Harry Cole @MrHarryCole · 7m7 minutes ago Andrew Mitchell today: "free speech does matter". He's just remortgaged his house to pay his legal fees after attempting to gag The Sun.
BBC reporter faces calls to resign after he tells daughter of Holocaust survivors after Paris attacks: 'Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well'
'More seriously, the three Britain-wide party leaders agreed to give Holyrood extra powers if Scotland voted No – famously set out on the front page of the Daily Record two days before the referendum. Both sides in the campaign agreed that YouGov’s poll was a game-changer. Cameron even admitted losing his cool. When he didn’t realise he was being overheard, he told New York’s former Mayor, Michael Bloomberg: “I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through.” If that’s how you feel, Dave, go ahead and sue. I’ll see you in court. What’s interesting about Cameron’s remarks is that he is blaming the wrong target. YouGov didn’t invent the neck-and-neck figures. We were simply measuring the state of Scottish opinion. The real drama was happening not inside our computers, but on the streets and in the homes of Glasgow, Dundee and other cities, towns and villages across Scotland. Cameron’s response – and Miliband’s and Clegg’s – should not have been to lose their nerve, but calmly to understand why the No lead had collapsed. YouGov’s poll contained plenty of clues. Scottish voters, and women in particular, were becoming less afraid of independence. More believed Alex Salmond’s assurances that all would be well. Indeed, Salmond had persuaded a number of Scots that Scotland’s NHS might suffer if No won and the Tories stayed in power in London. The conclusion sensible London leaders should have drawn was: keep calm. Stress the positive case for the union; don’t just rely on scare tactics. There is no need to give away big extra powers – show that the 1997 devolution settlement gave Scots the best of both worlds.'
Yep, like completely reversing their strategy to a positive one 10 days before the referendum wouldn't have been a sign of panic.
What is oddest about all that is that in face of Dave's craven irresolution, panic, cowardice and hiding behind Mamma Gordon's skirts when one outlying poll suggested things weren't going his way, his fans can continue to poo-poo the suggestion that he might in 2017 do anything remotely dishonourable.
BBC reporter faces calls to resign after he tells daughter of Holocaust survivors after Paris attacks: 'Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well'
Are they referring to the recent Gaza conflict?
Quite likely... but he is talking to the daughter of a holocaust survivor.
He also has form, last year he said "A lot of these prominent Jewish faces will be very much against the mansion tax'.
Isam, good good glad to hear it. Unfortunately that has happened a few times on here with some freestyle betting during the run-up only to find they go off-piste on race day, never to be seen again.
David Cameron will today launch the six key themes of the Conservative Party’s election campaign David Cameron will today launch the six key themes of the Conservative Party’s election campaign, saying they will be the deficit, jobs, taxes, education, housing and retirement.
Source: The Times
Christopher Hope @christopherhope 4m4 minutes ago Tories will take public spending back to 2002 levels. "The world did not fall in then and it won't now", says David Cameron #GE2015
How many more extra people in this country since 2002 Mr Cameron for even less services.
You mean all the new people aren't working hard here and contributing to the economy - or are they just more scroungers who you want us to pay for?
Well where I live,we are importing poor,uneducated people who have been let into this country by the party you support.
'More seriously, the three Britain-wide party leaders agreed to give Holyrood extra powers if Scotland voted No – famously set out on the front page of the Daily Record two days before the referendum. Both sides in the campaign agreed that YouGov’s poll was a game-changer. Cameron even admitted losing his cool. When he didn’t realise he was being overheard, he told New York’s former Mayor, Michael Bloomberg: “I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through.” If that’s how you feel, Dave, go ahead and sue. I’ll see you in court. What’s interesting about Cameron’s remarks is that he is blaming the wrong target. YouGov didn’t invent the neck-and-neck figures. We were simply measuring the state of Scottish opinion. The real drama was happening not inside our computers, but on the streets and in the homes of Glasgow, Dundee and other cities, towns and villages across Scotland. Cameron’s response – and Miliband’s and Clegg’s – should not have been to lose their nerve, but calmly to understand why the No lead had collapsed. YouGov’s poll contained plenty of clues. Scottish voters, and women in particular, were becoming less afraid of independence. More believed Alex Salmond’s assurances that all would be well. Indeed, Salmond had persuaded a number of Scots that Scotland’s NHS might suffer if No won and the Tories stayed in power in London. The conclusion sensible London leaders should have drawn was: keep calm. Stress the positive case for the union; don’t just rely on scare tactics. There is no need to give away big extra powers – show that the 1997 devolution settlement gave Scots the best of both worlds.'
Yep, like completely reversing their strategy to a positive one 10 days before the referendum wouldn't have been a sign of panic.
What is oddest about all that is that in face of Dave's craven irresolution, panic, cowardice and hiding behind Mamma Gordon's skirts when one outlying poll suggested things weren't going his way, his fans can continue to poo-poo the suggestion that he might in 2017 do anything remotely dishonourable.
Except, YouGov wasn't an outlier.
ICM phone poll had No ahead by 2%, TNS had it as a tie.
I'm led to believe that the Government's own pollster had it to close to call.
