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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » How a third runway at Heathrow could make for a real Old Et

SystemSystem Posts: 11,723
edited July 2015 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » How a third runway at Heathrow could make for a real Old Etonian mess for Cameron

It might be a novel experience for the Tory Party to be split on issue other than than EU, but the third runway at Heathrow has the potential to be just as problematic. Today the Davies report has backed building a third runway at Heathrow. The above video shows Cameron in 2013 reaffirming a 2009 pledge not to build a third runway at Heathrow.

Read the full story here


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Comments

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    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,024
    Another reason for DC to step down after the EU referendum, in order to help the LHR expansion be passed in this Parliament?
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    Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    Survey of Labour councillors

    Leadership

    36% Andy Burnham
    30% Yvette Cooper
    19% Jeremy Corbyn
    15% Liz Kendall


    Deputy

    40% Tom Watson
    27% Caroline Flint
    18% Stella Creasy
    8% Angela Eagle
    7% Ben Bradshaw
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    70,000 new jobs sounds impressive. But employment was up 115,000 compared with the previous quarter last month. So 70,000 extra jobs by 2050 is not much more than a rounding error.

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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Neil Wallace acquitted.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087
    If the Heathrow case is stronger, I have no problem with a 'pledge' from so long ago, even if 'renewed' recently, being broken. Even politicians should not be locked into courses of action which may no longer be best. I'd not hold it against him, but I suspect many would, not least those with skin in the game.

    Regardless, it's a mess no matter what happens, and probably very very long mess at that, so hopefully it'll be entertaining at least.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited July 2015
    "Were Zac to trigger a by election, he might run for London Mayor as an independent, with a focus on opposition to the third runway, the Mayor of London is elected under the supplementary vote, so Zac could be theoretically very transfer friendly particularly if he stands as the anti third runway candidate."

    It's an interesting possibility. For it to work, he'd have to beat the Conservative candidate in the first round and harvest a very high proportion of second prefs. Even that might not be enough.

    The thing is, though, that Heathrow is a big issue in West London, but not necessarily elsewhere, and in particular in the Tory-friendly outer boroughs of the south and north of the London area.

    I suspect it would simply end up as a Labour win if he did stand as an independent. Given that we are speculating on a series of eventualities to arrive at a Zac indy win, 16/1 doesn't look that generous to me.

    Edit: In addition, of course, Sadiq Khan is against a new runway anyway.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/
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    DisraeliDisraeli Posts: 1,106
    A PLEA - A HUMBLE SUGGESTION TO IMPROVE THE SITE
    Could we have an advanced warning before a new thread is started please?
    (Say a 10 minute warning)
    Three times in as many days I've posted a considered( but not large) reply to a thread, only to find it wasted by a new thread.
    I'm not the only one to do this of course, and frequently we see that the first set of posts on the new thread are all repetitions from the previous thread anyway, which is a waste.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    If we were a country on the rise we'd be building Boris Island without question. 24 hour flights and ultra-fast rail links to the centre, like Hong Kong.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028

    "Were Zac to trigger a by election, he might run for London Mayor as an independent, with a focus on opposition to the third runway, the Mayor of London is elected under the supplementary vote, so Zac could be theoretically very transfer friendly particularly if he stands as anti third runway candidate."

    It's an interesting possibility. For it to work, he'd have to beat the Conservative candidate in the first round and harvest a very high proportion of second prefs. Even that might not be enough.

    The thing is, though, that Heathrow is a big issue in West London, but not necessarily elsewhere, and in particular in the Tory-friendly outer boroughs of the south and north of the London area.

    I suspect it would simply end up as a Labour win if he did stand as an independent. Given that we are speculating on a series of eventualities to arrive at a Zac indy win, 16/1 doesn't look that generous to me.

    Zac may well have quite a bit of Conservative support to his Heathrow opposition too, if not the Governments. The Government is a Conservative Gov't, but the Conservative Party is not the Gov't...

    So I still think he runs as a Tory even if he opposes Gov't policy on this one.
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    DisraeliDisraeli Posts: 1,106

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has most experience in operating runways? LHR

    Which airport should get the next new runway?

    Heathrow obviously!
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028
    AndyJS said:

    If we were a country on the rise we'd be building Boris Island without question. 24 hour flights and ultra-fast rail links to the centre, like Hong Kong.

    We'd be building Boris Island, expanding Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, EMA and others too ^_~
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    Pulpstar said:

    Zac may well have quite a bit of Conservative support to his Heathrow opposition too, if not the Governments. The Government is a Conservative Gov't, but the Conservative Party is not the Gov't...

    So I still think he runs as a Tory even if he opposes Gov't policy on this one.

