Anything remotely positive to vote Labour for? Such poverty of thought and ambition will go a long way to explaining why ed will do so badly in May.
That cuts both ways of course. Why should anyone vote Conservative ? Yes, some people will because of the engendered fear that somehow a Labour Government will unleash plague, pestilence and usher in the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the form I'm in, I couldn't back the winner of that race either !)
As I opined the other day, the choice is between an inept Labour administration and a Conservative administration so mired in its own Euro-introspection it'll forget about running the country until the much-awaited EU referendum after which the Tories can schism into obscurity and the rest of us will be left to pick up the pieces.
So defecit reduction Growing economy Increased full time jobs Low inflation Increased wages Count for nothing ? Fair enough.
What you mean saddo is "F*** you jack" I am doing all right, who cares about the majority
Er! 55% is not a majority on Planet Eck? While the 45 on your badge refers to the price of Brent crude?
What are you wittering about you demented half wit , we are talking about the UK economy here not labour knuckle draggers living in the past and trying to pretend they won something by partnering the Tories. We will see how many of the 55% support your heroes soon enough.
My, My! Been at the whisky already? Remember to least some for tonight to toast the Pudding. (Haggis not Eck)
Well, what did Nicola tweet the other day, something about "Comments like that are totally unacceptable. Robust debate, Yes, Abuse like that, No". Seem like she, at least, in the SNP is embarrassed by some of the comments of her supporters. Perhaps you might like to take note.
Hmmp - you're indulging in personal abuse (and out of date abuse at that), I notice.
And Burn's Night is when? And if you want to read personal abuse, may I kindly suggest that you re-read the comments of MalcolmG towards other writers on this site.
It's inappropriate for you to complain about personal abuse when you are simultaneously indulging in it - especially as Mr Salmond has been on a diet.
Scoff is on his own dime now - more reluctant to stay on track the trough ?
Mr. Booth, Labour's attempt to create fiefdoms for itself by carving up England will not go down well.
Why should the North East which has a handful of Tories be ruled by London ? NEVNEL.
They can vote for independence if they want.
That's an interesting suggestion. Given how long the Unionists managed to defer an independence referendum for Scotland, and how they are attempting to forbid one, both on purely technical procedural grounds, how could (say) a revived Northumbria Party, now bereft of its leader (currently opposing Mr Salmond in Gordon on behalf of SLAB), achieve legitimate independence?
If such a movement gained control of all or near of the local area's seats, effective independence would surely result in any case, the legitimacy or acceptance of that would come in time no doubt. The letter of the law might take more time to be completed, and be really reluctant, but if the vote of the people is overwhelmingly if indirectly signalling a complete and intentional disassociation with the very principle of the rest of the nation, why would they care? The war will have been won by that point, they could afford to be patient about signing the official treaty ending it.
Thanks. I was interested to see what your view was!
The view of a depressed Unionist. I thought No would win in September, but with no increased actual affection for the Union in evidence - quite the contrary in fact - even a direct move to a fully FederalUK doesn't seem like it will halt the movement toward break up.
The greatest achievement of the Yes side, even in the face of defeat, was making people like me think victory in the long term was inevitable. Having done that, their war is half won already. Once that's done, why not an independent NE I say? If people really hate being run by London so much and feel so politically different, it'll happen.
Anyway, must be off now. Cannot see the Greens maintaining quite the level they are now, it hasn't had the same level of build up or actual electoral results backing it up as the UKIP surge, so that thread of hope for the Tories to cling to seems pretty thin.
Mr. Booth, Labour's attempt to create fiefdoms for itself by carving up England will not go down well.
Why should the North East which has a handful of Tories be ruled by London ? NEVNEL.
The NE had a vote on a devolved assembly and said no, perhaps its due another but on the previous vote, the NE should be ruled by London because that's how they voted.
If they are being given the option of being ruled by Tory Toffs from London , they will have changed their minds.
The only tine I have ever heard the word 'satrap' used outwith Herodotos, Persians vs Greeks, etc. was when a Geordie friend commented on the way in which the high and mighty from London treated the locals. And he is not a socialist.
