Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The bigger Corbyn’s victory the greater will be his surviva

SystemSystem Posts: 11,697
edited September 2015 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The bigger Corbyn’s victory the greater will be his survival chances

The final reweighted YouGov poll on the labour leadership had Corbyn with an amazing 57% of first preferences. That was nearly a month ago and the chances are that he will struggle to be quite at that level when the official results are announced next Saturday morning.

Read the full story here


«13

Comments

  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,985
    First! (like Corbyn) :D
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Morning Rob.

    You are, I take it, planning a flight for Friday night / Saturday morning UK time?
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    @AndyJS (I think) posted that Foot won 8.5 million votes in 1983.

    I think it would be interesting to have a market on the *total* number of votes that Labour would win in 2020.

    Do the crazies + the tribalists outweigh the moderate Labour voters?
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,985
    Charles said:

    Morning Rob.

    You are, I take it, planning a flight for Friday night / Saturday morning UK time?

    Alas, no. I did my bit for the party on May 6th ;)
  • Options
    But once this interminable contest ends, aren't we all really winners?
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,985

    But once this interminable contest ends, aren't we all really winners?

    Yes, because it means TSE will finally post his AV magnum opus he has been promising for what feels like a decade :D
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125
    Looks like the cracks are starting to appear:

    CNBC

    "But a poll in the French newspaper Aujourd'hui en France showed 55 percent of French people opposed to softening rules on granting refugee status."

    "We are standing in solidarity with Europe, but responsibly, by maintaining some control over the process," said Mr Trzaskowski. "Mandatory quotas do not allow for that."He added: "We want to create conditions so that people will want to stay here in Poland and become part of our society. Mechanically processed, mandatory quotas throw that into doubt, and are counter-productive."

    "As thousands more refugees arrived in Germany, the EU's most vocal proponent of additional support, the Christian Social Union — the Bavarian sister party of Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats — criticised the decision to let migrants in from Hungary as "the wrong decision".

    "Austria to end 'open border' emergency measures"

    So - another 'news' cycle bites the dust.
  • Options
    Morning all.

    'from day one, a significant number of MPs not merely against him but actively out to get him'


    Isn’t every newly elected party leader…! :lol:

  • Options
    Ref the Shadow Cabinet and elections, I wonder whether Corbyn is bothered about keeping the patronage. It would be in keeping with the man (and the far left) to support elections, irrespective of the effect it would have on his leadership. His whole campaign has been more about being pure than being effective, though as these have turned out to be much the same (until the last fortnight, at least), that will only strengthen his belief in not needing to do things the traditional way.

    I agree with Mike's main point though. A first round win, clear of dodgy votes, is pretty much a settled opinion, especially when the other candidates will split conveniently for him. A 53-20-18-9 looks comprehensive than. On the other hand, if it goes to a third round - and if it goes to a second it will almost certainly go to a third - then the split will only be fifty-something to forty-something, and that looks a lot closer.
  • Options
    TCPoliticalBettingTCPoliticalBetting Posts: 10,819
    edited September 2015
    IDS came in with a smaller level of MP hostility than Corbyn will have. For Corbynistas it could be a question of kill or be killed. Deselection or votes of no confidence? The real puzzle is why so many PB socialists on here think "it will be all right eventually....." A victory of hope over experience.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    What will really get up the nose of the great bulk of Labour MPs will be those Corbyn supporters outside Parliament, who I suspect will be unable to hold their noise once "they've got their party back". It'll be "form a queue to rubbish everything since the death of John Smith". Going to be a pretty uncomfortable ride for anyone who thinks there was any legacy under Blair/Brown other than the Iraq war. Will those Labour MPs sit quietly and take it? Or will they lock horns?
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,356
    Restoring elections to the Shadow Cabinet is likely to be a far more effective way of getting the likes of Cooper, Chuka and Hunt to stand. I don't think they would take a post from Corbyn because that indicates a level of support for him but an elected platform from which his more lunatic policy positions could be challenged within the Shadow Cabinet would be far more attractive.