    Yes, to be clear I was commenting specifically on the possibilty of him running as an independent. If he runs as the Conservative candidate but with a platform prominently opposing an important decision of a Conservative government, it would be a somewhat curious situation but he'd probably have a good chance.
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    JonCisBackJonCisBack Posts: 911

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/

    Trouble is there are about 94 arguments for or against everything

    Cameron needs to actually decide. There is no decision which will not upset some people. Needs to decide which criteria are the most important and just effing get on with it - we're already years behind
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028
    edited July 2015

    Pulpstar said:

    Zac may well have quite a bit of Conservative support to his Heathrow opposition too, if not the Governments. The Government is a Conservative Gov't, but the Conservative Party is not the Gov't...

    So I still think he runs as a Tory even if he opposes Gov't policy on this one.

    Yes, to be clear I was commenting specifically on the possibilty of him running as an independent. If he runs as the Conservative candidate but with a platform prominently opposing an important decision of a Conservative government, it would be a somewhat curious situation but he'd probably have a good chance.
    Well the template is already there to some degree. Boris has always acted as he sees best in the interests of London, and not the Conservative party - certainly in that order. I think LHR expansion should go ahead - but a divergence of views between the Mayor of London and the Gov't looks welcome from a democratic point of view.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/

    Trouble is there are about 94 arguments for or against everything

    Cameron needs to actually decide. There is no decision which will not upset some people. Needs to decide which criteria are the most important and just effing get on with it - we're already years behind
    It's not quite that simple, though. He needs to decide, but he also needs to be able to get whatever he decides through parliament and avoid getting bogged down in an unholy mess. With a small majority that's a hell of a challenge.

    Interestingly, Labour seem to be making supportive noises, but whether Cameron can rely on them is moot.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028
    edited July 2015
    Most importantly, Zac will probably hand the mayoralty to either Khan, or worse yet (From a betting PoV) Tessa Jowell. Plus it lets the "unknown Tory" into the race which I don't particularly want either !

    Him running as the Tory candidate is certainly what's best from my financial perspective up to around high 3 figures of expected value or so !
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    SandpitSandpit Posts: 50,024
    edited July 2015

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/

    Trouble is there are about 94 arguments for or against everything

    Cameron needs to actually decide. There is no decision which will not upset some people. Needs to decide which criteria are the most important and just effing get on with it - we're already years behind
    Agree 100%. We should have started new runways at both LHR and LGW yesterday, we are miles behind due to the procrastination of govts of all colours over a period of decades. JFDI!

    Maybe a free vote on the bill when it comes up, given that Harperson seemed to be very much in favour of the new runway at PMQs earlier?
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    Disraeli said:

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has spare capacity? LGW!

    http://www.gatwickobviously.com/

    LHR already has two runways, but LGW only has one.

    Which airport has most experience in operating runways? LHR

    Which airport should get the next new runway?

    Heathrow obviously!
    @Disraeli

    Building too much infrastructure at LHR would be like trying to pour too much tea into your favourite mug!
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    O/T-ish

    Happy to see I'm still listed in the acknowledgements for the new 4th edition of the Ian Allan "London Railway Atlas", compiled by Joe Brown :)
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    edited July 2015

    twitter.com/ORB_Johnny/status/616251881963286528

    - SPARTANS! What is YOUR profession?

    - Poor! Poor! Poor!
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    I have to say that a third runway at Heathrow has the air of one of those things that all the experts tell you is absolutely essential but if we didn't get it they'd magically find some other way of making things work. Indeed, do we really need a hub airport in the first place?

    It all seems like an awful lot of upheaval and deterioration of quality of life for an awful lot of people. The benefits would have to be so compelling as to gainsay all objections. I'm not sure that high test has yet been met. But I'm open to persuasion.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229
    Tsipiras has changed his mind again! He's back backing "No".
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698
    edited July 2015
    rcs1000 said:

    Tsipiras has changed his mind again! He's back backing "No".

    Huzzah for Tsipiras, I have one more day for some more awesome Hellenic puns
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229
    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
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    Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    edited July 2015
    Tsipras' address to the Nation: Referendum is on. Vote no.

    It’s official - Tsipras is pressing on with Sunday’s referendum, and is calling again for people to vote no.

    Tsipras says that a No vote is not a vote to leave Europe, but “a return to European values.”
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698
    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    He's turning into Bill Clinton, I did not have withdrawal relations with the Euro
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    "Give them NOTHING! But take from them EVERYTHING!"
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    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,388

    Tsipras' address to the Nation: Referendum is on. Vote no.

    It’s official - Tsipras is pressing on with Sunday’s referendum, and is calling again for people to vote no.

    Tsipras says that a No vote is not a vote to leave Europe, but “a return to European values.”

    Well it's a £1 win for me if it goes ahead!
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    This would tend to suggest there's already more than enough tarmac in the Heathrow area:

    https://twitter.com/darrensituation/status/616192720290324480
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,713
    well thats an utter clusterf**k now isn;t it.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229
    Danny565 said:
    It's next to the olive branch.
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,283
    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    You're making the mistake of seeing things from the point of view of economic logic, not power and politics.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229
    I'm beginning to feel sympathy for Christine Legarde and Angela Merkel.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    Disraeli said:

    john_zims said:

    @Disreali

    'Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Somalia. That's for a start.
    [snip]
    What's the point in allowing immigration to continue from such high risk countries both in terms of terrorist threat and other criminal behavior.