There were reports that Yes' in house pollster (those pesky Canadians) had Yes ahead by double digits
Isam, good good glad to hear it. Unfortunately that has happened a few times on here with some freestyle betting during the run-up only to find they go off-piste on race day, never to be seen again.
You reckon UKIP will win 9 seats? Actually, how many do you forecast.
But.. But... you have only been on here since November!! How on earth would you know???
****My apologies.. it was November 2013....*****
Hmm I reckon 5-7 seats for UKIP.. bit of a big spread that....
Clacton, Rochester, College to win Thanet South, Thurrock, Boston, Castle Point, Great Grimsby, Great Yarmouth, North Thanet, Cannock Chase, Rotherham, S Basildon & E Thurrock, Thanet North are the best shots I reckon.. Could win them all, plus a couple of randoms.. .possibly even my own constituency of Hx & Upminster...
Charlie Hebdo attack: Anonymous claims first victory in 'war' on jihadi websites Hacking group announces on Twitter account @OpCharlieHebdo that it has taken down French terror-mongering website
BBC reporter faces calls to resign after he tells daughter of Holocaust survivors after Paris attacks: 'Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well'
Free speech, that lasted long.
You do talk some nonsense. What we have been saying all along is people should be free to say what they want, he said it. They should be free to be criticised, he is being criticised. People are free to petition his funder or employer to remove funding/employment, they are. Nothing is incompatible with that idea. Possibly you just support his statement, in which case in the spirit of free speech, you should say so.
I take full responsibility for the 'outlier'. last time I said without a coherent strategy Ed was going to be in trouble there was another boom in his support
Douglas Carswell on the Daily Politics now pointing out UKIP would spend £9bn less pa on Overseas Aid... Farage must have a sniper in the studio pointing a gun at his head eh?
Yuck. Carswell's been Faraged...
I am sure he didn't mean it.. perhaps Nige had Dougie's wife and kids tied up at UKIP HQ until he left the BBC studio having read the script?
Interesting comments on CNBC about the absence of any American leaders in Paris yesterday. Clearly a major gaffe according to their commentators and I tend to agree.
They will be calling French Fries "Freedom (of speech)Fries" next
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
O/T, why does Carswell always do that twuntish thing of doing two thumbs up when he's being photographed? Is he worried someone in 2045 will say he groped her in 2014 and this is his way of accounting for where his hands are?
It's a subtle reference to Anna Soubry's comments about Farage liking a finger up the bum.
'PPE Finals. DirtyDick College, Oxbridge Jan 2015' Answer all questions, but only once. Time allowed: 114 days (Please write in white working class ink) Q1 Despite Farage saying there was not enough leeway for humour in politics - in defence after he said traffic jams were caused by immigrants - he went ballistically furious when Anna Soubry said, “I always think he looks like somebody has put their finger up his bottom and he really rather likes it”. This from someone who was happy to appear on HIGNFY - where the whole point of the programme is to stick metaphorical fingers up everyones bottom. Does this make Farage a hypocrite? Discuss. Q2 If Nigel Farage discovered a new gas it would undoubtedly be called 'Faragen'. What do you think the properties of Faragen would be? Q3 If Anna Soubry discovered a rare metal it would probably be called 'Soubrinite'. What do you think the properties of Soubrinite would be? Q4 (Study the accompanying article entitled 'HAS THE BUDGET DEFICIT HALVED?'. Extract - ''So the primary deficit, one measure, has halved in cash terms, from £131.9 billion in 2009-10 to £66.3 billion in 2013-14, with a projected deficit of £60.4 billion this year.) http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/ This seems to confirm that Cameron is right when he says the government have cut the deficit in half. How does this make you feel? Q5 Discuss the merits of satire, free speech and causing offence.
(End of Philosophy questions.) Economists may write on both sides of the answer paper Politicians must write between the lines on the paper Philosophers may take 10 extra minutes to ponder the merits of the above choices.
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
'More seriously, the three Britain-wide party leaders agreed to give Holyrood extra powers if Scotland voted No – famously set out on the front page of the Daily Record two days before the referendum. Both sides in the campaign agreed that YouGov’s poll was a game-changer. Cameron even admitted losing his cool. When he didn’t realise he was being overheard, he told New York’s former Mayor, Michael Bloomberg: “I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through.” If that’s how you feel, Dave, go ahead and sue. I’ll see you in court. What’s interesting about Cameron’s remarks is that he is blaming the wrong target. YouGov didn’t inventstand why the No lead had collapsed. YouGov’s poll contained plenty of clues. Scottish voters, and women in particular, were becoming less afraid of independence. More believed Alex Salmond’s assurances that all would be well. Indeed, Salmond had persuaded a number of Scots that Scotland’s NHS might suffer if No won and the Tories stayed in power in London. The conclusion sensible London leaders should have drawn was: keep calm. Stress the positive case for the union; don’t just rely on scare tactics. There is no need to give away big extra powers – show that the 1997 devolution settlement gave Scots the best of both worlds.'
Yep, like completely reversing their strategy to a positive one 10 days before the referendum wouldn't have been a sign of panic.
