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  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,313

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Why do you think somebody against the death penalty would be in favour of "slaughtering innocent people from afar"?
    Blair bombed Iraq, Cameron Libya

    And in the Kosovo war, we targeted civilians in Serbia rather than a concerted attempt to target their armed forces. I am sure that British politicians involved in that action would have said they were against the death penalty.

  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092
    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. Neil, that's a substantial decline.

    Mind you, the real Liberal party still exists, it just has sod all power and few members now.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    OK St Ereotomy
  • OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143

    Morley & Outwood postal update [I know you're all super-interested]:
    In recent days I've had two letters from Balls
    A general leaflet from UKIP
    A faux newspaper from the Greens
    Oddly, nothing from the Conservatives (I have had a fair amount from them in the past, and expect more ahead of the election)
    Nothing from the Lib Dems, BNP [they did well here last time] or Yorkshire First

    It doesn't look like you have a BNP candidate this time. I think I read that they were only standing 8 (eight) candidates this time.
    The BBC have the statistics.
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207
    Sean_F said:

    Plato said:

    From Mr Liddle's Speccy column...

    And the Labour leader Ed Miliband made a hugely useful contribution with a tweet saying that the people who died were among the poorest in the world and something should be done. I suppose if they had been moderately affluent it would have been less of a tragedy, Ed, you halfwit. Again, with Hodges and Miliband and the ludicrous Izzy Saunders, the response was all about infantile attitudinalising, nothing more than a wish to tell everybody else that they care more than every-body else and that therefore they are right.

    Here’s the deal. There are two ways in which we can act to prevent future boatloads of migrants from drowning in the Mediterranean, and only two ways. Let them all in, or stop them trying to come.
    I really dislike all the Something Must Be Done crowd - who don't actually do anything bar demanding sacking someone whose opinions they don't like. How completely self-righteous and pointless.
    "Something must be done" gave us the Iraq War.

    Actually, I think you will find it was the Labour party and their lies.
  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092
    isam said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    OK St Ereotomy
    Just being pragmatic.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    Neil said:

    Mr. Neil, I know it's imploded, but I thought it was in a Black Knight state of affairs, rather than a dead parrot.

    From 339 candidates in 2010 to 8 now. Lost about 90% of its membership. For all intents and purposes the party doesnt exist any more.
    It seems to have been supplanted by Britain First, but they don't seem to have much candidate organisation - more a facebook group than anything else tbh.
  • A thread on the big issue? The Guardian is having an epic-fail of an election, is Polly doing them I wonder?

    Dan Hodges‏@DPJHodges·8m8 minutes ago
    Shappsgate turns into LIbDemgate. http://tinyurl.com/mkcre2d

    Dan Hodges‏@DPJHodges·3m3 minutes ago
    Imagine if Times or Telegraph had run Shapps-like piece about shad cab member, and it transpired it had been briefed by a Tory activist.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    isam said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    OK St Ereotomy
    It's probably one of the few areas where Cameron's ambitions for volunteerism to fill the gap left by cutting state services would actually work in practice. Your tax money is safe.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Lestuh said:

    isam said:

    BenM said:

    BenM said:

    FPT:



    A grammar school in every town will also help.

    No it wouldn't.
    It wouldn't if your objective is not to raise social mobility or give bright working class kids a chance to get on.

    Race to the bottom, you win.
    Try to understand that all the research shows that Grammars rig the system against poor kids and so stifle mobility.
    Look at the number of kids from state schools at Oxbridge when Grammars were prevalent compared to before and after
    It increased substantially both when the number of grammar schools were reduced and when they were more-or-less discontinued.

    http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn00616.pdf
    Flies in the face of all I have read before, will take a look
  • AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    edited April 2015

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    Tax money? You could make money selling tickets to do this. Got to sort the deficit somehow...
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    edited April 2015
    Lestuh said:

    isam said:

    BenM said:

    BenM said:

    FPT:



    A grammar school in every town will also help.

    No it wouldn't.
    It wouldn't if your objective is not to raise social mobility or give bright working class kids a chance to get on.

    Race to the bottom, you win.
    Try to understand that all the research shows that Grammars rig the system against poor kids and so stifle mobility.
    Look at the number of kids from state schools at Oxbridge when Grammars were prevalent compared to before and after
    It increased substantially both when the number of grammar schools were reduced and when they were more-or-less discontinued.

    http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn00616.pdf
    That is not consistent with what the Sutton Trust reports.

    "At about this time my college at Oxford discovered I’d made some money so I received an invitation to have lunch with the President. In my day the college took a number of students from south Wales, all working class, most of them brilliant. The President, who was Welsh him, told me it had not taken any Welsh students for the last ten years.

    Further research showed me that in the 1970s two-thirds of the entry to Oxford was from State or State- funded schools and by 1997 it had dropped to 46%. We had gone backwards big time. The opportunities for bright children from non-privileged backgrounds were poor and had got worse. That’s why I set up the Sutton Trust out of a sense of outrage at the waste of talent in this country.”
  • TCPoliticalBettingTCPoliticalBetting Posts: 10,819
    edited April 2015
    Re: Shappsgate an the LD activist at Wikimedia.

