F1: day and a half between Mercedes and everyone else. Unless another team's sandbagging by shoving a lump of concrete under the engine cover, it's very good for Hamilton. Even if he fell asleep during qualifying, his car has the pace to pass everyone else.
Thinking about flags: don't people display them where there's a division of loyalty? My parents moved in retirement to British Columbia and there flags were a commonplace - either the Canadian or the Provincial, but rarely both.
Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, concurs.
To make up the £17bn hole in the government’s plans, borrowing over the final five months of the year would need to be 40% lower than last year. The implausibility of that means Osborne faces a testing time in a week and a half, when he updates the country on how the austerity drive is going in his Autumn Statement. Back in 2010 the government had expected to be finished with austerity now and perhaps looking forward to granting tax cuts. As it is, tax rises to plug a deficit hole are beginning to look a more likely prospect."
"Fitalass, Richard Nabavi, Flightpath, Scott P, Marquee Mark, Stark Dawning, Plato, TSE, can you hear me? TSE, I have a message for you in the middle of the election campaign. I have a message for you: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
O/T I think we can scrub Tristram Hunt off the list of possible next Labour leaders. Currently 4th favourite in the betting but has the worst ratings of any Shadow Cabinet member with Labour's grassroots. It'll be members who will decide who the next leader of the party is after the electoral college is dismantled.
When is Marf going to get the call from Ed begging her to run his campaign? She seems to have a much better grasp of what needs to be done than that geek from the US that they are paying megabucks to.
An ESSENTIAL skill for any electorally successful politician is to be able to sniff the wind / feel the zeitgeist. Maggie and Blair are pretty good examples.
As the English flag discussion / populous poll in the previous thread shows, there is a clear move towards a much more openly proud and patriotic English nationalism across all parts of English society – perhaps accelerated and given a new lease of life by the Scottish independence campaign.
I think many in Labour hate this English nationalism as they still see it in terms of racist narrow minded Little Englanderism / skinheads or, more cynically, because they stand to be seriously diminished by a loss of Scottish votes in parliament. I’m also sure the Tories all see England in the John Major / village green / cricket / sing Jerusalem / battle of Trafalgar / full historical pride in our nation sort of way. Tories like and are proud of England. Likewise UKIP. And both see the Labour view as frankly disgusting and insulting to one of the great nations of world history.
It astonishes me that so many here on PB can’t see precisely why the Thornberry tweet is such a big and damaging deal. Those with a nose smelled the stink immediately. That’s why it’s all over the news. We’re moving from class-based politics to identity based politics. And Labour have got themselves into an almost unrecoverable position on the core issue of our national identity. And on the wrong side of it! Their old core vote and their new one (Islington lefty luvvies) have become unreconcilable. Way to go Ed!
How good would it have been if the owner of "Thornberry House" had been Asian, Black or Eastern European?
True - plus the "but she grew up in a council house" x 2 shows their out-of-touchness. Dan Ware's house (for it is he) is private and he bought it in 2002...
When is Marf going to get the call from Ed begging her to run his campaign? She seems to have a much better grasp of what needs to be done than that geek from the US that they are paying megabucks to.
The USA is, and always will be a two horse race. It is far easier to predict than a UK General Election and so long as you are damaging your enemy you are helping yourself. US voters vote quite far more predictably than UK voters. Messina was working previously with Barack Obama, now he has Ed Miliband to work with.
It's like going from the nursery slopes straight to a full black run.
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
O/T I think we can scrub Tristram Hunt off the list of possible next Labour leaders. Currently 4th favourite in the betting but has the worst ratings of any Shadow Cabinet member with Labour's grassroots. It'll be members who will decide who the next leader of the party is after the electoral college is dismantled.
Not the biggest UKIP win. With a decent campaign the Tories will probably win this seat back in May.
Still I'm surprised that Ed made such a big story out of this tweet. Seems a bit stupid, we go back to the PM's old adage, too many tweets make a t***.
If my garden already had a flagpole I'd put up a massive St George's cross, it probably wouldn't even register with the neighbours.
Ten or so years ago I painted a Union flag on a large canvas and had that in my living room, everyone loved it, so much so that a friend's daughter kept asking for it and one day recently took advantage of my having had a few beers and that was it. She has a Scottish mother.
"Fitalass, Richard Nabavi, Flightpath, Scott P, Marquee Mark, Stark Dawning, Plato, TSE, can you hear me? TSE, I have a message for you in the middle of the election campaign. I have a message for you: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
Not the biggest UKIP win. With a decent campaign the Tories will probably win this seat back in May.
