politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Reshuffle talk
David Cameron will carry out a ministerial reshuffle within weeks — with a second, more sweeping reshaping of his government towards the end of the year, the Standard has been told.
I'd have thought Andrew Mitchell is near-cert to get some kind of promotion, quite possibly to Cabinet. I don't know whether he'd see the EU Commissioner job as attractive, and it's true he might be a bit abrasive for that role - but maybe that's a good thing? He's certainly not (as David H suggested in the last piece) too tainted for the role - less so than Peter Mandleson was when he got the plumb Commissioner for Trade job.
The suggestion that Pickles should become Chief Whip certainly makes sense.
Cameron's going to be very reluctant to reduce the number of Tory women in the Cabinet, so I'd have thought Maria Miller, Justine Greening and Theresa Villiers are safer than they would otherwise appear.
Hammond is secure, surely? I suppose 25/1 is OK but I'd be very surprised if he was moved. Even if he is seen as a potential dangerous rival, standard procedure is to embrace your rivals, not give them a platform and reason to plot against you.
I don't see Liam Fox getting a Cabinet job back, but stranger things have happened.
And, if you're reading this Dave: Can you please, please promote the excellent Andrea Leadsom?
It's very dubious whether Mitchell can return before the active criminal proceedings (within the meaning of the Contempt of Court Act 1981) and his libel action against NGN Ltd have been disposed of.
It's very dubious whether Mitchell can return before the active criminal proceedings (within the meaning of the Contempt of Court Act 1981) and his libel action against NGN Ltd have been disposed of.
Why would it be "dubious"?
Why should Mitchell be denied a return to his career, just because he's also pursuing complaints against people?
Practice has apparently been delayed due to work on the barriers. Because there must be a 2 hour gap between the end of P3 and the start of qualifying this also means that the session will be curtailed.
Apologies for the initial version of this post, I misread the detail and thought qualifying would also be delayed, which isn't the case.
Got a few potential bets in mind. I suspect the practice will prove of limited use at best. On the other hand, that may mean some chaps have odds longer than they should be.
@next I'm well aware of what C4 came up with. If you don't think the loss of an action for defamation reflects badly on the claimant, when the claimant brought that action to vindicate his reputation, then you are living in a fantasy world.
How do you know it was only to "vindicate his reputation". If Mitchell believes someone has been defamatory towards him, he has a right to make a claim.
Whether he wins or not is a completely different matter for the court to decide, but it does NOT automatically mean that whatever was said against him was necessarily true. I believe there are many reasons a defamation action may fail.
If Lord McAlpine had lost against Sally Bercow, would it have meant that his reputation was in tatters, or simply that he had been unable to prove his libel case? Surely it would be the latter.
@next The issue in McAlpine of West Green v Bercow was whether the message on Twitter in question bore a defamatory meaning. It did not involve a dispute about facts. Mitchell v NGN is therefore not comparable.
"Wouldn't know, I couldn't care less either way about Scottish independence"
In that case perhaps the satire is going over your head. Although it does have to be said that in some cases "I don't care" is code for "I don't want this to happen". That was certainly the case with the fox-hunting ban.
I actually think its a good thing when sportsmen refuse to advertise companies to which they are ethically or religiously opposed to (Hasheem Amla refuses to advertise Castle Lager on his SA kit), but doesn't Virgin Money break the rules for Cisse too?
"Wouldn't know, I couldn't care less either way about Scottish independence"
In that case perhaps the satire is going over your head. Although it does have to be said that in some cases "I don't care" is code for "I don't want this to happen". That was certainly the case with the fox-hunting ban.
Its not going over my head, it just isn't all that funny.
I tell a lie, I would probably vote for Scottish Independence if I could, but living in SE England it doesn't really cross my mind all that much
"Its not going over my head, it just isn't all that funny"
It's funny because it's painfully close to the risible things Better Together actually say. But again, you probably don't have much exposure to the campaign lines, which is why you wouldn't get the humour.
"Its not going over my head, it just isn't all that funny"
It's funny because it's painfully close to the risible things Better Together actually say. But again, you probably don't have much exposure to the campaign lines, which is why you wouldn't get the humour.
