I think it summarises the SNP's campaign into two very simple messages:
- For Scottish voters - return as many SNP MPs as possible to best protect Scottish interests. I think we can all agree that this message is getting through.
- For rUK voters - the SNP are only anti-austerity party and will keep the Labour party honest. I think this message is starting to get through.
The relentless scaremongering by the Daily Mail and the Telegraph cannot be sustained for the next 2 weeks at the same level of intensity. I think the right wing media and the Tories have unleashed Project Fear 2 to early this time around, plus they do not have Labour and the left wing press singing from the same hymn sheet. I guess as well as scaring themselves the Project Fear gang are trying to scare a few Kippers back into the fold, best of luck with that approach as the Kippers seem to be a pretty stubborn bunch.
By 7th May most Labour supporters in England will see SNP as primarily a force for anti-austerity. In terms of the Tory grandee debate I think Michael Forsyth has called it correctly, I think the damage has already been done though.
Anyone want to give odds on whether there'll be a registration cock up/someone turning up to the poll who "didn't realise they had to register" ?
It will happen and the BBC will get very angry as they did in 2010.
I remember the lady who oversaw the election last time though - she was USELESS.
Also had my longest ever queue to vote last GE... and yet turnout was 59.6% in Sheffield Central ?! Work that one out...
Interesting. Watching on TV I just assumed that a load of students thought it would be funny to turn up late and cause a bit of a stir.
That was Hallam I think, but the queues were long in Nether Edge ward of Central for sure for sub 60% turnout. Greens will comfortably out poll the Liberals there this time. Bloomfield is buying money if you're into that sort of bet.
Anyone want to give odds on whether there'll be a registration cock up/someone turning up to the poll who "didn't realise they had to register" ?
I know we shouldn't joke about odds but I'll give you 1/10,000 that SOMEONE turns up at a poling station and is turned away because they are not registered!!
Anyone want to give odds on whether there'll be a registration cock up/someone turning up to the poll who "didn't realise they had to register" ?
I know we shouldn't joke about odds but I'll give you 1/10,000 that SOMEONE turns up at a poling station and is turned away because they are not registered!!
I'll have a Trillion pounds please
Agreed, subject to the trillion pounds being deposited in escrow before election day.
I'll handle the escrow if that's amenable to you both?
I've put in all the Ashcroft contituency polls and, for those constituencies, used Ashcroft rather than my mathematical calculations. The Ashcroft polls are likely to pick up local effects whereas my method doesn't.
The result is:
Con 268 Lab 274 LD 28 SNP 57 PC 3 Grn 1 UKIP 2
UKIP seems to harm Lab more than Con in some critical seats.
NB Clegg loses Sheffield Hallam and Farage doesn't win Thanet S according to Ashcroft.
I think Tories would end up higher. Labour probably stay the same or slightly fewer. They will lose a few more to the Tories but the SNP score will be around 45 - 50.
I've seen a voter turned away from the polling station - because he was at the wrong polling station. His street had been reallocated and he just turned up to the same place he always voted.
I hope to do three ELBOWs for the coming Sunday, back-dating to August. One is the normal standard "official" ELBOW, aggregating all the polls for a given week; then a YouGov-only one; and then a non-YouGov-only one.
Thanks Sunil. Perhaps I am paranoid about Yougov but it will be interesting to see the parallels.
Dons helmet (as a lot of folk here maybe even the majority don't buy into anthropogenic global warming), but March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded globally according to NOAA.
Anyone want to give odds on whether there'll be a registration cock up/someone turning up to the poll who "didn't realise they had to register" ?
I know we shouldn't joke about odds but I'll give you 1/10,000 that SOMEONE turns up at a poling station and is turned away because they are not registered!!
Blackburn had 73.405 voters registered on December 1th. In 2010 they were 71.822. In 2014 they went over 74,000.