It's inappropriate for you [not TGOHF!] to complain about personal abuse when you are simultaneously indulging in it - especially as Mr Salmond has been on a diet.
Scoff is on his own dime now - more reluctant to stay on track the trough ?
Mphm, you perhaps forget he famously paid for his own teabags and biscuits for guests to Bute House, as Labour wasted considerable amounts of public money to prove!
Mr. Booth, Labour's attempt to create fiefdoms for itself by carving up England will not go down well.
Why should the North East which has a handful of Tories be ruled by London ? NEVNEL.
They can vote for independence if they want.
That's an interesting suggestion. Given how long the Unionists managed to defer an independence referendum for Scotland, and how they are attempting to forbid one, both on purely technical procedural grounds, how could (say) a revived Northumbria Party, now bereft of its leader (currently opposing Mr Salmond in Gordon on behalf of SLAB), achieve legitimate independence?
If such a movement gained control of all or near of the local area's seats, effective independence would surely result in any case, the legitimacy or acceptance of that would come in time no doubt. The letter of the law might take more time to be completed, and be really reluctant, but if the vote of the people is overwhelmingly if indirectly signalling a complete and intentional disassociation with the very principle of the rest of the nation, why would they care? The war will have been won by that point, they could afford to be patient about signing the official treaty ending it.
Thanks. I was interested to see what your view was!
The view of a depressed Unionist. I thought No would win in September, but with no increased actual affection for the Union in evidence - quite the contrary in fact - even a direct move to a fully FederalUK doesn't seem like it will halt the movement toward break up.
The greatest achievement of the Yes side, even in the face of defeat, was making people like me think victory in the long term was inevitable. Having done that, their war is half won already. Once that's done, why not an independent NE I say? If people really hate being run by London so much and feel so politically different, it'll happen.
Anyway, must be off now. Cannot see the Greens maintaining quite the level they are now, it hasn't had the same level of build up or actual electoral results backing it up as the UKIP surge, so that thread of hope for the Tories to cling to seems pretty thin.
Must be off myself too, but thanks, that is interesting, as your comments were so contrary to the "we'll not let you go independent" stuff that was so prominent here at one time.
Nick Robinson - BBC Chief Political Correspondent - Tory Andrew Neil - Senior TV Political Programme Host - Tory Jeremy Paxman - Recently Retired Newsnight Bigmouth - Tory
Total number of BBC staff: 23,000
The one's who matter are Tories. Start with the Board of Governer's.
It's inappropriate for you [not TGOHF!] to complain about personal abuse when you are simultaneously indulging in it - especially as Mr Salmond has been on a diet.
Scoff is on his own dime now - more reluctant to stay on track the trough ?
Mphm, you perhaps forget he famously paid for his own teabags and biscuits for guests to Bute House, as Labour wasted considerable amounts of public money to prove!
Teabags and biscuits? A fraction of the bills for golfing jollies at 5 star hotels.
It's inappropriate for you [not TGOHF!] to complain about personal abuse when you are simultaneously indulging in it - especially as Mr Salmond has been on a diet.
Scoff is on his own dime now - more reluctant to stay on track the trough ?
Mphm, you perhaps forget he famously paid for his own teabags and biscuits for guests to Bute House, as Labour wasted considerable amounts of public money to prove!
Teabags and biscuits? A fraction of the bills for golfing jollies at 5 star hotels.
Eck lived high on the expenses hog.
Chauffeur used to be sent out to pick up his curry.
Sturgeon wants people in Miliband's cabinet it seems, so much for only voting on things that affect Scotland. Or is this an attempt to nobble Miliband to get the Tory government she needs for independence ?
Mr Dancer, I know that's just because you believe your nonsensical idea of English devolution is the only hope of your beloved tories holding any kind of power again (though even that is debatable), but just because you'd see the outcome as favourable politically doesn't mean it makes any sense, and it simply isn't going to happen.
Sturgeon wants people in Miliband's cabinet it seems, so much for only voting on things that affect Scotland. Or is this an attempt to nobble Miliband to get the Tory government she needs for independence ?
