She's clearly focussing on the priorities for Argentina!
I actually did a double-take when I first read it: I thought it might be some sort of spoof.
Argentina's leaders are becoming seriously deluded. Also, this passage is slightly chilling - I don't want to break Godwin's law but, err, y'know what I mean:
“It is directed not only at the foreigner who comes here as a tourist or visits our country, but also at the citizens in general, and will serve to reinforce our history, our culture and our identity.”
Why do the Argentina government feel the need to direct propaganda towards their own citizens to 'reinforce' their views and identity?
Is Argentina a democracy or isn't it? Why don't the Argentine people reject this obsession and borderline demagoguery and vote this government out?
I will not be going to Argentina until it ends its unpleasant obsession with the Falklands. Quite aside from my own views on the matter, I'm not sure that, if you're British, it's safe.
Might still be OK to go to Patagonia if you're Welsh-speaking.
Even as a fully paid-up deficit denier, I managed to make it to £35.5bn, by increasing prescription charges, cutting spending on London transport, axing HS2, abolishing the Culture department, choosing all the proposed defence cuts, and selecting all the tax rises except increasing VAT.
However, before I blow too many of my loony leftie points, I'd cancel out most of those savings by spending MORE on health and welfare.
You do not have to cut all the deficit. You have to cut the structural deficit. That is you have to balance the budget over the economic cycle. This will involve raising some taxes permanently and also cutting the govts discretionary spending permanently to a level that can be sustained by our GDP. Real increases in spending can only be sustained by real increases in productivity and real growth in GDP. Being able to have real increases in productivity involves all manner of things such as improved and less congested transport links.
The govt have done a good job in cutting the structural deficit and at the same time sustaining the wider economy at a time of economic crisis elsewhere. The International Monetary Fund fiscal monitor says, the cyclically-adjusted deficit has come down from 10.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to 4.1% this year.
The defence budget is still huge by international standards. The massive over commitment by Labour is why programmes had to be cut - the Nimrod programme that had delivered nothing at 2 billion cost over 10 years. We have reconnaissance planes that work now. We are building 2 huge aircraft carriers and procuring exotic jets to fly off them to project British power. We have a fully funded rather than fanciful equipment procurement programme of some 160 billion that among other things is going to deliver hundreds and eventually thousands of armoured fighting vehicles. There are other more boring projects like the £600 million Sensor Support Optimisation Project will provide a decade of maintenance and repair for 17 different systems across the Royal Navy. We have already started work on replacing Trident. You make yourself look even more idiotically absurd by talking about disastrous cuts. The defence budget in 2010 was £42 billion. In 2014 its £44 billion. Compare all this with 500,000 fewer local govt workers - oh no you want to forget that and pretend it like all the other things never happened.
Yet more lies. I do wonder why you keep saying things that are so clearly false. I have in no way forgotten the cuts ion local government workers. Indeed I would want them to go even further as I have already said down-thread. But that has absolutely no bearing on the matter I was talking about which is your moronic claims about the armed forces.
The government has embarked on a huge round of manpower cuts in the armed forces and as has been shown recently their plan to replace those regular forces with part timers has been an unmitigated disaster.
That you can even begin to try and defend this shows how utterly divorced from reality you are.
Enjoy DD's. Sorry I can't get there. Don't trust Abello to get me home tonight!
And, FWIW, I think Emily Thornberry's been badly done to. If some one puts up three "Georges" above a white van what do they expect. Maybe she shouldn't have tweeted it but it is more than a bit OTT!
If,speaking theoretically,an MP was forced to resign in the next month would there be a by-election do you think or would the seat be left open until May?
I think there would legally be time for one, but there is a convention of some sort that seats made vacant close to a general election aren't put up for a by-election.
Yes that is the issue I think though my understanding is that there is nothing written in stone on it in terms of a cut-off date .Christmas becomes a factor of course so I suspect it wouldn't happen.
Of course, this time we know when the GE is going to be. In past instances, such as Wirral and the seat David Alton won in 1979, the GE hadn't been called.
It's been fun reading all the comments trying to play down the fact that UKIP have doubled their number of MPs in recent hours. It'll be close in May but Reckless is slight favourite if the Tories don't change their candidate IMO.
It's been fun reading all the comments trying to play down the fact that UKIP have doubled their number of MPs in recent hours. It'll be close in May but Reckless is slight favourite if the Tories don't change their candidate IMO.
