Why on earth is Miliband doing an interview with Russell Brand? I don't hate Brand, but it's hardly going to be a game-changer. More of a laugh, and something to trend on twitter for a couple of hours or so.
Same reason Dave did one with Heat presumably and Clegg spent the day with Joey Essex. Their advisers thought there might be some benefit. Can't see it myself.
Who is advising them this stuff is a good thing? I can understand Clegg/Joey Essex thing as the LDs have literally nothing left to lose, but Cameron with a Heat magazine interview? It's a bit like when Gordon Brown embarrassingly said he listened to the Arctic Monkeys. Politicians really need to stop trying to be cool and relevant.
I know I am getting old, but there seemed to be a lot more frontline gravitas back in the day. Maybe they just seemed that way because I was younger, but I don't remember it being so studenty as it is now with tedious point scoring, name calling and so on. And it is all so utterly fake. I mean Dave is now "pumping and motivated and letting us know it", coincidentally just a day or so after he was criticised for not being these things. Ed has been taking normal classes. I mean, WTF??
I know Newzoids is trying to be the new Spitting Image. But we don't need it with the current lot, the truth is funny than the fiction.
I wonder if it will be the "Happy Warrior" version of Ed with Brand?
What happens if no party gets a majority and can't negotiate an agreement with one of the smaller parties...who gets first dibs and how would a second election get triggered?
After an indecisive election:-
The PM stays in office until he resigns, which could be immediately (1929), after a short while (1974, 2010) or after losing his first Parliamentary test (1923-24). He of course may not need to resign if he has sufficient allies (1910).
If he resigns, the Leader of the Opposition is called to form a government, whether or not that government is likely to survive.
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Ludicrous hyperbole.
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
Support from a man who told everyone not to vote, the man who called Ed Balls a "clicky-wristed snidey c*nt", the man who Ed Balls, in return, termed "a pound shop Ben Elton" a few weeks back, the man who dismissed Miliband with "pfft, we can do better" just a year ago?
You can't see that support possibly backfiring, at all?
Such support may win a few thousand youth votes (if they are even registered), if the tabloids and Tories go on the attack, it could easily make 200,000 older voters think, "Jesus, Ed really is a desperate twit".
And what's Ed Balls, the "clicky-wristed snidey c*nt" going to say when he's asked about the exciting support of that pound-shop Ben Elton, who his leader furtively went to pay homage to, at 3am in hipster Shoreditch?
This has last gasp idea formed after two bottles of wine written all over it. It's inherently risky. It implies to me that some Labour spinners think they're losing.
Russell Brand telling people not inclined to vote to vote Labour wont hurt them IMO as I said... its not going to stop my Mum, a 68 year old lifelong Labour voter who hates Russell Brand, voting Labour, being called a bigot by the Labour PM didn't stop Gillian Duffy.. it would be a net positive for Labour if he endorsed them
Under 30s would just see pics of Brand and Miliband, then Brand saying " Vote for this guy"
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
@Creidekki I had to go an wiki Kenny Everett - I'm afraid he is way before my time (I'm 21). But I doubt he would have made much of an impact, as from what I understand Thatcher was very unpopular with young people in the 1980s.
@SouthamObserver I think the rise of the career politician has effected politics negatively. In a way, it's kind of stain on the reputations of elite private schools and Oxbridge/Cambridge universities. Much of the current political class would have gone to the best private schools, and universities that money can buy, and yet they have been so ineffective as agents of change, or having any real vision for this country. Cameron has never had a real job outside of politics, bar as PR guy for Carlton, so he literally lives through opinion polls to try to understand the voter. Tbf Miliband and Clegg also do this too, and that's why they come off so fake IMO. They have no real world experience as to what it's like for many people out there.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
I consider myself a young female leftie (an evil liberal PC femanazi, my existence is enough for this site to explode), and I certainly don't think of Russell Brand in that way at all, although his YouTube channel is a good laugh. I think young female lefties like Charlie Brooker at lot more than they do Russell Brand.
Welcome! We could do with more lady PBers on this site
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Ludicrous hyperbole.
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
How many of those followers are over 18 years old, live in the UK and are registered to vote? How many of them live in the key marginal constituencies? How many of them weren't planning to vote Labour already?
Apparently its 1m, I was quoting SeanT
Sorry I forgot, everything Ed Miliband does is going to end in tears, I shouldn't have considered another outcome.. Jesus I almost feel like using one of the pathetic "PB this's or that's" insults!
