"Labour has traditionally been grossly under-represented on this site "
tim left well over a year ago and had posted over 10,000 times
He or she was one individual - if you count all the posts from all the Conservatives in the time it took Tim to reach 10,000 I reckon they'd be well in front of him/her.
I'm just going to comment, very quickly, on Rotherham. 25 years ago, Lord Aldington sued two men for libel for (wrongly) claiming that he had ordered the handing over of pro-Nazi Cossack groups to official Soviet forces to be massacred (he had executed the order from the Allied High Command, which is a bit different). He won. Because one of the defendants was conducting a deliberate smear campaign due to failing to get a sum of money on an insurance policy he wasn't entitled to, and the other was a very right-wing political activist who hated Aldington's guts (and those of Harold Macmillan, the other man implicated) huge damages were awarded.
To date, of the £2 million in damages and costs, around £58,000 has been paid. To add a charming dimension to the affair, it was rumoured - nobody knows by whom - that Aldington had intervened to get the MoD to suppress conclusive evidence of his guilt. As a result of financial hardship and distress at the subsequent smears, Aldington died shortly after. It ruined his life and his reputation, even though he was undoubtedly in the right and at least one of the defendants was clearly conducting a smear campaign as part of a personal vendetta.
If UKIP defend this, the only way they can do it is by pleading justification - in other words, massively defaming the people who have brought the action and proving or at least trying to prove that they were perversely and wilfully blind to what was happening. At that stage, win or lose, Rotherham and the appalling scandal that happened there will be splashed all over the tabloids in the nastiest manner possible for weeks on end, coupled with MacShane being back in the news. If UKIP win - it's hard to imagine a worse financial and political disaster for the plaintiffs. If they lose, what odds the defendant transfers assets elsewhere, declares bankruptcy and never pays a penny of damages, the Labour MPs are themselves forced into bankruptcy, and all the mud thrown at them sort of sticks anyway?
An insane decision, however you look at it. Labour can't possibly win in that scenario.
But I wonder if we are now past the Golden Age of TV drama (already). Breaking Bad and Spartacus, West Wing and the Wire, Borgias and Battlestar, Deadwood, House and the Killing, oh, how we miss you...
There's another The Bridge in the second half of 2015. In the meantime I've just bought the 3-series box of Homeland, having enjoyed a couple of random episodes on planes. No spoilers please...
Incidentally, tried the American House of Cards, and thought it very meh (whereas the British one was just silly IMO), with the asides to camera just irritating. I wonder if political dramas which present themselves as artful and knowing are generally disliked by politicians? Either they're accurate, in which case so what, or they're just some script-writers idea bearing little relation to reality.
The reason Yes Minister worked so well and still is worth seeing) is that it's gently satirical but goes with the flow of real life, so we can laugh at the witty insight on what things are actually like. The Thick of It was popular in political circles too, but that was because it didn't pretend to be insightful, it was just everyone's idea of Alastair Campbell multipled by 10. Borgen and West Wing worked OK because they're straight dramas which are reasonably believable, but I think they both worked best when they got outside Parliament/Congress into personal lives..
Tories up 4 Lab down 3 UKIP down 3 LD nc Green up 3
Thanks Sunil - Greens hoovering up all those Kipper voters
Is it going to be a colour coded election? Vote Purple Get Red Vote Yellow get Blue Vote Saltire get Red White and Big Blue Vote Green get what you're given Vote Blue get pale Green (Blue and Yellow mix) Vote Red see stars (yellow ones on a blue background)
Tories up 4 Lab down 3 UKIP down 3 LD nc Green up 3
Thanks Sunil - Greens hoovering up all those Kipper voters
Is it going to be a colour coded election? Vote Purple Get Red Vote Yellow get Blue Vote Saltire get Red White and Big Blue Vote Green get what you're given Vote Blue get pale Green (Blue and Yellow mix) Vote Red see stars (yellow ones on a blue background)
More like vote Blue get purple. (Just a different purple, via a grand coalition.)
NP Spacey is very good though and what is more they made him a Democrat, when villains are usually Republican in US politics dramas. Am halfway through season 2 and need to finish before season 3 in February
'Boyhood' was unique. Made over twelve years. Patricia Arquette starts thin and attractive and ends up plump and motherly. It's compelling as is the story of the family. 'Budapest' was good but typical Wes Anderson. If you like them that was one of his best.