Still I'm surprised that Ed made such a big story out of this tweet. Seems a bit stupid, we go back to the PM's old adage, too many tweets make a t***.
Better to act now than let it fester. She will be back in May when we are in government.
An ESSENTIAL skill for any electorally successful politician is to be able to sniff the wind / feel the zeitgeist. Maggie and Blair are pretty good examples.
As the English flag discussion / populous poll in the previous thread shows, there is a clear move towards a much more openly proud and patriotic English nationalism across all parts of English society – perhaps accelerated and given a new lease of life by the Scottish independence campaign.
I think many in Labour hate this English nationalism as they still see it in terms of racist narrow minded Little Englanderism / skinheads or, more cynically, because they stand to be seriously diminished by a loss of Scottish votes in parliament. I’m also sure the Tories all see England in the John Major / village green / cricket / sing Jerusalem / battle of Trafalgar / full historical pride in our nation sort of way. Tories like and are proud of England. Likewise UKIP. And both see the Labour view as frankly disgusting and insulting to one of the great nations of world history.
It astonishes me that so many here on PB can’t see precisely why the Thornberry tweet is such a big and damaging deal. Those with a nose smelled the stink immediately. That’s why it’s all over the news. We’re moving from class-based politics to identity based politics. And Labour have got themselves into an almost unrecoverable position on the core issue of our national identity. And on the wrong side of it! Their old core vote and their new one (Islington lefty luvvies) have become unreconcilable. Way to go Ed!
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
FPT
I live in Salisbury South Wilts, a medieval town that still celebrates every St George’s day with a carnival and re-enactment in the town square; a few churches fly the flag every day and the St George shopping mall is bedecked with red and white bunting every weekend. – When the Mayor or the local military parade through town, (Salisbury plain is just up the road) there are flags draped across every street.
Here, the English flag is not just for Christmas. - Thornberry would hate it.
"Fitalass, Richard Nabavi, Flightpath, Scott P, Marquee Mark, Stark Dawning, Plato, TSE, can you hear me? TSE, I have a message for you in the middle of the election campaign. I have a message for you: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
You remind me of a Carthaginian after the Battle of Cannae
You may have won a battle but you haven't won the war.
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
It didn't help that there was several dozen bored journalists sitting around Rochester with nothing to do, waiting for the count, watching their twitter feeds for something diverting, this story kept them amused for a few hours tweeting, and they are all the sort of people with tens of thousands of followers - fat chance of hushing that up.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, concurs.
To make up the £17bn hole in the government’s plans, borrowing over the final five months of the year would need to be 40% lower than last year. The implausibility of that means Osborne faces a testing time in a week and a half, when he updates the country on how the austerity drive is going in his Autumn Statement. Back in 2010 the government had expected to be finished with austerity now and perhaps looking forward to granting tax cuts. As it is, tax rises to plug a deficit hole are beginning to look a more likely prospect."
Rob Wood has a diabolical record on forecasting the British economy.
How good would it have been if the owner of "Thornberry House" had been Asian, Black or Eastern European?
True - plus the "but she grew up in a council house" x 2 shows their out-of-touchness. Dan Ware's house (for it is he) is private and he bought it in 2002...
What I hope we don't see, although I fear we might, is more bipolar politics... lets be honest, there is no doubt some people use the St George's flag as an emblem because they are racist.
Others (most?)do it as a bit of a "up yours" to people like Emily Thornberry telling them what they can and cant think, while some are patriotic supporters of the national team when they happen to be playing...
I think Thornberry's mistake was to assume the first explanation without considering the others, which is exactly the kind of thinking that the Politically Correct Police have zero tolerance for when the boot is on the other foot.
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
FPT
I live in Salisbury South Wilts, a medieval town that still celebrates every St George’s day with a carnival and re-enactment in the town square; a few churches fly the flag every day and the St George shopping mall is bedecked with red and white bunting every weekend. – When the Mayor or the local military parade through town, (Salisbury plain is just up the road) there are flags draped across every street.
Here, the English flag is not just for Christmas. - Thornberry would hate it.
It's a garrison town. But the soldiers don't parade to celebrate their Britishness, let alone the United Kingdom. Doesn't that tell us what we need to know?
Patrick [10.25] described the two views of English nationalism. I might myself take a less jaundiced view of it if we ever again look like recovering the Ashes... na'h, move along, nothing to see there...
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
I'm laughing at her stupidity. Is that OK?