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Do you think he's going to want to look like he's been 'told' what to do by the Dork In Chief (DIC)? He's a tad image-conscious, you know.
I've got a DIC - Diploma of Imperial College, awarded along with my PhD back in 2002
I would imagine he'll come out with some sort of general 'vote anyone to stop the Tories and UKIP' call to action that stops short of a full endorsement.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Do you think he's going to want to look like he's been 'told' what to do by the Dork In Chief (DIC)? He's a tad image-conscious, you know.
I've got a DIC - Diploma of Imperial College, awarded along with my PhD back in 2002
I don't think our Russel would do what you told him either.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Do you think he's going to want to look like he's been 'told' what to do by the Dork In Chief (DIC)? He's a tad image-conscious, you know.
I've got a DIC - Diploma of Imperial College, awarded along with my PhD back in 2002
I would imagine he'll come out with some sort of general 'vote anyone to stop the Tories and UKIP' call to action that stops short of a full endorsement.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
Ludicrous hyperbole.
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
This has last gasp idea formed after two bottles of wine written all over it. It's inherently risky. It implies to me that some Labour spinners think they're losing.
Russell Brand telling people not inclined to vote to vote Labour wont hurt them IMO as I said... its not going to stop my Mum, a 68 year old lifelong Labour voter who hates Russell Brand, voting Labour, being called a bigot by the Labour PM didn't stop Gillian Duffy.. it would be a net positive for Labour if he endorsed them
Under 30s would just see pics of Brand and Miliband, then Brand saying " Vote for this guy"
We're clearly not going to agree about Brand, so let's move on.
Where my argument is unanswerable is what this says about Labour's campaign. Given Brand's backstory, and his feuds with Balls, and his inherent instability, courting him is a significant risk.
Winning parties do not take risks. If Labour really thought, like NPXMP, that they were cruising to victory, they would not have done this.
Evidently, plenty of people inside Labour are anxious that they are losing. The Stamp Duty proposal smacked of the same faint desperation. Bet accordingly?
Ok well the rest of it I just don't know really. I have had tiny bets on the outcome of the election and no real opinion.. its too difficult to see through the spin, and with the 3rd party ranging between 7-18% in the last week or so with no certainty as to where those votes are or are not coming from, it just seems a guess
I decided long ago just to focus on UKIP betwise as its probably better to try and hone in on one aspect
Hands up if you're under the age of 25 and thus in the target demographic of Russell Brand?
I haven't seen anything about the content of the interview, and that's what's important. Brand has a strong brand (pun intended), but trying to attach yourself to it is not the same thing. People like chocolate but a Conservative/Cadbury tie up is hardly likely to look that good for the same reason.
"Tissue Price will probably have another moan, but the TNS percentages to 2 d.p.............."
Ignore the doubting Thomases Sunil.
If they spent as much time campaigning as they do trying to manipulate your poll findings the Tories might well be in an unassailable position by now.
If there were nominations for poster of the year I would nominate you. Your ELBOW has been a revelation and you are clearly a humble seeker after truth.
Rare moment of agreement, Rog.
Sunil's ELBOW has been one of the better innovations of this election. Lucid, unbiased, and better than most of the stuff produced by the pros. His partitioning of YouGov and others has been particularly interesting.
Honorary PB Knighthood for Mister Sunil.
Roger and Sean - your cheques are in the post
BTW I'm a "Dr", albeit just a PhD!
Hey, he was "just" Dr. Evil......
"I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called "Mr", thank you!"
I could see it backfiring if Brand starts asking other leaders though. I'd love Farage one on one with Brand rather than hurling insults over others on QT.
@Creidekki I had to go an wiki Kenny Everett - I'm afraid he is way before my time (I'm 21). But I doubt he would have made much of an impact, as from what I understand Thatcher was very unpopular with young people in the 1980s.
@SouthamObserver I think the rise of the career politician has effected politics negatively. In a way, it's kind of stain on the reputations of elite private schools and Oxbridge/Cambridge universities. Much of the current political class would have gone to the best private schools, and universities that money can buy, and yet they have been so ineffective as agents of change, or having any real vision for this country. Cameron has never had a real job outside of politics, bar as PR guy for Carlton, so he literally lives through opinion polls to try to understand the voter. Tbf Miliband and Clegg also do this too, and that's why they come off so fake IMO. They have no real world experience as to what it's like for many people out there.
Welcome, Ms Lypse,
Do you really think we needed an 'agent of change' or a visionary in 2010?