Compared to 2010 biggest increase in number of voters in Manchester Central, Lewisham Deptford and Poplar/Limehouse (Bethnal Green up too) Leeds NW, Workington, Leeds West, Nothampton South and Bath the biggest falls.
The postal ballot system Labour devised which a judge said would disgrace a banana republic. Can't imagine why these tireless campaigners for social justice and all that is good and pure about this world introduced it.
Wonder what will happen in Blackburn with the % of postal votes.
Surely Labour must worry about their vote being hit both in numbers as well as efficiency.
I hope to do three ELBOWs for the coming Sunday, back-dating to August. One is the normal standard "official" ELBOW, aggregating all the polls for a given week; then a YouGov-only one; and then a non-YouGov-only one.
How easy would it be to introduce phone/online discrimination too?
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
And also potentially for Ukip, since a good chunk of their vote in the polls comes from people who didn't vote in earlier elections.
Do UKIP supporters know how to register online ?
Their main problem is that the valves on their computers keep going pop. Although valves are more reliable if always left on, which might explain why they seem to be online 24/7. (*)
Although I'm not sure how they're using the Internet, considering Arpanet started in the late 1960s.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Ashes tickets are impossible, I was hoping to get invited by Vitality Health but apparently the bods from head office have claimed the tickets.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case. This was the best game that existed.
And also potentially for Ukip, since a good chunk of their vote in the polls comes from people who didn't vote in earlier elections.
Do UKIP supporters know how to register online ?
You went very, very quiet last time you tried sneering at the intelligence of Ukip supporters and I asked you for some intellectual credentials of your own.
Do some research about how well ukip do in online polling relative to telephone. The answer makes your post look a tiny bit stupid and ill-informed.
And also potentially for Ukip, since a good chunk of their vote in the polls comes from people who didn't vote in earlier elections.
Do UKIP supporters know how to register online ?
Their main problem is that the valves on their computers keep going pop. Although valves are more reliable if always left on, which might explain why they seem to be online 24/7. (*)
Although I'm not sure how they're using the Internet, considering Arpanet started in the late 1960s.
Dons helmet (as a lot of folk here maybe even the majority don't buy into anthropogenic global warming), but March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded globally according to NOAA.
At the moment this month of April is on course to be the joint-15th warmest in the 350+ year long Central England Temperature record, a bit cooler than April last year. This is a bit disappointing compared to the warmest April on record (2011, wedding of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and the joint-10th warmest July on record, and warmest since the record July of 2006 (2013, birth of Prince George).
Perhaps the birth of the Royal baby will not occur until May?
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Dons helmet (as a lot of folk here maybe even the majority don't buy into anthropogenic global warming), but March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded globally according to NOAA.
April showers? Seems more like summer. Of course one month's data, one set of floods or droughts doesn't actually prove anything, they're just indications. It's always puzzled me how intelligent people seem to think that their opinions on AGW really amount to much. The scientific evidence is convincing and is being refined all the time, scientists try to get ever closer to the facts in this field as in any other. You may be right about the majority opinion on PB, luckily they're not running the country. To those who deny (sorry are sceptical about) AGW, just swap to LED bulbs because they'll save you 80% of your electricity bill. This in turn is 20% of your energy bill, which averages around £1,200/yr, so you'd save £240/year, every year. Don't do it for the planet, do it for your pocket.
Betting on Germany in this U20 game might be value. They're behind at the moment vs Italy but the odds suggest they still have a good chance of winning:
I think it summarises the SNP's campaign into two very simple messages:
- For Scottish voters - return as many SNP MPs as possible to best protect Scottish interests. I think we can all agree that this message is getting through.
- For rUK voters - the SNP are only anti-austerity party and will keep the Labour party honest. I think this message is starting to get through.
The relentless scaremongering by the Daily Mail and the Telegraph cannot be sustained for the next 2 weeks at the same level of intensity. I think the right wing media and the Tories have unleashed Project Fear 2 to early this time around, plus they do not have Labour and the left wing press singing from the same hymn sheet. I guess as well as scaring themselves the Project Fear gang are trying to scare a few Kippers back into the fold, best of luck with that approach as the Kippers seem to be a pretty stubborn bunch.