Gamblers see it differently if you look at the odds.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
It's been fun reading all the comments trying to play down the fact that UKIP have doubled their number of MPs in recent hours. It'll be close in May but Reckless is slight favourite if the Tories don't change their candidate IMO.
It will be a pretty easy Conservative regain next May probably a 5,000 majority . Clacton should stay with UKIP though .
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Have you counted up the comments yet and has Ed got public support for sacking one of his closest allies?
This is why. The top two stories on Sky web page and the 3rd story on BBC news page are about white vans. Spectacular epic fail when Labour should be roasting the Tories at this point. Its as if a by election never took place
Even as a fully paid-up deficit denier, I managed to make it to £35.5bn, by increasing prescription charges, cutting spending on London transport, axing HS2, abolishing the Culture department, choosing all the proposed defence cuts, and selecting all the tax rises except increasing VAT.
However, before I blow too many of my loony leftie points, I'd cancel out most of those savings by spending MORE on health and welfare.
You do not have to cut all the deficit. You have to cut the structural deficit. That is you have to balance the budget over the economic cycle. This will involve raising some taxes permanently and also cutting the govts discretionary spending permanently to a level that can be sustained by our GDP. Real increases in spending can only be sustained by real increases in productivity and real growth in GDP. Being able to have real increases in productivity involves all manner of things such as improved and less congested transport links.
The govt have done a good job in cutting the structural deficit and at the same time sustaining the wider economy at a time of economic crisis elsewhere. The International Monetary Fund fiscal monitor says, the cyclically-adjusted deficit has come down from 10.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to 4.1% this year.
£48bn is probably not far off the structural deficit to be honest.
Personally I would cut benefits for those earning more than average wages, cut overseas aid by a lot more than 5% get rid of or at least means test all the fripperies given to oldies, forget HS2, find ways of driving down the HB costs by rigging the market against landlords instead of the other way around, introduce charges for GP visits and double for missed appointments, increase CGT, additional bands of council tax, claw back some of the £10K personal allowances in real terms, reduce transport subsidies in London, cut back drastically on arts spending etc and probably still find myself short.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
I try and avoid upsetting those in mourning. But 0.87%!!!!!
Cheers to all PBers who are getting refreshed at Dirty Dicks.
I shall sit at home in the East Midlands rain; drowning my sorrows at the prospects for the LibDems and also for Leicester City.
I have a few quid on Sunderland to win tommorow, and on Nigel Pearson as next in the sack race.
I second that first line Foxy. I'm thinking of all you PBers squashed into the back room, beer, spirit or wine in hand, bending each others ears on the great stories of the day, week or month. Sorry not to be there tonight, next time, perhaps.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
I try and avoid upsetting those in mourning. But 0.87%!!!!!
With figures that low, they haven't got enough support left to hold a wake....
"The Labour leader has no more shots left in the locker. Rochester and Strood was his last hope to disrupt the political narrative. The next major political event is the Autumn Statement which will refocus attention on the economy – a topic on which Labour trails by double digits. Now, Ed Miliband is left to the mercy of the fates, and the PLP." Atul Hatwal is editor of Uncut http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2014/11/21/ed-miliband-lost-more-than-a-by-election-last-night/
She's clearly focussing on the priorities for Argentina!
I actually did a double-take when I first read it: I thought it might be some sort of spoof.
Argentina's leaders are becoming seriously deluded. Also, this passage is slightly chilling - I don't want to break Godwin's law but, err, y'know what I mean:
“It is directed not only at the foreigner who comes here as a tourist or visits our country, but also at the citizens in general, and will serve to reinforce our history, our culture and our identity.”
Why do the Argentina government feel the need to direct propaganda towards their own citizens to 'reinforce' their views and identity?
Is Argentina a democracy or isn't it? Why don't the Argentine people reject this obsession and borderline demagoguery and vote this government out?
I will not be going to Argentina until it ends its unpleasant obsession with the Falklands. Quite aside from my own views on the matter, I'm not sure that, if you're British, it's safe.
Might still be OK to go to Patagonia if you're Welsh-speaking.