Her getting sacked is just a bonus that makes it even funnier. Karma, hoisted by her own petard etc
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
I'm laughing at her stupidity. Is that OK?
Her getting sacked is just a bonus that makes it even funnier. Karma, hoisted by her own petard etc
you don't have to get my permission to laugh at her but you obviously won't get my approval as I think it encourages this juvenile streak in modern politics where if you say anything that is remotely off message about anyone or anything you will get sacked (fair enough if you get voted out but you should not be sacked).
I think it was Ricky Gervais who said he believed in allowing people to believe in anything they want and to also allow other people to say its flippin (word changed) ridiculous what they believe in . Why are we so far from that in modern politics?
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
She wasn't there as a tourist though.
She was working, and representing the Labour Party. She should have had the nous and the wisdom to realise that anything that could be misconstrued would be, and to that extent there's no need to feel too sorry for her.
Nevertheless she was also to some extent the victim of mob rule and that's distasteful - left, right or anywhere.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
If everyone said what they thought (and even more, expressed their feelings) without any consideration of how others might interpret them - why, then we would have a full-blown civil war before to-morrow teatime.
MikeSmithson Posts: 2,162 9:47AM Why is the Ladbrokes website crap - by far the worst of the major bookies?
This question has been asked over and over again by any number of PB posters. Ladbrokes have had any number of revamps, no doubt undertaken at vast expense, but they simply seem incapable of sorting out this mess. As I remarked a couple of days ago, it's little wonder that in terms of market capitalisation , they are now scarcely one-third the size of Wm. Hill, a company they once dwarfed and have recently been overtaken in terms of size by Betfair, whom they used to ridicule as being simply machine operators. I recently made the (friendly) suggestion that it was perhaps time for the highly talented and well-regarded Shadsy to move on to somewhere (Betfair?) where his talents would be properly appreciated and indeed fully applied. The legendary Cyril Stein would turn in his grave.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
She wasn't there as a tourist though.
She was working, and representing the Labour Party. She should have had the nous and the wisdom to realise that anything that could be misconstrued would be, and to that extent there's no need to feel too sorry for her.
Nevertheless she was also to some extent the victim of mob rule and that's distasteful - left, right or anywhere.
I think you have to make your mind up and not sit on the fence!!
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
She wasn't there as a tourist though.
She was working, and representing the Labour Party. She should have had the nous and the wisdom to realise that anything that could be misconstrued would be, and to that extent there's no need to feel too sorry for her.
Nevertheless she was also to some extent the victim of mob rule and that's distasteful - left, right or anywhere.
It as her actions subsequent to the tweet that did for her I think.
Gave the impression she'd just seen HomoWWC Englishus at London Zoo !
Besides anyone who has seen her on Question Time will realise she makes Mr Miliband look like the top class 6th form debating champion he aspires to be.
The Tories remain the Tories (the party of cuts and fox hunting) and the Lib Dems are just the past time of the half mad. Out of this slide towards metropolitanism, only Ukip has managed to project a sense of “getting” hard pressed voters. People don’t necessarily agree with Farage or even possibly like him. But they know what he is; they understand a man like that. And so long as Ukip is respected for being unpretentious, it also won’t be punished in the same way as the other parties are for doing things like u-turning or harbouring the odd racist.
To beat Ukip and retake command of the national political narrative, the mainstream parties have to reconnect with the people and to demonstrate that they share their concerns, are being honest about the problems ahead, and have faith in the common sense of ordinary people. Labour and the Tories have to remember that – to borrow an American phrase – the average man and the average woman is the king and queen of British politics. They are the masters and the successful politician is simply their servant.
Exactly.. people don't care a whole lot what Farage's policies are, they just want an unpretentious party that sounds like it gets what its like to be an ordinary person.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
She wasn't there as a tourist though.
She was working, and representing the Labour Party. She should have had the nous and the wisdom to realise that anything that could be misconstrued would be, and to that extent there's no need to feel too sorry for her.
Nevertheless she was also to some extent the victim of mob rule and that's distasteful - left, right or anywhere.
It as her actions subsequent to the tweet that did for her I think.
Gave the impression she'd just seen HomoWWC Englishus at London Zoo !
Oh yes, Pulpstar, as a masterclass in mismanagement it was up there with the best of 'In The Thick Of It'.
Emily Thornberry is unlucky. If the by-election had been a fortnight later, her tweet would have been of some house covered from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, and no one would have batted an eyelid.