England is not the possession of any political party, to be denied equality (Conservatives) or sliced up into petty political fiefdoms for party advantage (Labour/Lib Dems).
It's inappropriate for you to complain about personal abuse when you are simultaneously indulging in it - especially as Mr Salmond has been on a diet.
Edin_Rokz typifies the SLab mindset, spouting fear-driven vitriol about Eck and the Nats then whining when it's returned to them.
Is he actually Slab? I did ask him but reply there came none. We really do need one to come out of the closet to enrich the biodiversity of the site.
I am a supporter of the centre left rather than being a Labour supporter. How I vote is based on whether I think the policies are well thought out and practical. (For the record, I think Murphy's policies on Fracking and Scotrail are rubbish)
As for Salmond, I have said on this site that he is Marmite. For myself, I did not like or trust him.
I have many SNP friends, and after chatting to them, my feeling on a consensus was that Salmond was not trusted by many in the wide political spectrum of SNP supporters. The only reason that he was supported as leader was the thought that He might just be able to pull the referendum off.
He didn't, he went. Too many knives being sharpened and a broad enough back to take them all. (On yet another diet? Can't make it any funnier). Et tu, Nicola?
Oh, and just for the record, like I suspect a lot of other voters, if Salmond was not going to be involved after the referendum in the Scottish Government, I would have voted Yes. But the thought of Emperor Eck was enough to make me puke. Ever wonder why so many people joined the SNP after Salmond resigned?
I know that you are very anxious to run down the extraordinary SNP performance at all costs but that does not excuse talking nonsence.
MORI used a sample of 1001in their last Scottish poll. The lower figure refers to the "certain to vote" category. This is just MORI's technique which they apply to bothg UK and Scottish polls. They do not have a low sample base.
Nick Robinson - BBC Chief Political Correspondent - Tory Andrew Neil - Senior TV Political Programme Host - Tory Jeremy Paxman - Recently Retired Newsnight Bigmouth - Tory
Total number of BBC staff: 23,000
The one's who matter are Tories. Start with the Board of Governer's.
There's never been a Board of "Governer's" And the Board of Governors hasn't existed since 1st Jan 2007
Sturgeon wants people in Miliband's cabinet it seems, so much for only voting on things that affect Scotland. Or is this an attempt to nobble Miliband to get the Tory government she needs for independence ?
Nick Clegg has given up on the idea of stopping Tim Farron from taking charge of the Lib Dems if he is ousted as leader after the election.
Interestingly, YouGov today has Vince Cable still as the most popular prediction for next Lib Dem leader.
Not really surprising, apart from Clegg, for a large percentage of the voting public, Vince Cable will be the only other LibDem they've ever heard of ..... certainly he's far, far better known than the likes of Farron. A bit like Boris for the Tories - the most popular choice to succeed Cameron, but frankly he hasn't a prayer of doing do. Speaking of whom, Farron as LibDem leader = 10 years+ wilderness years for the LibDems, i.e. until he is eventually replaced.
Perhaps more important than your views are the conisistent record positive ratings Salmond enjoyed througout his time in office. Only Blair has ever had similar figures but even he did not maintain them throughout his term as did Salmond.
The suggestion that Salmond was under pressure to resign is nonsence. He ranks as one of the few poltical leaders ever to know when it is the right time to go without being pushed. Another reason while most people apart from yourself will give him great support. In his own constituency he achieved nearly 70 per cent of the vote in a seat which was a gain in 2007!
Finally Nicola is achieving great ratings but she is still 1 point short of the record opinion poll Westminster SNP rating of Salmond. Give her time however.
To win a majority under the re-inforced PR system, a party must win
40.4% * (100%-E%) of the total votes, where
E% is the total percentage votes won by excluded parties which don't make the 3% threshold.
Most polls have shown Syriza tantalizingly close, but not quite making it.
Syriza looks likely to get c. 34% tonight, against 30-31% for New Democracy. The big question is whether lots of the little parties pass the 3% threshold. If they do, Syriza will need to form a coalition, if they do not, then Syriza may be able to govern alone.