I've visited Argentina plenty since the Falklands war - and have never had any personal animosity on this subject whatsoever. People seemed quite touched when I went to see the monument to their war dead. That said, I haven't been for 3 years, so this latest ratcheting up might have conceivably change things. Sad if it does.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
When I think of all the misleading leaflets, I'm glad everyone associated with that pack of mendacious malcontents is discovering they've wasted their political life.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
There's only so long you can ride two horses travelling in different directions. You got a good few years out of it, but whoever was leader was going to see the party pulled apart by political reality.
More confirmation of why Burnham should be the hot favourite to be next Labour leader. He's come a clear first in the new Labourlist survey, 30% ahead of Yvette Cooper. Chuka Umunna barely top 10. Ed Balls and Tristram Hunt bottom.
More confirmation of why Burnham should be the hot favourite to be next Labour leader. He's come a clear first in the new Labourlist survey, 30% ahead of Yvette Cooper. Chuka Umunna barely top 10.
"The Labour leader has no more shots left in the locker. Rochester and Strood was his last hope to disrupt the political narrative. The next major political event is the Autumn Statement which will refocus attention on the economy – a topic on which Labour trails by double digits. Now, Ed Miliband is left to the mercy of the fates, and the PLP." Atul Hatwal is editor of Uncut http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2014/11/21/ed-miliband-lost-more-than-a-by-election-last-night/
You'd have to say Rochester and Strood was a missed chance for the Conservatives to disrupt UKIP as well.
Autumn Statement, the Budget and then the election campaign itself are the only major events left. Politics is never that simple though, I'm sure some unforeseeable major events will occur.
Even as a fully paid-up deficit denier, I managed to make it to £35.5bn, by increasing prescription charges, cutting spending on London transport, axing HS2, abolishing the Culture department, choosing all the proposed defence cuts, and selecting all the tax rises except increasing VAT.
However, before I blow too many of my loony leftie points, I'd cancel out most of those savings by spending MORE on health and welfare.
You do not have to cut all the deficit. You have to cut the structural deficit. That is you have to balance the budget over the economic cycle. This will involve raising some taxes permanently and also cutting the govts discretionary spending permanently to a level that can be sustained by our GDP. Real increases in spending can only be sustained by real increases in productivity and real growth in GDP. Being able to have real increases in productivity involves all manner of things such as improved and less congested transport links.
The govt have done a good job in cutting the structural deficit and at the same time sustaining the wider economy at a time of economic crisis elsewhere. The International Monetary Fund fiscal monitor says, the cyclically-adjusted deficit has come down from 10.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to 4.1% this year.
£48bn is probably not far off the structural deficit to be honest.
Personally I would cut benefits for those earning more than average wages, cut overseas aid by a lot more than 5% get rid of or at least means test all the fripperies given to oldies, forget HS2, find ways of driving down the HB costs by rigging the market against landlords instead of the other way around, introduce charges for GP visits and double for missed appointments, increase CGT, additional bands of council tax, claw back some of the £10K personal allowances in real terms, reduce transport subsidies in London, cut back drastically on arts spending etc and probably still find myself short.
Even as a fully paid-up deficit denier, I managed to make it to £35.5bn, by increasing prescription charges, cutting spending on London transport, axing HS2, abolishing the Culture department, choosing all the proposed defence cuts, and selecting all the tax rises except increasing VAT.
However, before I blow too many of my loony leftie points, I'd cancel out most of those savings by spending MORE on health and welfare.
You do not have to cut all the deficit. You have to cut the structural deficit. That is you have to balance the budget over the economic cycle. This will involve raising some taxes permanently and also cutting the govts discretionary spending permanently to a level that can be sustained by our GDP. Real increases in spending can only be sustained by real increases in productivity and real growth in GDP. Being able to have real increases in productivity involves all manner of things such as improved and less congested transport links.
The govt have done a good job in cutting the structural deficit and at the same time sustaining the wider economy at a time of economic crisis elsewhere. The International Monetary Fund fiscal monitor says, the cyclically-adjusted deficit has come down from 10.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to 4.1% this year.
£48bn is probably not far off the structural deficit to be honest.
Personally I would cut benefits for those earning more than average wages, cut overseas aid by a lot more than 5% get rid of or at least means test all the fripperies given to oldies, forget HS2, find ways of driving down the HB costs by rigging the market against landlords instead of the other way around, introduce charges for GP visits and double for missed appointments, increase CGT, additional bands of council tax, claw back some of the £10K personal allowances in real terms, reduce transport subsidies in London, cut back drastically on arts spending etc and probably still find myself short.