    I am sure that they could persuade themselves that it was their duty to ensure that their wing of the party was properly represented in the deliberations. It would involve a loss of patronage but it might prove quite a cunning move by Corbyn.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,356
    Struggling to get the comments to load this morning.

    Matt shows how incredibly vulnerable a Corbyn led Labour party is going to be:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/
  • Options
    I reckon he'll be sub-50% myself. I went for 43.75% in the competition.

    He will be safe for a good while because his opposition will be frit. This is Labour.
  • Options
    DavidL said:

    Restoring elections to the Shadow Cabinet is likely to be a far more effective way of getting the likes of Cooper, Chuka and Hunt to stand. I don't think they would take a post from Corbyn because that indicates a level of support for him but an elected platform from which his more lunatic policy positions could be challenged within the Shadow Cabinet would be far more attractive.

    I am sure that they could persuade themselves that it was their duty to ensure that their wing of the party was properly represented in the deliberations. It would involve a loss of patronage but it might prove quite a cunning move by Corbyn.

    I'd agree with that. Also, if there is to be another Labour leadership election this parliament then shadow cabinet elections will give candidates, MPs and public alike an idea of who is in the running. On the one hand, that may not matter so much now that MPs don't have the one-third of the electoral college that they did but on the other, the nominations bar is set high. There can only be a theoretical maximum of six candidates but with the tendency to over-nominate then four or five is the realistic limit. To sit in isolation on the backbenchers may be to forego potential nominations as shadow cabinet members make their mark, unless that someone runs an ongoing internal opposition (but if they do, how do they then bring the party back together if they do win?).
  • Options
    felix said:

    Looks like the cracks are starting to appear:

    CNBC

    "But a poll in the French newspaper Aujourd'hui en France showed 55 percent of French people opposed to softening rules on granting refugee status."

    "We are standing in solidarity with Europe, but responsibly, by maintaining some control over the process," said Mr Trzaskowski. "Mandatory quotas do not allow for that."He added: "We want to create conditions so that people will want to stay here in Poland and become part of our society. Mechanically processed, mandatory quotas throw that into doubt, and are counter-productive."

    "As thousands more refugees arrived in Germany, the EU's most vocal proponent of additional support, the Christian Social Union — the Bavarian sister party of Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats — criticised the decision to let migrants in from Hungary as "the wrong decision".

    "Austria to end 'open border' emergency measures"

    So - another 'news' cycle bites the dust.

    An exodus of biblical proportions?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34165674
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,356

    DavidL said:

    Restoring elections to the Shadow Cabinet is likely to be a far more effective way of getting the likes of Cooper, Chuka and Hunt to stand. I don't think they would take a post from Corbyn because that indicates a level of support for him but an elected platform from which his more lunatic policy positions could be challenged within the Shadow Cabinet would be far more attractive.

    I am sure that they could persuade themselves that it was their duty to ensure that their wing of the party was properly represented in the deliberations. It would involve a loss of patronage but it might prove quite a cunning move by Corbyn.

    I'd agree with that. Also, if there is to be another Labour leadership election this parliament then shadow cabinet elections will give candidates, MPs and public alike an idea of who is in the running. On the one hand, that may not matter so much now that MPs don't have the one-third of the electoral college that they did but on the other, the nominations bar is set high. There can only be a theoretical maximum of six candidates but with the tendency to over-nominate then four or five is the realistic limit. To sit in isolation on the backbenchers may be to forego potential nominations as shadow cabinet members make their mark, unless that someone runs an ongoing internal opposition (but if they do, how do they then bring the party back together if they do win?).
    The last question is a serious one for Corbyn, the serial rebel. There really ought to be a book on how soon a Labour MP says, "well, he never followed the Party Whip, why should I?" I will be very surprised if it is more than a month.
  • Options
    Corbyn Labour is going to be fascinating to watch as an experiment in self destruction. The only issue is how long it will take.