    For one thing, the NHS relies on them.
    "Thinktank warns stricter immigration rules could hit service after stats show 11% of all staff and 26% of doctors are non-British "
    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/26/nhs-foreign-nationals-immigration-health-service

    Typically a lot of these doctors come from Pakistan. For example in 2012, Pakistan provided more overseas doctors to the NHS than any country excpet India.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2407585/NHS-recruits-thousands-doctors-Third-World--limits-places-deny-British-students-chance-study-medicine.html

    Before accusing me of playing the racism card, consider that I may be playing an entirely different card - "Genuine concern" - and on many levels.
    1) It is not right to condemn an entire country or culture for a few nutters within it
    2) Practically, it will incense anyone of Pakistani origin (for example) to be told that the decent family that they know and love is from a failed society, and by implication inferior. They will express this irritation at the very least by being determined to vote against those who would bring in restrictive immigration rules critical of their heritage.
    Just because the existing NHS relies a lot on past Pakistani immigrants does not mean future functioning of the NHS requires more Pakistani doctors to join. If we can find good doctors from Pakistan, we can find them from other nations. Although, to be honest, it's a pretty sad state of affairs that our long term model for the NHS is to be reliant on importing doctors from developing nations. Why not just train up most individuals here? Other nations seem to manage to educate their own into medicine.

    As for people of Pakistani background, they should know the social problems back in Pakistan better than anyone. Presumably their forefathers came here to escape them.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618

    well thats an utter clusterf**k now isn;t it.

    We're on the Rhodes to Nowhere?
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,713
    got to feel sorry for the greeks now, who knows what the hell they're even voting on, or what it means....
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656

    O/T-ish

    Happy to see I'm still listed in the acknowledgements for the new 4th edition of the Ian Allan "London Railway Atlas", compiled by Joe Brown :)

    Congratulations!
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    You're making the mistake of seeing things from the point of view of economic logic, not power and politics.
    The problem with the Greek crisis (and its resolution) is that there are going to be enormous winners and losers, whatever the outcome. Come Monday morning, if ELS is removed from the Greek banks and they close (permanently or temporarily), those who had savings in them are going to cry blue murder and blame those who voted No. And conversely, there will be those who lose from a Yes who will be incredibly upset. It's very, very divisive.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618

    got to feel sorry for the greeks now, who knows what the hell they're even voting on, or what it means....

    "Then tonight we DINE IN HELL!"
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028
    edited July 2015
    rcs1000 said:

    I'm beginning to feel sympathy for Christine Legarde and Angela Merkel.

    Legarde's position is pretty simple isn't it ?

    If Greece doesn't stump up the repayment, no more IMF money for them.

    The Germans have the whole EU political consideration to balance against pissing money up the wall, so the equation is slightly more complicated...
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    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460
    edited July 2015

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    He's turning into Bill Clinton, I did not have withdrawal relations with the Euro
    Yeah but Tsipras is doing is best to smoke it, inhale, and blow it in Merkel's face.

    It's delusional rantings a la Chavez. Stock up on bog rolls ye Greeks it's a bloody long way to Bulgaria to barter for a pack of Andrex come Monday.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229

    got to feel sorry for the greeks now, who knows what the hell they're even voting on, or what it means....

    The Greeks don't deserve Tsipiras or the Euro. They've been saddled with both.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    edited July 2015
    AndyJS said:

    Congrats to Sunil on the acknowledgement.

    JEO said:

    O/T-ish

    Happy to see I'm still listed in the acknowledgements for the new 4th edition of the Ian Allan "London Railway Atlas", compiled by Joe Brown :)

    Congratulations!
    Thanks - it was just for pointing out errors/omissions in the earlier editions.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Congrats to Sunil on the acknowledgement.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229
    Pulpstar said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm beginning to feel sympathy for Christine Legarde and Angela Merkel.

    Legarde's position is pretty simple isn't it ?

    If Greece doesn't stump up the repayment, no more IMF money for them.

    The Germans have the whole EU political consideration to balance against pissing money up the wall, so the equation is slightly more complicated...
    I was more thinking about the fact that one minute she's getting a letter from Tsipiras along the lines of "I accept your plan", and within a few hours, he's on TV saying "vote against this terrible plan".

    It's quite hard to see how you negotiate with that.
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,713
    I'm off to Cyprus next week, thank god it's not Greece.
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,812
    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    The mechanics and economics of this really interest me. The banks run dry of deposits, and he can't borrow. So the Greek government has no money.

    Rather than printing a new currency, could it just not spend nothing for a week on pay or pensions? Could Syriza resign and a new government be voted in within that time?

    Say it does decide to print drachma and say 'we are paying you with this', what's to stop people refusing to accept it, revolting on the street and bringing the government down, following which the euro bailout is back on the table?

    I only ask because Grexit is the boy who cried wolf. We've had capital controls and a default now. They are still using the euro.