By 7th May most Labour supporters in England will see SNP as primarily a force for anti-austerity. In terms of the Tory grandee debate I think Michael Forsyth has called it correctly, I think the damage has already been done though.
This sort of stuff? The DM and the DT might try to keep it up for another two weeks, easy. (But there was that astonishingly calm, for the rUK media, and indeed much of the Scottish media, and positive appraisal in the Mirror money section about the SNP implications for family finances.)
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Ashes tickets are impossible, I was hoping to get invited by Vitality Health but apparently the bods from head office have claimed the tickets.
If you can afford the money/time to watch domestic cricket, then becoming a Surrey Member is something I'd highly recommend. Tickets to the Ashes and watching the likes of Pieterson and Sangakarra slay Div 2 bowlers to all parts of the Oval this summer... ;-)
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Anecdote alert. On train into London from Kent. Some guy reading from the Metro tutting away. Realises he's being heard by the woman nearby says "sorry, it's the SNP stuff. It's outrageous." Woman: "It certainly is." Him:"That lunatic woman." Her: "Yes, she's got them wrapped around her finger." Him: "Yes, especially Miliband."
Anyway I am pleased that Labour has finally got it's act together to counter the Tory scaremongering of the SNP as the grubby, opportunistic, calculated, divisive, politics it actually is.
And rolling out Sir John. I think most people are still scarred by the appalling mental images of him banging Edwina rather than saying anything of note. No amount of mind bleach has managed to erase that from my head, and I've tried.
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
ITV News (@itvnews) 21/04/2015 12:00 100 small companies hail Ukip as party launches business manifesto #GE2015 itv.com/news/2015-04-2… pic.twitter.com/R8XBBNiz3s
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Being there on day 5 is usually fantastic, assuming there's not 1 wicket or 20 runs to get.
The problem is always tickets. either:
1. Sold at the gate only - in which case you have to get the day off on Monday at no notice and make your way to the ground early enough that they're not all sold when you arrive.
Or
2. they sell them out in advance, with booking fees, postage etc added, you book a day off work, maybe trains and hotels etc but 9 times out of 10 the match finishes early and you then have to apply for a refund!
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
So Alastair Campbell doesn't like what the Tories are doing, and you think that means it is bad for the Tories.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Listen Sunil- I do want to racially stereotype you, but the love of cricket must be in your DNA. You must be a white teenager from Ramsgate masquerading as an Indian.
Anyway I am pleased that Labour has finally got it's act together to counter the Tory scaremongering of the SNP as the grubby, opportunistic, calculated, divisive, politics it actually is.
And rolling out Sir John. I think most people are still scarred by the appalling mental images of him banging Edwina rather than saying anything of note. No amount of mind bleach has managed to erase that from my head, and I've tried.
How much mind bleach is needed for Prescott and all the other Labour MPs and ministers who had affairs?
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
I wonder what will happen to the SNP if they don't end up in coalition or in some sort of arrangement with Labour. Some of their younger MPs might get fed up sitting on the opposition benches doing nothing very much, except rubbing shoulders with Labour MPs who detest them. We could have a few by-elections after a couple of years.
I've put in all the Ashcroft contituency polls and, for those constituencies, used Ashcroft rather than my mathematical calculations. The Ashcroft polls are likely to pick up local effects whereas my method doesn't.
The result is:
Con 268 Lab 274 LD 28 SNP 57 PC 3 Grn 1 UKIP 2
UKIP seems to harm Lab more than Con in some critical seats.
NB Clegg loses Sheffield Hallam and Farage doesn't win Thanet S according to Ashcroft.
Out of I interest are the two non SNP seats Orkney and Shetland and Dumfries and GallowAy?
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies. Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Listen Sunil- I do want to racially stereotype you, but the love of cricket must be in your DNA. You must be a white teenager from Ramsgate masquerading as an Indian.