Clearly our current leadership isn't going to do this, but you never know what turns politics will take in thirty, forty years time. But the government has currently already seized the information needed to monitor all our social networks. It's outrageous and while I expected apathy about it from the man on the street, I'd hope followers of politics like the demographic on here would care a little more about it.
I don't approve of a surveillance society, but that particular argument does seem a bit like the paranoid one put forward by gun nuts in America (take away our guns and tyranny is inevitable).
"Its not going over my head, it just isn't all that funny"
It's funny because it's painfully close to the risible things Better Together actually say. But again, you probably don't have much exposure to the campaign lines, which is why you wouldn't get the humour.
OK, you win, it is hilariously funny
Not one of those tweets had a modicum of wit , humour or insight. Kelly has joined Mick Pork in a perpetual state of idiotic hilarity.
I find it very hard to warm to Serena Williams. Did she just count out the number sixteen on her fingers - ie. "I've just won a sixteenth Grand Slam"?
Could she go on to beat Graf's 22 ? Her career in terms of years is already longer than Graf's, but in terms of matches played she is still only at ~700 compared to Graf over 1000. If she focuses on the slams only (Which from her record is clearly what she does) she probably has another 3 years left at the very top. Can she get past 22 slams ? Difficult ask but not impossible for her I'd say given her dominance over every other contender.
Cameron told us something today that we'd always suspected was true: that he absolutely loves spending our money on things that make him feel good about himself. (What we think about it doesn't matter so much, of course).
Pulpstar - well, if she's suddenly invincible on clay having not won the French Open since 2002, it may not take her that long. On the other hand, she's 31.
I think Serena Williams may be aiming to win a grand slam beyond the age of 35, just to show that it's possible. She seems to be just as athletic today as she was 11 or 12 years ago.
Mr. JS, yeah, that's one of the most dislikeable things about Cameron. Pissing his own money away would be one thing, but the whole country dislikes him spending ours. The fact that there's a cosy consensus amongst political leaders means that he doesn't take much of a hit on it, which is a rare area where he doesn't, but deserves to.
On Williams, it's ridiculous and boring to see how much better than everyone else she is. Good for her, but tedious for spectators. In the men's game there are four outstanding players and others (Tsonga, Ferre, Del Potro) capable of beating them.
A YES vote in next year’s referendum would allow Scotland to use the nation’s defence forces more for humanitarian aid and global peacekeeping, members of the Veterans for Independence group have claimed.
Supporters of the group said an independent Scottish government would be able to make its own decisions about the role of its armed forces in ways that better match the nation’s views and priorities.
The group, which was formed last autumn, claims to have hundreds of supporters in Scotland.
Good thinking, Plato. Politics and betting chat is all very well on a political betting forum, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Would a panda video do the trick ?
Now panda videos - they're very hard to beat :^ What a wonderful job to have! My Cute-O-Meter red-lined.
I see my warning about Mr Kelly's inability to resist making a remark is holding up well. Still, having no sense of irony or humour is just such a valuable social skill...
PlatoSays @PlatoSays @HurstLlama Good to see you around - I barely read PB now, and haven't seen you in ages - hope you're all well.
Plato, who barely reads PB now, has 1464 posts since the introduction of Vanilla.
"I see my warning about Mr Kelly's inability to resist making a remark is holding up well. Still, having no sense of irony or humour is just such a valuable social skill..."
Oh dear. It seems someone is still a bit sore about being called the Queen of Pointlessness. Still, best prove the critics wrong by posting yet more animal videos, eh?
I guess bringing Mitchell back makes some sense since he appears to have been the victim of a stitch up.
Doesn't stop him being an arrogant obnoxious toff but I guess there's some guilt over the way he was treated.
Bringing Fox back would be a major mistake in my totally non important opinion. I still don't have a clue what his scandal was really all about, just seemed seedy in the extreme.
When is David Davis coming into government? Could do with some done to earthiness, even if tinged with the risk of him throwing a wobbly now and again. Clever and a good communicator. And Priti Patel should be drafted in as well, excellent right wing credentials and spot on re Europe.
