Excellent. FPT If nobody comments on the Labour manifesto after a few hours, job done. There are no good news stories in this election. There are only attacks to divert the banal uniformity of cyncial and hostile media attention onto the other crowd(s).
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
Excellent. FPT If nobody comments on the Labour manifesto after a few hours, job done. There are no good news stories in this election. There are only attacks to divert the banal uniformity of cyncial and hostile media attention onto the other crowd(s).
I can see that. Virtually no one reads the things (this is the first election I've read one properly), and with no majority probable for anyone the promises in them are even less cast iron than usual, so if one side can avoid more than the usual amount of opponent scorn they should be fine. People know how they feel about the parties anyway, they can say pretty much anything between now and the GE, manifesto or not, but it'll be easier if people essentially forget what was in it.
Tye daily polls encourages an over-reliance on YG compared to other pollsters. I'm not sure they're telling us anything new at the moment - beyond no real change.
Nicola Sturgeon is to appear on ITV’s The Agenda with Tom Bradby at 11.10pm tonight. As the show is pre-recorded, I have a copy of what she will be saying.
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
2) A discussion at coffee break with two medical colleagues (1 Sri Lankan Tamil, 1 from Tamil Nadu). Both live in Leicester West. 1 Tory, 1 Labour (this is Liz Kendalls seat). Both were impressed by how multicultural their home countries had become. The Indian one said that he never heard a Tamil on a building site any more, only Hindi, Orissan and Bihari. Shop assistants the same. The Sri Lankan commented that there was now a significant Chinese and also Somalian population in Columbo now. The Indian Tamil replied that there was a growing Chinese and Nigerian population in Bangalore too.
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
Labour need quantum voters to go with their quantum economics. What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
I guess my view is that while it makes sense that they should leak votes to the anti-austerity parties, they just won't outside Scotland, even if they should, making the loss of massive numbers more trusting them on economic issues not the problem it should be.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
Labour need quantum voters to go with their quantum economics. What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
Oooh! Very Big Bang Theory: Labours Schroedinger Manifesto. Like!!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
2) A discussion at coffee break with two medical colleagues (1 Sri Lankan Tamil, 1 from Tamil Nadu). Both live in Leicester West. 1 Tory, 1 Labour (this is Liz Kendalls seat). Both were impressed by how multicultural their home countries had become. The Indian one said that he never heard a Tamil on a building site any more, only Hindi, Orissan and Bihari. Shop assistants the same. The Sri Lankan commented that there was now a significant Chinese and also Somalian population in Columbo now. The Indian Tamil replied that there was a growing Chinese and Nigerian population in Bangalore too.
Nicola Sturgeon is to appear on ITV’s The Agenda with Tom Bradby at 11.10pm tonight. As the show is pre-recorded, I have a copy of what she will be saying.
Ed is going to get absolutely slaughtered on Thursday by Sturgeon and co. He had best hope that no one watches.
He has been preparing for this type of moment for years, he hasn't yet been slaughtered by anything people have predicted he would be by now; I don't think it's as certain he will be as people think.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
So the LibDems were responsible for the Hatton Garden safety deposit box heist !!
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
Labour need quantum voters to go with their quantum economics. What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
Oooh! Very Big Bang Theory: Labours Schroedinger Manifesto. Like!!
The problem for Labour is that they place a dead cat in the box.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
< metropolitan logic> Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums! < /metropolitian logic>
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
I took the scenic route to football in Burnley on Saturday and I saw a Labour poster on Newbold Road on the way out of Chesterfield, a Tory poster somewhere near Hathersage and a lot of Gordon Birtwhistle posters on the way into Burnley.
Never mind the election: after a week of lovely spring weather I have been horribly bitten all down one leg by some ghastly insect or other and now have red hot lumps to contend with. It almost makes going back to the office bearable. While I will miss being out in my garden (a real heartache for me) at least I only risk being bitten by the mice that regularly infest our office. What with beating off rodents and City rats, it's never a dull moment in my team......
Anyway off to bed. Feel quite unwell and I note that North by Northwest is on so maybe falling asleep while watching Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will make things better.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
So the LibDems were responsible for the Hatton Garden safety deposit box heist !!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
I'd better turn up the irony generators a bit higher ;-)
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
So the LibDems were responsible for the Hatton Garden safety deposit box heist !!