We had a massive deficit and an indecisive election result, so pragmatists like Cameron and Clegg were right for the times.
If you think we and the international economy are out of the woods, then let's have a visionary and an agent of change who can take advantage of such blessed times.
P.S. There are many ways of having a 'real life'. It's a little presumptuous to assume that your vision of one is the correct one.
"Tissue Price will probably have another moan, but the TNS percentages to 2 d.p.............."
Ignore the doubting Thomases Sunil.
If they spent as much time campaigning as they do trying to manipulate your poll findings the Tories might well be in an unassailable position by now.
If there were nominations for poster of the year I would nominate you. Your ELBOW has been a revelation and you are clearly a humble seeker after truth.
Rare moment of agreement, Rog.
Sunil's ELBOW has been one of the better innovations of this election. Lucid, unbiased, and better than most of the stuff produced by the pros. His partitioning of YouGov and others has been particularly interesting.
Honorary PB Knighthood for Mister Sunil.
Roger and Sean - your cheques are in the post
BTW I'm a "Dr", albeit just a PhD!
Hey, he was "just" Dr. Evil......
"I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called "Mr", thank you!"
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
If Russell Brand said "Vote Labour" it would help them immensely IMO and possibly win the election for them... people are that stupid
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Ludicrous hyperbole.
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
I do see. Of his followers, only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction are relevant.
1: A large proportion who follow him will not be such big megafans. Celebrity followers (including media) etc probably make up a large proportion. 2: Even amongst fans, only a small proportion will be mindless drones who'll change his vote as he says 3: Even amongst those drone fans, the prior instruction from Brand was to not vote and its too late to register. If people just follow Brand blindly it would make literally zero difference. So they'd have to have registered despite Brand (and thus have a modicum of free will). 4: Even amongst drone fans who've bothered to register, his biggest appeal is to lefties. A large proportion of which would already be voting for Labour. 5: Even amongst those who change voting from a different party, unless there's hundreds or thousands of those per marginal it won't be decisive.
So you're saying to get over the line there'd have to be enough people per constituency who are registered to vote, willing to vote, weren't going to vote for Labour already but now do because of Brand alone. I don't think so.
It's only a matter of time before Milliband emulates his new trendy chum, and appears somewhere dressed up as Keith Richards, complete with eyeliner and cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
"An election candidate who wants rock music banned, gay people jailed and feminism abolished has rejected claims she is extreme."
Northern Ireland is tremendously socially Conservative !
Yet the "real Conservatives" were firstly rejected by what is now the UUP in 1972, and nowadays whenever the Tories do stand they only get about 1% of the vote
"An election candidate who wants rock music banned, gay people jailed and feminism abolished has rejected claims she is extreme."
Northern Ireland is tremendously socially Conservative !
Yet the "real Conservatives" were firstly rejected by what is now the UUP in 1972, and nowadays whenever the Tories do stand they only get about 1% of the vote
They didn't want to save Ulster from sodomy though.
I bow to no one in my dislike of Russell Brand, but amazingly, young female lefties think he is a wise God like creature with devastating insight into the world of politics... I cant see how this is that bad for Miliband unless Brand calls him a rude word of some kind, look at who the undecided voters are
Somehow I don't think the particular demographic of young female lefties is where Ed has the biggest challenge, or for that matter the biggest opportunity.
As long as this meeting didn't end with him calling Ed a nerd or worse, I think it can only do Labour a lot of good unfortunately
Ludicrous hyperbole.
You said it yourself, he has 15m followers on youtube, lord knows how many on twitter, and the people that follow him genuinely think he is on to something in terms of politics and class war.. you don't think they do it for his jokes do you?
In the tightest election ever, I don't see how support from the most popular politically minded non politician amongst a huge part of the electorate would fail to push whoever he supported over the line
I do see. Of his followers, only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction are relevant.
1: A large proportion who follow him will not be such big megafans. Celebrity followers (including media) etc probably make up a large proportion. 2: Even amongst fans, only a small proportion will be mindless drones who'll change his vote as he says 3: Even amongst those drone fans, the prior instruction from Brand was to not vote and its too late to register. If people just follow Brand blindly it would make literally zero difference. So they'd have to have registered despite Brand (and thus have a modicum of free will). 4: Even amongst drone fans who've bothered to register, his biggest appeal is to lefties. A large proportion of which would already be voting for Labour. 5: Even amongst those who change voting from a different party, unless there's hundreds or thousands of those per marginal it won't be decisive.