Tyson,
I'm not terribly keen on Crappywood Bollywood either
Anecdote alert. On train into London from Kent. Some guy reading from the Metro tutting away. Realises he's being heard by the woman nearby says "sorry, it's the SNP stuff. It's outrageous." Woman: "It certainly is." Him:"That lunatic woman." Her: "Yes, she's got them wrapped around her finger." Him: "Yes, especially Miliband."
Sort of reinforces my musings yesterday lunchtime - this issue resonates quite well in Surrey or Kent.
But in Pendle, Rossendale, Bury North, Lancaster, Wirral West, Pudsey........ ???
Dons helmet (as a lot of folk here maybe even the majority don't buy into anthropogenic global warming), but March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded globally according to NOAA.
April showers? Seems more like summer. Of course one month's data, one set of floods or droughts doesn't actually prove anything, they're just indications. It's always puzzled me how intelligent people seem to think that their opinions on AGW really amount to much. The scientific evidence is convincing and is being refined all the time, scientists try to get ever closer to the facts in this field as in any other. You may be right about the majority opinion on PB, luckily they're not running the country. To those who deny (sorry are sceptical about) AGW, just swap to LED bulbs because they'll save you 80% of your electricity bill. This in turn is 20% of your energy bill, which averages around £1,200/yr, so you'd save £240/year, every year. Don't do it for the planet, do it for your pocket.
The scientific evidence for what? That human activity has some effect on climate? I don't know of anyone who disputes that.
The debate is about whether modelling of a system as complex and chaotic as the climate can produce predictions more accurate than a coin-flip. If you think it can, please name just one other complex and chaotic system where it can.
Despite what Bad Al says, this Tory Rag loves it...
Have the Tories hit the jackpot? Judging by the media coverage of the past five days they have. They have managed to combine their warnings of economic chaos after 8 May – the threat of excessive borrowing, leftwing influence and instability – with the threat posed by Scottish nationalism. By uniting Nicola Sturgeon and Ed Miliband in the nation’s mind, the Tories have injected a badly needed new ingredient into their warnings about Miliband. Previously, those warnings were not gaining sufficient traction because Miliband had been outperforming expectations.
It is a brilliant strategy, and bears the hallmark of George Osborne, a keen reader of Scottish politics. And it has left Labour fighting hard to get a hearing for its warnings about the NHS.
Being there on day 5 is usually fantastic, assuming there's not 1 wicket or 20 runs to get.
The problem is always tickets. either:
1. Sold at the gate only - in which case you have to get the day off on Monday at no notice and make your way to the ground early enough that they're not all sold when you arrive.
Or
2. they sell them out in advance, with booking fees, postage etc added, you book a day off work, maybe trains and hotels etc but 9 times out of 10 the match finishes early and you then have to apply for a refund!
@Sandpit unless the weather plays a part, the type of cricket now played by New Zealand and Australia means 5th day tickets are pointless. I am nervous about my fourth day against New Zealand to be honest.
When I was a kid I used to buy all five days for the Old Trafford Test Matches, and everytime there was fifth day cricket. But it rained alot, and Dikkie Bird always liked taking everyone off with the light, and there was always the odd IRA bomb scare to boot when the ground was evacuated.
I know we're all obsessed with UK politics here, but I thought I'd do a little polling round up from Spain, the Netherlands and France.
Spain The rise of Citizen's continues with the last three opinion polls all putting them between 17 and 19%. They are slightly behind the Socialists (19-22%), who are pretty much level-pegging with Podemos (20-22%). The governing PP retains its lead with all but one of the pollsters, and they look like they're 4-5% ahead of the pack. The most likely outcome for Spain in 2015 looks to be a PP-Citizen's coalition, assuming the former gets 25% and the latter 20%. However, my Spanish friends in Madrid are convinced that Citizen's will top the polls (not bad for a party getting 3% of the vote in the polls nine months ago). We shall see.