What is oddest about all that is that in face of Dave's craven irresolution, panic, cowardice and hiding behind Mamma Gordon's skirts when one outlying poll suggested things weren't going his way, his fans can continue to poo-poo the suggestion that he might in 2017 do anything remotely dishonourable.
Except, YouGov wasn't an outlier.
ICM phone poll had No ahead by 2%, TNS had it as a tie.
I'm led to believe that the Government's own pollster had it to close to call.
There were reports that Yes' in house pollster (those pesky Canadians) had Yes ahead by double digits
ICM's online poll had Yes ahead by 8%.
So Dave will only perpetrate a massive unconstitutional fraud on the electorate in collaboration with el Gordo, the Destroyer of Worlds, if more than one poll suggests to him it might be a good idea.
BBC reporter faces calls to resign after he tells daughter of Holocaust survivors after Paris attacks: 'Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well'
Free speech, that lasted long.
You do talk some nonsense. What we have been saying all along is people should be free to say what they want, he said it. They should be free to be criticised, he is being criticised. People are free to petition his funder or employer to remove funding/employment, they are. Nothing is incompatible with that idea. Possibly you just support his statement, in which case in the spirit of free speech, you should say so.
So he should lose his job for saying something, not exactly free speech is it, you don't really get the concept do you.
Someone should give her a copy of Solzhenitsyn's the Gulag Archipeligo whilst they are at it. The 30s was terrible time for Slavs.
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy, that takes it further than just about any country except North Korea. He's lost the plot.
O/T, why does Carswell always do that twuntish thing of doing two thumbs up when he's being photographed? Is he worried someone in 2045 will say he groped her in 2014 and this is his way of accounting for where his hands are?
It's a subtle reference to Anna Soubry's comments about Farage liking a finger up the bum.
'PPE Finals. DirtyDick College, Oxbridge Jan 2015' Answer all questions, but only once. Time allowed: 114 days (Please write in white working class ink) Q1 Despite Farage saying there was not enough leeway for humour in politics - in defence after he said traffic jams were caused by immigrants - he went ballistically furious when Anna Soubry said, “I always think he looks like somebody has put their finger up his bottom and he really rather likes it”. This from someone who was happy to appear on HIGNFY - where the whole point of the programme is to stick metaphorical fingers up everyones bottom. Does this make Farage a hypocrite? Discuss. Q2 If Nigel Farage discovered a new gas it would undoubtedly be called 'Faragen'. What do you think the properties of Faragen would be? Q3 If Anna Soubry discovered a rare metal it would probably be called 'Soubrinite'. What do you think the properties of Soubrinite would be? Q4 (Study the accompanying article entitled 'HAS THE BUDGET DEFICIT HALVED?'. Extract - ''So the primary deficit, one measure, has halved in cash terms, from £131.9 billion in 2009-10 to £66.3 billion in 2013-14, with a projected deficit of £60.4 billion this year.) http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/ This seems to confirm that Cameron is right when he says the government have cut the deficit in half. How does this make you feel? Q5 Discuss the merits of satire, free speech and causing offence.
(End of Philosophy questions.) Economists may write on both sides of the answer paper Politicians must write between the lines on the paper Philosophers may take 10 extra minutes to ponder the merits of the above choices.
Q1 - Yes Farage is a hypocrite, Farage/UKIP = The Hadendoa
Q2 - The Farage gas already /exists, it is called Hot Air
Q3 - It would share similar properties to unobtainium
Q4 - Very disappointing, I was promised 40% cuts to public spending by the Guardian, it gave me the horn, I was expecting a night with Cheryl Cole, instead I got a threesome with two no shows
Q5 - Only a stupid moronic kippers get offended (did you see what I did there)
The irony of the same people complaining discussion of violent Islam is boring and irrelevant, three days after an Islamic terrorist attack, and then going on and on about the same tired cliches of UKIP.
I'm trying to think of a single thing that man has ever said or done that I agree with.
Perhaps telling Murdoch to get lost. Maybe that.
He was wrong to tell Murdoch to get lost as he was just pursuing a legitimate and legal business opportunity. He was opposed by left wing activists who wanted to preserve their own hegemony.
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
So Dave will only perpetrate a massive unconstitutional fraud on the electorate in collaboration with el Gordo, the Destroyer of Worlds, if more than one poll suggests to him it might be a good idea.
I am relieved.
So you were wrong to say it was only one poll.
The reason Kippers are scared of an in/out referendum and are desperate to put Ed into Downing Street, is that Dave has been the public face of two plebiscites, and he's pounded the opposition like a Dockside Hooker.
Lord Ashcroft @LordAshcroft · 14m14 minutes ago Today’s Ashcroft National Poll is the first to include prompting for UKIP in the initial voting intention Q. Results at 4pm, @ConHome.
So Dave will only perpetrate a massive unconstitutional fraud on the electorate in collaboration with el Gordo, the Destroyer of Worlds, if more than one poll suggests to him it might be a good idea.
I am relieved.
So you were wrong to say it was only one poll.
The reason Kippers are scared of an in/out referendum and are desperate to put Ed into Downing Street, is that Dave has been the public face of two plebiscites, and he's pounded the opposition like a Dockside Hooker.
We all know he'll make it a hat-trick in 2017.