So you're saying to get over the line there'd have to be enough people per constituency who are registered to vote, willing to vote, weren't going to vote for Labour already but now do because of Brand alone. I don't think so.
I don't see why you bother trying to seem as though you think these things through, if its bad for Conservatives, you don't like it. You don't have to seem like its all based on logic, when the conclusion is always the same it obviously partisan
Fair enough, but you might as well just think "I disagree" and move on
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
As I see it, Ed is still 4/6 next PM. The market is not looking at Con or Lab seats. Rather:
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
I say possibly because I am not entirely sure the LD party will want to join another coalition at this time after being decimated.
If it joins with the Tories [ as Clegg wants ], the question arises why did they fight each other over so many seats !
Dr. Sir Sunil Prasannan, I have seen it, though it's a while ago.
In Blackadder Goes Forth, the general's referred to as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchitt during the trial.
How do to deal with someone who is simultaneously a professor, a general, and a peer of the realm?
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston, FMedSci, FRSA, FRCP, FRCOG, FIBiol, FREng(Hon)
:
Still only holds two titles (well, you could be pedantic and be Professor Dr.). I think he goes by Professor Lord Winston. Alternatively, you could imagine Proffesor Robert Winston, Baron Winston.
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
As I see it, Ed is still 4/6 next PM. The market is not looking at Con or Lab seats. Rather:
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
I say possibly because I am not entirely sure the LD party will want to join another coalition at this time after being decimated.
If it joins with the Tories [ as Clegg wants ], the question arises why did they fight each other over so many seats !
You might be right, I've laid off a touch of Ed today at 1.73 though. Is it 1.67 ? Perhaps but I think he'll drift between now and polling day.
Dr. Sir Sunil Prasannan, I have seen it, though it's a while ago.
In Blackadder Goes Forth, the general's referred to as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchitt during the trial.
How do to deal with someone who is simultaneously a professor, a general, and a peer of the realm?
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston, FMedSci, FRSA, FRCP, FRCOG, FIBiol, FREng(Hon)
:
Still only holds two titles (well, you could be pedantic and be Professor Dr.). I think he goes by Professor Lord Winston. Alternatively, you could imagine Proffesor Robert Winston, Baron Winston.
UKIP and Greens on 20% with TNS = c.6 million votes. Likely to win only 2 or 3 seats. What a fantastic system FPTP is.
Quite so, it's discounting the votes of ill-informed supporters of minor parties, just as it's designed to.
Just look at what happened when a minor party finally got enough seats to have an influence - two-thirds of its "supporters" decided they didn't actually support them after all.
(NB tongue slightly in cheek, but not entirely...)
That is special pleading, if ever I've read it.
It's just a feature of the system that it discounts protest votes unless and until they get up a proper head of steam. Which is arguably desirable.
Is it desirable that every Scottish MP (bar one or two) will be a Nationalist, despite half the population voting for Unionists?
Very desirable, we will be glad to be rid of the carpetbaggers and get some MP's who actually care about Scotland.
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
As I see it, Ed is still 4/6 next PM. The market is not looking at Con or Lab seats. Rather:
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
If the Labour NEC want him to be. Labour could let Cammo carry on, but that will get leftists of all stripes hopping mad...
Dr. Sir Sunil Prasannan, I have seen it, though it's a while ago.
In Blackadder Goes Forth, the general's referred to as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchitt during the trial.
How do to deal with someone who is simultaneously a professor, a general, and a peer of the realm?
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston, FMedSci, FRSA, FRCP, FRCOG, FIBiol, FREng(Hon)
:
Still only holds two titles (well, you could be pedantic and be Professor Dr.). I think he goes by Professor Lord Winston. Alternatively, you could imagine Proffesor Robert Winston, Baron Winston.
I feel inadequate!
Sunil Prasannan, BSc (Hons), ARCS, PhD, DIC
I'm even more inadequate: Rob D, MPhys (Exon), PhD (Exon), FRAS, MInstP
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
As I see it, Ed is still 4/6 next PM. The market is not looking at Con or Lab seats. Rather:
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
If the Labour NEC want him to be. Labour could let Cammo carry on, but that will get leftists of all stripes hopping mad...
Looks like Nicola has Ed by the bollocks if the result is the midpoint of the models to me. Damned if he becomes PM, damned if he doesn't.
Can gerrymander the boundaries a bit though if he is...