    The boy is crying legitimately about the wolf now, but the Greeks still have to give the order for it to bite, and they absolutely don't want to.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,618
    edited July 2015
    rcs1000 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm beginning to feel sympathy for Christine Legarde and Angela Merkel.

    Legarde's position is pretty simple isn't it ?

    If Greece doesn't stump up the repayment, no more IMF money for them.

    The Germans have the whole EU political consideration to balance against pissing money up the wall, so the equation is slightly more complicated...
    I was more thinking about the fact that one minute she's getting a letter from Tsipiras along the lines of "I accept your plan", and within a few hours, he's on TV saying "vote against this terrible plan".

    It's quite hard to see how you negotiate with that.
    "Madness...? This is SYRIZA!"
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    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    You're making the mistake of seeing things from the point of view of economic logic, not power and politics.
    The problem with the Greek crisis (and its resolution) is that there are going to be enormous winners and losers, whatever the outcome. Come Monday morning, if ELS is removed from the Greek banks and they close (permanently or temporarily), those who had savings in them are going to cry blue murder and blame those who voted No. And conversely, there will be those who lose from a Yes who will be incredibly upset. It's very, very divisive.
    I'm seriously glad I'm off to Austria next week and not Greece for a few days. I fear it could really kick off.
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    BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,010
    rcs1000 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm beginning to feel sympathy for Christine Legarde and Angela Merkel.

    Legarde's position is pretty simple isn't it ?

    If Greece doesn't stump up the repayment, no more IMF money for them.

    The Germans have the whole EU political consideration to balance against pissing money up the wall, so the equation is slightly more complicated...
    I was more thinking about the fact that one minute she's getting a letter from Tsipiras along the lines of "I accept your plan", and within a few hours, he's on TV saying "vote against this terrible plan".

    It's quite hard to see how you negotiate with that.
    FPT

    If the referendum goes ahead and the vote is for YES, then the EU has won, game set and match.

    If the vote is for NO, then the EU loses more than the Greeks - they have more at stake in a bigger game - at least that is what the Greeks think.

    If the EU concede a bit before the referendum and the referendum is called off, then the EU wins everything except a bit and the Greeks win just a bit.

    The only big losing position for the EU is if it does not concede a bit and the vote is NO. Then the EU loses a lot when it could have lost only a bit.

    You can lay this out in a 2x2 game.

    The value of knowing in advance what the referendum result is is enormous. No doubt the players are conducting polls but keeping the results to themselves.

    However, from Tsipras actions you can infer that they show a decisive YES result which is why he is asking for a figleaf and the EU is refusing. The odds on Betfair implies that Greece won't exit the Eurozone and that implies that Tsipras will capitulate and cancel the referendum (rather than it goes ahead and there is a NO vote).

    Given Tsipras's strategy up to now, he will leave his capitulation until the last moment in the hope that the polls turn in his favour (in which case the EU will concede a bit to get the referendum cancelled.) But it is likely to all happen in a rush at the end, and accidents can happen.

    If the EU want to de-risk this, they should give him his figleaf and not be driven by an emotional desire to crush him.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    antifrank said:

    I have to say that a third runway at Heathrow has the air of one of those things that all the experts tell you is absolutely essential but if we didn't get it they'd magically find some other way of making things work.

    Sounds a bit like European integration!
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,217
    According to my calibrated thermometer, it is 26.7 degrees in the master bedroom, the coolest room of the house, and 32.6 degrees in the warmest, the upstairs bathroom.

    That is with all windows open. The little 'un is roaming free in just a nappy, whilst I am topless and scaring the neighbours, who think a Sasquatch has got loose.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    The mechanics and economics of this really interest me. The banks run dry of deposits, and he can't borrow. So the Greek government has no money.

    Rather than printing a new currency, could it just not spend nothing for a week on pay or pensions? Could Syriza resign and a new government be voted in within that time?

    Say it does decide to print drachma and say 'we are paying you with this', what's to stop people refusing to accept it, revolting on the street and bringing the government down, following which the euro bailout is back on the table?

    I only ask because Grexit is the boy who cried wolf. We've had capital controls and a default now. They are still using the euro.

    The boy is crying legitimately about the wolf now, but the Greeks still have to give the order for it to bite, and they absolutely don't want to.
    I agree that Greece has to pull the trigger itself.

    So what causes Greece to pull the trigger?

    1. the removal of emergency liquidity support for Greek banks, which means that they become insolvent. Of course, Tsipiras can order them to stay open (and become more insolvent - it's a Venezuela solution...)

    2. but this means no banks in other countries will deal with Greek banks. How do they import oil? Or food?

    It's a slow strangulation caused by being taken out of the monetary framework, that must inevitably end with Greece printing their own currency.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087
    rcs1000 said:

    got to feel sorry for the greeks now, who knows what the hell they're even voting on, or what it means....