The Netherlands The latest polls show the governing VVD in the lead, garnering a high 20s number of seats (in a 150 seat parliament), which is down sharply from the 41 achieved in 2012. The PVV has faded somewhat and now looks likely to get around 20 seats, up from 15 in the last election, pretty much the same level as the SP, the CDA and D66. If current numbers are right, it's going to be very messy putting a coalition together after the next Dutch election.
France For the first time, Marine Le Pen is not leading in the first round Presidential voting question - she lags either Sarkozy or Juppe. (Although she's still at twice the level of Francois Hollande, a man who manages just 15% in the first round.) On the run-offs, Le Pen runs Hollande very close, but continues to lose 70:30 to Juppe, and only slightly less against Sarkozy.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Probably about 50% of fifth days end up in a draw, but that isn't the same thing as them being a boring experience.
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
Of course he doesn't. I can normally get all outraged and argumentative when I hear Ali C because he's usually talking Labour partisan gibberish.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Probably about 50% of fifth days end up in a draw, but that isn't the same thing as them being a boring experience.
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
Of course he doesn't. I can normally get all outraged and argumentative when I hear Ali C because he's usually talking Labour partisan gibberish.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Probably about 50% of fifth days end up in a draw, but that isn't the same thing as them being a boring experience.
Yawwwwwn!
I've heard some people describe Test cricket as boring and then say they're fans of watching chess. Doesn't make sense to me. Test cricket is like chess except more active.
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
Of course he doesn't. I can normally get all outraged and argumentative when I hear Ali C because he's usually talking Labour partisan gibberish.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
Has he given us 45 mins to save the Tory election campaign?
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Perhaps because they are not targeting pretend Tories like you who have consistently rubbished your 'party for the last fortnight. You're actually worse than the Labour trolls. The very fact that you can agree with Campbell is very telling.
Being there on day 5 is usually fantastic, assuming there's not 1 wicket or 20 runs to get.
The problem is always tickets. either:
1. Sold at the gate only - in which case you have to get the day off on Monday at no notice and make your way to the ground early enough that they're not all sold when you arrive.
Or
2. they sell them out in advance, with booking fees, postage etc added, you book a day off work, maybe trains and hotels etc but 9 times out of 10 the match finishes early and you then have to apply for a refund!
@Sandpit unless the weather plays a part, the type of cricket now played by New Zealand and Australia means 5th day tickets are pointless. I am nervous about my fourth day against New Zealand to be honest.
When I was a kid I used to buy all five days for the Old Trafford Test Matches, and everytime there was fifth day cricket. But it rained alot, and Dikkie Bird always liked taking everyone off with the light, and there was always the odd IRA bomb scare to boot when the ground was evacuated.
That's true, not a lot of 5 day matches any more unless rain-affected. The old PB maxim of laying the draw is usually a good strategy. It doesn't help that our bowlers are sh1t at the moment either!
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
Of course he doesn't. I can normally get all outraged and argumentative when I hear Ali C because he's usually talking Labour partisan gibberish.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
Given that a minority Labour government, held to ransom by the SNP, would be a disaster for the country, I think the Tory strategy of pointing that out is correct.
They should counter it with a little more "light" to go with all the "shade" but overall I think they are playing this week pretty well.
I wonder what will happen to the SNP if they don't end up in coalition or in some sort of arrangement with Labour. Some of their younger MPs might get fed up sitting on the opposition benches doing nothing very much, except rubbing shoulders with Labour MPs who detest them. We could have a few by-elections after a couple of years.
I imagine they will only be down in London if there is the potential to do something interesting by way of voting against the Tories and generally causing a ruckus, and when back in Scotland they will have large and enthusiastic local parties to support them.
Does anyone think England will have an attack that can take 20 wickets in less than 3 days this time?
Well the beard that is feared is back. Should help.
I was hoping that Rashid might get a game but Tredwell bowled well and deserves his place too. Drop Broad or Jordon?