    Another example of the Con Home observation of Lib Dems urinating on the Conservatives?
  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092

    A thread on the big issue? The Guardian is having an epic-fail of an election, is Polly doing them I wonder?

    Dan Hodges‏@DPJHodges·8m8 minutes ago
    Shappsgate turns into LIbDemgate. http://tinyurl.com/mkcre2d

    Dan Hodges‏@DPJHodges·3m3 minutes ago
    Imagine if Times or Telegraph had run Shapps-like piece about shad cab member, and it transpired it had been briefed by a Tory activist.

    Contribsx's edit history is all publicly available. No need to trust a lib dem, you can see for yourself
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Pulpstar said:

    Neil said:

    Mr. Neil, I know it's imploded, but I thought it was in a Black Knight state of affairs, rather than a dead parrot.

    From 339 candidates in 2010 to 8 now. Lost about 90% of its membership. For all intents and purposes the party doesnt exist any more.
    It seems to have been supplanted by Britain First, but they don't seem to have much candidate organisation - more a facebook group than anything else tbh.
    Britain First is but one of a series of breakaway parties formed by activists who were dissatisfied with the self-serving nature of the then BNP leadership. There was also the British Freedom Party, the British Democratic Party and the National People's Party to name but three other recent such breakaways.

    I've no doubt the stupid racists will finally manage to organise themselves into a single, viable grouping again eventually but the goings on have been hilarious to follow in the mean time.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Black spot the Times running this as a lead story. From DT telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11555267/Wikipedia-administrator-who-accused-Grant-Shapps-of-editing-pages-of-Tory-rivals-is-Liberal-Democrat-activist.html
    The Wikipedia administrator who accused the Tory co-chairman, Grant Shapps, of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation is a leading activist in the Liberal Democrats, the Telegraph can reveal.

    Richard Symonds admitted today that he had been “chastised” by other administrators at Wikipedia for not checking with more people before banning a user who he claims is Mr Shapps, or someone working for him.

    Mr Symonds also admitted that he had briefed The Guardian newspaper, which broke the alleged story yesterday.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Boris Johnson is in Westminster explaining why he thinks the YouTube clip of Alex Salmond joking that he’ll be writing a Labour government’s Budget is significant.

    “The SNP will say it’s a joke and a bit of fun, but there’s a deep truth contained in the joke,” the London mayor tells the BBC News Channel. “Ed Miliband hasn’t got a prayer of getting legislation through the House of Commons without the support of the SNP.

    "There you’ve got Alex Salmond giving the game away, showing what’s going on in his mind which is that he knows full that if there is to be a Labour government… the SNP will be the Scottish nationalist tail wagging the Labour dog.”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2015-32402350
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    Surely it's only smearing if it isnt true.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    Paging @Thescreamingeagles You can't trust this lot.
  • TykejohnnoTykejohnno Posts: 7,362
    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    Just like the labour newspaper's today.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546
    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Neil said:

    Mr. Neil, I know it's imploded, but I thought it was in a Black Knight state of affairs, rather than a dead parrot.

    From 339 candidates in 2010 to 8 now. Lost about 90% of its membership. For all intents and purposes the party doesnt exist any more.
    It seems to have been supplanted by Britain First, but they don't seem to have much candidate organisation - more a facebook group than anything else tbh.
    Britain First is but one of a series of breakaway parties formed by activists who were dissatisfied with the self-serving nature of the then BNP leadership. There was also the British Freedom Party, the British Democratic Party and the National People's Party to name but three other recent such breakaways.

    I've no doubt the stupid racists will finally manage to organise themselves into a single, viable grouping again eventually but the goings on have been hilarious to follow in the mean time.
    The problem for a party like the BNP is that if it achieves some success, it attracts new members who might disagree with the Fuhrer of the day, and even challenge him for the leadership. Griffin spent the whole period after 2007 expelling everyone who he thought might be a threat to his position.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,393
    Polruan said:

    isam said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    Pong said:

    antifrank said:

    The front pages of the tabloids will probably not be dominated by the election tomorrow.

    "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist."

    *Gulp*
    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502
    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    OK St Ereotomy
    It's probably one of the few areas where Cameron's ambitions for volunteerism to fill the gap left by cutting state services would actually work in practice. Your tax money is safe.
    If I recall aright, the splendidly ironic 'Handbook on Hanging' by Charles Duff makes a very similar point.

  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Sean_F said:

    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Neil said:

    Mr. Neil, I know it's imploded, but I thought it was in a Black Knight state of affairs, rather than a dead parrot.

    From 339 candidates in 2010 to 8 now. Lost about 90% of its membership. For all intents and purposes the party doesnt exist any more.
    It seems to have been supplanted by Britain First, but they don't seem to have much candidate organisation - more a facebook group than anything else tbh.
    Britain First is but one of a series of breakaway parties formed by activists who were dissatisfied with the self-serving nature of the then BNP leadership. There was also the British Freedom Party, the British Democratic Party and the National People's Party to name but three other recent such breakaways.