Others put it higher. Labour said it never existed. The IMF put it at 5.2% of GDP in 2007
Its worth noting that from 2002 – 2007, national debt increased to 37 % of GDP after falling from 250% in 1950 to 29% in 2002. This increase in debt levels occurred despite the long period of economic expansion. This must mean a significant increase in the structural deficit during that time.
In terms of the governments actions then in real terms spending fell by 15 billion between 2011 - 2012.(Treasury Feb 13)
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Hope you re think in the morning,do not go,I enjoy the variety of comment,I rarely post,but you are not a poster I would like to see leave. Sleep on it and stay.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Sorry to hear that - I have posted on here since around 2006 I think although my post count since Vanilla arrived has been relatively low- prior to that I had several hundred more posts now disappeared on Diskus and its predecessor. Something I said on the 2007 Clegg v Huhne election was even quoted on a thread header. I never feel you have to leave the site as such - you can always remain a lurker if that is what you want.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Sorry to hear that - I have posted on here since around 2006 I think although my post count since Vanilla arrived has been relatively low- prior to that I had several hundred more posts now disappeared on Diskus and its predecessor. Something I said on the 2007 Clegg v Huhne election was even quoted on a thread header. I never feel you have to leave the site as such - you can always remain a lurker if that is what you want.
Dear Innocent,
I have logged on specially to say that you should reconsider.Some posters may be a little too caught up in aggression and others may be a little on the punch & judy side, but nevertheless all opinions are welcome, yours not least. Like Rob, I have been posting on this site since 2005, I think and have always enjoyed the variety. Sage political analysis, Idiocy, views which make me scream and regular forays into Medieval history, or restaurant guides for Northern Zimbabwe. Please stay with us and keep contributing.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I think this is a great pity. I, too, have thought of leaving a few times because I just find the UKIP ranters tiresome at best, f-ing idiots at worst, and usually they are the latter.
However, you bring valuable insights to this forum and I'm sure Mike would join me and others in saying that we hope you stay. You post many many thoughtful and insightful comments. At least come back for the Election?
It's been fun reading all the comments trying to play down the fact that UKIP have doubled their number of MPs in recent hours. It'll be close in May but Reckless is slight favourite if the Tories don't change their candidate IMO.
Aren't you the guy who bet on the kippers polling more than 50% - that didn't turn out too well did it? Quite happy to take a bet with you that the LDs will have more MPs than the kippers on May 8th next year.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Don't spoil a good flounce with an encore, just go on a high. Bye bye.
Hmph, Innocent Abroad is one of my favourites on here. Always has a unique take on things (plus I find his bluntness towards some of the PBTories hilarious).
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
I agree that Nick should have had an office of state. Didn't the FDP when in coalition in Germany always take the equivalent to our foreign secretary position and that might have been the one that fitted Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
VPOTUS is from the same party! Clegg is chairing all sorts of committees and ruining the governing of the UK with endless rubbish soppy lefty liberal interuptions. Admittedly its not as bad as the disruptions that Brown inflicted on Blair but thats hardly a benchmark. So as an LD he is able to stick his and the LD party's nose into the tory party governing Britain and not only are you are still not satisfied - you make a bogus comparison.
Both Clegg and you should be on your knees in thanks to St Nigel, otherwise the Tories would be in power on their own.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I think this is a great pity. I, too, have thought of leaving a few times because I just find the UKIP ranters tiresome at best, f-ing idiots at worst, and usually they are the latter.
However, you bring valuable insights to this forum and I'm sure Mike would join me and others in saying that we hope you stay. You post many many thoughtful and insightful comments. At least come back for the Election?
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus that you're one of the better posters on this site, and it would be a shame to see you go.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I think this is a great pity. I, too, have thought of leaving a few times because I just find the UKIP ranters tiresome at best, f-ing idiots at worst, and usually they are the latter.
However, you bring valuable insights to this forum and I'm sure Mike would join me and others in saying that we hope you stay. You post many many thoughtful and insightful comments. At least come back for the Election?
Why are greenhouses and stones coming to mind?
I've no idea, but it takes all sorts Socrates. It takes all sorts.
Interacting with people in person? Sounds terrible. Nope, it's new videogame release season. Dragon Age Inquisition awaits, so politics must lose out.
Is it any good?