Dan Norris had a bit of a personal vote in NE Somerset which will be lost now that Todd Foreman has been selected for Labour there. I had thought Norris might stand again.
Good thinking, Plato. Politics and betting chat is all very well on a political betting forum, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Would a panda video do the trick ?
Now panda videos - they're very hard to beat :^ What a wonderful job to have! My Cute-O-Meter red-lined.
I see my warning about Mr Kelly's inability to resist making a remark is holding up well. Still, having no sense of irony or humour is just such a valuable social skill...
"I associate three Western politicians with pandas ; Richard Nixon , Ted Heath and Alex Salmond."
Ted Heath? Wow. I'm certainly happy to see my party leader being associated with the man who has the biggest achievement to his name of any post-war Prime Minister - taking us into Europe.
"What about the Caravan Club of Great Britain? Well? What will happen to that?"
"But James Kelly says Great Britiain is a geographical term - not a political one - so we'll be alright!"
"Fair enough!
But what about when the EU forces us to drive on the right and have distances in km - won't that cause problems at Berwick?"
"Nah - we'll get used to driving on the left again while we queue for passport control, enhanced security clearing (cavity searches mandatory) and change our money into sterling"
Bermondsey and Old Southwark (19.1% LD majority): Neil Coyle Bristol South (9.8% Labour majority): Karin Smyth City of Chester (5.5% Con majority): Christian Matheson Manchester Withington (4.1% LD majority): Jeff Smith North Warwickshire (0.1% Con majority): Mike O'Brien Somerset North East (9.6% Con majority): Todd Foreman Weaver Vale (2.3% Con majority): Julia Tickridge
"But James Kelly says Great Britiain is a geographical term - not a political one - so we'll be alright!"
"Fair enough!
I agree. The Caravan Club of Great Britain is probably safe (unless of course its Scottish members want "separation", in which case who are we to stop them?).
"But James Kelly says Great Britiain is a geographical term - not a political one - so we'll be alright!"
"Fair enough!
I agree. The Caravan Club of Great Britain is probably safe (unless of course its Scottish members want "separation", in which case who are we to stop them?).
I'm not sure separation is the best idea if you are towing a caravan...
"Since you claim Scotland should have the lion's share of the oil, you can also take the lion's share of the debt your Scottish PM ran up for us."
Don't know how to break this to you, but it doesn't work like that. When Canada became independent, it didn't have to "compensate" us for holding onto its own natural resources. Still, I dare say you think it would be far more logical if London had proprietorial rights over Canadian oil reserves...
"Since you claim Scotland should have the lion's share of the oil, you can also take the lion's share of the debt your Scottish PM ran up for us."
Don't know how to break this to you, but it doesn't work like that. When Canada became independent, it didn't have to "compensate" us for holding onto its own natural resources. Still, I dare say you think it would be far more logical if London had proprietorial rights over Canadian oil reserves...
Let us never forget Salmond's magnificent " Celtic Lion " speech ;
" Scots are lucky enough to have the one of the best brands in the world - a global recognition and affection for our culture that money cannot buy. Take financial services. With RBS and HBOS - two of the world's biggest banks - Scotland has global leaders today, tomorrow and for the long-term. "
Let us never forget Salmond's magnificent " Celtic Lion " speech ;
" Scots are lucky enough to have the one of the best brands in the world - a global recognition and affection for our culture that money cannot buy. Take financial services. With RBS and HBOS - two of the world's biggest banks - Scotland has global leaders today, tomorrow and for the long-term. "
@MonikerDiCanio Have you heard the latest from Salmond? He now sees an Independent Scotland as a chance for us to create a 'special' society in Scotland. As usual, our answer to Moses was short on the details of what shape this greatness would take when it descended upon us all after a Yes Vote. But I am sure that the SNP Government has already sought legal advice on this to prove they are correct in this position, although I fear they will argue that an unholy precedent would be set if it was ever published.
TSE (if that's you), please tell me what I'm supposed to "desist" from doing, and explain why. This had better be good, because at the moment you look to me like a man who is taking his cue from the idiots around here.