Bristol W seat, c27 % of voters University Students. Bristol Green Capital 2015, could sway some, but Green Councillors mixed bunch - helped block Bristol Rovers FC ground sale, not something to crow about. One of them resigned as Assistant Mayor, tweeted Fuck Off to critic on Twitter, not quite as bad as claiming he was underpaid at £32K, or rumoured 'favourable' terms on a council house purchase. Mayor veers from sycophantic tweets to Greens, and LDs as long as they support his Residential Parking Zones and vision for City. Mayor is ex LD though more green than yellow at the moment. Green Capital kicked off this weekend, but looks like grants/subsidies for trendy artists, or green tinged fest for pseuds.
Haven't seen any bumf from Greens or Labour in last 8 weeks - had leaflets from LDs & Tories. Not impressed with Labour candidate - equalities officer - nothing on parking issue, unlike the Tory (councillor from a Bristol NW ward). Can't see Tory getting in. Little effort from Labour to convert voters to their cause in this ward - 2 years ago had bumf from semi literate Lab candidate, plenty of poor spelling, & little else.
Ed M visited Gloucester Road last may - yet LDs lost council seats to Greens not Labour. Labour may be more organised in the other wards. One thing I have noticed is that the Bristol West wards furtherest away from the University of Bristol have had a lower % of Green votes.
Williams had 48% of vote, Labour 27.5%, Conservative 18.4%, Greens c 3.8%. Greens could pick votes up but it would be a sensational win. LDs do have good organisation, but does the seat have a bigger churn of voters to make prediction difficult?
Amazing finish to the SA/WI 4th ODI if anyone else was watching. My overall result bets came through but I was pegged back by some losers on individual performances. Beer money profit in the end for a very stressful last 10 minutes!
A Syriza win and a Greek exit from the Euro could still cause much tumult in the markets, despite how long it has been priced in. The economic fallout of that will show how ridiculous the argument of "Europe isn't an important issue" is. We are currently chained to an economic stagnant bloc with regular pangs of risk and uncertainty. And part of the membership terms means that we can't sign trade deals with anyone else, allowing us to diversify our export base.
It's a good job the economic benefits make up for the political disadvantages, isn't it?
I dont think Syriza will do the job, for the reasons RCS has mentioned a number of times here, they will let themselves be bought off with better loan terms I would think because they want to be in the Euro still.
Spain in December on the other hand might well be a corker, if Podemos win, as well they might, they are committed to resiling from Lisbon, and all the MoUs with the Troika, pulling out of many of the free trade agreements, hammering multinational for super taxes, and a whole load of SWP & Greenery nonsense.
The big fly in the Greek ointment is if Golden Dawn manage a 2nd place, no matter how far behind Syriza they are. If midday exits are to be believed they are already in 3rd place, thats up two places from the last poll I saw a few days ago. Then Syriza, being a far left party, may decide to settle accounts with the far right, before any other business proceeds.
A Syriza win and a Greek exit from the Euro could still cause much tumult in the markets, despite how long it has been priced in. The economic fallout of that will show how ridiculous the argument of "Europe isn't an important issue" is. We are currently chained to an economic stagnant bloc with regular pangs of risk and uncertainty. And part of the membership terms means that we can't sign trade deals with anyone else, allowing us to diversify our export base.
It's a good job the economic benefits make up for the political disadvantages, isn't it?
I dont think Syriza will do the job, for the reasons RCS has mentioned a number of times here, they will let themselves be bought off with better loan terms I would think because they want to be in the Euro still.
Spain in December on the other hand might well be a corker, if Podemos win, as well they might, they are committed to resiling from Lisbon, and all the MoUs with the Troika, pulling out of many of the free trade agreements, hammering multinational for super taxes, and a whole load of SWP & Greenery nonsense.
The big fly in the Greek ointment is if Golden Dawn manage a 2nd place, no matter how far behind Syriza they are. If midday exits are to be believed they are already in 3rd place, thats up two places from the last poll I saw a few days ago. Then Syriza, being a far left party, may decide to settle accounts with the far right, before any other business proceeds.
It's a Greek thing dating from Athens and Sparta.
Golden Dawn will not be second. New democracy will be second.