    I've no doubt the stupid racists will finally manage to organise themselves into a single, viable grouping again eventually but the goings on have been hilarious to follow in the mean time.
    The problem for a party like the BNP is that if it achieves some success, it attracts new members who might disagree with the Fuhrer of the day, and even challenge him for the leadership. Griffin spent the whole period after 2007 expelling everyone who he thought might be a threat to his position.
    Another problem they tend to have is forming viable groupings with fellow travellers in the European parliament. The problem with stupid racists cooperating at an international level is that you cant get more than 3 of them into a room without some real mutual hatred being exposed.

    And the uniforms. My god the uniforms.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
  • OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    Anorak said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502

    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    Tax money? You could make money selling tickets to do this. Got to sort the deficit somehow...
    Zoos are forbidden by law from feeding live (non-insect) prey to their animals, due to restrictions on animal cruelty introduced to control circuses, so that would be another fine example of the greater regard for animal welfare, compared to human welfare, shown by the British.
  • GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    Plato said:

    Black spot the Times running this as a lead story. From DT telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11555267/Wikipedia-administrator-who-accused-Grant-Shapps-of-editing-pages-of-Tory-rivals-is-Liberal-Democrat-activist.html

    The Wikipedia administrator who accused the Tory co-chairman, Grant Shapps, of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation is a leading activist in the Liberal Democrats, the Telegraph can reveal.

    Richard Symonds admitted today that he had been “chastised” by other administrators at Wikipedia for not checking with more people before banning a user who he claims is Mr Shapps, or someone working for him.

    Mr Symonds also admitted that he had briefed The Guardian newspaper, which broke the alleged story yesterday.
    It is painful watching so many people misunderstand some of Wikipedia's key processes - as someone with an established history of being involved with the project.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Is cannibalism outlawed here? I know it isn't in a few US states - so you can eat a corpse.

    Not my cup of tea - even with asparagus...

    Anorak said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502

    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    Tax money? You could make money selling tickets to do this. Got to sort the deficit somehow...
    Zoos are forbidden by law from feeding live (non-insect) prey to their animals, due to restrictions on animal cruelty introduced to control circuses, so that would be another fine example of the greater regard for animal welfare, compared to human welfare, shown by the British.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Grandiose said:

    Plato said:

    Black spot the Times running this as a lead story. From DT telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11555267/Wikipedia-administrator-who-accused-Grant-Shapps-of-editing-pages-of-Tory-rivals-is-Liberal-Democrat-activist.html

    The Wikipedia administrator who accused the Tory co-chairman, Grant Shapps, of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation is a leading activist in the Liberal Democrats, the Telegraph can reveal.

    Richard Symonds admitted today that he had been “chastised” by other administrators at Wikipedia for not checking with more people before banning a user who he claims is Mr Shapps, or someone working for him.

    Mr Symonds also admitted that he had briefed The Guardian newspaper, which broke the alleged story yesterday.
    It is painful watching so many people misunderstand some of Wikipedia's key processes - as someone with an established history of being involved with the project.

    What's your take on the story given your experience of Wikipedia? (Apologies if I've missed comments on earlier threads)
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Gawain Towler (@GawainTowler)
    22/04/2015 16:10
    The Tories Are Trying To Frighten People Into Voting For Them, Says @DouglasCarswell buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/th… via @elashton @BuzzFeed
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I am a Wiki admin editor. I think I know of what I speak when it comes to quoting a biased source. We had an AGW activist all over those pages who was sanctioned for his bias.
    Grandiose said:

    Plato said:

    Black spot the Times running this as a lead story. From DT telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11555267/Wikipedia-administrator-who-accused-Grant-Shapps-of-editing-pages-of-Tory-rivals-is-Liberal-Democrat-activist.html

    The Wikipedia administrator who accused the Tory co-chairman, Grant Shapps, of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation is a leading activist in the Liberal Democrats, the Telegraph can reveal.

    Richard Symonds admitted today that he had been “chastised” by other administrators at Wikipedia for not checking with more people before banning a user who he claims is Mr Shapps, or someone working for him.

    Mr Symonds also admitted that he had briefed The Guardian newspaper, which broke the alleged story yesterday.
    It is painful watching so many people misunderstand some of Wikipedia's key processes - as someone with an established history of being involved with the project.

  • isam said:

    Gawain Towler (@GawainTowler)
    22/04/2015 16:10
    The Tories Are Trying To Frighten People Into Voting For Them, Says @DouglasCarswell buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/th… via @elashton @BuzzFeed

    if you don't want 427.4 milion eastern europeans coming to england.

    vote ukip
  • OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    Plato said:

    Is cannibalism outlawed here? I know it isn't in a few US states - so you can eat a corpse.

    Not my cup of tea - even with asparagus...

