the shortest tenure in Cabinet ever?
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,372
    edited September 2014

    Mr. England, Coogan's very consistent. He also really hates Top Gear, which he's been on a few times.

    Not to forget that until his road to Damascus conversion to the anti-Murdoch agenda, he used to use his contacts at the NOTW to spike all the true stories about his bad and illegal behaviour in an attempt to try and minimize their impact on his career. And still today he is more than happy to take the Murdoch shilling.

    There are many people who have been terribly treated by the press, Coogan doesn't have my sympathy.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    I just read the whole of Ashcroft's presentation. Are PBTories feeling alright after that ?

    The game is up !
  • Options
    Mr. Richard, I'm not sure if that's an over-the-internet impression of Brian Blessed, but your use of capslock is a potent argument indeed.

    The Gothic Claudius was emperor for a year or less, and Nerva for barely longer, yet both made a significantly positive contribution to the empire.

    Laws had great potential which was snuffed out. As for the Schools job: he's subordinate to someone else and his expertise, so I understand, is in finance.
  • Options

    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    Its remarkable the high regard the expenses cheat Laws is held for his work as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    A POSITION HE HELD FOR THE GRAND TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN DAYS

    Laws must be absolutely brilliant to have created this impression in his SEVENTEEN DAYS.

    And yet I've not heard anything about his achievements during his position of Schools Minister which he has had for the past two years.

    Could it be that the accolades paid to Laws for his SEVENTEEN DAYS as Chief Secretary to the Treasury were perhaps a tad overblown ?

    Maybe. Certainly it is true (and is one of the most remarkable features of this parliament) that Danny Alexander was able to fill the role extremely well. Who'd a thunk it?
  • Options
    NormNorm Posts: 1,251

    I'm not sure whether Newmark had to resign but perhaps he WANTED to resign?

    Probably just embarrassed - hardly surprising given the circumstances. It's not really the sort of thing Ministers of the Crown should be doing in their spare time even in 2014..
  • Options
    philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    perdix said:

    JBriskin said:

    Think your boss might be trying to tell you something Sean....

    Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch · 14m
    Elites'policies crushing poor, printing money etc, uneconomic climate investments,all causing higher costs, more inequality.
    Backlash near

    The backlash against Murdoch is continuing. Nobody should buy from his companies while he is still around. He is not interested in the welfare of the British nation, just how much money he can make.

    I think I may be an all time record holder for boycotting Murdoch.

    Times, Sun and sky all absent from my life. The kids could never convince me to drop my objections and take sky.

    It goes back to late 70s or early 80s, so long ago I can't remember what he did to make me despite his business ethics.
  • Options
    Mr. Neil, publicised a private joke?

    I'm baffled as to why you think the smirking slaphead Liam Byrne should've had his giggling idiocy about being terribly sorry for wrecking the economy kept secret.

    Mr. Nabavi, that was quite the surprise.
  • Options

    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    Its remarkable the high regard the expenses cheat Laws is held for his work as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    A POSITION HE HELD FOR THE GRAND TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN DAYS

    Laws must be absolutely brilliant to have created this impression in his SEVENTEEN DAYS.

    And yet I've not heard anything about his achievements during his position of Schools Minister which he has had for the past two years.

    Could it be that the accolades paid to Laws for his SEVENTEEN DAYS as Chief Secretary to the Treasury were perhaps a tad overblown ?

    Maybe. Certainly it is true (and is one of the most remarkable features of this parliament) that Danny Alexander was able to fill the role extremely well. Who'd a thunk it?
    Richard, I've had to bump your piece to probably Tuesday now, assuming no more defections, unexpected opinion polls etc
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    edited September 2014

    surbiton said:

    IOS said:

    But UKIP can't even take the lead in Rotherham - despite everything - what chance have they elsewhere.

    UKIP won Rotherham in the 2014 local elections.

    http://www.fabians.org.uk/election-2014-the-numbers/
    Have you seen the poll financed by....................UKIP
    As a PB regular, I'm sure you know that the value of polls is in revealing trends in changes of support, rather than levels of support. Individual polls are interesting, series of polls are useful.

    In May UKIP won more votes in Rotherham than Labour did.
    In May UKIP won 27% of the votes in GB. Are you saying they will do the same in GE2015 ?

    Talk sense. UKIP can only win in Kent, Essex and Lincs.

    They could win Grimsby.
  • Options
    Neil said:

    Mr. Richard, not legitimate to consider Oaten and Laws to be peas in a pod. It's a damned shame Laws isn't still Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    Its remarkable the high regard the expenses cheat Laws is held for his work as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

    A POSITION HE HELD FOR THE GRAND TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN DAYS

    Laws must be absolutely brilliant to have created this impression in his SEVENTEEN DAYS.

    And yet I've not heard anything about his achievements during his position of Schools Minister which he has had for the past two years.

    Could it be that Laws was perhaps a tad overrated during his SEVENTEEN DAYS as Chief Secretary to the Treasury ?

    Laws had two major achievements as CST:

    (1) Publicised what was meant to have been a private joke.
    (2) Exposed as an expenses cheat.

    Was it the shortest tenure in Cabinet ever?
    In case you missed it.

    Green Party neck and neck with Lib Dems in voting intention The latest YouGov results for the Sunday Times have the Greens and Liberal Democrats both at 6% in voting intention...

    http://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/09/28/green-party-neck-and-neck-liberal-democrats-voting/
This discussion has been closed.