'Birdman' was also good and it's quite an achievement making a genre out of of multi layered stories. Of his last three I thought this was his weakest. As for Keaton he deserved something if nothing else for his Times Square scene which would almost certainly have been shot for real. Redmayne would always win for such a flawless impersonation though I have to say the film left me disappointed
I'm just going to comment, very quickly, on Rotherham. - snip to save space- If UKIP defend this, the only way they can do it is by pleading justification - in other words, massively defaming the people who have brought the action and proving or at least trying to prove that they were perversely and wilfully blind to what was happening. At that stage, win or lose, Rotherham and the appalling scandal that happened there will be splashed all over the tabloids in the nastiest manner possible for weeks on end, coupled with MacShane being back in the news. If UKIP win - it's hard to imagine a worse financial and political disaster for the plaintiffs. If they lose, what odds the defendant transfers assets elsewhere, declares bankruptcy and never pays a penny of damages, the Labour MPs are themselves forced into bankruptcy, and all the mud thrown at them sort of sticks anyway?
An insane decision, however you look at it. Labour can't possibly win in that scenario.
Suing anybody for anything is generally very silly. Generally. I do not know the detail of what was said. If the detail is clearly libelous and based on a 'Lord McAlpine' (or perhaps more correctly a Mrs Bercow) type rush to judgement that is demonstrably untrue, then it would likely never get to court. This sounds a more cloudy affair though that could descend into semantics. Never mind the conference speech, did not this lady (who looks a typical female kipper clone - there I've said it) also tweet some loose tongued paedo (alleged) accusation at a Labour MP? She was then I think forced to fully retract.
Trying hard to suspend my disbelief at the flaws in the Ashcroft poll eg sudden spike in Green support, drop in red Libs , Tories leading in the Midlands, higher Labour certainty to vote not reflected in the final analysis.I could point to more flaws in this poll but I feel sorry for Ashcroft for wasting so much money on such nonsense.
This may have been posted already but that Ashcroft poll is, I think, the highest Conservative lead for over 3 years: since 15th December 2011 and even that only matched. There hasn't been a bigger Conservative lead for over 4 years, since October 2010.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
So now, having had everyone one of your alternative arguments tested positive for geriatric drool, you're reduced to saying:
"the general point that our response should not be simplistic seems right to me."
Fantastic. Brilliant. That's so INCISIVE. Without you and Gary Yonge I expect most people would have been saying, Look, what we really need here is a totally simplistic response that does no good at all.
Err, you are the one who pointed us to Gary Younge's unremarkable article. I agree it doesn't say anything very much.
Next time, please make sure you find something a bit more meaty so that we can get properly outraged.
For the last time, the article says we are collectively responsible for the Paris outrages. It even manages to imply that Brits are responsible for "conditions" in France.
The whole piece is a disgraceful litany of mendacity and a deliberate attempt to morally obscure, dressed up as a balanced piece of mature analysis.
But, yawn. It's the Guardian. Did we expect better? On that point you are maybe right.
Hurry up YouGov, we need distracting. And I need a new TV drama series to watch. I have finally run out.
Are you watching Spirals series 5 yet ?
I got slightly bored by the end of Series 1, so, no. Does it markedly improve?!
I am trying the Italian series Gomorrah... so far it's OK ish.
But I wonder if we are now past the Golden Age of TV drama (already). Breaking Bad and Spartacus, West Wing and the Wire, Borgias and Battlestar, Deadwood, House and the Killing, oh, how we miss you...
Gosh I don't think many in television or film would agree with that. In the UK series like The Fall and Broadchurch are very well made and there's some great material in the US. I'm just watching Orange is the New Black.
Oh, and my all-time favourite TV drama ever is still very much in play: Game of Thrones.
This may have been posted already but that Ashcroft poll is, I think, the highest Conservative lead for over 3 years: since 15th December 2011 and even that only matched. There hasn't been a bigger Conservative lead for over 4 years, since October 2010.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
What happened to not looking at the polls until feb?
If UKIP defend this, the only way they can do it is by pleading justification - in other words, massively defaming the people who have brought the action and proving or at least trying to prove that they were perversely and wilfully blind to what was happening.
Justification has been superseded by the defence of truth under the Defamation Act 2003, s. 2. Defences under section 3 and 4 of that Act (honest opinion & publication on a matter of public interest) may also be pleaded. In addition, the claimants must show that the statement's publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the reputation of the claimants. If the questionable judgment of Bean J in Cooke v MGN [2014] EMLR 31 is followed, satisfying this requirement is going to be very difficult indeed for claimants.
Tories up 4 Lab down 3 UKIP down 3 LD nc Green up 3
Thanks Sunil - Greens hoovering up all those Kipper voters
Is it going to be a colour coded election? Vote Purple Get Red Vote Yellow get Blue Vote Saltire get Red White and Big Blue Vote Green get what you're given Vote Blue get pale Green (Blue and Yellow mix) Vote Red see stars (yellow ones on a blue background)
More like vote Blue get purple. (Just a different purple, via a grand coalition.)
It is clearly time to weaponise the spectrum. ''Mr President we must close the Rainbow Gap''. My list was not meant to be definitive and was not particularly objective and was hopefully intended to raise a smile. You have certainly caused a chuckle. All right I'll be honest - an uproarious guffaw.