Remember Elizabeth Shepherd, the 'poster girl' for Red Ed's push for apprenticeships? Nor do Labour - seven months later, they still haven't got in touch with her
@Creidekki I had to go an wiki Kenny Everett - I'm afraid he is way before my time (I'm 21). But I doubt he would have made much of an impact, as from what I understand Thatcher was very unpopular with young people in the 1980s.
@SouthamObserver I think the rise of the career politician has effected politics negatively. In a way, it's kind of stain on the reputations of elite private schools and Oxbridge/Cambridge universities. Much of the current political class would have gone to the best private schools, and universities that money can buy, and yet they have been so ineffective as agents of change, or having any real vision for this country. Cameron has never had a real job outside of politics, bar as PR guy for Carlton, so he literally lives through opinion polls to try to understand the voter. Tbf Miliband and Clegg also do this too, and that's why they come off so fake IMO. They have no real world experience as to what it's like for many people out there.
Welcome, Ms Lypse,
Do you really think we needed an 'agent of change' or a visionary in 2010?
We had a massive deficit and an indecisive election result, so pragmatists like Cameron and Clegg were right for the times.
If you think we and the international economy are out of the woods, then let's have a visionary and an agent of change who can take advantage of such blessed times.
P.S. There are many ways of having a 'real life'. It's a little presumptuous to assume that your vision of one is the correct one.
Thanks for the welcome.
I do think we need an agent of change - there are many, many issues in our society that need addressing - from housing, to wage levels, to the future of the NHS and the welfare state as a whole. I think addressing societies' issues requires a change. I think we did need a 'visionary' both then and in 2010 - I think this election campaign in many ways has been one driven by fear; fear of the SNP, fear if we tax anyone rich even 1p more, they'll leave the country etc. I think people need hope - hope that, yes while we'll in for some tough times, we'll come out of these times and my generation has a hope of being able to get a decent job, a decent wage, and get a mortgage at some stage.
I don't think we are out of the woods - not by a long shot, but that doesn't mean that society as a whole doesn't need to change.
And while there are many ways of having a real life, modern politicians are governing and making decisions over people's lives - these people face realities that these politicians cannot begin to understand. It's very easy to make decisions from an Ivory Tower, when you're often not the ones facing the effects of those decisions. I think many politicians - especially Osborne - see politics as simply a game, and it's very dangerous to play games with people's lives.
Sights of labourdoorstep outside their own constituencies:
Harriet: Westminster North, Finchley Abbott (wearing pink): Finchley Lammy: Dagenham Bryant: Brentford and Isleworth General Secretary: Brentford and Isleworth, Ealing Central Berger: Wirral West Reynolds: the 2 Plymouth seats St Helens North candidate: Wirral South, Wirral West Twigg: Keighley Dugher: Dewsbury Morden (Newport East): Vale of Glamorgan Creasy: Ilford North Khan: Enfield North Benn: Halifax Malhotra (Feltham and Heston): Brentford Hunt: Milton Keynes Flint: Glasgow
If he resigns, the Leader of the Opposition is called to form a government, whether or not that government is likely to survive.
That is one view. Another view is that the person invited to form the new government is the person the resigning Prime Minister advises the sovereign to commission, and that if no advice is tendered, then it is a matter for the sovereign. Constitutional conventions are by their nature flexible. If an established Prime Minister cannot command a majority in the House of Commons, he may be commissioned to form a new administration including other parties (1931), or he may tender his resignation while another in his party does the same (1940). There is no set of rules that will govern what will occur if no party has an overall majority after the election. There are merely guidelines, which are by their nature adaptable to the circumstances.
This Miliband/Brand stuff isn't really aimed at any of us here, its for the Green/DNV waverers. It's like the Telegraph stuff Dave does aimed at the UKIP/Con switchers.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
This Miliband/Brand stuff isn't really aimed at any of us here, its for the Green/DNV waverers. It's like the Telegraph stuff Dave does aimed at the UKIP/Con switchers.
Myabe, but there is still a negative impact on "Ed as a statesman". The sort of thing that pushes up the stay-at-homes. No way they're voting for those Tory Bastards, but buggered if they're going to vote for that Weird Tool.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
I imagine they'd prefer a confidence and supply arrangement, rather than a full blown coalition.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
I see in the trailer that Brand is attacking Amazon and of course he trotts out the nonsense of they paid 0.00x % on x BILLION SALES...not profit, sales....I wish a politician would turn around and say oi you f##king muppet sales does not equal profit and companies pay tax on profit.