Just done the prologue so far, newish controls getting a bit used to, and like every game in the series to date, it has not been quite what I expected set up wise, but it seems promising and far from standard, and I'm a huge fan of the others, particularly the second one, which gets a lot of stick. I see an enjoyably wasted weekend ahead.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Damn shame. You have a distinctive take on things, always worth a read.
Perhaps we could put it to a vote on whether you should be allowed to leave? Let the people speak...
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
VPOTUS is from the same party! Clegg is chairing all sorts of committees and ruining the governing of the UK with endless rubbish soppy lefty liberal interuptions. Admittedly its not as bad as the disruptions that Brown inflicted on Blair but thats hardly a benchmark. So as an LD he is able to stick his and the LD party's nose into the tory party governing Britain and not only are you are still not satisfied - you make a bogus comparison.
Both Clegg and you should be on your knees in thanks to St Nigel, otherwise the Tories would be in power on their own.
Earth calling Flightpath .... get in touch with reality!!!
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
I agree that Nick should have had an office of state. Didn't the FDP when in coalition in Germany always take the equivalent to our foreign secretary position and that might have been the one that fitted Clegg.
I suspect that that the FO had been promised to Hague, and there was no chance of him settling for anything else. I wonder how Clegg would have fitted into the Home Office?
IA. please reconsider. I don't post often these days, but I would rather read the considered opinions of a man (?) like yourself with whom I usually do not agree than many of the comments from those with whom I nominally share a position. I hope those PBers rolling out of DD's later will concur.
Oh, and the idea of a Conservative-led coalition in 2010 allowing the LDs to have the Foreign Office - and its critical role in European policy - was always a non-starter. Might, however, be a tradeable role in the next coalition, so long as the LD Foreign Sec first accepts a binding commitment to the referendum!
Oh, and the idea of a Conservative-led coalition in 2010 allowing the LDs to have the Foreign Office - and its critical role in European policy - was always a non-starter. Might, however, be a tradeable role in the next coalition, so long as the LD Foreign Sec first accepts a binding commitment to the referendum!
Can't see the LDs having enough MPs in any Coalition arrangement to make their prospective partners think a great office of state was justified.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
So I am sat here reading this evening's paper and the front page story is about a disaster for the government in Kent. Having spent much of my afternoon on here I was expecting Ed to be the big story!
Here is a Labour hack just for you. Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr "Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
Take it you've not spoken to any LibDems! When I think of all the effort I put in to build the Lib/Libdem vote up where I then lived I could curse Clegg.
Curse him for being Deputy Prime Minister? You certainly sound like a libdem to me.
I'v e made it clear in the past that IMHO DPM is up the with VPOTUS; works occasionally but not often. Even in a "partnership" which is 3.5 to 1 or thereabouts the leader of the smaller party should have one of the REAL offices of state and have the chance to make a real difference. As it is, the lib~dems seem to have got all the kicks and none of the ha'pence. If the DUP become the support act to the Tories in 2015 I would put money on N. Ireland joining the Irish Republic before 2020.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
I agree that Nick should have had an office of state. Didn't the FDP when in coalition in Germany always take the equivalent to our foreign secretary position and that might have been the one that fitted Clegg.
I suspect that that the FO had been promised to Hague, and there was no chance of him settling for anything else. I wonder how Clegg would have fitted into the Home Office?
I don't think the Tory backbenchers would have worn Clarke at Justice and Clegg as Home Sec but really one of the big 3 should have been part of the deal however difficult it was.
Dear chap please do change your mind. You have always offered a distinctive, slightly detached view on things and had you not already done so, by now will realise you are not short of admirers here on PB.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Some strange re-writing of history with regard to 2010. David Cameron created the Coalition with his offer of talks to Nick Clegg the day after the election. I suspect none of the big three departments were offered though other Ministries were and are occupied by LDs.
Cameron had to do this and this is worth stressing, because the Conservatives failed to win a majority at the 2010 General Election. It has to be stressed because I think some on here still don't believe it.
Evening all and for those not imbibing at DD, I have been struck by a couple of comments I heard today.
Some people were quite rude about the Tory candidate in Rochester and Strood. The comments were on a par with Lady Emily Nugee's tweet. The implication that Kelly was too thick or "common" to be successful as the Tory candidate. On the contrary she struck me as being a dedicated local councillor whom the constituents chose and I am sure no small part of her ability to keep Mark Reckless' majority under 3,000 was down to her.