    The Greeks don't deserve Tsipiras or the Euro. They've been saddled with both.
    But aren't the Greeks indicating they 'want' both Tsipiras and the Euro. Hard to call it saddling when they apparently want to go for both even now, even if actions on all sides seem to make keep either more problematic (I did like the part in the Mason piece saying Tsipras would be hard pressed to lose an election now even if he wanted).
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,217
    antifrank said:

    I have to say that a third runway at Heathrow has the air of one of those things that all the experts tell you is absolutely essential but if we didn't get it they'd magically find some other way of making things work. Indeed, do we really need a hub airport in the first place?

    It all seems like an awful lot of upheaval and deterioration of quality of life for an awful lot of people. The benefits would have to be so compelling as to gainsay all objections. I'm not sure that high test has yet been met. But I'm open to persuasion.

    I've only skimmed the report, but it seems reasonably detailed on why it is needed: see section 3 in particular:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/440316/airports-commission-final-report.pdf

    "I have to say that a third runway at Heathrow has the air of one of those things that all the experts tell you is absolutely essential but if we didn't get it they'd magically find some other way of making things work"

    The problem is that too often, 'making things work' is a real messy hodge podge that barely works some of the time, reduces demand and hurts the industry. Scissors and stickytape rather than steel and welds.

    Sometimes we need to bite the bullet. I'd favour Boris Island, but the report seems fairly conclusive (although the Gatwick option appears to give best bang for buck, unless I'm mistaken).
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 31,048
    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    He will explain it in terms of the Eurozone having acted illegally and in breach of its own treaties. And whilst he is undoubtedly wrong about almost everything else, on that narrow point he will be correct.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087
    Question - would it have been better for there to have been no second bailout and Greece to have collapsed long ago?
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,283
    Barnesian said:

    If the vote is for NO, then the EU loses more than the Greeks - they have more at stake in a bigger game - at least that is what the Greeks think.

    I think he's wrong. If they vote Yes then as you say it's game, set and match but if the vote is No it just means we're back to square one but with much higher stakes. By saying that No does not mean they leave the Euro, Tsipras has boxed himself in and will not have much runway to use his supposed stronger negotiating position.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    rcs1000 said:

    It's a slow strangulation caused by being taken out of the monetary framework, that must inevitably end with Greece printing their own currency.

    Yes, and what's more the sooner the government steals whatever Euro deposits are left, in return for some near-worthless IOUs or drachma, the better. They're going to need every bit of foreign exchange they can lay their hands on.
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,713
    kle4 said:

    Question - would it have been better for there to have been no second bailout and Greece to have collapsed long ago?

    Collapsed no, but withdrawn from the Euro at a time of Greeces chosing, yes.
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    DisraeliDisraeli Posts: 1,106
    edited July 2015
    JEO said:


    As for people of Pakistani background, they should know the social problems back in Pakistan better than anyone. Presumably their forefathers came here to escape them.

    They came for many reasons, mostly because they had the "get-up-and-go" to better themselves economically (True Tory spirit, there!), rather than "social problems".

    See the section "Post-Independence" here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Pakistanis
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    blackburn63blackburn63 Posts: 4,492
    TSE says that voters saw the tories as best to run the economy, although that may be the case, the fear of the SNP/Lab was a far greater influence. It wasn't as if the tories were voted in on a wave of enthusiasm, simply that the alternative was far worse.

    That puts paid to my insistence pre election that hardly anybody votes tactically, hundreds of thousands did. Since May Cameron has proven how utterly vacuous he is, I suspect his statement that he wasn't fussed on serving two terms was damage limitation, he clearly doesn't enjoy the job of PM.
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    rcs1000 said:

    It's a slow strangulation caused by being taken out of the monetary framework, that must inevitably end with Greece printing their own currency.

    Yes, and what's more the sooner the government steals whatever Euro deposits are left, in return for some near-worthless IOUs or drachma, the better. They're going to need every bit of foreign exchange they can lay their hands on.
    Is "nearly worthless" a term of approximation for "worth 30-50% less than a Euro" which is the amount most experts seem to expect Greece to have to devalue by if they leave the EZ.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    Disraeli said:

    JEO said:


    As for people of Pakistani background, they should know the social problems back in Pakistan better than anyone. Presumably their forefathers came here to escape them.

    They came for many reasons, mostly because they had the "get-up-and-go" to better themselves economically (True Tory spirit, there!), rather than "social problems".

    See the section "Post-Independence" here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Pakistanis
    These things are all tied up. The reason why the UK economy was doing better than that of Pakistani is because the UK was without the social problems caused by tribal society in Pakistan. Besides, most British people of Pakistani descent would primarily identity with their fellow British citizens rather than those of Pakistan, so I can see them having sympathy with immigration limits designed to protect British security.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    Indigo said:

    Is "nearly worthless" a term of approximation for "worth 30-50% less than a Euro" which is the amount most experts seem to expect Greece to have to devalue by if they leave the EZ.