No this is not TSE,TSE is enjoying the cricket in Birmingham. You are not to reply to, or mention directly or indirectly to Plato on this thread, or any future thread, I will instruct Plato to do the same regarding you. Far too many PB threads get derailed by these spats, so we're ending them
"No this is not TSE,TSE is enjoying the cricket in Birmingham, you are not to reply to, or mention directly or indirectly to Plato on this thread, or any future thread, I will instruct Plato to do the same regarding you. Far too many PB threads get derailed by these spats, so we're ending them""
Don't be so plain bloody ridiculous. Whoever you are (and I would respect you somewhat more if you weren't hiding your identity), I take it you were the person who deleted my first response to Plato this afternoon, while leaving Plato's cat video (openly intended as "bait") intact? Were you the person on watch who thought it was perfectly OK for Alan Brooke to call me a member of the Ku Klux Klan, but instantly moderated me for calling Moniker di Canio a "fascist, not a racist" (an obvious thing to call him given his own choice of name)?
In response to Carlotta, frankly yes, if just one more of my posts is deleted then the whole lot will be going up on my blog tonight to show up the PB Tory moderation regime for what it is. Again.
Can I just pipe up and thank OGH and the mods for the work they do on here. I have had posts deleted in the past, but with hindsight in most cases the mods made the correct decisions.
Moderating a website is mostly a thankless task.
In that case: thanks everyone who works hard keeping PB going so we can moan and whinge at them.
(/brown-nosing)
Edit: and the best F1 qualifying of the year so far. Seeing 14 cars queuing for the restart of Q2 was fun...
You have to love the Wall Street Journal. A mandate to buy health insurance? The gateway to tyranny. A bicycle scheme in New York? Totalitarian. Government intelligence agencies monitoring the personal communications of tens of millions of Americans that have committed no crime? Nothing to worry about.
"LABOUR MP Alistair Darling has received a standing ovation at Scottish Conservative Party conference at which he launched a new campaign to keep the British armed forces together.
Mr Darling, chairman of the pro-UK Better Together campaign, launched Forces Together at the Tory conference in Stirling today.
One Tory delegate asked if Mr Darling’s appearance at conference has been recorded so it can be distributed to schools.
Mr Darling said: “These things tend to stay in the archives unless they are particularly bad, but I think a standing ovation at the Conservative conference will I’m afraid be preserved.”
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
How about Cable as the next man in Brussels? I think he's too old to really have any aspirations in the UK, he's too awkward to try to place in anything dynamic, and he's too daft to actually make anything of the job.
Whilst typing this I looked him up on Wikipedia - I'm absolutely amazed that on paper he's a clever man (I knew the Glasgow and BP stuff, but not the Cambridge connection).
I've not heard any rumours of such an appointment, but having suggested it here, it seems almost a formality!
(I posted this by accident at the end of the prior thread - apologies for the repost)
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
Alistair Darling seems to be able to articulate a true " One Nation " message far more effectively than Edward Miliband. We must start regarding him as a future Prime Minister.
In response to Carlotta, frankly yes, if just one more of my posts is deleted then the whole lot will be going up on my blog tonight to show up the PB Tory moderation regime for what it is. Again.
You are responding to a post of mine that has been deleted.
Am I complaining?
OGH House. OGH rules. If you don't like it post somewhere else.
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
On that evidence, it's the suboptimal humour rather than it being suboptimal to the debate that's the problem.
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
@CarlottaVance One thing we Scots Tories have never lost is our sense of humour. If they ever tried to ban having a sense of humour up here in Scotland, the Tartan army would have to disband. Although it was great to see them actually able to celebrate a Scottish win against Croatia last night.
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
Alistair Darling seems to be able to articulate a true " One Nation " message far more effectively than Edward Miliband. We must start regarding him as a future Prime Minister
His work will not be done until September 2014 - I suspect too close to May 2015. Mind you "keeping the Union together" will be a greater achievement than either Cameron or Miliband are likely to chalk up.
Theresa Villiers has been the invisible Minister / Secretary of this government. Both her and Greening got away with murder on the West Coast rail fiasco.
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
A sense of humour! I thought that had been banned decided sub-optimal to the serious debate in Scotland?
On that evidence, it's the suboptimal humour rather than it being suboptimal to the debate that's the problem.