    Anorak said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502

    Again, I find myself contemplating the idea of capital punishment. We can slaughter innocent people from afar with bombs. But we cannot hang men like this. There is no logic.
    Sean think of it as Death By Prison. Actually ending a convicted felon's life I have decided is not on as there is always a significantly non-zero chance of being wrong (I used to be pro hanging). Now I feel that if you take away the key forever you merely give them a period of pain/unhappiness/remorse/hopelessness to suffer from before an inevitable actual death whilst still in prison. From a punishment perspective this is perhaps worse. Hindley, Sutcliffe, Shipman, etc - their lives are already over. They merely await the final medical event. I hope they are unhappy (the fucking bastards). That's what punishment for such crimes is about. But...they KEY point is that where for some crimes we might have previously given a death sentence we must now ensure there is absolutely no possibility of release ever. Otherwise they can hope. It IS a death sentence. The method of execution - rotting forever in a hopeless shitty cell until they croak.
    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    Tax money? You could make money selling tickets to do this. Got to sort the deficit somehow...
    Zoos are forbidden by law from feeding live (non-insect) prey to their animals, due to restrictions on animal cruelty introduced to control circuses, so that would be another fine example of the greater regard for animal welfare, compared to human welfare, shown by the British.
    Wikipedia has this:

    "On July 23, 1988, Rick Gibson ate the flesh of another person in public. Because England does not have a specific law against cannibalism, he legally ate a canapé of donated human tonsils in Walthamstow High Street, London."

    Best to make sure you have the consent of the person whose flesh it is in writing I would have thought.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Reminds me of great Bernard Manning joke

    'Realism? I got a bleeding dose off it'

    Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick)
    22/04/2015 16:10
    Blimey, look what somebody's sent me. Blow up dolls of our great leaders pic.twitter.com/5bNqC7T8t0
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    edited April 2015
    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target
    I dont think the fact that this is exactly the kind of stunt one would expect Shapps to pull means it is any less likely that he actually did it.
  • Morley & Outwood postal update [I know you're all super-interested]:
    In recent days I've had two letters from Balls
    A general leaflet from UKIP
    A faux newspaper from the Greens
    Oddly, nothing from the Conservatives (I have had a fair amount from them in the past, and expect more ahead of the election)
    Nothing from the Lib Dems, BNP [they did well here last time] or Yorkshire First

    When the tory one arrives, mr d, you'll be astonished how brazenly negative it is. The one with Miliband, sturgeon and salmons on it.

    Btw, haven't seen balls out and about this time. He's usually a very active and visible campaigner. Indeed on two occasions in 2010 he crossed the road in front of me and only a slight acceleration would have changed the labour front bench forever. Instead, I braked.

  • SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    edited April 2015
    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    I’m surprised the Guardian ran with the Shapps story, - I seem to recall Polly Toynbee’s wholehearted defence of disgraced Johann Hari, the plagiarising journalist who routinely vandalised opponents wiki entries while masquerading as ‘David Rose’ – I wonder why on this occasion it was so different..?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,869
    Homemade mayonnaise goes really well with asparagus.
    Plato said:

    I prefer hollandaise - this has whetted my whistle. :yum:

    Cyclefree said:

    Plato said:

    Oooh yummy! Will try that too. Fridge is heaving with all the required things too. What sort of white sauce? I associate that with Christmas pudding so assume it's another sort?! :astonished:

    Carnyx said:

    Plato said:

    Halogen oven? Interesting. Will check it out. The best hob I ever had was ceramic glass gas - totally controllable and didn't zap. All black glass and sexy looking too.

    kle4 said:

    SeanT said:

    Scott_P said:
    And it's very hard for Salmond to claim it is an obvious joke, given his record on this
    He seems to do a half chuckle about everything serious anyway - to show how laughable his opponent's positions are, I presume - so it wouldn't be that different from his serious words even if it is an obvious joke.
    Polruan said:

    Scott_P said:
    snip
    dr_spyn said:

    Plato said:

    Havng...

    Anorak said:

    Plato said:

    I've saoes too...

    TGOHF said:

    Plato said:

    OT C squeak.

    Jammon etc.
    Drter.
    Had that for lunch today about 2 hours ago - tend to bake it for 12-14 minutes.

    Though I also had a poached egg with my asparagus,


    I switched to a Halogen oven, which is a bit small for a big proper dinner, but for one-two people it works very well and I swear has improved many things compared to the gas oven.
    Carnyx said:

    Alistair said:

    TGOHF said:

    Eck's back

    @D

    httpc9e …

    o?
    I also don't see any PB Tory shock at the potentially personally offensive comments by Mr Cameron about Mr Salmond being a thief... it does show a certain mentality, and one that won't help the Tory revival in Scotland.
    snip
    I seem to remember the Belgians bake asparagus with ham wrapped around it in a white sauce. Mind you that used the fatter white asparagus.
    A nice bechamel sauce. Or if you wanted something lighter a hollandaise sauce is nice. Mind you, fresh asparagus is lovely just steamed with some warm butter and a bit of salt.

  • JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    This makes a lot of sense to me. UKIP support is in the C1 and C2 groupings. They're people that work hard and have put a bit of money aside, but are increasingly frustrated by the combination of (1) people that don't play by the rules seem to do just as well, often supported by the state, and (2) the wealthy have increasingly pulled away from them in financial terms. This explains a lot of their political views: they feel they are too highly taxed to support people who don't deserve it, they aren't quite rich enough to insulate themselves from the negatives of immigration, and they resent the bankers and politicians that seem to make endless mistakes and yet still get endless perks. These are the people that Thatcher won in the 1980s, and would be called "Reagan Democrats" by the Yanks. The Conservatives really need to win them back.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Thnx. I've recently seen a US true crime show where a video by the deceased exonerated the *chef* as he ate the corpse after gaining consent. IIRC Germans have had the same trial outcomes.

    Plato said:

    Is cannibalism outlawed here? I know it isn't in a few US states - so you can eat a corpse.

    Not my cup of tea - even with asparagus...

    Anorak said:

    isam said:

    Patrick said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    The sheer depravity beggars belief.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32413502

    snip

    Something more than life imprisonment is needed.

    As per my suggestion for the beheaders of Lee Rigby, baseball bats to the head and body as a wake up call every morning seems fair
    I'd rather my tax money wasn't used to slake your bloodlust
    Tax money? You could make money selling tickets to do this. Got to sort the deficit somehow...
    snip.
    Wikipedia has this:

    "On July 23, 1988, Rick Gibson ate the flesh of another person in public. Because England does not have a specific law against cannibalism, he legally ate a canapé of donated human tonsils in Walthamstow High Street, London."

    Best to make sure you have the consent of the person whose flesh it is in writing I would have thought.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    I added Michael Green to the Hatfield page btw ;)
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited April 2015
    @tissueprice

    You reckon the ComRes Ukip seats poll is behind the dough laying Tories in Thanet?

    Ukip 1.86 in Thurrock looks like polling info too
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,328
    isam said:

    Gawain Towler (@GawainTowler)
    22/04/2015 16:10
    The Tories Are Trying To Frighten People Into Voting For Them, Says @DouglasCarswell buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/th… via @elashton @BuzzFeed

    That's what all parties do. It's what Labour are doing with their claims of appalling cuts to come. It's what Kinnock did with his famous "Don't be poor or sick" speech.

    All parties say that if you vote for them things will be better than if you vote for the other lot, at which point plagues of locusts and pestilence will assail the land.

  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    The David Rose Saga was epic. Johann spent much of one Christmas Day smearing others IIRC.

    He damaged many rivals and most Lefties either ignored it or defended him - I've no idea why. It's beyond me.

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    I’m surprised the Guardian ran with the Shapps story, - I seem to recall Polly Toynbee’s wholehearted defence of disgraced Johann Hari, the plagiarising journalist who routinely vandalised opponents wiki entries while masquerading as ‘David Rose’ – I wonder why on this occasion it was so different..?
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Miss Plato, because when your cause is sacred and special, nefarious means can be excused.

    That's how some view things.
  • Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target
    I dont think the fact that this is exactly the kind of stunt one would expect Shapps to pull means it is any less likely that he actually did it.
    There are reasons for the legal and ethical rules about giving people a fair hearing, even when they appear so obviously guilty that the rules clearly don't apply. Remember how obvious it was that Saddam had WMDs?
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target
    I dont think the fact that this is exactly the kind of stunt one would expect Shapps to pull means it is any less likely that he actually did it.
    It's an odd story. I don't see how it can be conspiracy because anyone obsessive enough to spend two years putting in the groundwork would surely have picked a more damaging project to a higher profile target - I mean, if true, it would be embarrassing to a normal person, but Shapps is not a normal person (or even 3 normal people) and he's already publicly known to have done equally dumb/dishonest stuff. Could it have been falsified by creating a raft of back-dated edits? Doesn't sound possible. Could anybody else have genuinely felt so strongly about his biography that they kept on correcting omissions and removing criticisms? Sounds even less possible. So what's left?
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I'll check it's on record, can't believe you don't DVR! I watch oodles of US pulp so perhaps that's my faux excuse.

    BTW, Walking Dead is on Spike now too.

    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.

  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092
    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    The wikipedia user's edits go back to mid-late 2013, so if it was a fabrication, it's one that's been worked on for a long time
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    BBC news homepage appears to have a Welsh option and... Scottish? It's Alba.

    Cornish next, I'd guess. And then a Yorkshire dialect version.
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Ishmael_X said:

    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target
    I dont think the fact that this is exactly the kind of stunt one would expect Shapps to pull means it is any less likely that he actually did it.
    There are reasons for the legal and ethical rules about giving people a fair hearing, even when they appear so obviously guilty that the rules clearly don't apply. Remember how obvious it was that Saddam had WMDs?
    I dont think anyone is suggesting invading Grant Shapps.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Miss Plato, saw that, but it appears to be the third series, which I've already seen (although it's rather good).
  • NormNorm Posts: 1,251
    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.
  • Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    The wikipedia user's edits go back to mid-late 2013, so if it was a fabrication, it's one that's been worked on for a long time
    come again.
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149
    Plato said:

    I'll check it's on record, can't believe you don't DVR! I watch oodles of US pulp so perhaps that's my faux excuse.