Nigel Farage in an interview this afternoon said that the Tory vote had held up very well in Rochester and that basically it was the collapse of the Labour vote in Strood which handed the seat to UKIP. In the circumstances perhaps not surprising that Kelly is now favourite with the bookies to retake the seat in May. I sincerely hope she does.
Dear chap please do change your mind. You have always offered a distinctive, slightly detached view on things and had you not already done so, by now will realise you are not short of admirers here on PB.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Great to meet so many of you at Dirty Dicks tonight, and put a name to all the faces. I'm only sorry I didn't get to meet everybody; you were all terrific company.
Thanks to fatSteve for organising and hope to see you all again soon!
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Just delurk after the election. No need to go for good.
"OldKingCole" - says Earth calling Flightpath .... get in touch with reality!!!
Clegg and the LDs have in my opinion made a mess of being in government. But they are in government and putting their drag anchor left wing influence on it. Thats the bad part for me but not if you are an LD supporter. Furthermore they think its a neat idea to attack their partners - as if this is going to help the govt of which they are a part. At least from the tory point of view its not blue on blue.
But LDs should be delighted not angry that they are in govt.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I think a good few of us have "left" PB.com in the past only to return again once we feel refreshed and having shaken off any particularly irritating aspects of which there are always inevitably a number and I do hope this will prove to be the case with goodself ....... one of PB's really genuine old-timers .... I feel sure Mike will be sorry to hear of your departure.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
I don't even understand this, and think you're being silly. I hope you reconsider and come to your senses over the next few days: you are a valued poster.
It's a hard choice not to negotiate but it's the only sensible one in the end. Easy to say when you are sitting safe and comfortable but giving in to blackmail is not going to make these people stop.
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Dear Mr Innocent Abroad,
I am sorry to hear that you feel bullied off the site and if I have ever contributed to that I apologise.
In terms of being sucked into aggression I can only agree, I try to post constructive comments that might be of interest to those who enjoy a flutter but cannot help myself when people respond in a rude manner. ie those who only offer invective but cannot bring themselves to try and actually refute what is stated with facts and links and rarely if ever post anything that might be of interest to those of us who do like a flutter.
More confirmation of why Burnham should be the hot favourite to be next Labour leader. He's come a clear first in the new Labourlist survey, 30% ahead of Yvette Cooper. Chuka Umunna barely top 10. Ed Balls and Tristram Hunt bottom.
Indeed - I pointed out earlier today the excellent value imho backing Burnham at 20/1 to be the next PM (on the pretext that Miliband will lose next May). That price has now gone, but he's still available at 16/1 with Ladbeokes, etc.
Dan Hodges tweets: Bacon sandwich. Gareth. Ukip-Lite. 2p for the homeless. Fireworks Night plot. Dark forces re-launch. Klass War. VanGate. Where does it end?
Ed should instruct all his MP's to undergo diversity training, not the usual lefty metro elite diversity training, no "white van man" diversity training, starting with buying a copy of tomorrow's Sun
First papers are in. What a truly dreadful day for Labour. If Ed was angry last night he must be in some kind of thermonuclear meltdown now at the damage one MP has done to her party. I had written off thoughts of another attempted coup on Ed, but looking at this lot...I'm not so sure. If only, if only, there was a candidate.
Ed should instruct all his MP's to undergo diversity training, not the usual lefty metro elite diversity training, no "white van man" diversity training, starting with buying a copy of tomorrow's Sun
What's interesting about The Sun's take is how heavily they're gunning for Labour. I do wonder if rather than endorsing the Conservatives this time, they'll simply advise their readers to vote for whoever's best placed to stop Ed?
First papers are in. What a truly dreadful day for Labour. If Ed was angry last night he must be in some kind of thermonuclear meltdown now at the damage one MP has done to her party. I had written off thoughts of another attempted coup on Ed, but looking at this lot...I'm not so sure. If only, if only, there was a candidate.
It's not one MP though. You could write one MP's comments off - even a front bencher's. The reason why it's so damaging is that it captures in a nutshell what so many believe the whole of the Labour leadership's attitude is to the WWC.
But there won't be a coup. As I said last week, it's Ed or Hattie: there are no other options because there's no time for a full leadership election now (well, technically there is but it'd be farcical for Labour to start 2015 with their front bench at war against itself).