I think Tredders won't be picked because of either a hand or elbow problem.
If the latter, perhaps Sunil should be co-opted on to the ECB training team....
Sunil doesn't like cricket.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
*dons flame-proof suit*
Test Cricket is the finest, most civilized sport in the world.
That's true. The funny thing is when I first noticed cricket on the TV when I was 10 years old and heard Richie Benaud commentating I instantly knew it to be the case.
Probably about 50% of fifth days end up in a draw, but that isn't the same thing as them being a boring experience.
Yawwwwwn!
I've heard some people describe Test cricket as boring and then say they're fans of watching chess. Doesn't make sense to me. Test cricket is like chess except more active.
I did play chess for my primary school, can't remember any of my matches lasting five days and ending in a pointless draw!
It’s currently very fashionable to rubbish the Conservative campaign, and Labour have tried to cite the use of the SNP card as evidence of mounting panic in the Tory camp. But the reality is posters depicting Ed Miliband dancing to the SNP’s tune first appeared at the beginning of March. Since then the Tories have been doggedly prodding away at the theme.
I heard a bit of Alastair Campbell being interviewed on the radio whilst I was out buying a sarnie at lunchtime. He was quite stridently (as ever) arguing that the Tories should be sticking to selling the Tory line and Tory policies in the GE campaign and Labour should do the same for theirs, and it was pathetic and desperate for the Tories to be articulating nothing of their message or policies and instead negatively scaremongering people into what it would be like if the SNP won loads of seats and held a Labour government to ransom, and that it demeaned them to have given up so completely that this was their only message.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
Why do I get the feeling Bad Al doesn't have the Tories best interest's at heart?????
Of course he doesn't. I can normally get all outraged and argumentative when I hear Ali C because he's usually talking Labour partisan gibberish.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
Given that a minority Labour government, held to ransom by the SNP, would be a disaster for the country, I think the Tory strategy of pointing that out is correct.
They should counter it with a little more "light" to go with all the "shade" but overall I think they are playing this week pretty well.
Comments
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/590482878414204928
I think it summarises the SNP's campaign into two very simple messages:
- For Scottish voters - return as many SNP MPs as possible to best protect Scottish interests. I think we can all agree that this message is getting through.
- For rUK voters - the SNP are only anti-austerity party and will keep the Labour party honest. I think this message is starting to get through.
The relentless scaremongering by the Daily Mail and the Telegraph cannot be sustained for the next 2 weeks at the same level of intensity. I think the right wing media and the Tories have unleashed Project Fear 2 to early this time around, plus they do not have Labour and the left wing press singing from the same hymn sheet. I guess as well as scaring themselves the Project Fear gang are trying to scare a few Kippers back into the fold, best of luck with that approach as the Kippers seem to be a pretty stubborn bunch.
By 7th May most Labour supporters in England will see SNP as primarily a force for anti-austerity. In terms of the Tory grandee debate I think Michael Forsyth has called it correctly, I think the damage has already been done though.
Mark Pack @markpack
The best canvassing story of the 2015 election http://bit.ly/1D9emxM
T20 will only be short-lived fad....
Liberals - close to 20.
Crikey,
Quite a leap to go from Conservative to Labour in Hallam tbh.
Dons helmet (as a lot of folk here maybe even the majority don't buy into anthropogenic global warming), but March 2015 was the warmest March ever recorded globally according to NOAA.
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2015/3
Compared to 2010 biggest increase in number of voters in Manchester Central, Lewisham Deptford and Poplar/Limehouse (Bethnal Green up too)
Leeds NW, Workington, Leeds West, Nothampton South and Bath the biggest falls.
https://twitter.com/elliotwagland/status/590501864426340352
Well said Nige comrade. I am booked for Lords against new Zealand for the 3rd and fourth days, but sadly couldn't get tickets for the Ozzies.
Test cricket is utterly sublime.