It didn't help that there was several dozen bored journalists sitting around Rochester with nothing to do, waiting for the count, watching their twitter feeds for something diverting, this story kept them amused for a few hours tweeting, and they are all the sort of people with tens of thousands of followers - fat chance of hushing that up.
It shows the stupidity of tweeting. Tweets don't do sarcasm or irony. But then again she did not call her own supporter a ting tong so kipper outrage is all a bit false.
Nah most people from whatever background still think flying flags in your house/garden is showing off and naff -that's why hardly anyone does it -the proof is in the pudding!!
Or possibly because while they feel it themselves they are concerned about what other people might say, they could be concerned that the social services might think they are UKIP voters and not let them foster.... sadly we live in a country where people are often cautious of telling people what they really think in-case they end up getting sacked like ET, or worse.
Well yes that's true enough!! Anyone from the right who takes delight in ET being sacked is as guilty as those on the left who love getting righties sacked for the same sort of crime of 'having an opinion that is not nice and fluffy'
If everyone said what they thought (and even more, expressed their feelings) without any consideration of how others might interpret them - why, then we would have a full-blown civil war before to-morrow teatime.
People managed it before the 1960's. People just need to grow a bit of a thicker skin. The right to free speech is rapidly turning into the Right to not be offended.
To quote from The American President: America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
Indigo [10.57am] I'd like to applaud your quote, I really would. Meanwhile, in the real world, the Arabs who live on this estate (London W2) would like their women to have the right to ride the lifts alone - the women feel harassed, and their religion insulted, if a kaffir male tries to share a lift with them.
I doubt your principles (which I share) are of the slightest help to the estate management team. Or the Residents' Association committee.
Indigo [10.57am] I'd like to applaud your quote, I really would. Meanwhile, in the real world, the Arabs who live on this estate (London W2) would like their women to have the right to ride the lifts alone - the women feel harassed, and their religion insulted, if a kaffir male tries to share a lift with them.
I doubt your principles (which I share) are of the slightest help to the estate management team. Or the Residents' Association committee.
Its not the preserve of Arabs or Muslims to want to separate the sexes . Most councils have a policy of allowing women only swimming sessions . Personally I think we should all lighten up be it in lifts or pools but hey ho
Indigo [10.57am] I'd like to applaud your quote, I really would. Meanwhile, in the real world, the Arabs who live on this estate (London W2) would like their women to have the right to ride the lifts alone - the women feel harassed, and their religion insulted, if a kaffir male tries to share a lift with them.
I doubt your principles (which I share) are of the slightest help to the estate management team. Or the Residents' Association committee.
For exactly the reason I stated. People are scared of being labelled a racists if they speak out about unacceptable cultural practices. The only way this sort of thing gets resolved is if it gets a good airing in public. You cant drive out unacceptable behavior by hushing it up. Rotherham is showing that. But the PC country we will in these days makes people terrified to speak out in-case they get into trouble with social services or the police.
''The right to free speech is rapidly turning into the Right to not be offended.''
I wonder if what has happened at Wigan Football club shows the tide may be turning there
Whelan has still had to appologise for remarks about the spouting local (ironically) Labour MP.
As for the by election result - I am not sure Reckless has anything to be really pleased about. It has shown that various groups of voters will vote against UKIP. The margin is not that big for a tory defector in a tory seat inevitably retaining a tory vote. If purely for the sake of argument Reckless had dropped dead to cause the election instead of being an incumbent MP, then the Tories would have held the seat against some nondescript UKIP candidate.
Delighted to see the supremely irritating Emily Thornberry sacked from the Shadow Cabinet. She was one of a handful of Labour politicians who make my blood boil (though some way behind Burnham still), and I think as a fellow lawyer, it irritated me to think that someone in my profession (I like to think we are responsible, sensible, level-headed and rational people imbued with considerable nous) could be so blitheringly dense whenever she appeared on QT, This Week etc or in the House.
Good riddance.
Alas, she was an asset to the Tories, and UKIP. Her parting gift should have plenty of mileage left in it though. It also nicely neutralises the class war charges from Labour constantly thrown out at the Tories - they can hardly complain about the Tories not understanding "working people" when the wealthy middle-class metropolitan Labour intelligentsia plainly consider them objects of derision and scorn.
Oddschecker ✔ @Oddschecker Christmas has come early for Chelsea backers! @paddypower have PAID OUT on Chelsea to win the League.
Now that IS flash
It sure is ....... and with only 29% of the season so far played out. Oh dear, does this mean Mourinho will have an even greater swagger in his step, if that's possible.