    That might have been a reasonable estimate of the immediate devaluation if they left the Euro in an orderly fashion, but in the chaotic shambles Syriza is heading for, it's highly optimistic.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    This new policy speaks of a massive ignorance of information technology at the centre of government;

    http://www.businessinsider.com/david-cameron-encryption-back-doors-iphone-whatsapp-2015-7

    Not only will it not work, it will probably kill off the UK as an emerging tech hub.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087

    TSE says that voters saw the tories as best to run the economy, although that may be the case, the fear of the SNP/Lab was a far greater influence. It wasn't as if the tories were voted in on a wave of enthusiasm, simply that the alternative was far worse.

    That puts paid to my insistence pre election that hardly anybody votes tactically, hundreds of thousands did. Since May Cameron has proven how utterly vacuous he is, I suspect his statement that he wasn't fussed on serving two terms was damage limitation, he clearly doesn't enjoy the job of PM.

    Maybe, maybe not, but better a vacuous pm than a well intentioned or glory seeking damaging pm perhaps?

    I do think that while the SNP fear was significant it would be a mistake to state definitively if it had a greater influence than the economic competence, which I underestimated at the time. The fear of an SNP labour alliance would not have been as effective if the Tories were not trusted economically. Yes it was about a worse alternative for many people, but it wasn't a worse alternative purely because of how awful the opposition were, another factor I underestimated, but because people did not fear the Tories despite scare tactics being tried against them. That's not liking them, but it's better than nothing and allowed their own attacks to work.
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,812
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    The mechanics and economics of this really interest me. The banks run dry of deposits, and he can't borrow. So the Greek government has no money.

    Rather than printing a new currency, could it just not spend nothing for a week on pay or pensions? Could Syriza resign and a new government be voted in within that time?

    Say it does decide to print drachma and say 'we are paying you with this', what's to stop people refusing to accept it, revolting on the street and bringing the government down, following which the euro bailout is back on the table?

    I only ask because Grexit is the boy who cried wolf. We've had capital controls and a default now. They are still using the euro.

    The boy is crying legitimately about the wolf now, but the Greeks still have to give the order for it to bite, and they absolutely don't want to.
    I agree that Greece has to pull the trigger itself.

    So what causes Greece to pull the trigger?

    1. the removal of emergency liquidity support for Greek banks, which means that they become insolvent. Of course, Tsipiras can order them to stay open (and become more insolvent - it's a Venezuela solution...)

    2. but this means no banks in other countries will deal with Greek banks. How do they import oil? Or food?

    It's a slow strangulation caused by being taken out of the monetary framework, that must inevitably end with Greece printing their own currency.
    Thanks. The key word for me is 'slow' and 'inevitably end'.

    I suppose my challenge is around when that end will come. I'm not convinced it will definitely be next Monday, and they could stagger on for a few weeks.

    The week after 20th July (ECB repay day?) seems the crunch to me. That's if there's a NO vote *and* Syriza survive in office.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,217
    edited July 2015
    Sir Nicholas Winton has died, aged 106.

    RIP. :(

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Winton
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    Life_ina_market_townLife_ina_market_town Posts: 2,319
    edited July 2015

    Say it does decide to print drachma and say 'we are paying you with this', what's to stop people refusing to accept it, revolting on the street and bringing the government down, following which the euro bailout is back on the table?

    In theory, a person prejudiced by the printing of Drachma or the repudiation of the Euro could apply to a Greek court to restrain what would be a clear violation by the Hellenic Republic of articles 3(1)(c), 119(2), 128(1), 130 and 131 of TFEU, and would have a claim for damages against the Greece to make good their loss. In theory, a Greek Court would be obliged to grant relief and damages, notwithstanding any national measure, whatever its status, to the contrary (Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato v Simmenthal SpA [1978] 3 CMLR 263; Brasserie du Pecheur SA v Germany [1996] QB 404). As RichardN and others have pointed out, however, that is all theory, and the decisions which matter will likely be made by politicians.
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    perdixperdix Posts: 1,806

    TSE says that voters saw the tories as best to run the economy, although that may be the case, the fear of the SNP/Lab was a far greater influence. It wasn't as if the tories were voted in on a wave of enthusiasm, simply that the alternative was far worse.

    That puts paid to my insistence pre election that hardly anybody votes tactically, hundreds of thousands did. Since May Cameron has proven how utterly vacuous he is, I suspect his statement that he wasn't fussed on serving two terms was damage limitation, he clearly doesn't enjoy the job of PM.

    Cam has said he put himself forward for PM because he thought he could do it well. So far he's been an excellent PM in most respects. He enjoys being PM but he also enjoys the company of his wife and children for which time has been very limited. He's able to start work at 5 am but still often manages to end the evening with his wife, when he's not travelling.

    Two terms as PM is enough - it's a pretty thankless job when considering the pathetic comments as from the fruitcake above.

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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966
    JEO said:

    This new policy speaks of a massive ignorance of information technology at the centre of government;

    http://www.businessinsider.com/david-cameron-encryption-back-doors-iphone-whatsapp-2015-7

    Not only will it not work, it will probably kill off the UK as an emerging tech hub.