You read it here first Jack ;-)
Evan Harris is handy with a diamond tipped drill ?!? ... well it's one way to encourage the voters to go for his yellow peril successor !!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
I'd better turn up the irony generators a bit higher ;-)
Not at all. In fact, I need to remember that Vanilla strips out anything that even looks like code. So my supposedly clever use of < metropolitan logic> < /metropolitan logic> tags didn't display the first time ;-(
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
I'd better turn up the irony generators a bit higher ;-)
Not at all. In fact, I need to remember that Vanilla strips out anything that even looks like code. So my supposedly clever use of < metropolitan logic> < /metropolitan logic> tags didn't display the first time ;-(
No problem Mortimer!
Evan's successor gives Nichola a run for her money in the fragrancy stakes
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
Go to abingdon via Cumnor Hill, or down the side roads in North Oxford.
When I was up he came out with some 'popular studenty politix' that didn't wash here. Then the boundary changes handily removed the central Oxford wards (including most of the halls) from his constituency. Was the highlight of my night that he lost. Almost better that it was narrow - I imagine thoughts of 'one more night/street of canvassing' going through LD minds...
As usual, the story unravels, but of course by now no-one cares, the information merry-go-round has moved on, the next 'Putin' scandal awaits.
Interestingly, if you use a non-Russian source, they state that the first incident last autumn was probably a foreign submarine, perhaps understandably after the flap that ensued, a second one seems to have probably been a misidentified civilian vessel. http://www.thelocal.se/20150413/suspected-sub-in-swedish-waters-was-working-boat
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
Labour need quantum voters to go with their quantum economics. What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
Oooh! Very Big Bang Theory: Labours Schroedinger Manifesto. Like!!
Bizarre things happen when you drill down to Labour's level of reality which could never happen in the real world.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
Go to abingdon via Cumnor Hill, or down the side roads in North Oxford.
Well that is North Oxford for you...
But OxWAb is not really in play for the LDs - according to my well-placed source in the party. Moran really isn't making any headway. And the Blackwood team is working much harder in terms of leaflets
Dair In Feb the SNP had a 48% with yougov, a 47% with Survation, in March's Survation they were on 47%, 46% with yougov, 49% in 9th April's yougov, even a 1% gain since Feb would only draw the SNP level with Murphy. The big change was October when the SNP went from the thirties to the forty percents
For me it's about the SNP lead not the SNP vote share.
And the lead is doing this since the start of the year
The SNP vote share has barely ticked up. The Lab vote share, however, is noticeably declining.
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
Labour need quantum voters to go with their quantum economics. What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
Oooh! Very Big Bang Theory: Labours Schroedinger Manifesto. Like!!
Bizarre things happen when you drill down to Labour's level of reality which could never happen in the real world.
The bit on the constitution is so much bullshit. Plenty of weasel words, no detail (how would this "Senate of the Regions and Nations" be elected, exactly?) "Devolution to cities and regions" looks more like regional gauleiters. England will continue to be a colony.
Marf is right though. Labour cannot sell austerity. The first rule of sales is "Believe in the product" the second is "know your customer".
Yup.
It's ironic that, for all the prattling that the "Blairite" wing of Labour do about being pro-business, they actually know nothing about how successful businesses market themselves. You have to emphasise your USP, you don't try to adopt the USP of your main rival and come off like a second-rate imitation of it.
Fairly sure this will be remembered as the day Labour lost the election.
Should have said that Marf's cartoon is spot on too.
As I said earlier today I think that Ed Balls is suddenly thinking he might need to do this. Ironically addressing the consequences of that makes it just that little bit less likely.
Milton Keynes South Rossendale & Darwen Cleethorpes North East Somerset Great Yarmouth Dudley South Dover South Ribble Peterborough Stafford Stourbridge Harlow
All should be comfortable Con holds, except Dudley South. Great Yarmouth and Dover will prob have UKIP in 2nd.
The joy of the Labour position is they still get the votes of those opposed to austerity, while still able to campaign for those who think we need some of it (or at least shouldn't go wild with spending) with intense promising of fiscal responsibility. Really if it were not for that not working in Scotland (it still does in England), it would definitely work, rather than merely probably work.
I would say after today their position is literally the other way around. They are going to leak votes to the true anti-austerity parties and will not gain the votes of people who are in favour it as they are not trusted on economic matters by anyone who has been paying attention by the end of their five years of denial of any cuts.