    BTW, Walking Dead is on Spike now too.

    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.

    Pretty certain Spike was called "5 USA" up until the weekend.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    May have fallen into a trap with the polls out later but taken 1.86 Ukip in Thurrock and 2.84 in Boston
  • SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    The excuse was that he’d never studied Journalism – apparently it makes all the difference..!
    Plato said:

    The David Rose Saga was epic. Johann spent much of one Christmas Day smearing others IIRC.

    He damaged many rivals and most Lefties either ignored it or defended him - I've no idea why. It's beyond me.

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    I’m surprised the Guardian ran with the Shapps story, - I seem to recall Polly Toynbee’s wholehearted defence of disgraced Johann Hari, the plagiarising journalist who routinely vandalised opponents wiki entries while masquerading as ‘David Rose’ – I wonder why on this occasion it was so different..?
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149

    BBC news homepage appears to have a Welsh option and... Scottish? It's Alba.

    Cornish next, I'd guess. And then a Yorkshire dialect version.

    "Beeb-bah-gum!"
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2015
    Would that be Ecky Thump?

    I assume the Geordie version would be Ganning Hom?

    BBC news homepage appears to have a Welsh option and... Scottish? It's Alba.

    Cornish next, I'd guess. And then a Yorkshire dialect version.

  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    The wikipedia user's edits go back to mid-late 2013, so if it was a fabrication, it's one that's been worked on for a long time
    come again.
    contribsx's edit history is public. The edits in question date back to august 2013.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149
    Ishmael_X said:

    Remember how obvious it was that Saddam had WMDs?

    In 1988 maybe, but by 2003? Probably not...
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    The wikipedia user's edits go back to mid-late 2013, so if it was a fabrication, it's one that's been worked on for a long time
    Remember, political anoraks aren't normal people.... :D
  • TheWatcherTheWatcher Posts: 5,262
    edited April 2015
    Cyclefree said:

    isam said:

    Gawain Towler (@GawainTowler)
    22/04/2015 16:10
    The Tories Are Trying To Frighten People Into Voting For Them, Says @DouglasCarswell buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/th… via @elashton @BuzzFeed

    That's what all parties do. It's what Labour are doing with their claims of appalling cuts to come. It's what Kinnock did with his famous "Don't be poor or sick" speech.

    All parties say that if you vote for them things will be better than if you vote for the other lot, at which point plagues of locusts and pestilence will assail the land.

    It's what UKIP do with their stories of wicked foreigners preparing to swarm across the Channel en masse.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited April 2015
    C5 USA is on their website as well as Spike... channel5.com/

    Plato said:

    I'll check it's on record, can't believe you don't DVR! I watch oodles of US pulp so perhaps that's my faux excuse.

    BTW, Walking Dead is on Spike now too.

    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.

    Pretty certain Spike was called "5 USA" up until the weekend.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149
    Plato said:

    C5 USA is on their website as well as Spike... channel5.com/

    Plato said:

    I'll check it's on record, can't believe you don't DVR! I watch oodles of US pulp so perhaps that's my faux excuse.

    BTW, Walking Dead is on Spike now too.

    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.

    Pretty certain Spike was called "5 USA" up until the weekend.
    Oops, out by a week:

    "On April 15, 2015 at 8pm, a UK version launched as part of the Channel 5 network."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_(TV_network)
  • Tissue_PriceTissue_Price Posts: 9,039
    isam said:

    @tissueprice

    You reckon the ComRes Ukip seats poll is behind the dough laying Tories in Thanet?

    Ukip 1.86 in Thurrock looks like polling info too

    I expect it will be aggregate data like the other ComRes polls (London/SW). Not expecting it to be brilliant for UKIP.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Perhaps they should apologise for over-firmly speculating about the explanation for the publicly available information about contribsx.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Just as an aside, it's interesting how primary identity varies. I'd guess Liverpudlians would have the city strongly as their main 'identifier' [clunky language, but you know what I mean], but I'd guess most Yorkshiremen would go for the county rather than Leeds or York.
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,913
    Plato said:

    Would that be Ecky Thump?

    An outstanding reference!

  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Spike is the knuckle fighting channel with nasty tattoos, MMA bouts, World's Strongest Man et al.

    It's not for metrosexuals. :wink:

    Plato said:

    C5 USA is on their website as well as Spike... channel5.com/

    Plato said:

    I'll check it's on record, can't believe you don't DVR! I watch oodles of US pulp so perhaps that's my faux excuse.

    BTW, Walking Dead is on Spike now too.

    Mr. Speaking, salmons? Disappointing. Enormo-haddock are far superior.