Another great article by our foremost expert on the Middle East. Our political elite has a lot to answer for with their invade the world, invite the world policies.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
The extraordinary thing with these polls is the labour score at the recent min. in one and recent max. in the other.
It may reflect something that is true out in the electorate, that the labour vote is softer and more open to change than the remaining core of libdem, the zeal of new converts attracted to UKIP, the stoic resignation of those who have stuck with the Tory party, and the wide eyed ideology that is essential to add the illusion of lustre to the offerings from the greens.
This may have been posted already but that Ashcroft poll is, I think, the highest Conservative lead for over 3 years: since 15th December 2011 and even that only matched. There hasn't been a bigger Conservative lead for over 4 years, since October 2010.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
Why on earth should we take notice of one poll. Its clear that they are all over the place. A spike is followed by a ... a... opposite of spike. All we can point to is a trend over 18 months. The clear fact is that for 4.5 years we the electorate have known the election and the decision to vote is May 7 and not at some odd time at the PMs choosing. The decision on how to vote is put off. There are likely to be debates - something else to wait for. All points to no certainty amongst swing voters. And behind it all is a clear and significant margin for error and a swathe of funny methodologies and adjustments and methods of sampling.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Trying hard to suspend my disbelief at the flaws in the Ashcroft poll eg sudden spike in Green support, drop in red Libs , Tories leading in the Midlands, higher Labour certainty to vote not reflected in the final analysis.I could point to more flaws in this poll but I feel sorry for Ashcroft for wasting so much money on such nonsense.
"'Birdman' was also good and it's quite an achievement making a genre out of of multi layered stories. Of his last three I thought this was his weakest. As for Keaton he deserved something if nothing else for his Times Square scene which would almost certainly have been shot for real. Redmayne would always win for such a flawless impersonation though I have to say the film left me disappointed"
Last weekend we saw "Birdman" at maybe one of the best cinemas on the planet (Arts, Cambridge), and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's remarkably American. The script is tight. As theatre goers we were fascinated by the underlying thread playing with reality. Not a great film, but darn good.
And it's funny. Halfway through I was nearly overpowered by sympathy for the French and an appreciation for their Republicanism and definitive contributions to European culture.
This may have been posted already but that Ashcroft poll is, I think, the highest Conservative lead for over 3 years: since 15th December 2011 and even that only matched. There hasn't been a bigger Conservative lead for over 4 years, since October 2010.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
What happened to not looking at the polls until feb?
Looking at the numbers, is a tory kipper alliance completely out of the question?
Maybe the voters have a sense of humour after all
Who needs an alliance? 6% would only be about 1% shy of outright, especially when you consider the LD to Cons English seats (and Lab to SNP in Scotland though that doesn't add to Cons of course).
You still need about 20 seats north of a majority to run a government. Not that UKIP would be enough to get you there. The only viable parliamentary maths here is Con-SNP or grand coalition, and the SNP have ruled out the former.
EDIT: Tory-LD-DUP might just work.
Of course, this could be, as Lord A says, MoE apart from the rise in the Cons share. Or it could be the sign of a trend. To use the cliche, only time will tell.
This poll is the first for me that reflects what we see when voters turn up and cast ballots in real elections since 2014.
Yep. It could be the first sign of people actually facing up to the real question of how they will actually vote in the actual election.
On the other hand, I want to see fieldwork during first week of February to see the way the wind is blowing. If the Tories go into February with anything like a 6% lead over Labour then it's game over.
"Judeo-Christian culture": much of the 2nd half of that phrase spent 1945 of the past 2000 years actively trying to oppress, segregate and exterminate much of the 1st, yet it somehow thinks coining a fancy new hyphenate phrase makes everything hunky-dory.
This may have been posted already but that Ashcroft poll is, I think, the highest Conservative lead for over 3 years: since 15th December 2011 and even that only matched. There hasn't been a bigger Conservative lead for over 4 years, since October 2010.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
What happened to not looking at the polls until feb?
Looking at the numbers, is a tory kipper alliance completely out of the question?
Maybe the voters have a sense of humour after all
Who needs an alliance? 6% would only be about 1% shy of outright, especially when you consider the LD to Cons English seats (and Lab to SNP in Scotland though that doesn't add to Cons of course).
You still need about 20 seats north of a majority to run a government. Not that UKIP would be enough to get you there. The only viable parliamentary maths here is Con-SNP or grand coalition, and the SNP have ruled out the former.
EDIT: Tory-LD-DUP might just work.
Of course, this could be, as Lord A says, MoE apart from the rise in the Cons share. Or it could be the sign of a trend. To use the cliche, only time will tell.
This poll is the first for me that reflects what we see when voters turn up and cast ballots in real elections since 2014.
Yep. It could be the first sign of people actually facing up to the real question of how they will actually vote in the actual election.