Ricky (@RickyJames94)
20/04/2015 16:44
Massive poll - 80,000+ replies. UKIP lead on 31%. VOTE #UKIP and you will GET #UKIP pic.twitter.com/TBQLuBhGQU
Although I'm not sure how they're using the Internet, considering Arpanet started in the late 1960s.
(*) Yes, I know, I can talk...
Do some research about how well ukip do in online polling relative to telephone. The answer makes your post look a tiny bit stupid and ill-informed.
Perhaps the birth of the Royal baby will not occur until May?
It's always puzzled me how intelligent people seem to think that their opinions on AGW really amount to much. The scientific evidence is convincing and is being refined all the time, scientists try to get ever closer to the facts in this field as in any other.
You may be right about the majority opinion on PB, luckily they're not running the country.
To those who deny (sorry are sceptical about) AGW, just swap to LED bulbs because they'll save you 80% of your electricity bill. This in turn is 20% of your energy bill, which averages around £1,200/yr, so you'd save £240/year, every year. Don't do it for the planet, do it for your pocket.
Betting on Germany in this U20 game might be value. They're behind at the moment vs Italy but the odds suggest they still have a good chance of winning:
https://www.betfair.com/exchange/football/event?id=27425809
https://twitter.com/WingsScotland/status/590496785006747648
And rolling out Sir John. I think most people are still scarred by the appalling mental images of him banging Edwina rather than saying anything of note. No amount of mind bleach has managed to erase that from my head, and I've tried.
It was an utterly compelling point, obviously correct, and I agreed with every word.
Not very often you'll see my saying that about Campbell's utterances (unless they involve the Clarets), but he's spot on.
Why cannot Tory high command see how badly they are shooting themselves in the foot?
21/04/2015 12:00
100 small companies hail Ukip as party launches business manifesto #GE2015 itv.com/news/2015-04-2… pic.twitter.com/R8XBBNiz3s
Apart from denying there'd be a coalition (which Sturgeon has already ruled out...) they haven't said much.
The problem is always tickets. either:
1. Sold at the gate only - in which case you have to get the day off on Monday at no notice and make your way to the ground early enough that they're not all sold when you arrive.
Or
2. they sell them out in advance, with booking fees, postage etc added, you book a day off work, maybe trains and hotels etc but 9 times out of 10 the match finishes early and you then have to apply for a refund!
So Alastair Campbell doesn't like what the Tories are doing, and you think that means it is bad for the Tories.
Seriously?
Listen Sunil- I do want to racially stereotype you, but the love of cricket must be in your DNA. You must be a white teenager from Ramsgate masquerading as an Indian.
No.
Bob is pretending to be a disgruntled tory.
I'm not terribly keen on
CrappywoodBollywood eitherBut in Pendle, Rossendale, Bury North, Lancaster, Wirral West, Pudsey........ ???
Electoral roll Dec 2014: 41.41m
Given that the England/Wales population has risen around 1.5m in that time, that's a big hole.
I note that Ceredigion and Cardiff are two areas where the electoral roll has declined most notably.
The debate is about whether modelling of a system as complex and chaotic as the climate can produce predictions more accurate than a coin-flip. If you think it can, please name just one other complex and chaotic system where it can.
Oh, wait...
Dec 2010: 434,732
Dec 2014: 266,348
Being there on day 5 is usually fantastic, assuming there's not 1 wicket or 20 runs to get.
The problem is always tickets. either:
1. Sold at the gate only - in which case you have to get the day off on Monday at no notice and make your way to the ground early enough that they're not all sold when you arrive.
Or
2. they sell them out in advance, with booking fees, postage etc added, you book a day off work, maybe trains and hotels etc but 9 times out of 10 the match finishes early and you then have to apply for a refund!
@Sandpit
unless the weather plays a part, the type of cricket now played by New Zealand and Australia means 5th day tickets are pointless. I am nervous about my fourth day against New Zealand to be honest.