    Miss Plato (et al), might be interested in the final of three parts of a Greek art programme on BBC4. I think it's 9pm tonight.

    Pretty certain Spike was called "5 USA" up until the weekend.
    Oops, out by a week:

    "On April 15, 2015 at 8pm, a UK version launched as part of the Channel 5 network."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_(TV_network)
  • OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    Polruan said:

    Neil said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target
    I dont think the fact that this is exactly the kind of stunt one would expect Shapps to pull means it is any less likely that he actually did it.
    It's an odd story. I don't see how it can be conspiracy because anyone obsessive enough to spend two years putting in the groundwork would surely have picked a more damaging project to a higher profile target - I mean, if true, it would be embarrassing to a normal person, but Shapps is not a normal person (or even 3 normal people) and he's already publicly known to have done equally dumb/dishonest stuff. Could it have been falsified by creating a raft of back-dated edits? Doesn't sound possible. Could anybody else have genuinely felt so strongly about his biography that they kept on correcting omissions and removing criticisms? Sounds even less possible. So what's left?
    A couple of possibilities immediately spring to mind. Firstly, the allegations could be genuine. Secondly, contribsx could be a random Shapps-fan, determined to defend him from the scorn of lefties and those Tories not able to appreciate his brilliance, that the LibDem wiki editor has wrongly accused of being in cahoots with Shapps.

    I wouldn't rule out number two as being fanciful. The internet is pretty good at bringing to public attention the most unusual extremes of human behaviour. There must be someone in the country who thinks that Shapps is the foremost politician of our age.
  • NormNorm Posts: 1,251
    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983

    There must be someone in the country who thinks that Shapps is the foremost politician of our age.

    I think Shapps is the number 1 *and* number 2 politician of his generation. And businessman too.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJxGi8bizEg
    Omnium said:

    Plato said:

    Would that be Ecky Thump?

    An outstanding reference!

  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    edited April 2015
    .
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    edited April 2015
    .
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083



    I wouldn't rule out number two as being fanciful. The internet is pretty good at bringing to public attention the most unusual extremes of human behaviour. There must be someone in the country who thinks that Shapps is the foremost politician of our age.

    I think that circle in the venn diagram coincides with "is called Grant Shapps" tho.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546
    Neil said:

    There must be someone in the country who thinks that Shapps is the foremost politician of our age.

    I think Shapps is the number 1 *and* number 2 politician of his generation. And businessman too.
    He's a giant among statesmen.
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    In the article I read they reported (1) the fact that the account had been suspended (2) why it had been suspended (3) detailed some of the history of the account (4) gave Shapps the opportunity to reply and (5) reported his denial of being linked to the account.

    I see nothing to apologise for but then I believe in a free press.

  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    edited April 2015
    RobD said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Polruan said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Richard Symonds, who had accused Tory co-chairman of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation, is a Lib Dem activist, Telegraph reveals

    Lib Dems - Smearing here.

    The fact that he might be motivated to release information by his party allegiance doesn't automatically mean that it's fabricated. Or am I missing something in the logic?
    I don't know, but Shapps is an easy target and the Lib Dems have form on this with Carmichael's attempted SNP French Letter. Mind you the Telegraph clearly have a Tory oar to row. The BBC-Guardian axis are rowing for the reds too mind.

    Election campaign is in the sewer all round that's for sure.
    The wikipedia user's edits go back to mid-late 2013, so if it was a fabrication, it's one that's been worked on for a long time
    Remember, political anoraks aren't normal people.... :D
    I don't know what you're referring to. I'm very normal. Exceedingly normal. Yep.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    In the article I read they reported (1) the fact that the account had been suspended (2) why it had been suspended (3) detailed some of the history of the account (4) gave Shapps the opportunity to reply and (5) reported his denial of being linked to the account.

    I see nothing to apologise for but then I believe in a free press.

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    In the article I read they reported (1) the fact that the account had been suspended (2) why it had been suspended (3) detailed some of the history of the account (4) gave Shapps the opportunity to reply and (5) reported his denial of being linked to the account.

    I see nothing to apologise for but then I believe in a free press.

    They didn't even comment on the whether the firmness of his denial was over, under, or about right.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,393
    edited April 2015

    BBC news homepage appears to have a Welsh option and... Scottish? It's Alba.

    Cornish next, I'd guess. And then a Yorkshire dialect version.

    Yes, Alba is Scottish - more specifically Gaelic mainly but often bilingual/subtitled so no-one is left out. Some excellent programmes; I used to watch the current affairs programme Eorpa [edit: anglice, Europe] without fail.

  • NormNorm Posts: 1,251
    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    In the article I read they reported (1) the fact that the account had been suspended (2) why it had been suspended (3) detailed some of the history of the account (4) gave Shapps the opportunity to reply and (5) reported his denial of being linked to the account.

    I see nothing to apologise for but then I believe in a free press.