    It's not just the MPs that Corbyn has to contend with, there are also the other levers of power that he - as a total outsider - will have no real knowledge of or influence over: the NEC, for example. The £3ers will have no idea about these things either and so will have no clue about which way to vote to make life easier for JC.

    As I thought might be the case, it looks like Tom Watson is going to position himself as something of a block on JC's ambitions. JC v TW will be something to see. Both will be able to claim mandates. From where I sit there will be only one winner. Watson will never secure Labour a single new vote, but he may have a very important role in ensuring that Corbyn does not totally destroy the party forever. Hold on to your hats.
  • Options
    On thead - Delicious.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    I reckon he'll be sub-50% myself. I went for 43.75% in the competition.

    He will be safe for a good while because his opposition will be frit. This is Labour.

    The PB consesnsus seemed to be sub 50%, and that sounds about right with some late swing to Cooper in particular. A difficult selectorate to call though, and I am not too sure how meaningful the polls are.

    I don't think the final margin will matter much in such a farcical system though. A joke is a joke no matter what the clapometer says.
  • Options
    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Restoring elections to the Shadow Cabinet is likely to be a far more effective way of getting the likes of Cooper, Chuka and Hunt to stand. I don't think they would take a post from Corbyn because that indicates a level of support for him but an elected platform from which his more lunatic policy positions could be challenged within the Shadow Cabinet would be far more attractive.

    I am sure that they could persuade themselves that it was their duty to ensure that their wing of the party was properly represented in the deliberations. It would involve a loss of patronage but it might prove quite a cunning move by Corbyn.

    I'd agree with that. Also, if there is to be another Labour leadership election this parliament then shadow cabinet elections will give candidates, MPs and public alike an idea of who is in the running. On the one hand, that may not matter so much now that MPs don't have the one-third of the electoral college that they did but on the other, the nominations bar is set high. There can only be a theoretical maximum of six candidates but with the tendency to over-nominate then four or five is the realistic limit. To sit in isolation on the backbenchers may be to forego potential nominations as shadow cabinet members make their mark, unless that someone runs an ongoing internal opposition (but if they do, how do they then bring the party back together if they do win?).
    The last question is a serious one for Corbyn, the serial rebel. There really ought to be a book on how soon a Labour MP says, "well, he never followed the Party Whip, why should I?" I will be very surprised if it is more than a month.

    As soon as there is a vote on air strikes in Syria, I'd have thought.

  • Options
    Surely a JC-led Labour would just not have a party whip structure?
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,356

    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Restoring elections to the Shadow Cabinet is likely to be a far more effective way of getting the likes of Cooper, Chuka and Hunt to stand. I don't think they would take a post from Corbyn because that indicates a level of support for him but an elected platform from which his more lunatic policy positions could be challenged within the Shadow Cabinet would be far more attractive.

    I am sure that they could persuade themselves that it was their duty to ensure that their wing of the party was properly represented in the deliberations. It would involve a loss of patronage but it might prove quite a cunning move by Corbyn.

    I'd agree with that. Also, if there is to be another Labour leadership election this parliament then shadow cabinet elections will give candidates, MPs and public alike an idea of who is in the running. On the one hand, that may not matter so much now that MPs don't have the one-third of the electoral college that they did but on the other, the nominations bar is set high. There can only be a theoretical maximum of six candidates but with the tendency to over-nominate then four or five is the realistic limit. To sit in isolation on the backbenchers may be to forego potential nominations as shadow cabinet members make their mark, unless that someone runs an ongoing internal opposition (but if they do, how do they then bring the party back together if they do win?).
    The last question is a serious one for Corbyn, the serial rebel. There really ought to be a book on how soon a Labour MP says, "well, he never followed the Party Whip, why should I?" I will be very surprised if it is more than a month.

    As soon as there is a vote on air strikes in Syria, I'd have thought.