On the other hand, I want to see fieldwork during first week of February to see the way the wind is blowing. If the Tories go into February with anything like a 6% lead over Labour then it's game over.
Like I said, Isam.
I'm not going to talk about something, and to show that I mean it I will talk about how I'm not talking about it at every possible occasion
Lord Ashcroft is the new "Gold Standard"......until the next one which shows Labour in front and then it will be ICM/Yougov/ARSE/BJESUS/Lambert & Butler (delete where PB Hodges find applicable)
"Judeo-Christian culture": much of the 2nd half of that phrase spent 1945 of the past 2000 years actively trying to oppress, segregate and exterminate much of the 1st, yet it somehow thinks coining a fancy new hyphenate phrase makes everything hunky-dory.
And given the reverence in which Islam holds the prophets Moses and Isa, Islam is Judeo-Christian anyway.
Not sure what Farage is up to though. We don't live in a Judeo-Christian culture, we live in one founded in 1960s liberalism which says you can do within limits whatever you fecking wanna do without reference to any flavour of Nobodaddy. And a good thing too.
Just stunning pictures on Sky news of staff trying to deliver a baby from a girl with Ebola. Sky news team hand over their spare kit for the health staff who have nothing suitable.
Yet again, a potentially interesting thread ruined by people endlessly prattling on about Islam and Muslims. Give it a rest for heavens sake.
This site was like this before you did it the honour of joining it in December 2014, and will probably remain like this if you disappoint us all by deciding to feck off to the far side of feck, and then keep right on fecking off some more.
Lord Ashcroft is the new "Gold Standard"......until the next one which shows Labour in front and then it will be ICM/Yougov/ARSE/BJESUS/Lambert & Butler (delete where PB Hodges find applicable)
Lord Ashcroft is the new "Gold Standard"......until the next one which shows Labour in front and then it will be ICM/Yougov/ARSE/BJESUS/Lambert & Butler (delete where PB Hodges find applicable)
PBHODGESCHERRYPICKINGPOLLSTASTIC!
GOALPOSTSAMUNDOUS!
I think you will find that "X is the new gold standard" is a joke. Not to be taken seriously.
Just stunning pictures on Sky news of staff trying to deliver a baby from a girl with Ebola. Sky news team hand over their spare kit for the health staff who have nothing suitable.
Unbelievable.
That is nuffinck: Miltaryphotos.net have an Oirish Times story that states that the bog-trotters are going to get all of HMAF's spare kit for free. They really should read the small-print begorrah!
Just stunning pictures on Sky news of staff trying to deliver a baby from a girl with Ebola. Sky news team hand over their spare kit for the health staff who have nothing suitable.
Lord Ashcroft is the new "Gold Standard"......until the next one which shows Labour in front and then it will be ICM/Yougov/ARSE/BJESUS/Lambert & Butler (delete where PB Hodges find applicable)
PBHODGESCHERRYPICKINGPOLLSTASTIC!
GOALPOSTSAMUNDOUS!
Doubt it will be BJESUS
That is immensely illuminating. You are apparently saying that if your analysis of the polls would otherwise show a tory lead you will doctor it to ensure that such a lead is not shown.
I'm just going to comment, very quickly, on Rotherham. 25 years ago, Lord Aldington sued two men for libel for (wrongly) claiming that he had ordered the handing over of pro-Nazi Cossack groups to official Soviet forces to be massacred (he had executed the order from the Allied High Command, which is a bit different). He won. Because one of the defendants was conducting a deliberate smear campaign due to failing to get a sum of money on an insurance policy he wasn't entitled to, and the other was a very right-wing political activist who hated Aldington's guts (and those of Harold Macmillan, the other man implicated) huge damages were awarded.
To date, of the £2 million in damages and costs, around £58,000 has been paid. To add a charming dimension to the affair, it was rumoured - nobody knows by whom - that Aldington had intervened to get the MoD to suppress conclusive evidence of his guilt. As a result of financial hardship and distress at the subsequent smears, Aldington died shortly after. It ruined his life and his reputation, even though he was undoubtedly in the right and at least one of the defendants was clearly conducting a smear campaign as part of a personal vendetta.
If UKIP defend this, the only way they can do it is by pleading justification - in other words, massively defaming the people who have brought the action and proving or at least trying to prove that they were perversely and wilfully blind to what was happening. At that stage, win or lose, Rotherham and the appalling scandal that happened there will be splashed all over the tabloids in the nastiest manner possible for weeks on end, coupled with MacShane being back in the news. If UKIP win - it's hard to imagine a worse financial and political disaster for the plaintiffs. If they lose, what odds the defendant transfers assets elsewhere, declares bankruptcy and never pays a penny of damages, the Labour MPs are themselves forced into bankruptcy, and all the mud thrown at them sort of sticks anyway?
An insane decision, however you look at it. Labour can't possibly win in that scenario.