Amazon genuinely don't make much of a profit, as they sell things with such a tiny markup. Most industry analysts say they continue to act like a startup, even though they aren't and are urging them to actually focus on making profits. And even the VAT advantage they used to be able to make use of is no more.
Oh and btw...you can get my new movie on Amazon Instant Play...its a bargain...and I promise I will pay all my taxes due on that ;-)
Dr. Sir Sunil Prasannan, I have seen it, though it's a while ago.
In Blackadder Goes Forth, the general's referred to as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchitt during the trial.
How do to deal with someone who is simultaneously a professor, a general, and a peer of the realm?
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston, FMedSci, FRSA, FRCP, FRCOG, FIBiol, FREng(Hon)
:
Still only holds two titles (well, you could be pedantic and be Professor Dr.). I think he goes by Professor Lord Winston. Alternatively, you could imagine Proffesor Robert Winston, Baron Winston.
I feel inadequate!
Sunil Prasannan, BSc (Hons), ARCS, PhD, DIC
I'm even more inadequate: Rob D, MPhys (Exon), PhD (Exon), FRAS, MInstP
BTW- you forget your PB knighthood!
One of the worst cases of diplomatosis that I have seen in years. I prescribe a total walletectomy as per graduate tax proposals...
Having considered it I am pretty sure it will put off as many people as it attracts. It may even attract some votes where Labour don't need them and lose votes in marginal s. Wonder how big the broxtowe Russell brand fan club is?
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
Whose Matt Forde and whose Tommy Robinson? Never heard of 'em.
Whats going on in the markets? They've gone stark ravers. Lab majority out to 100 & tories in on 1.27. Is this just trading off last few good tory polls or more rumoured in pipeline?
o/t doesn't 100% follow that Con-Lab will produce largest party. Cons could lose 30 to Lab and still be largest after SLAB & LD wipeouts.
The market has gone indeed gone crackers. If you're backing Con most seats and Ed Miliband PM at today's prices you're doing it wrong. Trust me on this !
As I see it, Ed is still 4/6 next PM. The market is not looking at Con or Lab seats. Rather:
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
If the Labour NEC want him to be. Labour could let Cammo carry on, but that will get leftists of all stripes hopping mad...
If the Anti-Coalition leads by more than 10, then the NEC should not have any objection. After all, nothing happens without the SNP. In fact, very similar to LD 2010.
It is the abiding failure of the LD 2010 that they are in the soup they are in. No one apart from Tories [ and why shouldn't they ? ] are thanking them.
Juncker is a politician, and gave politicians' answers. He clearly remains opposed to any major treaty change, which Cameron's proposed renegotiation would involve. He has not opened the door to anything.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
No question the polls have moved slightly towards Con - not just over the last 24 hours but over a longer period too.
If we look at Rob's excellent graphs:
- 15 day graph - the latest 15 day period ended yesterday and showed the first Con lead since 2012. Only a very small one of 0.09% but still it is the first Con lead.
- 7 day graph - here we have less data so it is less reliable - we are 4 days into the latest 7 day period - but after 4 days the Con lead is 0.7% - comfortably the highest since the graph started.
OK, these are very small leads and Con needs to significantly extend them - but they do suggest that the momentum (both in the last few days and over a longer period) is in the Con direction.
Juncker is a politician, and gave politicians' answers. He clearly remains opposed to any major treaty change, which Cameron's proposed renegotiation would involve. He has not opened the door to anything.
He's trying to rule out changes to free movement, which is the one that matters. Unless we get concessions on immigration, we will lose any EU referendum put to the general public. Whatever his own views on Europe, he has to decide whether he wants the UK in or out.
Juncker is a politician, and gave politicians' answers. He clearly remains opposed to any major treaty change, which Cameron's proposed renegotiation would involve. He has not opened the door to anything.
That's one way of putting it but he has never said it before - maybe concerned that David Cameron may well continue as PM and knows that he will have to negotiate a settlement of some kind
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
Juncker is a politician, and gave politicians' answers. He clearly remains opposed to any major treaty change, which Cameron's proposed renegotiation would involve. He has not opened the door to anything.
It is also an irrelevancy what Juncker thinks or says. Ultimately it is the countries that constitute the EU who write any treaty.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
The number of lashes for sodomy?
Only after the court has determined that the vile ungodly perverts wont enjoy it. [sarcasm, for the avoidance of doubt]
Juncker is a politician, and gave politicians' answers. He clearly remains opposed to any major treaty change, which Cameron's proposed renegotiation would involve. He has not opened the door to anything.