    I am sure George is drawing up a list of likely issues as we write, assuming he has not done it already. He will be planning Labour split stories to dominate the remainder of this Parliament.
  • Options
    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100
    IDS won 60. 7% of Tory members votes in 2001 and was ousted in just over two years so if Corbyn wins however large his margin it will not be enough to stop efforts to oust him if he fails to perform in the polls
  • Options
    I think Osborne will be having a field day with his plans no matter who gets to be LOTO..they all have form
  • Options
    RogerRoger Posts: 18,892
    None of us know yet how personally ambitious Corbyn is. If as we hope he's in it for the commune rather than himself then I don't imagine his disloyal past will cause too many difficulties.

    Ed's problem was that most suspected he was on an ego trip just by virtue of standing and for those who missed it he built a pharaonic tablet just before his defeat to remind us how stupid we'd been.
  • Options
    Corbyn,s disloyal past will savage his butt... I wonder how long it will be before some Labour MP cretin blames Cameron for the appalling refugee tragedy in the sea of Indonesia.
  • Options
    Mr. HYUFD, true, but also different.

    IDS was chosen because he wasn't Ken Clarke after IDS' supporters cunningly kept Portillo off of the final ballot of two. Corbyn will have won clearly from a field of four. Also, Labour is not as good at regicide as the Conservatives.

    Mr. Roger, you're telling me you were unimpressed by the political stunt inspired by Amenhotep III? :p
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    That's a superb cartoon.
    DavidL said:

    Struggling to get the comments to load this morning.

    Matt shows how incredibly vulnerable a Corbyn led Labour party is going to be:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/

  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,966
    edited September 2015
    The figure of 53% is a nonsense, when you compare as to his rivals e.g. Burnham who may well become LOTO with 25% of the first pref vote.

    I know Aunt Hattie has tried to rig the vote %s for all it's worth, but 50%+ works just as well as 53%+. The SNP at the GE didn't achieve 50+% even.
  • Options
    Plato Got to agree..Matt is simply brilliant
  • Options
    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    edited September 2015
    How the hell does he know? Large numbers are turning up from Pakistan and Nigeria now. How can he be sure they are refugees?

    Migrant is an entirely neutral word. It describes exactly what they are doing without ascribing a motive. The left is doing its best to kick out neutral language and change it to inaccurate language that is favourable to their ends.
  • Options
    Mr. JEO, do not question Bono. He is wise. He is just. He plans his taxes prudently.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,971
    JEO said:

    How the hell does he know? Large numbers are turning up from Pakistan and Nigeria now. How can he be sure they are refugees?

    Migrant is an entirely neutral word. It describes exactly what they are doing without ascribing a motive. The left is doing its best to kick out neutral language and change it to inaccurate language that is favourable to their ends.
    Coffee without milk anyone?
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100

    Mr. HYUFD, true, but also different.

    IDS was chosen because he wasn't Ken Clarke after IDS' supporters cunningly kept Portillo off of the final ballot of two. Corbyn will have won clearly from a field of four. Also, Labour is not as good at regicide as the Conservatives.

    Mr. Roger, you're telling me you were unimpressed by the political stunt inspired by Amenhotep III? :p

    In the final round Corbyn would be likely to get a similar total to IDS if he wins and even Portillo's camp suggested he would have lost to IDS with members.

    On the regicide point of course Labour effectively got rid of Blair as the Tories did Thatcher and the Tories kept Major and Hague to the end as Labour did Brown and Miliband but by IDS had lost patience. If Corbyn fails to perform in the polls as IDS did not do to a sufficient degree then the plotting will grow regardless of his election margin
  • Options
    Off topic, the Metro this morning has a story saying that Merkel told Cameron that 'Britain is the problem child of the EU'.

    She reportedly told the Prime Minister: 'We all hate you and isolate you' at a Downing Street meeting in 2012.

    The claims come from extracts from Antony Seldon's biography of Cameron.
  • Options
    Ed Miliband suffered because there was a clearly better alternative - his brother.
    Jeremy Corbyn doesn't have that problem.
  • Options
    Mr. HYUFD, before my time but I'd suggest the removals of Blair/Thatcher were very different.