So today marks the rebirth of Socialism in Europe. Coming here in May with any luck. Labour in coalition with parties to the left of us sounds like a top result from my perspective.
Talking about a Green surge, the only other seat worth thinking about is Norwich South - partly because it is a Lib Dem seat and where Greens have a good presence. The Bookies , however, have made Labour firm favourites. Greens are second favourite. Cambridge too far for them this time.
To win a majority under the re-inforced PR system, a party must win
40.4% * (100%-E%) of the total votes, where
E% is the total percentage votes won by excluded parties which don't make the 3% threshold.
Most polls have shown Syriza tantalizingly close, but not quite making it.
Syriza looks likely to get c. 34% tonight, against 30-31% for New Democracy. The big question is whether lots of the little parties pass the 3% threshold. If they do, Syriza will need to form a coalition, if they do not, then Syriza may be able to govern alone.
If Syriza get 34% the excluded parties would have to get circa 16% combined for Syriza to have a majority.
'Polls close at 7 p.m. (1200 ET), with 9.8 million Greeks eligible to vote. An exit poll is expected immediately after voting ends, with the first official projections due at 9.30 p.m. with results updated into the night.' (Reuters)
Nick Robinson - BBC Chief Political Correspondent - Tory Andrew Neil - Senior TV Political Programme Host - Tory Jeremy Paxman - Recently Retired Newsnight Bigmouth - Tory
Total number of BBC staff: 23,000
The one's who matter are Tories. Start with the Board of Governer's.
There's never been a Board of "Governer's" And the Board of Governors hasn't existed since 1st Jan 2007
Nick Robinson - BBC Chief Political Correspondent - Tory Andrew Neil - Senior TV Political Programme Host - Tory Jeremy Paxman - Recently Retired Newsnight Bigmouth - Tory
Total number of BBC staff: 23,000
The one's who matter are Tories. Start with the Board of Governer's.
There's never been a Board of "Governer's" And the Board of Governors hasn't existed since 1st Jan 2007
The Independent @Independent 2h2 hours ago Two men arrested after police seize rocket launcher and AK47-style assault rifle in Bromley http://ind.pn/1B8Khy5
Anything remotely positive to vote Labour for? Such poverty of thought and ambition will go a long way to explaining why ed will do so badly in May.
That cuts both ways of course. Why should anyone vote Conservative ? Yes, some people will because of the engendered fear that somehow a Labour Government will unleash plague, pestilence and usher in the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the form I'm in, I couldn't back the winner of that race either !)
As I opined the other day, the choice is between an inept Labour administration and a Conservative administration so mired in its own Euro-introspection it'll forget about running the country until the much-awaited EU referendum after which the Tories can schism into obscurity and the rest of us will be left to pick up the pieces.
So defecit reduction Growing economy Increased full time jobs Low inflation Increased wages Count for nothing ? Fair enough.
What you mean saddo is "F*** you jack" I am doing all right, who cares about the majority
Er! 55% is not a majority on Planet Eck? While the 45 on your badge refers to the price of Brent crude?
What are you wittering about you demented half wit , we are talking about the UK economy here not labour knuckle draggers living in the past and trying to pretend they won something by partnering the Tories. We will see how many of the 55% support your heroes soon enough.
My, My! Been at the whisky already? Remember to leave some for tonight to toast the Pudding. (Haggis not Eck)
Well, what did Nicola tweet the other day, something about "Comments like that are totally unacceptable. Robust debate, Yes, Abuse like that, No". Seems like she, at least, in the SNP is embarrassed by some of the comments of her supporters. Perhaps you might like to take note.
You dullard I am nothing whatsoever to do with the SNP. You need to get a life and get over your fixation of the SNP. Your use of "Eck" marks you out as a childish half wit. Try to grow up and have some real discussions, and try reading posts before you post "SNP bad" to make sense.
Anything remotely positive to vote Labour for? Such poverty of thought and ambition will go a long way to explaining why ed will do so badly in May.
That cuts both ways of course. Why should anyone vote Conservative ? Yes, some people will because of the engendered fear that somehow a Labour Government will unleash plague, pestilence and usher in the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the form I'm in, I couldn't back the winner of that race either !)