Comments
The govt have done a good job in cutting the structural deficit and at the same time sustaining the wider economy at a time of economic crisis elsewhere. The International Monetary Fund fiscal monitor says, the cyclically-adjusted deficit has come down from 10.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to 4.1% this year.
21/11/2014 15:28
@WikiGuido As I said earlier, I think he saw this. pic.twitter.com/cQPWno159J
The government has embarked on a huge round of manpower cuts in the armed forces and as has been shown recently their plan to replace those regular forces with part timers has been an unmitigated disaster.
That you can even begin to try and defend this shows how utterly divorced from reality you are.
And, FWIW, I think Emily Thornberry's been badly done to. If some one puts up three "Georges" above a white van what do they expect. Maybe she shouldn't have tweeted it but it is more than a bit OTT!
Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr
"Have spoken to Lab people today whose morale had, I thought, hit the bottom, yet are now somehow managing to sound even deeper in despair."
This is why. The top two stories on Sky web page and the 3rd story on BBC news page are about white vans. Spectacular epic fail when Labour should be roasting the Tories at this point. Its as if a by election never took place
http://news.sky.com/
I shall sit at home in the East Midlands rain; drowning my sorrows at the prospects for the LibDems and also for Leicester City.
I have a few quid on Sunderland to win tommorow, and on Nigel Pearson as next in the sack race.
Personally I would cut benefits for those earning more than average wages, cut overseas aid by a lot more than 5% get rid of or at least means test all the fripperies given to oldies, forget HS2, find ways of driving down the HB costs by rigging the market against landlords instead of the other way around, introduce charges for GP visits and double for missed appointments, increase CGT, additional bands of council tax, claw back some of the £10K personal allowances in real terms, reduce transport subsidies in London, cut back drastically on arts spending etc and probably still find myself short.
"The Labour leader has no more shots left in the locker. Rochester and Strood was his last hope to disrupt the political narrative. The next major political event is the Autumn Statement which will refocus attention on the economy – a topic on which Labour trails by double digits.
Now, Ed Miliband is left to the mercy of the fates, and the PLP."
Atul Hatwal is editor of Uncut
http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2014/11/21/ed-miliband-lost-more-than-a-by-election-last-night/
http://labourlist.org/2014/11/burnham-remains-most-popular-frontbencher-in-latest-shadow-cabinet-rankings/
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Autumn Statement, the Budget and then the election campaign itself are the only major events left. Politics is never that simple though, I'm sure some unforeseeable major events will occur.
Labour said it never existed.
The IMF put it at 5.2% of GDP in 2007
Its worth noting that from 2002 – 2007, national debt increased to 37 % of GDP after falling from 250% in 1950 to 29% in 2002. This increase in debt levels occurred despite the long period of economic expansion. This must mean a significant increase in the structural deficit during that time.
In terms of the governments actions then in real terms spending fell by 15 billion between 2011 - 2012.(Treasury Feb 13)
I had hoped to see people from this site to-night (Friday) at Dirty Dick’s, but alas there was too much chaos on the tubes and buses to make that possible.
I had particularly wanted to be able to thank Mike Smithson for running the site - and the others who have written articles for it. This is because I have decided to leave. Although I have had a lot of enjoyment, and not a little instruction, from the site over the years, I have noticed that I have found it less and less of a pleasant part of the internet (I am referring now of course to the comments, not the articles). More particularly, I regret having, on a few occasions, got sucked into the aggression which seems to be more and more a feature of the comments –as I remember it, when Mike started, there was virtually none at all. And people more and more seem to think of the site as a good place for electioneering of an increasingly rough-and-tumble variety – and even for reposting newspaper articles - which may make the people who do it feel good about themselves .
So: I am off. I hope one or two of you will miss me, but if not, so be it. Once again, thanks to Mike. I’ll have to find something else to help me wake up!
I’ll repost this in the morning, and then that really will be “adieu”.
Sleep on it and stay.
However, I'll take the personal knock in favour of the underlying meme: looking okay for May 7th.
I have logged on specially to say that you should reconsider.Some posters may be a little too caught up in aggression and others may be a little on the punch & judy side, but nevertheless all opinions are welcome, yours not least. Like Rob, I have been posting on this site since 2005, I think and have always enjoyed the variety. Sage political analysis, Idiocy, views which make me scream and regular forays into Medieval history, or restaurant guides for Northern Zimbabwe. Please stay with us and keep contributing.