His face was entirely hidden in the nether regions of el Gordo when the going got tough. What guarantees against a public Vow of free owls all round in perpetuity, perhaps fronted this time by Tony himself, in 2017 if things get sticky?
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
What's the form here, in terms of journalism ethics? Clearly it was an off-the-record briefing.
But if Miliband flat-out denies he said/briefed it, can the journalist(s) in question refute that categorically?
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy, that takes it further than just about any country except North Korea. He's lost the plot.
I'm nobody's idea of a wild libertarian, but I wouldn't vote for that either - I can just about accept a first scan of who communicates with whom so as to see who the mates of extremists are, but actually listening to the content of conversations should require a warrant.
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
Andrew Marr aside, the BBC itself seems very uninterested in what he might have told the execs, lets just imagine Cameron had alleged muttered something quite so insensitive. And if it had been Farage, well they would be in meltdown with the frothing.
The irony of the same people complaining discussion of violent Islam is boring and irrelevant, three days after an Islamic terrorist attack, and then going on and on about the same tired cliches of UKIP.
Back in the good old days there were "Ideas Futures" which enabled you to gamble on things like terrorist attacks. I made a huge (virtual) pile by predicting: (1) that the Queen mum would make it to the Year 2000, and (2) that China would not disintegrate following the end of Deng Xioping's rule.
The idea was that, by allowing people to bet on who would be next to be assassinated, you'd get valuable early intelligence. And I'm sure it was right. Unfortunately, the (government run) site was shut down by people who didn't really understand why it was valuable.
So, absent any decent terrorism markets, of course people are talking "the same tired old cliches" about UKIP.
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
Andrew Marr aside, the BBC itself seems very uninterested in what he might have told the execs, lets just imagine Cameron had alleged muttered something quite so insensitive. And if it had been Farage, well they would be in meltdown.
That's not correct, Nick Robinson has been all over it
If Tories are going to talk about 'living within our means', then I think the appalling trade deficit becomes fair game. The deficit is not the only one.
On the other hand... ''A faster GDP growth than trade partners' ones usually results in trade deficit, since imports are elastic to GDP (they rise more than proportionally).'' ''Trade balance tend to be strongly anti-cyclical: in boom periods it usually exhibits deficits'' http://www.economicswebinstitute.org/glossary/tradebalance.htm
''If financial transaction are particularly intensive and autonomous, an inflow of FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] can lead to higher imports (of production inputs for the new foreign-owned plants), also because of revaluation of currency.'' (note we are big beneficiaries of foreign investment)
We have imports exports in goods and services - and we do well on services. We also have FDI both other peoples inwards and ours outwards. Currently we are attracting a lot of inward investment and its doing well. Our outward investment is not doing as well. Doing well at home and others not doing as well abroad are all issues but can it be categorised as 'not living within our means'?
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
Andrew Marr aside, the BBC itself seems very uninterested in what he might have told the execs, lets just imagine Cameron had alleged muttered something quite so insensitive. And if it had been Farage, well they would be in meltdown with the frothing.
What's interesting is that Miliband's 'weaponise the NHS' comment leaked back to Cameron.
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
Andrew Marr aside, the BBC itself seems very uninterested in what he might have told the execs, lets just imagine Cameron had alleged muttered something quite so insensitive. And if it had been Farage, well they would be in meltdown.
That's not correct, Nick Robinson has been all over it
I am desperately trying to find this on the BBC website, but I can't. Looked under main, politics and health.
We can all get behind our Prime Minister on this particular occasion:
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh · 46s46 seconds ago Cameron to ITV News: Steven Emerson is "clearly an idiot". He "choked on his porridge" when he heard FoxNews man's remarks
The Sun have an interesting story, about the Shadow Cabinet wanting Ed to rule out any deal to govern with the SNP
But senior figures have still told ‘Red Ed’ any SNP deal would be impossible as the party could never agree to its two key demands, Home Rule and ditching Trident nuclear missiles.
They are also argue that ruling out either a full coalition or a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement will eradicate a major reason for anti-Tory Scots to switch from Labour to the SNP.
A shadow minister told The Sun: “We could never go into power with Alex Salmond because his price is far too high — he knows it and we know it.
“So it would be better for Ed to kill off any prospect of that as soon as possible. That would also help our Scottish vote pick up too.”
A source close to Ed Miliband said last night: “It might well be something we do with about a week or two to go until polling day.
“But it’s early days at the moment and we don’t want to get into months of coalition speculation”
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy, that takes it further than just about any country except North Korea. He's lost the plot.
I'm nobody's idea of a wild libertarian, but I wouldn't vote for that either - I can just about accept a first scan of who communicates with whom so as to see who the mates of extremists are, but actually listening to the content of conversations should require a warrant.
Why not require a warrant for email titles and metadata too? They can be turned around in a day.
We can all get behind our Prime Minister on this particular occasion:
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh · 46s46 seconds ago Cameron to ITV News: Steven Emerson is "clearly an idiot". He "choked on his porridge" when he heard FoxNews man's remarks
GAY recruits to the armed forces will be asked what kind of gay they are so it can be weaponised.