I know you're dieing to tell us "Alex Salmond's Greatest Jokes, Rib-tickling Rejoinders and Pithy Put Downs"
Comments
The suggestion that Pickles should become Chief Whip certainly makes sense.
Cameron's going to be very reluctant to reduce the number of Tory women in the Cabinet, so I'd have thought Maria Miller, Justine Greening and Theresa Villiers are safer than they would otherwise appear.
Hammond is secure, surely? I suppose 25/1 is OK but I'd be very surprised if he was moved. Even if he is seen as a potential dangerous rival, standard procedure is to embrace your rivals, not give them a platform and reason to plot against you.
I don't see Liam Fox getting a Cabinet job back, but stranger things have happened.
And, if you're reading this Dave: Can you please, please promote the excellent Andrea Leadsom?
Mind you, moving Pickles anywhere away from Local Govt would make huge numbers happy, so that might be worth it...
Below the belt , TSE.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22821484
Why should Mitchell be denied a return to his career, just because he's also pursuing complaints against people?
Practice has apparently been delayed due to work on the barriers. Because there must be a 2 hour gap between the end of P3 and the start of qualifying this also means that the session will be curtailed.
Apologies for the initial version of this post, I misread the detail and thought qualifying would also be delayed, which isn't the case.
And it's started to rain.
Pickles should spend more time in front of TV cameras to counter the posh boy meme, not sure the Chief Whip would allow that.....
Damian Green, on the left of the party is an underused talent....(also good on TV)...and not too posh...
Mitchell should get something.
Its all very well having 'women' - but if these individuals are not up to the job, let 'em go....
Agree on Andrea Leadsom...
Meanwhile, latest 'Better Together' video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWBBwz2YHzg&feature=player_embedded
I look forward to the SNP rebuttal 'Join the SDF - and see the Clyde'....
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2013/06/08/tory-mps-go-to-war-against-tpa-over-nadine-dorries/
I suggest you read through the link TSE provided:
http://www.channel4.com/news/andrew-mitchell
Whether he wins or not is a completely different matter for the court to decide, but it does NOT automatically mean that whatever was said against him was necessarily true. I believe there are many reasons a defamation action may fail.
If Lord McAlpine had lost against Sally Bercow, would it have meant that his reputation was in tatters, or simply that he had been unable to prove his libel case? Surely it would be the latter.
Those spoof "tweetlikeBetterTogether" lines the other day could hardly have been more apt.
"The UK is just great. It's like a bag of Revels". #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"You know those little multi-coloured things on the top of a doughnut. The UK's like that." #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"Do you remember 'Watercolour Challenge' with Hannah Gordon? Well, that's why we're better together." #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"You can, like, buy a return ticket to London. In advance. That's barry. That's Britain" #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"What about the Caravan Club of Great Britain? Well? What will happen to that?" #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"I love Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. But I live in Glasgow. I don't want to lose all that". #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"I'm backing Britain. We're great at queuing." #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"The best things come in threes. So does the UK. Like Twix bars." #tweetlikeBetterTogether
"We speak English, not foreign. Don't become separatese." #tweetlikeBetterTogether
Painful student wallyness
The issue in McAlpine of West Green v Bercow was whether the message on Twitter in question bore a defamatory meaning. It did not involve a dispute about facts. Mitchell v NGN is therefore not comparable.
I do find them very funny, because they are.
But as you say, in the eye of the beholder
Very true. I dare say those who find the satire uncomfortable wouldn't be so amused by it.
In that case perhaps the satire is going over your head. Although it does have to be said that in some cases "I don't care" is code for "I don't want this to happen". That was certainly the case with the fox-hunting ban.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2337828/Papiss-Cisse-refuse-wear-Newcastle-shirt-Wonga-sponsorship.html
I tell a lie, I would probably vote for Scottish Independence if I could, but living in SE England it doesn't really cross my mind all that much
Betting Post
Backed Hamilton for pole at 3.2, hedged at 1.4.
My pre-qualifying piece is up here: http://enormo-haddock.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/canada-pre-qualifying.html
It's funny because it's painfully close to the risible things Better Together actually say. But again, you probably don't have much exposure to the campaign lines, which is why you wouldn't get the humour.