I sincerely hope I'm going to be proved wrong in May, but at this moment I'm pessimistic.
However, you bring valuable insights to this forum and I'm sure Mike would join me and others in saying that we hope you stay. You post many many thoughtful and insightful comments. At least come back for the Election?
Burger!
Why is it the sensible ones always go first?
Clegg is chairing all sorts of committees and ruining the governing of the UK with endless rubbish soppy lefty liberal interuptions. Admittedly its not as bad as the disruptions that Brown inflicted on Blair but thats hardly a benchmark.
So as an LD he is able to stick his and the LD party's nose into the tory party governing Britain and not only are you are still not satisfied - you make a bogus comparison.
Both Clegg and you should be on your knees in thanks to St Nigel, otherwise the Tories would be in power on their own.
It's very quiet on here.
I take it everyone is at DD getting drunk?
Perhaps we could put it to a vote on whether you should be allowed to leave? Let the people speak...
Have always regarded you as a star poster and hope you will reconsider, but will respect your decision if it is final.
Good luck whatever you do.
Warm regards
PtP
There are a few plonkers in every population, that is part of democracy. Don't yield the floor to them.
Take a break, then return.
I hope those PBers rolling out of DD's later will concur.
Might, however, be a tradeable role in the next coalition, so long as the LD Foreign Sec first accepts a binding commitment to the referendum!
Hope all are enjoying the fun at DD's.
Some strange re-writing of history with regard to 2010. David Cameron created the Coalition with his offer of talks to Nick Clegg the day after the election. I suspect none of the big three departments were offered though other Ministries were and are occupied by LDs.
Cameron had to do this and this is worth stressing, because the Conservatives failed to win a majority at the 2010 General Election. It has to be stressed because I think some on here still don't believe it.
Some people were quite rude about the Tory candidate in Rochester and Strood. The comments were on a par with Lady Emily Nugee's tweet. The implication that Kelly was too thick or "common" to be successful as the Tory candidate. On the contrary she struck me as being a dedicated local councillor whom the constituents chose and I am sure no small part of her ability to keep Mark Reckless' majority under 3,000 was down to her.
Nigel Farage in an interview this afternoon said that the Tory vote had held up very well in Rochester and that basically it was the collapse of the Labour vote in Strood which handed the seat to UKIP. In the circumstances perhaps not surprising that Kelly is now favourite with the bookies to retake the seat in May. I sincerely hope she does.
Clearly what is said at DDs, stays at DDs...
...But it is good to meet political folk. It helped make up my mind to get involved (somehow) again.
Thanks to fatSteve for organising and hope to see you all again soon!
Earth calling Flightpath .... get in touch with reality!!!
Clegg and the LDs have in my opinion made a mess of being in government. But they are in government and putting their drag anchor left wing influence on it. Thats the bad part for me but not if you are an LD supporter.
Furthermore they think its a neat idea to attack their partners - as if this is going to help the govt of which they are a part.
At least from the tory point of view its not blue on blue.
But LDs should be delighted not angry that they are in govt.
Long ago, I accepted that my fate will overwhelmingly likely be the same as my cellmates, and I’m angry about it," he says.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11247229/Isil-hostage-John-Cantile-I-have-accepted-my-fate.html
Has his use to ISIS run it course?
I don't even understand this, and think you're being silly. I hope you reconsider and come to your senses over the next few days: you are a valued poster.
http://order-order.com/2014/11/21/lucy-powell-meltdown/
I am sorry to hear that you feel bullied off the site and if I have ever contributed to that I apologise.
In terms of being sucked into aggression I can only agree, I try to post constructive comments that might be of interest to those who enjoy a flutter but cannot help myself when people respond in a rude manner. ie those who only offer invective but cannot bring themselves to try and actually refute what is stated with facts and links and rarely if ever post anything that might be of interest to those of us who do like a flutter.
I hope you reconsider and wish you well.
Swiss Bob
https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/535921639951974400
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11247184/Ed-Milibands-leadership-in-turmoil-after-Rochester-and-Strood-by-election-disaster.html
But there won't be a coup. As I said last week, it's Ed or Hattie: there are no other options because there's no time for a full leadership election now (well, technically there is but it'd be farcical for Labour to start 2015 with their front bench at war against itself).