The Ministry of Defence said homosexuality has been terrifying people for years and should now be classified for maximum battlefield impact.
A spokesman added: “A real ‘scene’ gay, who’s still into drag karaoke on a Sunday night, terrifies the life out of the sort of fanatics who want to attack us.
“Meanwhile older, wiser gays can give us a psychological insight into the raging machismo and repressed desires of Russia.”
If Miliband is so worked up about his 'private' remarks being picked up, what does he think of 'private' remarks being picked up by police, and other security agencies?
Next the Rooneys to discuss football (he read something about it once) :-)
Good job Ed doesn't do celebrity politics.
As an aside was rung by Conservatives this am (Colchester) for a survey on issues facing country - (Pick 3 from about 11 or 12). Who would be a better pm Ed or Dave, rate the chances of voting for each party out of 10 - sorry Labour you got 0 from me, 6 for Blues, 7 Lib dems and 5 UKIP)
Unless he misunderstood my question to me the guy on phone admitted Colchester will not go Blue.
David Cameron will today launch the six key themes of the Conservative Party’s election campaign David Cameron will today launch the six key themes of the Conservative Party’s election campaign, saying they will be the deficit, jobs, taxes, education, housing and retirement.
Source: The Times
Christopher Hope @christopherhope 4m4 minutes ago Tories will take public spending back to 2002 levels. "The world did not fall in then and it won't now", says David Cameron #GE2015
How many more extra people in this country since 2002 Mr Cameron for even less services.
The levels are to 2002 levels of %age of GDP. Growth has increased the GDP in real terms.
Interesting take on "free speech", It should be freely available to the government.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy, that takes it further than just about any country except North Korea. He's lost the plot.
I'm nobody's idea of a wild libertarian, but I wouldn't vote for that either - I can just about accept a first scan of who communicates with whom so as to see who the mates of extremists are, but actually listening to the content of conversations should require a warrant.
Why not require a warrant for email titles and metadata too? They can be turned around in a day.
Leaving that to one side, because personally I am less fussed about that (not unfussed, less fuss) because there is value in following contact networks and using that to decide who to get warrants on.
My real problem is that it is a huge intrusion into people's private conversations, and it won't work, at least against the stated targets.
If you were a terrorist, or even terrorist sympathetic, and living in the UK, knowing this law had been passed, would you use the phone to discuss anything even remotely controversial, would you use it to even contact people in your network, no chance. Plenty of easily accessible ways to be much more secure.
If something is recorded it can be stolen, hacked or leaked, assuming we believe for one second that the powers would be restricted to only the security services in just the same way that similar powers havent.
Now I wonder, would he have said the same about Muslims and ISIS? Or instead have been preaching quite the opposite.
Enabling a Palestinian State would defuse much of the anti Western rhetoric in the Muslim world and is a prerequisite for a stable Middle East. It would be a huge net gain for any Briton who travels or works overseas if we led the way on this issue, especially given our history.
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
My real problem is that it is a huge intrusion into people's private conversations, and it won't work, at least against the stated targets.
If you were a terrorist, or even terrorist sympathetic, and living in the UK, knowing this law had been passed, would you use the phone to discuss anything even remotely controversial, would you use it to even contact people in your network, no chance. Plenty of easily accessible ways to be much more secure.
If something is recorded it can be stolen, hacked or leaked, assuming we believe for one second that the powers would be restricted to only the security services in just the same way that similar powers havent.
Can somebody please sit Cameron down and inform him of how the tinterweb works.
Embarassing... and dangerous.
But warrants can follow webs around known terrorists. You find a terrorist and get a warrant to see who he is talking to. Then if there's anything dodgy in the communication, you can get a warrant for the next guy. I'm happy to have a relatively low standard of proof for this - "reasonable cause" over "probable cause" - but what we need to avoid is the bulk collection of the email titles, times, and contacts. That can allow the government hackers to see a LOT: new boyfriends of exes, emails between an acquaintance and a cancer specialist, phone calls between a woman and an abortion clinic etc.
We already know that NSA agents spy on love interests:
How much more have we not discovered? Snowden pointed out that these agents are highly skilled programmers and are very good at doing things and covering their tracks from their superiors.
If Miliband is so worked up about his 'private' remarks being picked up, what does he think of 'private' remarks being picked up by police, and other security agencies?
The police need a warrant. If Miliband said something to someone in confidence and that confidence was broken then thats his problem. If a lawbreaker plots something over the phone or internet then I hope this evidence is captured.
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
You appear to be a bit behind the times, phone conversations and other electronic conversations have been trawled en masses without a warrant for years, the EU investigated it over a decade ago.
@patrickwintour: Miliband team still struggling with whether he told BBC execs he wished to weaponise the NHS in this election. Evasion not best response ?
Andrew Marr aside, the BBC itself seems very uninterested in what he might have told the execs, lets just imagine Cameron had alleged muttered something quite so insensitive. And if it had been Farage, well they would be in meltdown.
That's not correct, Nick Robinson has been all over it
I am desperately trying to find this on the BBC website, but I can't. Looked under main, politics and health.
Well he said it on BBC TV, that's pretty clear evidence of them being interested in it
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
You appear to be a bit behind the times, phone conversations and other electronic conversations have been trawled en masses without a warrant for years, the EU investigated it over a decade ago.