The only advantage I can see is that the official UKIP site cannot really go to town over Rotherham as much as it would like. However there are plenty of other towns in the UK.
Just stunning pictures on Sky news of staff trying to deliver a baby from a girl with Ebola. Sky news team hand over their spare kit for the health staff who have nothing suitable.
Unbelievable.
We have supposedly been throwing money at this for the best part of a year now. This was in Sierra Leone. Where we have sent troops to help. We have a vested interest in this terrible disease being contained and medical staff still do not have plastic gloves worthy of the name? What the hell is going on?
Two of the nurses colleagues had died in the last week from trying to help mothers in this position. The loss of trained medical staff inevitably makes things worse. This village was getting no help at all.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
Who killed thousands of Jews in pogroms over several centuries ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
So, suddenly Judeo-Christian has become fashionable ?
There is a great schoolboy error in that Mail headline
'The West bares responsibility'
Grammar schools vs Comprehensive again ? Or, shall be blame spell-check ?
I'd assume that the Mail headline writers are so used to putting puns in that it's become an automatic reflex, so it's less an error more an unconscious twitch.
Ashcroft has done a good job in giving us marginal constituency polling. The only problem is because we do not have comparisons, we cannot judge their accuracy.
The monthly poll was more volatile than others anyway.
Not saying, it could be correct but something tells me both the polls are outliers.
Let's wait and see a week. The real picture will emerge sooner rather than later.
Most Jews were killed by Socialist in the early half of Twentieth Century. Socialists are not Christian but secularists.
'Thousands of Jews were killed over centuries'. You really need to stop counting on your fingers: Historically numbers are big. Please grow a brain....
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
Who killed thousands of Jews in pogroms over several centuries ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
So, suddenly Judeo-Christian has become fashionable ?
No, the term Judeo/Christian has always been used by the left to show how broadminded they are. A good cover to hide their incipient anti-semitism and their deep distain for the church.
Edit: I use the word incipient to mean developing.
The bookies also have Labour favourites in 295 seats including 34 in Scotland and 275 for the Tories. According to AASSS, Labour is winning only 13 seats in Scotland against 42 for the SNP [ 43 ]. Some minor corrections made since last night.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
Yet again, a potentially interesting thread ruined by people endlessly prattling on about Islam and Muslims. Give it a rest for heavens sake.
This site was like this before you did it the honour of joining it in December 2014, and will probably remain like this if you disappoint us all by deciding to feck off to the far side of feck, and then keep right on fecking off some more.
Actually I've been posting here, from time to time, since the site began in 2004.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
Who killed thousands of Jews in pogroms over several centuries ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
So, suddenly Judeo-Christian has become fashionable ?
As to the first, a mixture of Christians, atheists, pagans, and deists.
Trying hard to suspend my disbelief at the flaws in the Ashcroft poll eg sudden spike in Green support, drop in red Libs , Tories leading in the Midlands, higher Labour certainty to vote not reflected in the final analysis.I could point to more flaws in this poll but I feel sorry for Ashcroft for wasting so much money on such nonsense.
Jaguar have just announced their new vehicle is to be built in their plant in Brum. 1300 jobs created in the next few months and then further expansion.
Lord Ashcroft is the new "Gold Standard"......until the next one which shows Labour in front and then it will be ICM/Yougov/ARSE/BJESUS/Lambert & Butler (delete where PB Hodges find applicable)
PBHODGESCHERRYPICKINGPOLLSTASTIC!
GOALPOSTSAMUNDOUS!
Doubt it will be BJESUS
That is immensely illuminating. You are apparently saying that if your analysis of the polls would otherwise show a tory lead you will doctor it to ensure that such a lead is not shown.
Have I misunderstood you?
You have I just meant that no matter if BJESUS turns out to be the most accurate or not a large proportion on here will not give anything associated with a Lab poster any credit.
So couldn't see it ever being praised or reffered to in any positive light.
Eg spot on on SYPCC. Scotland Indy result and Hinchinbrooke hospital
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
You write like a complete idiot but do you have to be so open about it ?
Sorry son: You are correct. Chinese tablets make communication difficult.
Your Neo-facism - and I mean your hatred and ignorance - has not been highlighted enough. You really are a sad sack of number-ones. And we used to think you had the intelligence of Chilon: Sadly you are in the league of IoS and yet struggleng to keep your knuckles away from the cobbles....
You write like a complete idiot but do you have to be so open about it ?
Yet despite what Labour have done to us over many administrations, administrations that always always end up the same way you still champion them and Brown and now Ed miliband ?
It's like Labour claiming to be the saviours of the NHS when the only minister ever to private an NHS hospital was Andy Burnham himself.
( please note I did not mention Stafford or the Welsh NHS in that previous statement)
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
The pogroms ?
Christians, Muslims, and pagans.
Yes, somehow Muslims will have to be included. I hadn't realised that the official religion of Tsarist Russia was Islam.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
The pogroms ?