When I was a kid I used to buy all five days for the Old Trafford Test Matches, and everytime there was fifth day cricket. But it rained alot, and Dikkie Bird always liked taking everyone off with the light, and there was always the odd IRA bomb scare to boot when the ground was evacuated.
Spain
The rise of Citizen's continues with the last three opinion polls all putting them between 17 and 19%. They are slightly behind the Socialists (19-22%), who are pretty much level-pegging with Podemos (20-22%). The governing PP retains its lead with all but one of the pollsters, and they look like they're 4-5% ahead of the pack. The most likely outcome for Spain in 2015 looks to be a PP-Citizen's coalition, assuming the former gets 25% and the latter 20%. However, my Spanish friends in Madrid are convinced that Citizen's will top the polls (not bad for a party getting 3% of the vote in the polls nine months ago). We shall see.
The Netherlands
The latest polls show the governing VVD in the lead, garnering a high 20s number of seats (in a 150 seat parliament), which is down sharply from the 41 achieved in 2012. The PVV has faded somewhat and now looks likely to get around 20 seats, up from 15 in the last election, pretty much the same level as the SP, the CDA and D66. If current numbers are right, it's going to be very messy putting a coalition together after the next Dutch election.
France
For the first time, Marine Le Pen is not leading in the first round Presidential voting question - she lags either Sarkozy or Juppe. (Although she's still at twice the level of Francois Hollande, a man who manages just 15% in the first round.) On the run-offs, Le Pen runs Hollande very close, but continues to lose 70:30 to Juppe, and only slightly less against Sarkozy.
But on this. Spot on. That was my point - it's a bit unusual for me to agree with him, which kind of makes me think he might be right....
https://twitter.com/May2015NS/status/590507081087770624
Tyson,
I'm not terribly keen on
CrappywoodBollywood eitherSunil
Now I know you are a 18 year old white malcontent living in Ramsgate.
Or, perhaps you should do a DNA test and check who your parents are.
Wellingborough 7% +3,420
East Devon 5% +4,665
Tonbridge and Malling 4% +3,825
Allerdale 3% +1,787
Arun 3% +2,970
Ashfield 3% +2,724
Cornwall 2% +6,625
Shropshire 2% +5,303
Barnet 2% +4,671
Northampton 2% +3,007
Dec 2014 - annual decrease in electoral roll - UK Top 10
Ceredigion -12% -6,988
Cardiff -11% -28,462
Oxford -11% -12,093
Southampton -10% -17,119
Newcastle upon Tyne -9% -17,405
Haringey -9% -15,851
Charnwood -9% -12,332
Westminster -8% -10,659
Blackpool -8% -9,396
Reading -8% -9,226
Has he given us 45 mins to save the Tory election campaign?
Now I know you are a 18 year old white malcontent living in Ramsgate.
How many of those are vegetarian?
They should counter it with a little more "light" to go with all the "shade" but overall I think they are playing this week pretty well.
Plus, of course, the money is good.
See Bob_Sykes posts on the Alistair Campbell interview.
Cardiff 234,476 -28,462 -11%
Durham 376,934 -26,808 -7%
Liverpool 304,907 -20,218 -6%
Bradford 331,494 -19,388 -6%
Newcastle upon Tyne 184,401 -17,405 -9%
Southampton 160,076 -17,119 -10%
Cheshire East 272,909 -16,788 -6%
Haringey 159,360 -15,851 -9%
Brighton and Hove 192,325 -14,842 -7%
Nottingham 191,363 -12,999 -6%
Manchester 368,265 -12,665 -3%
Kirklees 300,627 -12,606 -4%
Leicester 224,750 -12,389 -5%
Charnwood 123,786 -12,332 -9%
Oxford 99,730 -12,093 -11%
Wigan 234,261 -11,649 -5%
Doncaster 210,826 -11,165 -5%
Kingston upon Hull 180,740 -10,757 -6%
Westminster 127,541 -10,659 -8%
York 146,322 -10,494 -7%