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
Isn't there a film out this month starring Bradley Cooper called "American Snooper"?
My experiment re under/over betting seems to have worked, and it is safe to say no one on the site genuinely believes Ukip have peaked in the opinion polls.
That has given me an idea that could be fun on the lead up to the GE
Each time a poll is published I will offer an over under price on the labour and conservative vote share in that poll... I will bet to 100% and my margin will be the exact score
So for instance if a party are 32% I might go evens and you think they'll score less in the GE you get even money about 31 or less, if you think they'll do better you get evens about 33 and above
Another poll might have them on 35 and I say 2/7 34 or less 7/2 36 or above
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
You appear to be a bit behind the times, phone conversations and other electronic conversations have been trawled en masses without a warrant for years, the EU investigated it over a decade ago.
What have you got to hide ?
Nothing. I assume you dont either, so you would be okay if they wanted to install a camera over your bed, and another in your bathroom ?
Re surveillance: real terrorists have known how to use PGP and the like to encrypt messages for 15 years, and to use secure email services like Lavabit email and web anonymising networks like Tor. And - just like drug dealers - mobile phones are unlikely to be used for more than a few days at most.
Simply put, there is no way a government can track the communications of any but the most stupid of terrorists.
The surveillance intrusions we enact, therefore, manage to be (a) ineffective, and (b) allow the snooping on millions of (almost by definition) innocent people.
"He can forget my otherwise Conservative vote if that is going to be policy"
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
There is no snoopers charter. Since forever it has been legal to tap your phone using a warrant.
You appear to be a bit behind the times, phone conversations and other electronic conversations have been trawled en masses without a warrant for years, the EU investigated it over a decade ago.
What have you got to hide ?
I'm not sure about Indigo, but I would like to keep private my health status, my finances, my sex life, and any troubles my family members are going through.
Re surveillance: real terrorists have known how to use PGP and the like to encrypt messages for 15 years, and to use secure email services like Lavabit email and web anonymising networks like Tor. And - just like drug dealers - mobile phones are unlikely to be used for more than a few days at most.
Simply put, there is no way a government can track the communications of any but the most stupid of terrorists.
The surveillance intrusions we enact, therefore, manage to be (a) ineffective, and (b) allow the snooping on millions of (almost by definition) innocent people.
My experiment re under/over betting seems to have worked, and it is safe to say no one on the site genuinely believes Ukip have peaked in the opinion polls.
That has given me an idea that could be fun on the lead up to the GE
Each time a poll is published I will offer an over under price on the labour and conservative vote share in that poll... I will bet to 100% and my margin will be the exact score
So for instance if a party are 32% I might go evens and you think they'll score less in the GE you get even money about 31 or less, if you think they'll do better you get evens about 33 and above
Another poll might have them on 35 and I say 2/7 34 or less 7/2 36 or above
I can think of five good reasons why UKIP will end up in the 20s, five why it will end up in the teens, and even a couple why it might end up in the 8-10% range.
I can't tell you which of my possible scenarios will pay out, and not only that, the odds of any party's current poll being either a trough or a peak over the next five years are minute. UKIP will probably manage to hit every percent between 11 and 21 over the next year - if every opinion poll is taken into account. So, betting on peak Kipper (or trough LibDem or peak Milliband, etc.) is inherently dumb.
So Dave will only perpetrate a massive unconstitutional fraud on the electorate in collaboration with el Gordo, the Destroyer of Worlds, if more than one poll suggests to him it might be a good idea.
I am relieved.
So you were wrong to say it was only one poll.
The reason Kippers are scared of an in/out referendum and are desperate to put Ed into Downing Street, is that Dave has been the public face of two plebiscites, and he's pounded the opposition like a Dockside Hooker.
We all know he'll make it a hat-trick in 2017.
I know you are doing this as a joke but turning a 25/75 vote into a 45/55 vote is not pounding anything like anything.
And if, after the shambles of an election coming up, we end up with some form of PR rather than AV I will be less than pleased.
Comments
Andrew Mitchell today: "free speech does matter". He's just remortgaged his house to pay his legal fees after attempting to gag The Sun.
Free speech, that lasted long.
Remember when we had a few outliers before Christmas and Labour supporters the election was in the bag.
Quite likely... but he is talking to the daughter of a holocaust survivor.
He also has form, last year he said "A lot of these prominent Jewish faces will be very much against the mansion tax'.
Labour minority methinks.
ICM phone poll had No ahead by 2%, TNS had it as a tie.
I'm led to believe that the Government's own pollster had it to close to call.
There were reports that Yes' in house pollster (those pesky Canadians) had Yes ahead by double digits
ICM's online poll had Yes ahead by 8%.
****My apologies.. it was November 2013....*****
Hmm I reckon 5-7 seats for UKIP.. bit of a big spread that....
Clacton, Rochester, College to win Thanet South, Thurrock, Boston, Castle Point, Great Grimsby, Great Yarmouth, North Thanet, Cannock Chase, Rotherham, S Basildon & E Thurrock, Thanet North are the best shots I reckon.. Could win them all, plus a couple of randoms.. .possibly even my own constituency of Hx & Upminster...