Christians, Muslims, and pagans.
Yes, somehow Muslims will have to be included. I hadn't realised that the official religion of Tsarist Russia was Islam.
Try to generalise a bit, perhaps, and see that the rational position is to be against Nobodaddy-inspired mass murder in all its flavours? And that it's just that 9/11, 7/7 and last Wednesday are a bit more recent than 1945? How difficult is that?
C'mon Stodge, you have been around this site far too long to try and spin that line. Way back when Labour were still winning GE's in the early days of PB.com, there was certainly far more Lab/Libdem posters than Tories on here. IIRC, I think that SeanF was one of the first Tory supporters to start posting regularly. And I know that if I wasn't the first regular female poster on this site, I was certainly among the first, and a Scottish female Tory voter to boot!!
PB.com has for some reason never really managed to attract any regular Scottish Labour posters, but we did briefly have one Scottish female Labour supporter posting from time to time. Now more than ever, it would be great to see one or two Scottish Labour supporters or politicians entering the political debate on here in the run up to the next GE.
Spot on post and very much what I've been seeing and hearing on the ground. I'm not sure enthusiasm for Cameron will be huge but EdM is a toxic disaster for Labour. Your point about absence of cheerleaders for him on here is interesting. If we took a litmus test you'd think from this site that UKIP were rampant, but that reflects the daytime demographic (no need to spell that out). Nevertheless, you're right. Enthusiastic Labour and especially EdM supporters are almost non-existent on here. How things have changed.
Labour has traditionally been grossly under-represented on this site (whereas the Conservatives and UKIP are over-represented). Unfortunately, IF anyone supporting the Labour line or saying something positive about Ed Miliband comes on, they are almost immediately hounded until they leave.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
If Hitler was any religion, he was a deist. Most of the rest of the leading Nazis were primarily interested in German paganism or the occult.
The pogroms ?
Christians, Muslims, and pagans.
Yes, somehow Muslims will have to be included. I hadn't realised that the official religion of Tsarist Russia was Islam.
"Fiddler on the Roof" needs to be re-written.
I took "pogrom" to mean State-sponsored violence against Jews. Across the centuries, that has been carried out by Christian, Muslim, and Pagan governments.
The left have Farage banged to rights on twitter. Apparently he has talked about ''standing up for our Judeo-Christian Culture.''
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
Quiz:
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
Who killed thousands of Jews in pogroms over several centuries ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
So, suddenly Judeo-Christian has become fashionable ?
As to the first, a mixture of Christians, atheists, pagans, and deists.
"Last weekend we saw "Birdman" at maybe one of the best cinemas on the planet (Arts, Cambridge), and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's remarkably American. The script is tight. As theatre goers we were fascinated by the underlying thread playing with reality. Not a great film, but darn good."
Extraordinary how a Mexican could play with so many cultural references particularly European ones. I too loved the theatrical setting and excellent performances from the whole cast not just Michael Keaton. In fact Edward Norton probably stole the show. For my taste it lost it's way at the end and had he cut 15 minutes earlier It could have been a seriously good film.
Do we know the sample sizes of the Ashcroft and Populus polls ? Have they been released ? Probably, both are garbage anyway, I think.
Theoretically, with +/- 3% error, one could be 6% ahead of the other if both were roughly equal [ as they have been for several weeks ]. But still they do not sit easily.
Comments
They are soooo....
You know the rest.
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/01/12/centcom-twitter-hacked-by-isis/21638489/
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/hackers-hit-centcom-sites-reveal-contact-info-and-issues-threats-1.323508
White House "monitoring" the hack...
Not a good day for Uncle Sam, is it?
To date, of the £2 million in damages and costs, around £58,000 has been paid. To add a charming dimension to the affair, it was rumoured - nobody knows by whom - that Aldington had intervened to get the MoD to suppress conclusive evidence of his guilt. As a result of financial hardship and distress at the subsequent smears, Aldington died shortly after. It ruined his life and his reputation, even though he was undoubtedly in the right and at least one of the defendants was clearly conducting a smear campaign as part of a personal vendetta.
If UKIP defend this, the only way they can do it is by pleading justification - in other words, massively defaming the people who have brought the action and proving or at least trying to prove that they were perversely and wilfully blind to what was happening. At that stage, win or lose, Rotherham and the appalling scandal that happened there will be splashed all over the tabloids in the nastiest manner possible for weeks on end, coupled with MacShane being back in the news. If UKIP win - it's hard to imagine a worse financial and political disaster for the plaintiffs. If they lose, what odds the defendant transfers assets elsewhere, declares bankruptcy and never pays a penny of damages, the Labour MPs are themselves forced into bankruptcy, and all the mud thrown at them sort of sticks anyway?