As I opined the other day, the choice is between an inept Labour administration and a Conservative administration so mired in its own Euro-introspection it'll forget about running the country until the much-awaited EU referendum after which the Tories can schism into obscurity and the rest of us will be left to pick up the pieces.
So defecit reduction Growing economy Increased full time jobs Low inflation Increased wages Count for nothing ? Fair enough.
What you mean saddo is "F*** you jack" I am doing all right, who cares about the majority
Er! 55% is not a majority on Planet Eck? While the 45 on your badge refers to the price of Brent crude?
What are you wittering about you demented half wit , we are talking about the UK economy here not labour knuckle draggers living in the past and trying to pretend they won something by partnering the Tories. We will see how many of the 55% support your heroes soon enough.
My, My! Been at the whisky already? Remember to least some for tonight to toast the Pudding. (Haggis not Eck)
Well, what did Nicola tweet the other day, something about "Comments like that are totally unacceptable. Robust debate, Yes, Abuse like that, No". Seem like she, at least, in the SNP is embarrassed by some of the comments of her supporters. Perhaps you might like to take note.
Hmmp - you're indulging in personal abuse (and out of date abuse at that), I notice.
And Burn's Night is when? And if you want to read personal abuse, may I kindly suggest that you re-read the comments of MalcolmG towards other writers on this site.
Mr. Richard, yes. You can also point out Carswell was the incumbent MP who won that large majority.
Personal votes for MPs amount to a couple of thousand at most.
Now I've always liked Carswell irrespective of the party he represents but to suggest that Clacton voted for him personally rather than the Conservatives generally is ridiculous.
A look at the results in neighbouring constituencies confirms this.
If personal votes are 2,000 at the most, how do you explain the number of Lib Dems who look likely to hold their seats?
I think you'll find that LibDem MPs will be losing this May at the same rate that LibDem councillors have been losing since 2010.
With the surviving LibDem MPs based in their traditional rural Celtic Fringe bases, a few upmarket urban areas and/or reliant upon tactical votes.
So Nigel will say (yet again)? "we discovered the chap was a bad un after we selected them and after we put him before the voters and after the voters choose UKIP at the ballot box....."
Nigel never learns from UKIP MEP selecting some rum coves. Ashley Mote (Nigel's personal selection in the South) is back in court.
A party is supposed to not select someone for something they haven't done yet? Absurd.
1. Were all the UKIP policies clear for what he stood for as an MEP? 2. He had a track record in political life that could easily have been researched. 3. The main person they complained about him associating with was a UKIP member themselves with criminal records in Pakistan etc.
As for Ashley Mote, his first convictions were for benefits fraud that happened before he was elected as a UKIP MEP. Farage presented Mote to UKIPs members as the right person to select as their candidate. Just as Farage personally selected David Campbell-Bannerman and Marta Andreasen plus many others that either later defected or were jailed etc etc.
According to the account in 'Flying Free', the charges against Mr Mote were revealed in a Telegraph article after he was elected.
Comments
The greatest achievement of the Yes side, even in the face of defeat, was making people like me think victory in the long term was inevitable. Having done that, their war is half won already. Once that's done, why not an independent NE I say? If people really hate being run by London so much and feel so politically different, it'll happen.
Anyway, must be off now. Cannot see the Greens maintaining quite the level they are now, it hasn't had the same level of build up or actual electoral results backing it up as the UKIP surge, so that thread of hope for the Tories to cling to seems pretty thin.
Mphm, you perhaps forget he famously paid for his own teabags and biscuits for guests to Bute House, as Labour wasted considerable amounts of public money to prove!
Keeping Scotland together and carving up England is bullshit.
Eck lived high on the expenses hog.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2925537/Now-Sturgeon-claims-better-Britain-Scottish-Nationalists-sitting-Miliband-s-Cabinet.html
Farron has LD leadership in the bag ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2925556/Leftwinger-Tim-Farron-unstoppable-battle-replace-Nick-Clegg-leader-Lib-Dem-election-wipeout.html
England is not the possession of any political party, to be denied equality (Conservatives) or sliced up into petty political fiefdoms for party advantage (Labour/Lib Dems).