Agreed.
http://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fv4r6/i_believe_the_government_should_be_allowed_to/caeb3pl?context=3
Clearly our current leadership isn't going to do this, but you never know what turns politics will take in thirty, forty years time. But the government has currently already seized the information needed to monitor all our social networks. It's outrageous and while I expected apathy about it from the man on the street, I'd hope followers of politics like the demographic on here would care a little more about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C48NYUwIJxs
Good thinking, Plato. Politics and betting chat is all very well on a political betting forum, but you can have too much of a good thing.
On Williams, it's ridiculous and boring to see how much better than everyone else she is. Good for her, but tedious for spectators. In the men's game there are four outstanding players and others (Tsonga, Ferre, Del Potro) capable of beating them.
This was caused by the recent death of Lord Realy. Did JackW know him?
Looking forward to some proper AV action!
Yes, if it has the First Minister in it as well.
A YES vote in next year’s referendum would allow Scotland to use the nation’s defence forces more for humanitarian aid and global peacekeeping, members of the Veterans for Independence group have claimed.
Supporters of the group said an independent Scottish government would be able to make its own decisions about the role of its armed forces in ways that better match the nation’s views and priorities.
The group, which was formed last autumn, claims to have hundreds of supporters in Scotland.
http://www.glawest.org/scottish-independence-would-benefit-peacekeeping/
I see my warning about Mr Kelly's inability to resist making a remark is holding up well. Still, having no sense of irony or humour is just such a valuable social skill...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGF6bOi1NfA
@HurstLlama Good to see you around - I barely read PB now, and haven't seen you in ages - hope you're all well.
Plato, who barely reads PB now, has 1464 posts since the introduction of Vanilla.
"I see my warning about Mr Kelly's inability to resist making a remark is holding up well. Still, having no sense of irony or humour is just such a valuable social skill..."
Oh dear. It seems someone is still a bit sore about being called the Queen of Pointlessness. Still, best prove the critics wrong by posting yet more animal videos, eh?
Doesn't stop him being an arrogant obnoxious toff but I guess there's some guilt over the way he was treated.
Bringing Fox back would be a major mistake in my totally non important opinion. I still don't have a clue what his scandal was really all about, just seemed seedy in the extreme.
When is David Davis coming into government? Could do with some done to earthiness, even if tinged with the risk of him throwing a wobbly now and again. Clever and a good communicator. And Priti Patel should be drafted in as well, excellent right wing credentials and spot on re Europe.
And Redwood for Chancellor!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr71SIPGxx4
True. They regularly outpoll the governing party at Westminster.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22828292
LOL
Ted Heath? Wow. I'm certainly happy to see my party leader being associated with the man who has the biggest achievement to his name of any post-war Prime Minister - taking us into Europe.
It's you again, Plato! It must be..what, thirty-seven seconds since you last posted here? PLEASE stick around this time.
"Fair enough!
But what about when the EU forces us to drive on the right and have distances in km - won't that cause problems at Berwick?"
"Nah - we'll get used to driving on the left again while we queue for passport control, enhanced security clearing (cavity searches mandatory) and change our money into sterling"
Amateurs.....
Bermondsey and Old Southwark (19.1% LD majority): Neil Coyle
Bristol South (9.8% Labour majority): Karin Smyth
City of Chester (5.5% Con majority): Christian Matheson
Manchester Withington (4.1% LD majority): Jeff Smith
North Warwickshire (0.1% Con majority): Mike O'Brien
Somerset North East (9.6% Con majority): Todd Foreman
Weaver Vale (2.3% Con majority): Julia Tickridge
"Fair enough!
I agree. The Caravan Club of Great Britain is probably safe (unless of course its Scottish members want "separation", in which case who are we to stop them?).
Thankyou. Someone has to.
http://www.scottishreview.net/ScotNatPanda.jpg
It is if George Osborne is in the caravan.
Freedom. To eat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O_IQ__zwB8
Since you claim Scotland should have the lion's share of the oil, you can also take the lion's share of the debt your Scottish PM ran up for us.