An insane decision, however you look at it. Labour can't possibly win in that scenario.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-30785367
The reason Yes Minister worked so well and still is worth seeing) is that it's gently satirical but goes with the flow of real life, so we can laugh at the witty insight on what things are actually like. The Thick of It was popular in political circles too, but that was because it didn't pretend to be insightful, it was just everyone's idea of Alastair Campbell multipled by 10. Borgen and West Wing worked OK because they're straight dramas which are reasonably believable, but I think they both worked best when they got outside Parliament/Congress into personal lives..
Vote Purple Get Red
Vote Yellow get Blue
Vote Saltire get Red White and Big Blue
Vote Green get what you're given
Vote Blue get pale Green (Blue and Yellow mix)
Vote Red see stars (yellow ones on a blue background)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-30784167
It wouldn't be a crude attempt to keep the story out of any election campaigns by any chance?
Didn't a former Labour MP suggest he hadn't done enough in the past address constituents' concerns?
'Boyhood' was unique. Made over twelve years. Patricia Arquette starts thin and attractive and ends up plump and motherly. It's compelling as is the story of the family. 'Budapest' was good but typical Wes Anderson. If you like them that was one of his best.
'Birdman' was also good and it's quite an achievement making a genre out of of multi layered stories. Of his last three I thought this was his weakest. As for Keaton he deserved something if nothing else for his Times Square scene which would almost certainly have been shot for real. Redmayne would always win for such a flawless impersonation though I have to say the film left me disappointed
This sounds a more cloudy affair though that could descend into semantics.
Never mind the conference speech, did not this lady (who looks a typical female kipper clone - there I've said it) also tweet some loose tongued paedo (alleged) accusation at a Labour MP? She was then I think forced to fully retract.
If it wasn't for Populus there might be hasty rejoicing, but there's some good tempering from Anthony Wells and Mike Smithson. Nevertheless, Mike, in the interests of balance I wonder if a dedicated thread about that might not be appropriate?
Oh, and my all-time favourite TV drama ever is still very much in play: Game of Thrones.
My list was not meant to be definitive and was not particularly objective and was hopefully intended to raise a smile. You have certainly caused a chuckle. All right I'll be honest - an uproarious guffaw.
At last. For a moment I thought there would be no labour sour grapes to laugh at. Where's Compouter and big John Owls??
Another great article by our foremost expert on the Middle East. Our political elite has a lot to answer for with their invade the world, invite the world policies.
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/politics/tories-choose-their-workington-candidate-for-general-election-1.1185691#
Well, it's all over bar the shouting now. That's it for Farage. The cats out of the bag. The sh8t's hit the fan. The mask has slipped. Other cliches suggesting UKIP have had it.
It may reflect something that is true out in the electorate, that the labour vote is softer and more open to change than the remaining core of libdem, the zeal of new converts attracted to UKIP, the stoic resignation of those who have stuck with the Tory party, and the wide eyed ideology that is essential to add the illusion of lustre to the offerings from the greens.
Unfortunately EMWNBPM.
All we can point to is a trend over 18 months.
The clear fact is that for 4.5 years we the electorate have known the election and the decision to vote is May 7 and not at some odd time at the PMs choosing. The decision on how to vote is put off. There are likely to be debates - something else to wait for. All points to no certainty amongst swing voters. And behind it all is a clear and significant margin for error and a swathe of funny methodologies and adjustments and methods of sampling.
As our American cousins say ... Go Figure.
"'Birdman' was also good and it's quite an achievement making a genre out of of multi layered stories. Of his last three I thought this was his weakest. As for Keaton he deserved something if nothing else for his Times Square scene which would almost certainly have been shot for real. Redmayne would always win for such a flawless impersonation though I have to say the film left me disappointed"
Last weekend we saw "Birdman" at maybe one of the best cinemas on the planet (Arts, Cambridge), and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's remarkably American. The script is tight. As theatre goers we were fascinated by the underlying thread playing with reality. Not a great film, but darn good.
And it's funny. Halfway through I was nearly overpowered by sympathy for the French and an appreciation for their Republicanism and definitive contributions to European culture.
Nigel Farage speaks the truth again & establishment can't stand it http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2907116/Farage-says-West-bares-culpability-Paris-massacres-foreign-wars-mass-immigration.html …
PBHODGESCHERRYPICKINGPOLLSTASTIC!
GOALPOSTSAMUNDOUS!
Not sure what Farage is up to though. We don't live in a Judeo-Christian culture, we live in one founded in 1960s liberalism which says you can do within limits whatever you fecking wanna do without reference to any flavour of Nobodaddy. And a good thing too.
Unbelievable.
There is a great schoolboy error in that Mail headline
'The West bares responsibility'
Have I misunderstood you?
This site has Moderators. Newbs and 'X-posters' should respect this and STFU....
:OGH's-rules-OGH's-gaff:
:imp:
Two of the nurses colleagues had died in the last week from trying to help mothers in this position. The loss of trained medical staff inevitably makes things worse. This village was getting no help at all.