    Plus, IDS might have beaten Portillo in the final two. But we don't know that, and his absence meant people could have (and probably did) wonder what would've happened if he'd made the final two.
  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,971

    Off topic, the Metro this morning has a story saying that Merkel told Cameron that 'Britain is the problem child of the EU'.

    She reportedly told the Prime Minister: 'We all hate you and isolate you' at a Downing Street meeting in 2012.

    The claims come from extracts from Antony Seldon's biography of Cameron.

    Also...

    ‘Tony Blair telephones Number 10 to say he’s been contacted by a key individual close to Gaddafi, and that the Libyan leader wants to cut a deal with the British. Blair is a respected voice in the building and his suggestion is examined seriously. ‘

    But Mr Cameron decided that on this occasion his political hero and example, referred to by George Osborne as ‘the Master’ is not to be heeded:

    ‘Cameron had been repulsed by Blair’s decision to rehabilitate Gaddafi, and as opposition leader had argued strongly in 2009 against the Scottish government’s return of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to Libya on the grounds of illness.

    ‘Policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was killed by a Libyan outside their embassy in London in 1984, when Cameron was still at Eton. Four years later came the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 killing 270 people. When the bomb was proven to be planted by a Libyan, Cameron became still more angry.

    ‘Gordon Brown claimed the Scottish government took the decision on al-Megrahi. Cameron did not believe him, and once inside Number 10, ordered a review into the episode. It concluded that the previous government ‘did all it could to facilitate’ the release of al-Megrahi’.

    Cameron decides not to follow up Blair’s approach regarding a deal with Gaddafi: he wants to avoid doing anything which might be seen to give the Libyan leader succour. Richards’ complaints do not let up: he feels Cameron and the NSC are interfering with the military operation even down to the most tactical level.’

    IN the same passage we find that the head of MI6 , John Sawers, also tried to restrain the amateur premier:

    ‘At an NSC meeting in March, [David Cameron] declares that “intervention in Libya is in the British national interest, speak now or hold your peace”.

    ‘He is confronted by Sawers who tells him bluntly it is not a matter of ‘national interest’ and that Cameron is acting purely for ‘humanitarian reasons’. Cameron is surprised by the challenge, but quickly answers somewhat unsatisfactorily, ‘Yes, yes, but it is important that we do these things.’

    http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/
  • Options
    JEO said:

    How the hell does he know? Large numbers are turning up from Pakistan and Nigeria now. How can he be sure they are refugees?

    Migrant is an entirely neutral word. It describes exactly what they are doing without ascribing a motive. The left is doing its best to kick out neutral language and change it to inaccurate language that is favourable to their ends.
    Even CiF is fuming about his latest "intervention".
  • Options
    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,354
    It's clearly right that the size of mandate is important. I don't think much will come of the early attempts to cripple him as they will alienate middle-of-the-road party members and loyalist who will feel he should be given a chance: any senior figure to back them will be committing suicide in any future leadership election. Obviously some individuals may just go independent, but that's not an option open to potential leaders.

    My guess was 41% on first preference but a clear win on 2nd - people are underestimating how much 2nd prefs have scattered and many Burnham voters in particular like Corbyn too. In some ways that will have its uses for him, since the evidence that lots of people who preferred someone else thought he was worth supporting too will be useful.

    Finding it hard to call the deputy race. The only YouGov I've seen put Tom Watson streets ahead, while the voodoo poll on Labour List has Creasy ahead. Absolutely every member I know (fro all sides of the party) who has expressed an opinion has voted Creasy, but that may be because they know I'm recommending her and it's only a sample of 15 or so.
  • Options
    Morning all,

    It seems some Lab supporters have still not received ballot papers.
  • Options

    I reckon he'll be sub-50% myself. I went for 43.75% in the competition.