I guess my view is that while it makes sense that they should leak votes to the anti-austerity parties, they just won't outside Scotland, even if they should, making the loss of massive numbers more trusting them on economic issues not the problem it should be.
I agree that outside of Scotland they're not going to leak anti-austerity votes to other parties (especially now that UKIP have given up on Red Kippers), the real danger is that English anti-austerity voters are going to stay on the couch.
Plus it says to swing voters "there's no difference between the parties on the policies, therefore you may as well just vote for who you think the best PM is".
The Conservatives are going ahead with Iain Duncan Smith's Right To Buy idea according to the Daily Express/Telegraph front pages.
A (probably small) percentage of Housing Association Tenants go "YAY". Millions stuck in high cost slum rentals go "WTF, Build Houses". NIMBY's and Bouquet's go "they don't deserve a house".
The Conservatives are going ahead with Iain Duncan Smith's Right To Buy idea according to the Daily Express/Telegraph front pages.
A (probably small) percentage of Housing Association Tenants go "YAY". Millions stuck in high cost slum rentals go "WTF, Build Houses". NIMBY's and Bouquet's go "they don't deserve a house".
Can't see this being a winner.
Isn't the sale of Council House widely held to be the cause of the housing problems we have now?
As usual, the story unravels, but of course by now no-one cares, the information merry-go-round has moved on, the next 'Putin' scandal awaits.
Interestingly, if you use a non-Russian source, they state that the first incident last autumn was probably a foreign submarine, perhaps understandably after the flap that ensued, a second one seems to have probably been a misidentified civilian vessel. http://www.thelocal.se/20150413/suspected-sub-in-swedish-waters-was-working-boat
I'm frankly impressed you found a non-Russian source at all.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
Go to abingdon via Cumnor Hill, or down the side roads in North Oxford.
Well that is North Oxford for you...
But OxWAb is not really in play for the LDs - according to my well-placed source in the party. Moran really isn't making any headway. And the Blackwood team is working much harder in terms of leaflets
I walk the side roads of north oxford every day - compared to 2010 number of orange diamonds way down - and anecdotally I am surprised how positive some of my colleagues are about Nicola Blackwood - both Ox seats are notionally marginal but Lab will cruise home in Ox East and CON will build a bigger buffer in OxW
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
Go to abingdon via Cumnor Hill, or down the side roads in North Oxford.
Well that is North Oxford for you...
But OxWAb is not really in play for the LDs - according to my well-placed source in the party. Moran really isn't making any headway. And the Blackwood team is working much harder in terms of leaflets
Been out on the doorstep in Gt Yarmouth [UKIP deflating fast] and Norwich North [Chloe Smith has made remarkable progress getting 1800 youngsters into work with her 'Norwich for Jobs' campaign].
In Yarmouth, Labour's candidate has terrible name-recognition and could hardly string two words together coherently on a recent Radio Norfolk debate. Meanwhile the Labour-run Council has closed the public toilets in this holiday town... and hired a Council chief exec on a grand-a-day. Tory Hold.
In Norwich North, Labour's Jess Asato has sometimes benefitted from the halo-effect from front benchers visiting to bolster ex-BBC hack Clive Lewis [no skeletons in his cupboard, oh no! :winks:] in Norwich South but has still been absent without leave for the last few months. It's easy to forget that most of Norwich North is quite comfy surburbia and solidly Tory even if the bits close to the centre that the journos visit are blocks of flats with Labour posters. Tight but Chloe will hang on.
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
on that basis OXWAB is a nailed on gain; you can't move for orange diamonds
Oh yes you can. I have seen 1. Just one in and around the relevant parts of Central Oxford. Have seen more Green posters!
Go to abingdon via Cumnor Hill, or down the side roads in North Oxford.
Well that is North Oxford for you...
But OxWAb is not really in play for the LDs - according to my well-placed source in the party. Moran really isn't making any headway. And the Blackwood team is working much harder in terms of leaflets
I walk the side roads of north oxford every day - compared to 2010 number of orange diamonds way down - and anecdotally I am surprised how positive some of my colleagues are about Nicola Blackwood - both Ox seats are notionally marginal but Lab will cruise home in Ox East and CON will build a bigger buffer in OxW
I am no fan of Blackwood but she has been working the constituency throughout her time as MP - and that hasn't gone unnoticed. She is certainly more present than Evan Harris was 2005-10.