Who killed 6m Jews in 1939-45 ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
Who killed thousands of Jews in pogroms over several centuries ?
a) Christians. b) Buddhists c) Al-Qaeda in the AP d ) IS e) Any other Muslim
So, suddenly Judeo-Christian has become fashionable ?
I'll get my coat..
The monthly poll was more volatile than others anyway.
Not saying, it could be correct but something tells me both the polls are outliers.
Let's wait and see a week. The real picture will emerge sooner rather than later.
'Thousands of Jews were killed over centuries'. You really need to stop counting on your fingers: Historically numbers are big. Please grow a brain....
:tumbleweed-slurbitwunt:
Edit: I use the word incipient to mean developing.
Yeah, the EU and it's free movement is fantastic for fighting terrorism. Nice one, Ed.
The first AASSS [ Adjusted Aggregate Sub Samples Surbitonised ] is out:
Con 257 [ 260 ]
Lab 298 [ 307 ]
LD 26 [ 17 ]
UKIP 4 [ 0 ]
Grn 1 [ 1 ]
SNP 42 [ 43 ]
PC 3 [ 3 ]
NI 18 [ 18 ]
Spk 1 [ 1 ]
Note: The comparative figures were NOT ADJUSTED.
The adjustments added 4 to UKIP and 7 to LD.
The bookies also have Labour favourites in 295 seats including 34 in Scotland and 275 for the Tories. According to AASSS, Labour is winning only 13 seats in Scotland against 42 for the SNP [ 43 ]. Some minor corrections made since last night.
Recent snow in Saudi Arabia saw Saudis eagerly building snowmen
But a religious scholar has decreed that snowmen are an insult to Islam
Mohammed Saleh Al Minjed decreed living creatures cannot be recreated
The ruling says that inanimate objects - and food - can be replicated
Saudis took to social media to voice their dismay at the ruling http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2906866/They-ve-really-got-hump-Fatwa-declared-against-snowmen-look-like-camels-Arabs-Saudi-represent-Western-values.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
You write like a complete idiot but do you have to be so open about it ?
One of them has been spotted driving a car registered to the partner of one of the dead attackers, according to the authorities.
Police officials said a search was being carried out of the Paris area for the Mini Cooper car registered to Hayat Boumeddiene.
http://news.sky.com/story/1406696/french-police-six-terrorists-still-at-large
Nice looking car as well.
So couldn't see it ever being praised or reffered to in any positive light.
Eg spot on on SYPCC. Scotland Indy result and Hinchinbrooke hospital
C'est La Vie
Sorry son: You are correct. Chinese tablets make communication difficult.
Your Neo-facism - and I mean your hatred and ignorance - has not been highlighted enough. You really are a sad sack of number-ones. And we used to think you had the intelligence of Chilon: Sadly you are in the league of IoS and yet struggleng to keep your knuckles away from the cobbles....
Yet despite what Labour have done to us over many administrations, administrations that always always end up the same way you still champion them and Brown and now Ed miliband ?
It's like Labour claiming to be the saviours of the NHS when the only minister ever to private an NHS hospital was Andy Burnham himself.
( please note I did not mention Stafford or the Welsh NHS in that previous statement)
"Fiddler on the Roof" needs to be re-written.
Wonder when they will fix it.
for starters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Anti-Jewish_pogroms_by_Muslims
for a more comprehensive list.
Try to generalise a bit, perhaps, and see that the rational position is to be against Nobodaddy-inspired mass murder in all its flavours? And that it's just that 9/11, 7/7 and last Wednesday are a bit more recent than 1945? How difficult is that?
You've missed out Edward Longshanks in 1290 - he was Catholic (of sorts) and the Romans in AD70 - Italians.
So your point is that some Muslims (IS etc) are now behaving like other civilisations did hundreds of years ago
Are you saying that makes it alright then? Or are you saying that Islam needs to modernise?
PB.com has for some reason never really managed to attract any regular Scottish Labour posters, but we did briefly have one Scottish female Labour supporter posting from time to time. Now more than ever, it would be great to see one or two Scottish Labour supporters or politicians entering the political debate on here in the run up to the next GE.
"Last weekend we saw "Birdman" at maybe one of the best cinemas on the planet (Arts, Cambridge), and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's remarkably American. The script is tight. As theatre goers we were fascinated by the underlying thread playing with reality. Not a great film, but darn good."
Extraordinary how a Mexican could play with so many cultural references particularly European ones. I too loved the theatrical setting and excellent performances from the whole cast not just Michael Keaton. In fact Edward Norton probably stole the show. For my taste it lost it's way at the end and had he cut 15 minutes earlier It could have been a seriously good film.
Theoretically, with +/- 3% error, one could be 6% ahead of the other if both were roughly equal [ as they have been for several weeks ]. But still they do not sit easily.