    Bully for them - listen I'm no Shapps fan but I suggest if it had been an offending Tory activist concerning Caroline Lucas you wouldn't be quite so sanguine.
  • MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    edited April 2015
    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    I don't remember Shapps apologising when he pretended to be a Lib Dem councillor in Manchester at the time If the Ealing Southall by election .
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,913
    Plato said:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJxGi8bizEg

    Omnium said:

    Plato said:

    Would that be Ecky Thump?

    An outstanding reference!

    Quality! (mind you some of the Goodies shows are pretty crap - I speak as a box set owner)

    Somehow that reminds me of "even the white bits were black" from Ripping Yarns too.



  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    I don't remember Shapps apologising when he pretended to be a Lib Dem councillor in Manchester at the time If the Ealing Southall by election .
    It's hardly pretending if you're posting under your own name :D:D
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    In the article I read they reported (1) the fact that the account had been suspended (2) why it had been suspended (3) detailed some of the history of the account (4) gave Shapps the opportunity to reply and (5) reported his denial of being linked to the account.

    I see nothing to apologise for but then I believe in a free press.

    Bully for them - listen I'm no Shapps fan but I suggest if it had been an offending Tory activist concerning Caroline Lucas you wouldn't be quite so sanguine.
    Different personalities wouldnt make a difference to the facts (though there are few MPs whose character would be so in keeping with the accusations as Shapps').

  • GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    Plato said:

    I am a Wiki admin editor. I think I know of what I speak when it comes to quoting a biased source. We had an AGW activist all over those pages who was sanctioned for his bias.

    Grandiose said:

    Plato said:

    Black spot the Times running this as a lead story. From DT telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11555267/Wikipedia-administrator-who-accused-Grant-Shapps-of-editing-pages-of-Tory-rivals-is-Liberal-Democrat-activist.html

    The Wikipedia administrator who accused the Tory co-chairman, Grant Shapps, of creating a fake identity on the online encyclopedia to boost his reputation is a leading activist in the Liberal Democrats, the Telegraph can reveal.

    Richard Symonds admitted today that he had been “chastised” by other administrators at Wikipedia for not checking with more people before banning a user who he claims is Mr Shapps, or someone working for him.

    Mr Symonds also admitted that he had briefed The Guardian newspaper, which broke the alleged story yesterday.
    It is painful watching so many people misunderstand some of Wikipedia's key processes - as someone with an established history of being involved with the project.


    Oh, not you Plato.

    I too have the mop, but I haven't edited properly in over a year now.

  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I loved that sketch. I'm a fellow Goodies boxsetter. King Kitten remains my fav, along with the OK Tea Rooms and Graham falling in love with his computer.
    Omnium said:


    Plato said:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJxGi8bizEg

    Omnium said:

    Plato said:

    Would that be Ecky Thump?

    An outstanding reference!

    Quality! (mind you some of the Goodies shows are pretty crap - I speak as a box set owner)

    Somehow that reminds me of "even the white bits were black" from Ripping Yarns too.



  • NormNorm Posts: 1,251

    Norm said:

    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    Problem is smearing works to a limited degree. Maybe the relevant papers will apologise to Shapps but the damage such as it is is done.

    Apologise for what?

    For publishing an unproven smear by a Tower Hamlets LIberal Democrat activist. Or in your world is it acceptable for Tories alone to be subjected to dirty tricks?
    I don't remember Shapps apologising when he pretended to be a Lib Dem councillor in Manchester at the time If the Ealing Southall by election .
    Maybe so - I don't hold any brief for Shapps and think he is an underwhelming chairman- but aren't the Lib Dems the party that wanted to clean up politics?
  • NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Norm said:

    aren't the Lib Dems the party that wanted to clean up politics?

    Isnt exposing the activity of this account helping with process of cleaning up politics?
  • Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    edited April 2015
    Should I get on a Labour win in East Lothian, on the basis of the Edinburgh South poll and the strong "No" vote there? 11/8 with Paddy power, maybe not attractive enough.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044
    Neil said:

    Norm said:

    aren't the Lib Dems the party that wanted to clean up politics?

    Isnt exposing the activity of this account helping with process of cleaning up politics?
    I thought the problem was that they didn't actually have any proof Shapps was responsible, yet he has been named.
  • Tissue_PriceTissue_Price Posts: 9,039
    Labour Uncut (in characteristically fatalistic mood) have gone further than my analysis of the Tories' SNP message. I assumed it was all about UKIP switchers, but Atul Hatwal points out that by merging the two parties in the swing voters' mind, McLabour becomes more left-wing.

    Not sure if I fully buy into it. His observations on the ground game are interesting too.

    http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2015/04/22/labours-kidding-itself-about-this-campaign-the-tories-are-winning-the-strategic-battles/
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    Danny565 said:

    Should I get on a Labour win in East Lothian, on the basis of the Edinburgh South poll and the strong "No" vote there? 11/8 with Paddy power, maybe not attractive enough.

    6-5 Dunfermline West Fife with Coral if you want a half decent Scottish Labour punt imo. (Not backing anyone there myself)
This discussion has been closed.