The Conservatives are going ahead with Iain Duncan Smith's Right To Buy idea according to the Daily Express/Telegraph front pages.
A (probably small) percentage of Housing Association Tenants go "YAY". Millions stuck in high cost slum rentals go "WTF, Build Houses". NIMBY's and Bouquet's go "they don't deserve a house".
Can't see this being a winner.
Isn't the sale of Council House widely held to be the cause of the housing problems we have now?
Yes, and enough people know it, especially the millions stuck in high cost slum rentals that will be completely put off the Tories by this sort of bribe.
The Conservatives are going ahead with Iain Duncan Smith's Right To Buy idea according to the Daily Express/Telegraph front pages.
A (probably small) percentage of Housing Association Tenants go "YAY". Millions stuck in high cost slum rentals go "WTF, Build Houses". NIMBY's and Bouquet's go "they don't deserve a house".
Can't see this being a winner.
Isn't the sale of Council House widely held to be the cause of the housing problems we have now?
Council Houses did not cease to exist when they were sold. They took 1 house off the social stock, but also took one family of tennants off too.
The reason we have a housing shortage is partly a lack of new building, partly more households (through immigration and marriage breakdown), and partly a shortage of people who can afford to buy. Even a 10% deposit is a hell of a lot of money for a young couple.
Been out on the doorstep in Gt Yarmouth [UKIP deflating fast] and Norwich North [Chloe Smith has made remarkable progress getting 1800 youngsters into work with her 'Norwich for Jobs' campaign].
In Yarmouth, Labour's candidate has terrible name-recognition and could hardly string two words together coherently on a recent Radio Norfolk debate. Meanwhile the Labour-run Council has closed the public toilets in this holiday town... and hired a Council chief exec on a grand-a-day. Tory Hold.
In Norwich North, Labour's Jess Asato has sometimes benefitted from the halo-effect from front benchers visiting to bolster ex-BBC hack Clive Lewis [no skeletons in his cupboard, oh no! :winks:] in Norwich South but has still been absent without leave for the last few months. It's easy to forget that most of Norwich North is quite comfy surburbia and solidly Tory even if the bits close to the centre that the journos visit are blocks of flats with Labour posters. Tight but Chloe will hang on.
Bunnco - Your Man on the Spot
Excellent update, as always, Bunnco.
Now, can you please get out and about in the other top 50 E&W marginal constituencies, please?
Comments
Is that Nick Palmer perchance...
Jim Murphy has now declined invitation to appear on Scotland Tonight this evening. No show the day Labour launch their manifesto. Ouch.
https://twitter.com/HumzaYousaf/status/587711208138084356
Just look at that turnout for a branch meeting. In Labour's industrial heartland. A full 59 really is on.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/13/andy-coulson-perjury-trial-delayed-until-after-general-election
....
Are you sure that isn;t the first episode of that new game show ''spot the tax payer?''
1) My junior doctor today was away last week visiting parents.in Eastbourne where they run a B and B. I tasked her with looking out for posters. She saw six LD and no others.
Fox's anecdote predictor: comfortable LD hold.
2) A discussion at coffee break with two medical colleagues (1 Sri Lankan Tamil, 1 from Tamil Nadu). Both live in Leicester West. 1 Tory, 1 Labour (this is Liz Kendalls seat). Both were impressed by how multicultural their home countries had become. The Indian one said that he never heard a Tamil on a building site any more, only Hindi, Orissan and Bihari. Shop assistants the same. The Sri Lankan commented that there was now a significant Chinese and also Somalian population in Columbo now. The Indian Tamil replied that there was a growing Chinese and Nigerian population in Bangalore too.
Fox's anecdote predictor: Bangalore surprise UKIP gain!
What Labour have is Schroedinger's manifesto in a box.
Now we have time travelling interviews...
Labour will not fund the NHS, cos it doesn't need it, says Burnham
@faisalislam: So Labour's @andyburnhammp takes issue with fundamental premise that Simon Stevens NHS 5yr view (asking for £8bn real) is way forward
@CharlieCooper8: Burnham: "£8bn for NHS in 5 years time not the issue now", says Con/LDs "moving goalposts". Interesting ivw @HSJnews http://t.co/JOXw4vRiV4
Indeed. Because if they couldn't hold on to it in 2010 on the back of a wave of Cleggy popularity, of course it will be GAINED when LD vote is in the doldrums!