Hacking group announces on Twitter account @OpCharlieHebdo that it has taken down French terror-mongering website
Free speech, that lasted long.
You do talk some nonsense. What we have been saying all along is people should be free to say what they want, he said it. They should be free to be criticised, he is being criticised. People are free to petition his funder or employer to remove funding/employment, they are. Nothing is incompatible with that idea. Possibly you just support his statement, in which case in the spirit of free speech, you should say so.
SNP 41
Lab 25
Con 20
LD 9
UKIP 3
Grn 2
Voters have clearly decided ed miliband is the man to take on the multitude of challenges we face...
Look at these 'orrible councillors from other parties. You know if any had been UKIP it'd be a mega national story http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=rotten_boroughs&issue=1383 …
Generally speaking, populus not withstanding, Labour's share of the vote is lower than it was was in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
"If he remains as prime minister after the election, Mr Cameron said he would push for new powers to allow the police to access details of conversations, including on mobiles and social media.
Mr Cameron said the recent attacks in Paris showed the need for such a move.
He was "comfortable" it was appropriate in a "modern liberal democracy"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30778424
Answer all questions, but only once.
Time allowed: 114 days
(Please write in white working class ink)
Q1
Despite Farage saying there was not enough leeway for humour in politics - in defence after he said traffic jams were caused by immigrants - he went ballistically furious when Anna Soubry said, “I always think he looks like somebody has put their finger up his bottom and he really rather likes it”. This from someone who was happy to appear on HIGNFY - where the whole point of the programme is to stick metaphorical fingers up everyones bottom.
Does this make Farage a hypocrite? Discuss.
Q2
If Nigel Farage discovered a new gas it would undoubtedly be called 'Faragen'. What do you think the properties of Faragen would be?
Q3
If Anna Soubry discovered a rare metal it would probably be called 'Soubrinite'. What do you think the properties of Soubrinite would be?
Q4
(Study the accompanying article entitled 'HAS THE BUDGET DEFICIT HALVED?'. Extract - ''So the primary deficit, one measure, has halved in cash terms, from £131.9 billion in 2009-10 to £66.3 billion in 2013-14, with a projected deficit of £60.4 billion this year.)
http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/
This seems to confirm that Cameron is right when he says the government have cut the deficit in half. How does this make you feel?
Q5
Discuss the merits of satire, free speech and causing offence.
(End of Philosophy questions.)
Economists may write on both sides of the answer paper
Politicians must write between the lines on the paper
Philosophers may take 10 extra minutes to ponder the merits of the above choices.
http://observer.com/2015/01/legendary-cartoonist-robert-crumb-on-the-massacre-in-paris/
I am relieved.
So he should lose his job for saying something, not exactly free speech is it, you don't really get the concept do you.
Someone should give her a copy of Solzhenitsyn's the Gulag Archipeligo whilst they are at it. The 30s was terrible time for Slavs.
Q2 - The Farage gas already /exists, it is called Hot Air
Q3 - It would share similar properties to unobtainium
Q4 - Very disappointing, I was promised 40% cuts to public spending by the Guardian, it gave me the horn, I was expecting a night with Cheryl Cole, instead I got a threesome with two no shows
Q5 - Only a stupid moronic kippers get offended (did you see what I did there)
Trashing centuries of protections against unreasonable searches: the man has no right to call himself a conservative.
I won't vote Conservative on account of the Snooper's Charter; I won't vote Labour on account of ID cards. Too bad for both of 'em, since I live in a Con-Lab marginal.
The reason Kippers are scared of an in/out referendum and are desperate to put Ed into Downing Street, is that Dave has been the public face of two plebiscites, and he's pounded the opposition like a Dockside Hooker.
We all know he'll make it a hat-trick in 2017.
Yeah, that's going to work...
Today’s Ashcroft National Poll is the first to include prompting for UKIP in the initial voting intention Q. Results at 4pm, @ConHome.
He has some cojones to speak out like that. He jokes about it, but it is no empty gesture.
'As far as I am concerned, I feel I am Charlie Coulibaly'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/quenelle-comedian-dieudonne-praises-terrorist-killer-as-far-as-i-am-concerned-i-feel-i-am-charlie-coulibaly-9972035.html
But if Miliband flat-out denies he said/briefed it, can the journalist(s) in question refute that categorically?
Ebola patient Pauline Cafferkey is recovering and no longer critically ill
I am not sure I have seen categorical statements to that effect
I know the British public don't normally reward parties that engage in such spurious nonsense.
From the Blackshirts to the BNP.
But you will vote for whatever Ed tells you to vote for, Nick, and don't kid yourself otherwise.
The idea was that, by allowing people to bet on who would be next to be assassinated, you'd get valuable early intelligence. And I'm sure it was right. Unfortunately, the (government run) site was shut down by people who didn't really understand why it was valuable.
So, absent any decent terrorism markets, of course people are talking "the same tired old cliches" about UKIP.
''A faster GDP growth than trade partners' ones usually results in trade deficit, since imports are elastic to GDP (they rise more than proportionally).''