Don't know how to break this to you, but it doesn't work like that. When Canada became independent, it didn't have to "compensate" us for holding onto its own natural resources. Still, I dare say you think it would be far more logical if London had proprietorial rights over Canadian oil reserves...
" Scots are lucky enough to have the one of the best brands in the world - a global recognition and affection for our culture that money cannot buy. Take financial services. With RBS and HBOS - two of the world's biggest banks - Scotland has global leaders today, tomorrow and for the long-term. "
Thankyou. Someone has to.
NO YOU DO NOT. PLEASE DESIST FORTHWITH
" Scots are lucky enough to have the one of the best brands in the world - a global recognition and affection for our culture that money cannot buy. Take financial services. With RBS and HBOS - two of the world's biggest banks - Scotland has global leaders today, tomorrow and for the long-term. "
@MonikerDiCanio Have you heard the latest from Salmond? He now sees an Independent Scotland as a chance for us to create a 'special' society in Scotland. As usual, our answer to Moses was short on the details of what shape this greatness would take when it descended upon us all after a Yes Vote. But I am sure that the SNP Government has already sought legal advice on this to prove they are correct in this position, although I fear they will argue that an unholy precedent would be set if it was ever published.
Unusual of you to be sneering at ambition for Scotland, Fitalass.
NO YOU DO NOT. PLEASE DESIST FORTHWITH"
TSE (if that's you), please tell me what I'm supposed to "desist" from doing, and explain why. This had better be good, because at the moment you look to me like a man who is taking his cue from the idiots around here.
No this is not TSE,TSE is enjoying the cricket in Birmingham. You are not to reply to, or mention directly or indirectly to Plato on this thread, or any future thread, I will instruct Plato to do the same regarding you. Far too many PB threads get derailed by these spats, so we're ending them
"Four Tories from 2010 intake tipped for big promotions in SunTel tomorrow...."
Wonder who those could be?
Don't be so plain bloody ridiculous. Whoever you are (and I would respect you somewhat more if you weren't hiding your identity), I take it you were the person who deleted my first response to Plato this afternoon, while leaving Plato's cat video (openly intended as "bait") intact? Were you the person on watch who thought it was perfectly OK for Alan Brooke to call me a member of the Ku Klux Klan, but instantly moderated me for calling Moniker di Canio a "fascist, not a racist" (an obvious thing to call him given his own choice of name)?
In response to Carlotta, frankly yes, if just one more of my posts is deleted then the whole lot will be going up on my blog tonight to show up the PB Tory moderation regime for what it is. Again.
Moderating a website is mostly a thankless task.
In that case: thanks everyone who works hard keeping PB going so we can moan and whinge at them.
(/brown-nosing)
Edit: and the best F1 qualifying of the year so far. Seeing 14 cars queuing for the restart of Q2 was fun...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324299104578529373994191586.html?mod=rss_opinion_main
The Scotsman - Scots Tories give Alistair Darling standing ovation
"LABOUR MP Alistair Darling has received a standing ovation at Scottish Conservative Party conference at which he launched a new campaign to keep the British armed forces together.
Mr Darling, chairman of the pro-UK Better Together campaign, launched Forces Together at the Tory conference in Stirling today.
One Tory delegate asked if Mr Darling’s appearance at conference has been recorded so it can be distributed to schools.
Mr Darling said: “These things tend to stay in the archives unless they are particularly bad, but I think a standing ovation at the Conservative conference will I’m afraid be preserved.”
Former Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “I understand Alistair attending the Conservative conference is a bit like me leading the Bolshoi ballet: unexpected."
Whilst typing this I looked him up on Wikipedia - I'm absolutely amazed that on paper he's a clever man (I knew the Glasgow and BP stuff, but not the Cambridge connection).
I've not heard any rumours of such an appointment, but having suggested it here, it seems almost a formality!
(I posted this by accident at the end of the prior thread - apologies for the repost)
Am I complaining?
OGH House. OGH rules. If you don't like it post somewhere else.
@CarlottaVance One thing we Scots Tories have never lost is our sense of humour. If they ever tried to ban having a sense of humour up here in Scotland, the Tartan army would have to disband. Although it was great to see them actually able to celebrate a Scottish win against Croatia last night.