Someone work out which these are, please
Anyway off to bed. Feel quite unwell and I note that North by Northwest is on so maybe falling asleep while watching Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will make things better.
As usual, the story unravels, but of course by now no-one cares, the information merry-go-round has moved on, the next 'Putin' scandal awaits.
http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/labourtargets/
Milton Keynes South down to Stafford. I think Labour could be ahead in two ( Rossendale + South Ribble)
Someone will be crying into their cornflakes...
Evan's successor gives Nichola a run for her money in the fragrancy stakes
That, and Evan Harris was an ARSE.
I agree. Even I didnt like Dr Harris.
The Lovely Layla would get my vote:
http://www.laylamoran.com/
Also great to see Icarus and Tabman back.
But OxWAb is not really in play for the LDs - according to my well-placed source in the party. Moran really isn't making any headway. And the Blackwood team is working much harder in terms of leaflets
And the lead is doing this since the start of the year
The SNP vote share has barely ticked up. The Lab vote share, however, is noticeably declining.
If you had to call them then Dudley S, Gt Yarmouth and Dover are Con holds (just).
The rest are Lab gains (just).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs_otHoMaKo
https://twitter.com/stvclaire/status/587657530064658432
It's ironic that, for all the prattling that the "Blairite" wing of Labour do about being pro-business, they actually know nothing about how successful businesses market themselves. You have to emphasise your USP, you don't try to adopt the USP of your main rival and come off like a second-rate imitation of it.
Fairly sure this will be remembered as the day Labour lost the election.
As I said earlier today I think that Ed Balls is suddenly thinking he might need to do this. Ironically addressing the consequences of that makes it just that little bit less likely.
If you are still lurking and want to repeat what you said you can call me or meet up and say it to my face.
Message me
Milton Keynes South
Rossendale & Darwen
Cleethorpes
North East Somerset
Great Yarmouth
Dudley South
Dover
South Ribble
Peterborough
Stafford
Stourbridge
Harlow
All should be comfortable Con holds, except Dudley South. Great Yarmouth and Dover will prob have UKIP in 2nd.
Plus it says to swing voters "there's no difference between the parties on the policies, therefore you may as well just vote for who you think the best PM is".
Millions stuck in high cost slum rentals go "WTF, Build Houses".
NIMBY's and Bouquet's go "they don't deserve a house".
Can't see this being a winner.
Will Straw is standing in Rossendale. The name may help, or hinder. There seem to be quite a few extra candidates too.
But there are a lot orange diamonds about.
In Yarmouth, Labour's candidate has terrible name-recognition and could hardly string two words together coherently on a recent Radio Norfolk debate. Meanwhile the Labour-run Council has closed the public toilets in this holiday town... and hired a Council chief exec on a grand-a-day. Tory Hold.
In Norwich North, Labour's Jess Asato has sometimes benefitted from the halo-effect from front benchers visiting to bolster ex-BBC hack Clive Lewis [no skeletons in his cupboard, oh no! :winks:] in Norwich South but has still been absent without leave for the last few months. It's easy to forget that most of Norwich North is quite comfy surburbia and solidly Tory even if the bits close to the centre that the journos visit are blocks of flats with Labour posters. Tight but Chloe will hang on.
Bunnco - Your Man on the Spot
Ronnie Carroll, a former UK Eurovision contestant who was due to stand in the 2015 general election, has died at the age of 80.
Born in Belfast in 1934, his biggest hit was Roses are Red.
He represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 and 1963 with Ring-A-Ding Girl and Say Wonderful Things, finishing fourth both times.
Mr Carroll was due to stand as an independent in the election in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32291350
Imagine if the Tories and Labour tie on the night for seats, and we have to wait weeks for this seat to vote.
The reason we have a housing shortage is partly a lack of new building, partly more households (through immigration and marriage breakdown), and partly a shortage of people who can afford to buy. Even a 10% deposit is a hell of a lot of money for a young couple.
Now, can you please get out and about in the other top 50 E&W marginal constituencies, please?
Thank you.
The Swedish entry is looking good.