''Trade balance tend to be strongly anti-cyclical: in boom periods it usually exhibits deficits''
http://www.economicswebinstitute.org/glossary/tradebalance.htm
''If financial transaction are particularly intensive and autonomous, an inflow of FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] can lead to higher imports (of production inputs for the new foreign-owned plants), also because of revaluation of currency.'' (note we are big beneficiaries of foreign investment)
We have imports exports in goods and services - and we do well on services. We also have FDI both other peoples inwards and ours outwards. Currently we are attracting a lot of inward investment and its doing well. Our outward investment is not doing as well.
Doing well at home and others not doing as well abroad are all issues but can it be categorised as 'not living within our means'?
Now I wonder, would he have said the same about Muslims and ISIS? Or instead have been preaching quite the opposite.
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh · 46s46 seconds ago
Cameron to ITV News: Steven Emerson is "clearly an idiot". He "choked on his porridge" when he heard FoxNews man's remarks
But senior figures have still told ‘Red Ed’ any SNP deal would be impossible as the party could never agree to its two key demands, Home Rule and ditching Trident nuclear missiles.
They are also argue that ruling out either a full coalition or a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement will eradicate a major reason for anti-Tory Scots to switch from Labour to the SNP.
A shadow minister told The Sun: “We could never go into power with Alex Salmond because his price is far too high — he knows it and we know it.
“So it would be better for Ed to kill off any prospect of that as soon as possible. That would also help our Scottish vote pick up too.”
A source close to Ed Miliband said last night: “It might well be something we do with about a week or two to go until polling day.
“But it’s early days at the moment and we don’t want to get into months of coalition speculation”
Can somebody please sit Cameron down and inform him of how the tinterweb works.
I still chuckle at your attempt to think Russia was part of the Arab World to denigrate this country and the citizens of this country.
GAY recruits to the armed forces will be asked what kind of gay they are so it can be weaponised.
The Ministry of Defence said homosexuality has been terrifying people for years and should now be classified for maximum battlefield impact.
A spokesman added: “A real ‘scene’ gay, who’s still into drag karaoke on a Sunday night, terrifies the life out of the sort of fanatics who want to attack us.
“Meanwhile older, wiser gays can give us a psychological insight into the raging machismo and repressed desires of Russia.”
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/war/army-recruits-to-be-asked-what-kind-of-gay-they-are-2015011194274
Dinner with the Clooney's to discuss strategy
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11340009/Revealed-Ed-Milibands-dinner-with-George-and-Amal-Clooney.html
Next the Rooneys to discuss football (he read something about it once) :-)
Good job Ed doesn't do celebrity politics.
As an aside was rung by Conservatives this am (Colchester) for a survey on issues facing country - (Pick 3 from about 11 or 12). Who would be a better pm Ed or Dave, rate the chances of voting for each party out of 10 - sorry Labour you got 0 from me, 6 for Blues, 7 Lib dems and 5 UKIP)
Unless he misunderstood my question to me the guy on phone admitted Colchester will not go Blue.
Don't they realize on Sundays, its golf in the morning and then watching the NFL Playoffs in the afternoon.
My real problem is that it is a huge intrusion into people's private conversations, and it won't work, at least against the stated targets.
If you were a terrorist, or even terrorist sympathetic, and living in the UK, knowing this law had been passed, would you use the phone to discuss anything even remotely controversial, would you use it to even contact people in your network, no chance. Plenty of easily accessible ways to be much more secure.
If something is recorded it can be stolen, hacked or leaked, assuming we believe for one second that the powers would be restricted to only the security services in just the same way that similar powers havent.
Not to mention: https://whispersystems.org/ Embarassing... and dangerous.
We already know that NSA agents spy on love interests:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/08/23/nsa-officers-sometimes-spy-on-love-interests/
How much more have we not discovered? Snowden pointed out that these agents are highly skilled programmers and are very good at doing things and covering their tracks from their superiors.
That has given me an idea that could be fun on the lead up to the GE
Each time a poll is published I will offer an over under price on the labour and conservative vote share in that poll... I will bet to 100% and my margin will be the exact score
So for instance if a party are 32% I might go evens and you think they'll score less in the GE you get even money about 31 or less, if you think they'll do better you get evens about 33 and above
Another poll might have them on 35 and I say 2/7 34 or less 7/2 36 or above
And so on
Whaddyasay?
Surely you don't think that's a whip removing event?
Simply put, there is no way a government can track the communications of any but the most stupid of terrorists.
The surveillance intrusions we enact, therefore, manage to be (a) ineffective, and (b) allow the snooping on millions of (almost by definition) innocent people.
I can think of five good reasons why UKIP will end up in the 20s, five why it will end up in the teens, and even a couple why it might end up in the 8-10% range.
I can't tell you which of my possible scenarios will pay out, and not only that, the odds of any party's current poll being either a trough or a peak over the next five years are minute. UKIP will probably manage to hit every percent between 11 and 21 over the next year - if every opinion poll is taken into account. So, betting on peak Kipper (or trough LibDem or peak Milliband, etc.) is inherently dumb.
And if, after the shambles of an election coming up, we end up with some form of PR rather than AV I will be less than pleased.