    FFS I hoped this idiocy was just election talk. Technically illiterate doesn't come close to it. The French had a draconian encryption ban a couple of decades or so ago, and scrapped it because it was murdering their economy because no one would do ecommerce without it. No encryption means no SSL, means no ecommerce, no online banking, and a competent programmer working for the bad guys would write them a basic but functional version of whatsapp or snapchat in a couple of weeks using off the shelf libraries. Madness.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited July 2015

    Thanks. The key word for me is 'slow' and 'inevitably end'.

    I suppose my challenge is around when that end will come. I'm not convinced it will definitely be next Monday, and they could stagger on for a few weeks.

    The week after 20th July (ECB repay day?) seems the crunch to me. That's if there's a NO vote *and* Syriza survive in office.

    Staggering on for a few weeks would be very hard. I don't know how much food and fuel is stockpiled, but I don't imagine it is very much. I'd have thought at most a week or two, unless there is some political progress and they are granted a reprieve by their creditors.
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    blackburn63blackburn63 Posts: 4,492
    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698
    edited July 2015

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Heather Watson in action at Wimbledon vs Hantuchova.
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    Thanks. The key word for me is 'slow' and 'inevitably end'.

    I suppose my challenge is around when that end will come. I'm not convinced it will definitely be next Monday, and they could stagger on for a few weeks.

    The week after 20th July (ECB repay day?) seems the crunch to me. That's if there's a NO vote *and* Syriza survive in office.

    Staggering on for a few weeks would be very hard. I don't know how much food and fuel is stockpiled, but I don't imagine it is very much. I'd have thought at most a week or two, unless there is some political progress and they are granted a reprieve by their creditors.
    Or unless the former "Red Fleet" gets a nice new Mediterranean port and an unexpected veto is wielded against the sanctions coming up for renewal shortly.
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    So, second of five?

    I think Cameron has done a good job in all sorts of ways, but that 'test' doesn't do much to prove it.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698
    edited July 2015
    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    How about this then

    90% of Tory voters are satisfied with the way Cameron is doing his job.

    I'm sure the Kipper type people will try and say satisfied is synonymous with crap or something.
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    Not unless you would class “Fairly badly” as also “Average” – which is the last thing you’d do.
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,283

    90% of Tory voters are satisfied with the way Cameron is doing my job.

    I'm not satisfied with the way Cameron is doing your job. Not enough Greek puns.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698

    90% of Tory voters are satisfied with the way Cameron is doing my job.

    I'm not satisfied with the way Cameron is doing your job. Not enough Greek puns.
    I'm crap at multi tasking.

    Corrected now
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited July 2015
    JEO said:

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    So, second of five?

    I think Cameron has done a good job in all sorts of ways, but that 'test' doesn't do much to prove it.
    2nd of seven, or eight if you throw in Douglas-Home as well. Of course Maggie was utterly exceptional, so it's a rather unusual sample anyway.

    But if you want to define 'average' as 'we're lucky to get a PM as good as that every half-century or so', then, yes, he's average.
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    john_zimsjohn_zims Posts: 3,399
    @AndyJS

    'If we were a country on the rise we'd be building Boris Island without question. 24 hour flights and ultra-fast rail links to the centre, like Hong Kong.'

    Completely agree, the expansion of Heathrow is just a temporary sticking plaster,the roads are already gridlocked most of the time.

    As so many people are affected in one way or another by the expansion of Heathrow,Londoners should be given a referendum.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,028
    edited July 2015

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    How about this then

    90% of Tory voters are satisfied with the way Cameron is doing my job.

    I'm sure the Kipper type people will try and say satisfied is synonymous with crap or something.
    All of these mean "a bit shit" though:

    "Satisfactory" - School performance

    "Very average" - Cricket

    "Modest" - Horse racing.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,229

    rcs1000 said:

    AndyJS said:

    Tsipiras: a No vote doesn't mean Greece leaves the Euro, contradicting what almost everyone else has been saying.

    He's going to have a very difficult time explaining to his people why Greece has left the Euro on Monday morning.
    He will explain it in terms of the Eurozone having acted illegally and in breach of its own treaties. And whilst he is undoubtedly wrong about almost everything else, on that narrow point he will be correct.
    I've read the ECB constitution (https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/legal/pdf/en_statute_2.pdf), and I'm not sure you're right. Specifically, providing ELS to the Greek banks if they are insolvent, and it is being used to fund a government in default seems to fall foul of two of the provisions in the constitution.

    I'm sure Greece will argue that cutting off funding falls foul of promoting financial stability, and therefore the question will come to: which has precedence? If you read it the Greek way, then the "no monetary financing" provision is clearly impossible. If you read it the German/ECB way, then you support financial stability so long as you don't fall foul of the other rules.
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    BannedInParisBannedInParis Posts: 2,191

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    Post WW2 only ....

    At the top of the second tier, with the election win of 2015 cementing him firmly in place.

    Top tier is untouchable - Churchill for the legend and also Attlee and Thatcher.