That's one way of putting it but he has never said it before - maybe concerned that David Cameron may well continue as PM and knows that he will have to negotiate a settlement of some kind
Part of his platform for becoming President of the Commission was negotiating a deal for the UK, if I recall correctly. Anyway, as another poster said, it does not matter what his views are. The man has no support in the UK, and has no legitimacy to govern this country. It is like the complaint about the Conservatives in Scotland pre-1997, but multiplied many times.
It's going to be fun watching the party leaders sucking up to Nigel Dodds and the DUP while secretly (or not so secretly) detesting the social conservatism of his party.
The DUP have sounded by far the most reasonable party about the SNP - not that they'd ever do a deal with them, but Robinson and Dodds thoughts echoed mine on some of the tactics used wrt them at this election.
The DUP's demands can be represented by a single number.
The number of lashes for sodomy?
I suspect that strokes is the technical term, of the birch I hasten to add.
Does anyone else think the media has got its priorities wrong? The focus seems to be on Scotland, Wales and London. Yet we all know that the battles that really matter are going to be in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire.
I know that the results in Scotland will get a lot of coverage on election night, but in reality it won't make much difference to who gets into Downing Street. I just hope on election night the focus is where it matters.
Comments
I wonder if it will be the "Happy Warrior" version of Ed with Brand?
The PM stays in office until he resigns, which could be immediately (1929), after a short while (1974, 2010) or after losing his first Parliamentary test (1923-24). He of course may not need to resign if he has sufficient allies (1910).
If he resigns, the Leader of the Opposition is called to form a government, whether or not that government is likely to survive.
Under 30s would just see pics of Brand and Miliband, then Brand saying " Vote for this guy"
He has ONE million followers on YouTube...
@SouthamObserver I think the rise of the career politician has effected politics negatively. In a way, it's kind of stain on the reputations of elite private schools and Oxbridge/Cambridge universities. Much of the current political class would have gone to the best private schools, and universities that money can buy, and yet they have been so ineffective as agents of change, or having any real vision for this country. Cameron has never had a real job outside of politics, bar as PR guy for Carlton, so he literally lives through opinion polls to try to understand the voter. Tbf Miliband and Clegg also do this too, and that's why they come off so fake IMO. They have no real world experience as to what it's like for many people out there.
Sorry I forgot, everything Ed Miliband does is going to end in tears, I shouldn't have considered another outcome.. Jesus I almost feel like using one of the pathetic "PB this's or that's" insults!
"Labour’s doomed in Scotland and Ed needs to put Sturgeon in her place: so scrap the Barnett Formula"
I'll get my coat.
I decided long ago just to focus on UKIP betwise as its probably better to try and hone in on one aspect
"What about 'Roger' as a name for the royal baby?"
Might be a problem with the tabloids in later life if Uncle Andy is anything to go by.
I haven't seen anything about the content of the interview, and that's what's important. Brand has a strong brand (pun intended), but trying to attach yourself to it is not the same thing. People like chocolate but a Conservative/Cadbury tie up is hardly likely to look that good for the same reason.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-candidate-wants-gay-people-jailed-adultery-made-illegal-and-rock-bands-outlawed-31176105.html
"An election candidate who wants rock music banned, gay people jailed and feminism abolished has rejected claims she is extreme."
Do you really think we needed an 'agent of change' or a visionary in 2010?
We had a massive deficit and an indecisive election result, so pragmatists like Cameron and Clegg were right for the times.
If you think we and the international economy are out of the woods, then let's have a visionary and an agent of change who can take advantage of such blessed times.
P.S. There are many ways of having a 'real life'. It's a little presumptuous to assume that your vision of one is the correct one.
1: A large proportion who follow him will not be such big megafans. Celebrity followers (including media) etc probably make up a large proportion.
2: Even amongst fans, only a small proportion will be mindless drones who'll change his vote as he says
3: Even amongst those drone fans, the prior instruction from Brand was to not vote and its too late to register. If people just follow Brand blindly it would make literally zero difference. So they'd have to have registered despite Brand (and thus have a modicum of free will).
4: Even amongst drone fans who've bothered to register, his biggest appeal is to lefties. A large proportion of which would already be voting for Labour.
5: Even amongst those who change voting from a different party, unless there's hundreds or thousands of those per marginal it won't be decisive.
So you're saying to get over the line there'd have to be enough people per constituency who are registered to vote, willing to vote, weren't going to vote for Labour already but now do because of Brand alone. I don't think so.