    He will be safe for a good while because his opposition will be frit. This is Labour.

    I suspect that Corbyn will get over 50% on the first ballot and possibly over 60% ...Corbynmania has really taken hold
  • Options
    JWisemannJWisemann Posts: 1,082
    edited September 2015

    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.

    Bizarre logic, given that by the end of the year I'd be surprised if labour didn't have half a million full members, probably more than UKIP, the lib dems and the Tories put together.

    Whatever problems a Corbyn led labour will have, member numbers won't be one of them.
  • Options
    NOA...Corbyn does have a brother..and indeed he may be a better choice..Knows nowt about how to run a country tho... should suit Labour
  • Options
    JWisemann said:

    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.

    Bizarre logic, given that by the end of the year I'd be surprised if labour didn't have half a million full members, probably more than UKIP, the lib dems and the Tories put together.

    Whatever problems a Corbyn led labour will have, member numbers won't be one of them.
    We'll see. I'm not convinced that so many of the three quidders will actually join. Summer is passing, the nights are drawing in and the holiday romance will soon be a distant memory IMHO.
  • Options
    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    JWisemann said:

    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.

    Bizarre logic, given that by the end of the year I'd be surprised if labour didn't have half a million full members, probably more than UKIP, the lib dems and the Tories put together.

    Whatever problems a Corbyn led labour will have, member numbers won't be one of them.
    You should have a chat to IOS. You recall how fantastic the Labour ground game was and how he couldn't talk about it because it was so brilliant.... You can have all the signed up members you like but if your policies stink , you wont get the votes.
    Politics has moved on, Labour has not.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @CllrIainRoberts: A year ago today Labour issued a press release complaining Tories weren't being tough enough on refugees & migrants http://t.co/o1RV6CmZKZ
  • Options
    isam said:

    (snip)
    IN the same passage we find that the head of MI6 , John Sawers, also tried to restrain the amateur premier:

    (snip)

    "Amateur premier".

    Hitchens really doesn't like Cameron, does he?

    Still, I suppose it makes a change from 'lucky' ;)
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,062

    Ref the Shadow Cabinet and elections, I wonder whether Corbyn is bothered about keeping the patronage. It would be in keeping with the man (and the far left) to support elections, irrespective of the effect it would have on his leadership. His whole campaign has been more about being pure than being effective, though as these have turned out to be much the same (until the last fortnight, at least), that will only strengthen his belief in not needing to do things the traditional way.

    I agree with Mike's main point though. A first round win, clear of dodgy votes, is pretty much a settled opinion, especially when the other candidates will split conveniently for him. A 53-20-18-9 looks comprehensive than. On the other hand, if it goes to a third round - and if it goes to a second it will almost certainly go to a third - then the split will only be fifty-something to forty-something, and that looks a lot closer.

    Hopefully he will have a major clearout of the stables, plenty of dung needing shovelled out.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100
    edited September 2015

    Mr. HYUFD, before my time but I'd suggest the removals of Blair/Thatcher were very different.

    Plus, IDS might have beaten Portillo in the final two. But we don't know that, and his absence meant people could have (and probably did) wonder what would've happened if he'd made the final two.

    Both were ousted after 3 election wins after unpopular policies, Iraq in Blair's case and the poll tax in Thatcher's. Other than Thatcher and IDS the only other leader the Tories have toppled since the war was Heath in 1975 but that was only after he lost 3 elections and only won one and he was of course allowed to remain leader despite losing the 1966 election badly.

    We will never know about Portillo but I remember newspaper reports his camp had said early members polling had him trailing IDS
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100

    Ed Miliband suffered because there was a clearly better alternative - his brother.
    Jeremy Corbyn doesn't have that problem.

    Alan Johnson, Michael Howard was not exactly the next Messiah was he when he replaced IDS
  • Options

    It's clearly right that the size of mandate is important. I don't think much will come of the early attempts to cripple him as they will alienate middle-of-the-road party members and loyalist who will feel he should be given a chance: any senior figure to back them will be committing suicide in any future leadership election. Obviously some individuals may just go independent, but that's not an option open to potential leaders.