Sorry but 1% for Lib-Dems in Rochester?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Hahahahahahahhaahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!
Labour got 1.7% in Winchester By-Election in '97. The trick is (as we used to say in our 'Risk' league) "win by a little lose by a lot". I suspect that the LibDems may do that quite well in the GE whereas UKIP may get it the wrong way round.
As for Rochester, I'm delighted that Mark Reckless will be looking for a new role in 6 months time.
Can't see him holding that paper thin majority in May when it comes to a vote that matters.
Good riddance to him too.
The result should also shore up and settle nerves all round on the Tory benches. All is not lost, but I still think Cameron faces a massive battle to cling on to power and stop us getting our first ever universally unwanted and accidental PM. The Labour voters are more likely to return to the fold than the pee'd off "wish it was 1984" (if not 1954) ex-Tories!
It's clearly an internal outlier. Which pushes up the Labour score a bit too much. Knock out the 55 Labour votes from Scotland and replace with 30 I reckon.
Comments
Backed off the boards at 2-1 and 7-4 I suspect.
That's what Johnny Foreigners do.
Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, concurs.
To make up the £17bn hole in the government’s plans, borrowing over the final five months of the year would need to be 40% lower than last year. The implausibility of that means Osborne faces a testing time in a week and a half, when he updates the country on how the austerity drive is going in his Autumn Statement. Back in 2010 the government had expected to be finished with austerity now and perhaps looking forward to granting tax cuts. As it is, tax rises to plug a deficit hole are beginning to look a more likely prospect."
As for not understanding the left, It's Labour with the tin ears.
Rankings: http://labourlist.org/2014/11/burnham-remains-most-popular-frontbencher-in-latest-shadow-cabinet-rankings/
Betting: http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/next-labour-leader
When is Marf going to get the call from Ed begging her to run his campaign? She seems to have a much better grasp of what needs to be done than that geek from the US that they are paying megabucks to.
As the English flag discussion / populous poll in the previous thread shows, there is a clear move towards a much more openly proud and patriotic English nationalism across all parts of English society – perhaps accelerated and given a new lease of life by the Scottish independence campaign.
I think many in Labour hate this English nationalism as they still see it in terms of racist narrow minded Little Englanderism / skinheads or, more cynically, because they stand to be seriously diminished by a loss of Scottish votes in parliament. I’m also sure the Tories all see England in the John Major / village green / cricket / sing Jerusalem / battle of Trafalgar / full historical pride in our nation sort of way. Tories like and are proud of England. Likewise UKIP. And both see the Labour view as frankly disgusting and insulting to one of the great nations of world history.
It astonishes me that so many here on PB can’t see precisely why the Thornberry tweet is such a big and damaging deal. Those with a nose smelled the stink immediately. That’s why it’s all over the news. We’re moving from class-based politics to identity based politics. And Labour have got themselves into an almost unrecoverable position on the core issue of our national identity. And on the wrong side of it! Their old core vote and their new one (Islington lefty luvvies) have become unreconcilable. Way to go Ed!
It's like going from the nursery slopes straight to a full black run.
Still I'm surprised that Ed made such a big story out of this tweet. Seems a bit stupid, we go back to the PM's old adage, too many tweets make a t***.
Ten or so years ago I painted a Union flag on a large canvas and had that in my living room, everyone loved it, so much so that a friend's daughter kept asking for it and one day recently took advantage of my having had a few beers and that was it. She has a Scottish mother.
As I said, before Heaver - it was the Parris article in a picture.
The left must show that, ghastly though the English are in so many rich and varied ways, it doesn’t actually hate them.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/nick-cohen/2014/09/the-left-cannot-be-an-anti-english-movement/
I live in Salisbury South Wilts, a medieval town that still celebrates every St George’s day with a carnival and re-enactment in the town square; a few churches fly the flag every day and the St George shopping mall is bedecked with red and white bunting every weekend. – When the Mayor or the local military parade through town, (Salisbury plain is just up the road) there are flags draped across every street.
Here, the English flag is not just for Christmas. - Thornberry would hate it.
You may have won a battle but you haven't won the war.
http://www.betfair.com/exchange/politics/market?id=1.101710557
Last price matched: 5
Now 13.5/50
Others (most?)do it as a bit of a "up yours" to people like Emily Thornberry telling them what they can and cant think, while some are patriotic supporters of the national team when they happen to be playing...