She's taking the piss, right?
In Blackadder Goes Forth, the general's referred to as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchitt during the trial.
http://www.cpgb-ml.org/index.php?secName=leaflets&subName=display&leafletId=89
Fair enough, but you might as well just think "I disagree" and move on
Is LAB + SNP +PC + SDLP + GRN > CON + [ possibly ] LD ?
If the above equation holds, Ed is PM.
I say possibly because I am not entirely sure the LD party will want to join another coalition at this time after being decimated.
If it joins with the Tories [ as Clegg wants ], the question arises why did they fight each other over so many seats !
I'd reback at 1.9...
Sunil Prasannan, BSc (Hons), ARCS, PhD, DIC
BTW- you forget your PB knighthood!
Can gerrymander the boundaries a bit though if he is...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3059329/Remember-Elizabeth-Shepherd-poster-girl-Red-Ed-s-push-apprenticeships-Nor-Labour-seven-months-later-haven-t-got-touch-her.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32495060
Ed - NOT TRUE..NOT TRUE...NOT TRUE (complete with weird arm gestures).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdbH4rN9b4
I do think we need an agent of change - there are many, many issues in our society that need addressing - from housing, to wage levels, to the future of the NHS and the welfare state as a whole. I think addressing societies' issues requires a change. I think we did need a 'visionary' both then and in 2010 - I think this election campaign in many ways has been one driven by fear; fear of the SNP, fear if we tax anyone rich even 1p more, they'll leave the country etc. I think people need hope - hope that, yes while we'll in for some tough times, we'll come out of these times and my generation has a hope of being able to get a decent job, a decent wage, and get a mortgage at some stage.
I don't think we are out of the woods - not by a long shot, but that doesn't mean that society as a whole doesn't need to change.
And while there are many ways of having a real life, modern politicians are governing and making decisions over people's lives - these people face realities that these politicians cannot begin to understand. It's very easy to make decisions from an Ivory Tower, when you're often not the ones facing the effects of those decisions. I think many politicians - especially Osborne - see politics as simply a game, and it's very dangerous to play games with people's lives.
@Sunil Prasannan thanks for the welcome!
Harriet: Westminster North, Finchley
Abbott (wearing pink): Finchley
Lammy: Dagenham
Bryant: Brentford and Isleworth
General Secretary: Brentford and Isleworth, Ealing Central
Berger: Wirral West
Reynolds: the 2 Plymouth seats
St Helens North candidate: Wirral South, Wirral West
Twigg: Keighley
Dugher: Dewsbury
Morden (Newport East): Vale of Glamorgan
Creasy: Ilford North
Khan: Enfield North
Benn: Halifax
Malhotra (Feltham and Heston): Brentford
Hunt: Milton Keynes
Flint: Glasgow
Welcome to pb.com, Mr. Apocalypse.
It's great when they have a green spokespeople on,they policies are out of this world and they made me laugh.
Do people voting for the greens really know about they policies.
Brand manages to gives the impression of being someone who's not quite as clever as he thinks he is.
Amazon genuinely don't make much of a profit, as they sell things with such a tiny markup. Most industry analysts say they continue to act like a startup, even though they aren't and are urging them to actually focus on making profits. And even the VAT advantage they used to be able to make use of is no more.
Oh and btw...you can get my new movie on Amazon Instant Play...its a bargain...and I promise I will pay all my taxes due on that ;-)
It is the abiding failure of the LD 2010 that they are in the soup they are in. No one apart from Tories [ and why shouldn't they ? ] are thanking them.
If we look at Rob's excellent graphs:
- 15 day graph - the latest 15 day period ended yesterday and showed the first Con lead since 2012. Only a very small one of 0.09% but still it is the first Con lead.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v1-aXNoGwZSLOIWziLoqq9rbN3MHg6qezWKbjsAkunw/edit?pli=1#gid=1614647044
- 7 day graph - here we have less data so it is less reliable - we are 4 days into the latest 7 day period - but after 4 days the Con lead is 0.7% - comfortably the highest since the graph started.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v1-aXNoGwZSLOIWziLoqq9rbN3MHg6qezWKbjsAkunw/edit?pli=1#gid=457975153
OK, these are very small leads and Con needs to significantly extend them - but they do suggest that the momentum (both in the last few days and over a longer period) is in the Con direction.
I know that the results in Scotland will get a lot of coverage on election night, but in reality it won't make much difference to who gets into Downing Street. I just hope on election night the focus is where it matters.