    My guess was 41% on first preference but a clear win on 2nd - people are underestimating how much 2nd prefs have scattered and many Burnham voters in particular like Corbyn too. In some ways that will have its uses for him, since the evidence that lots of people who preferred someone else thought he was worth supporting too will be useful.

    Finding it hard to call the deputy race. The only YouGov I've seen put Tom Watson streets ahead, while the voodoo poll on Labour List has Creasy ahead. Absolutely every member I know (fro[m] all sides of the party) who has expressed an opinion has voted Creasy, but that may be because they know I'm recommending her and it's only a sample of 15 or so.

    My estimates would have 41% on first preferences leading to a knife-edge final result. I'd have Corbyn at marginal odds-against if he is that low. There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers so even allowing for some non-transferrables, Corbyn would advance only a fraction towards the line on first round transfers. So it would all be down to the second. The only polling we have there suggests a strong, though not overwhelming, preference against Corbyn. If it is something like 42-30-28 after Kendall drops out, then Corbyn would only need two in seven to go through, which he might manage but it would be tight. On the other hand, if it's not so close - and Cooper's late rally combined with her probably doing best out of the LK transfers suggest it might not be - then Corbyn might fall short.

    Either way, it would be a horrible legacy: a result in the grey area where non-received votes and infiltration tarnish the legitimacy of the process while the winner has either lost huge momentum (Corbyn) or has the active support of only about a quarter of the movement (Cooper or Burnham) and a left wing creaming 'we was robbed'.

    But I don't expect him to be as low as 41%.
  • Options
    Charles said:

    Do the crazies + the tribalists outweigh the moderate Labour voters?

    Crazies and tribalists are very different things.

    I'm no Corbyn voter, but would be cautious about describing his backers as crazies. There is (as we have seen elsewhere in Europe) a sizable leftist, anti-austerity trend. Whether "sizable" equates to "majority" I have my doubts, but it has succeeded electorally elsewhere, too readily to be dismissed as crazy.

    But the tribalists are and continue to be Labour's biggest problem. The Sheermans, Manns, Stringers and Watsons have a thuggish, unthinking hold on the Labour party, publicly sneering and privately briefing against anyone who crosses them. They believe that they, alone, own left-of-centre politics in the UK. It beggars belief not just that these tribalists are prepared to take their own party down in anger at Corbyn (see yesterday's Observer for quotes from several of these names) but that Labour appears ready to elect the most baleful bruiser of all, Tom Watson, to the crucial behind-the-scenes role of deputy.

    Scottish Labour was the bulwark of this attitude and we've seen what happened to it. If Watson is elected as deputy I fear that UK Labour may go the same way.
  • Options
    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.
  • Options
    flightpath01flightpath01 Posts: 4,903
    edited September 2015
    The size of Corbyn's victory, if there is one, is irellevant. The size of his vote is irrelevant. Well its not really since a large Corbyn vote should mean that the Original Labour Party as opposed to Corbyn's 'New Socialist Labour Party' should be more intent not less intent on removing him as leader.

    Corbyn's vote comes from entryists and mostly entryists from the rag tag and bobtail hard left fantasists and stop the war coalionistas.
    It is a take over. The larger the Corbyn vote then the larger the entryist vote and the larger effort needed to resist the take over.
    If the Original Labour Party had any sense they would walk away from Corbyn. But it's self evident that they do not have any sense as otherwise Corbyn would not even have been nominated.
  • Options

    There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers

    At the risk of anecdata, Mrs Capitano is one, on the basis that Cooper is too robotic and Burnham too incompetent to ever be electable.
  • Options

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    PMs should never say they're going to go until they do. Wilson's resignation came as a bolt from the blue, and Thatcher of course intended to go "on and on". It's the only intelligent line to take - why contemporary politicians can't learn from their predecessors I've no idea.