    Bottom tier - Brown, Eden, Heath, Brown, Douglas-Hume (due to events), did I mention Brown- are fairly unarguable as well.

    The rest - Macmillan, Blair, Major, Callaghan, Wilson - can probably split into two with Major and Callaghan definite lower seconds.

    LET THE BUNFIGHT COMMENCE
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Heathrow reached 36.7 degrees today which is 1.8 degrees below the hottest ever temperature recorded in the UK (38.5, Faversham, August 2003).

    http://www.itv.com/news/story/2015-07-01/hottest-july-day-on-record-as-temperatures-reach-36-7c/
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,520
    rcs1000 said:

    Tsipiras has changed his mind again! He's back backing "No".

    Is this man schizophrenic?

    (Although the clause requiring self flagellation all the way from the airport to the signing desk was perhaps a bit old fashioned)
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    JEO said:

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    So, second of five?

    I think Cameron has done a good job in all sorts of ways, but that 'test' doesn't do much to prove it.
    2nd of seven, or eight if you throw in Douglas-Home as well. Of course Maggie was utterly exceptional, so it's a rather unusual sample anyway.

    But if you want to define 'average' as 'we're lucky to get a PM as good as that every half-century or so', then, yes, he's average.
    We used to get plenty of them, its just that since that war (with the exception of Maggie) this country have been in the grip of people with no ambition, that want the country to just about scrape by, that want to manage our decline with the least political inconvenience.

    Dave isn't crap, he's just indistinguishable from a Orange Book Lib Dem. He doesn't want to be in the EU because its good for the country, he wants to be in because its a smoke screen of mediocrities he can use as cover for his lack of ambition.

    The subtext of modern politicians of all colours seems to be "if we try really hard, if we are lucky we can be a little bit less shit"
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656

    JEO said:

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    So, second of five?

    I think Cameron has done a good job in all sorts of ways, but that 'test' doesn't do much to prove it.
    2nd of seven, or eight if you throw in Douglas-Home as well. Of course Maggie was utterly exceptional, so it's a rather unusual sample anyway.

    But if you want to define 'average' as 'we're lucky to get a PM as good as that every half-century or so', then, yes, he's average.
    I was speaking in terms of the perspective of Conservative voters. Obviously, they're not going to be too impressed with Labour Prime Ministers. I also don't see how coming second means we're "lucky to get him". Surely, a second place finish is par for the course? Especially as just before your time period, we got Churchill, who would surely surpass him. I would class Cameron as a good Prime Minister, certainly above average, with some flaws. I think most of my fellow Conservatives would feel similarly.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,698

    Indigo said:

    Mr Perdix, how do you define "an excellent PM". Most tories I know think of him as average at best.

    90% of current Tories think Cameron is doing very well or fairly well as PM.

    I suspect you are letting your own views colour your judgement.
    "Fairly well" would be a reasonable synonym for "Average"
    I'm pretty sure he'd do very well indeed on the Nabavi Test: Best PM of the last 50 years, other than Maggie - and not just with Conservatives.

    That's pretty damned good however you frame it, assuming you're grounded in reality, of course.
    Post WW2 only ....

    At the top of the second tier, with the election win of 2015 cementing him firmly in place.

    Top tier is untouchable - Churchill for the legend and also Attlee and Thatcher.

    Bottom tier - Brown, Eden, Heath, Brown, Douglas-Hume (due to events), did I mention Brown- are fairly unarguable as well.

    The rest - Macmillan, Blair, Major, Callaghan, Wilson - can probably split into two with Major and Callaghan definite lower seconds.

    LET THE BUNFIGHT COMMENCE
    Churchill was a crap peace time PM.

    Top PMs since the war

    1) Ted Heath (took us in the EC and took Middlesbrough out of Yorkshire)

    2) Thatcher (signed the Single European Act)

    3) John Major (most popular PM ever)

    4) Cameron (kept Brown out of Downing Street and made same sex marriage legal)

    5) MacMillan (winds of change)

    6) Wilson

    7) Callaghan

    8) Blair

    9) Douglas Home

    10) Eden

    11) Brown
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    rcs1000 said:

    I've read the ECB constitution (https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/legal/pdf/en_statute_2.pdf), and I'm not sure you're right. Specifically, providing ELS to the Greek banks if they are insolvent, and it is being used to fund a government in default seems to fall foul of two of the provisions in the constitution.

    I'm sure Greece will argue that cutting off funding falls foul of promoting financial stability, and therefore the question will come to: which has precedence? If you read it the Greek way, then the "no monetary financing" provision is clearly impossible. If you read it the German/ECB way, then you support financial stability so long as you don't fall foul of the other rules.

    Could you give numbered articles please? I have been trying to form my own view on this, and am struggling, not least since the recent judgment of the Court of Justice in Gauweiler v Deutscher Bundestag Case C-62/14. What is clear is that notwithstanding any provision of the ECB Statute, monetary policy remains the exclusive competence of the EU institutions and that there is no provision in the treaties for an exit from the Euro other than that provided by article 50 TEU.
This discussion has been closed.