I think Thornberry's mistake was to assume the first explanation without considering the others, which is exactly the kind of thinking that the Politically Correct Police have zero tolerance for when the boot is on the other foot.
Patrick [10.25] described the two views of English nationalism. I might myself take a less jaundiced view of it if we ever again look like recovering the Ashes... na'h, move along, nothing to see there...
Her getting sacked is just a bonus that makes it even funnier. Karma, hoisted by her own petard etc
I think it was Ricky Gervais who said he believed in allowing people to believe in anything they want and to also allow other people to say its flippin (word changed) ridiculous what they believe in .
Why are we so far from that in modern politics?
She was working, and representing the Labour Party. She should have had the nous and the wisdom to realise that anything that could be misconstrued would be, and to that extent there's no need to feel too sorry for her.
Nevertheless she was also to some extent the victim of mob rule and that's distasteful - left, right or anywhere.
MikeSmithson Posts: 2,162
9:47AM
Why is the Ladbrokes website crap - by far the worst of the major bookies?
This question has been asked over and over again by any number of PB posters.
Ladbrokes have had any number of revamps, no doubt undertaken at vast expense, but they simply seem incapable of sorting out this mess.
As I remarked a couple of days ago, it's little wonder that in terms of market capitalisation , they are now scarcely one-third the size of Wm. Hill, a company they once dwarfed and have recently been overtaken in terms of size by Betfair, whom they used to ridicule as being simply machine operators.
I recently made the (friendly) suggestion that it was perhaps time for the highly talented and well-regarded Shadsy to move on to somewhere (Betfair?) where his talents would be properly appreciated and indeed fully applied.
The legendary Cyril Stein would turn in his grave.
Gave the impression she'd just seen HomoWWC Englishus at London Zoo !
Five months for an 18 month sentence seem really soft on crime to me.
Not a bad start....
To quote from The American President: America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
I wonder if what has happened at Wigan Football club shows the tide may be turning there
Oddschecker ✔ @Oddschecker
Christmas has come early for Chelsea backers!
@paddypower have PAID OUT on Chelsea to win the League.
May 2010: 7,800 votes (16.3%)
Nov 2014: 349 votes (0.8%)
Hahahahahahahhaahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!
I doubt your principles (which I share) are of the slightest help to the estate management team. Or the Residents' Association committee.
Alyn and Deeside
Merthyr and Rhymney
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/21/blame-labour-leaks-votes-greens-ed-miliband
The Greens lost their deposit in Rochester & Strood, but getting a quarter of the votes that the widely-praised Labour candidate got.
They achieved 0.87%, the worst ever percentage share polled by the Liberals/LDs ever. Previous record Glasgow Camlachie 948 (1.2%).
You'd think Mr Juby would have more family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances than 349.... Wonder what happened?
As for the by election result - I am not sure Reckless has anything to be really pleased about. It has shown that various groups of voters will vote against UKIP. The margin is not that big for a tory defector in a tory seat inevitably retaining a tory vote. If purely for the sake of argument Reckless had dropped dead to cause the election instead of being an incumbent MP, then the Tories would have held the seat against some nondescript UKIP candidate.
Good riddance.
Alas, she was an asset to the Tories, and UKIP. Her parting gift should have plenty of mileage left in it though. It also nicely neutralises the class war charges from Labour constantly thrown out at the Tories - they can hardly complain about the Tories not understanding "working people" when the wealthy middle-class metropolitan Labour intelligentsia plainly consider them objects of derision and scorn.
No doubt Ruth Davidson will be reiterating her views on early release of prisoners at that point.
YouGov is the gold standard.
Oh dear, does this mean Mourinho will have an even greater swagger in his step, if that's possible.
The trick is (as we used to say in our 'Risk' league) "win by a little lose by a lot". I suspect that the LibDems may do that quite well in the GE whereas UKIP may get it the wrong way round.
It is a harbinger for next year.
Roy Hodgson saves Ed Miliband.
Can't see him holding that paper thin majority in May when it comes to a vote that matters.
Good riddance to him too.
The result should also shore up and settle nerves all round on the Tory benches. All is not lost, but I still think Cameron faces a massive battle to cling on to power and stop us getting our first ever universally unwanted and accidental PM. The Labour voters are more likely to return to the fold than the pee'd off "wish it was 1984" (if not 1954) ex-Tories!
Ed is Crap is PM
It's clearly an internal outlier. Which pushes up the Labour score a bit too much. Knock out the 55 Labour votes from Scotland and replace with 30 I reckon.
Cons and Tories basically level.