To win a majority under the re-inforced PR system, a party must win
40.4% * (100%-E%) of the total votes, where
E% is the total percentage votes won by excluded parties which don't make the 3% threshold.
Most polls have shown Syriza tantalizingly close, but not quite making it.
As for Salmond, I have said on this site that he is Marmite. For myself, I did not like or trust him.
I have many SNP friends, and after chatting to them, my feeling on a consensus was that Salmond was not trusted by many in the wide political spectrum of SNP supporters. The only reason that he was supported as leader was the thought that He might just be able to pull the referendum off.
He didn't, he went. Too many knives being sharpened and a broad enough back to take them all. (On yet another diet? Can't make it any funnier). Et tu, Nicola?
Oh, and just for the record, like I suspect a lot of other voters, if Salmond was not going to be involved after the referendum in the Scottish Government, I would have voted Yes. But the thought of Emperor Eck was enough to make me puke. Ever wonder why so many people joined the SNP after Salmond resigned?
I know that you are very anxious to run down the extraordinary SNP performance at all costs but that does not excuse talking nonsence.
MORI used a sample of 1001in their last Scottish poll. The lower figure refers to the "certain to vote" category. This is just MORI's technique which they apply to bothg UK and Scottish polls. They do not have a low sample base.
And the Board of Governors hasn't existed since 1st Jan 2007
Not really surprising, apart from Clegg, for a large percentage of the voting public, Vince Cable will be the only other LibDem they've ever heard of ..... certainly he's far, far better known than the likes of Farron. A bit like Boris for the Tories - the most popular choice to succeed Cameron, but frankly he hasn't a prayer of doing do.
Speaking of whom, Farron as LibDem leader = 10 years+ wilderness years for the LibDems, i.e. until he is eventually replaced.
Perhaps more important than your views are the conisistent record positive ratings Salmond enjoyed througout his time in office. Only Blair has ever had similar figures but even he did not maintain them throughout his term as did Salmond.
The suggestion that Salmond was under pressure to resign is nonsence. He ranks as one of the few poltical leaders ever to know when it is the right time to go without being pushed. Another reason while most people apart from yourself will give him great support. In his own constituency he achieved nearly 70 per cent of the vote in a seat which was a gain in 2007!
Finally Nicola is achieving great ratings but she is still 1 point short of the record opinion poll Westminster SNP rating of Salmond. Give her time however.
Haven't seen any bumf from Greens or Labour in last 8 weeks - had leaflets from LDs & Tories. Not impressed with Labour candidate - equalities officer - nothing on parking issue, unlike the Tory (councillor from a Bristol NW ward). Can't see Tory getting in. Little effort from Labour to convert voters to their cause in this ward - 2 years ago had bumf from semi literate Lab candidate, plenty of poor spelling, & little else.
Ed M visited Gloucester Road last may - yet LDs lost council seats to Greens not Labour. Labour may be more organised in the other wards. One thing I have noticed is that the Bristol West wards furtherest away from the University of Bristol have had a lower % of Green votes.
Williams had 48% of vote, Labour 27.5%, Conservative 18.4%, Greens c 3.8%. Greens could pick votes up but it would be a sensational win. LDs do have good organisation, but does the seat have a bigger churn of voters to make prediction difficult?
My overall result bets came through but I was pegged back by some losers on individual performances. Beer money profit in the end for a very stressful last 10 minutes!
It's a Greek thing dating from Athens and Sparta.
Do many of the current Labour candidates know what socialism is?
The latter doesn't look likely.
New thread, by the way.
Two men arrested after police seize rocket launcher and AK47-style assault rifle in Bromley http://ind.pn/1B8Khy5
I wonder who they are?
With the surviving LibDem MPs based in their traditional rural Celtic Fringe bases, a few upmarket urban areas and/or reliant upon tactical votes.
The Speccy have a piece on Mr Bashir.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/01/do-these-allegations-explain-why-ukips-amjad-bashir-defected-to-the-tories/