  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,052
    Two book recommendations:

    Just very much enjoyed reading I am Pilgrim, a slightly superior thriller.

    Currently loving Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    Iraq had not really gone sour at that time as it had started to do by 2007 and crucially Cameron was starting to lead him in the polls as Thatcher trailed in 1990. When they won elections and did not face clear poll deficits, as Thatcher did not post Falklands and Blair did not pre Cameron they were not challenged. Corbyn's fate like that of IDS will depend on his poll ratings not his victory mandate
  • Options
    CD13CD13 Posts: 6,351
    Dr P,

    If I were still a Labour voter, I'd have voted for Stella too, but Jezza? Come on. He can't insist on loyalty without being a hypocrite, he's got the Civil Service to negotiate, and he knows half of f*ck all about foreign affairs.

    He's not just idealistic, he's dangerous. It would be safer if he were aware of his ignorance, but he will assume he's always right.

    You've met him, I haven't, but I remember the type from the late sixties. I was at the Grosvenor Square riot in the sixties. I don't remember seeing Jezza, but he was probably there in spirit. I grew up, did he?

    Fortunately, he will lose but remain a running sore for Labour.
  • Options
    Last night, 'We' kept referring to 2020. There was no sense that Corbyn is merely hoping to pull his party to the left. He claimed that it was 'Our' 97th rally, and 'We' said that they were getting bigger all the time.

    I strongly had the feeling that Corbyn wants a shot at the next GE.

  • Options

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    Correct.

    As I've said before, there are four pre-requisites to bring down a leader:

    1. A backdrop of discontent.
    2. A spark to focus that discontent into outright rebellion.
    3. A mechanism by which the leader can be brought down.
    4. A viable alternative (or alternatives) who would make things better afterwards.

    Number one can be more-or-less relied upon throughout the whole of a Corbyn leadership. Number two will occur from time to time: these things always do. Number four is probably satisfied, most probably by Cooper or (less probably) Burnham from this political generation, or Harman or Johnson if Labour want to follow the Tories' lead after Howard replaced IDS.

    The big question is Number Three. How? The Tories sensibly included a no confidence mechanism in their rules that meant IDS had no option but to stand aside. Similarly with Thatcher in 1990. Yes, she could have run in the second round but every contemporary report suggests she'd have lost (and in any case, even if she hadn't, the means were there to give the MPs the chance). By contrast, what does Labour have? The Blair-Brown case is instructive. It took three full years of insubordination and dysfunctionality before Blair decided it wasn't worth it (during which time they did win an election, admittedly). 'Pressure' only goes so far if the leader decides to resist.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,947
    Roger said:

    None of us know yet how personally ambitious Corbyn is. If as we hope he's in it for the commune rather than himself then I don't imagine his disloyal past will cause too many difficulties.

    Ed's problem was that most suspected he was on an ego trip just by virtue of standing and for those who missed it he built a pharaonic tablet just before his defeat to remind us how stupid we'd been.

    Oh, the edstone, what a gift you were . How I still thought labour would win after that I don't know.
  • Options
    Mr. CD13, I'm sure Corbyn's full of intellectual self-confidence.
  • Options
    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Squillionaire tax avoider virtue signalling from the South of France.

    How many 'migrants' has he offered to accommodate on his yacht?
  • Options

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    Correct.

    As I've said before, there are four pre-requisites to bring down a leader:

    1. A backdrop of discontent.
    2. A spark to focus that discontent into outright rebellion.
    3. A mechanism by which the leader can be brought down.
    4. A viable alternative (or alternatives) who would make things better afterwards.

    Number one can be more-or-less relied upon throughout the whole of a Corbyn leadership. Number two will occur from time to time: these things always do. Number four is probably satisfied, most probably by Cooper or (less probably) Burnham from this political generation, or Harman or Johnson if Labour want to follow the Tories' lead after Howard replaced IDS.

    The big question is Number Three. How? The Tories sensibly included a no confidence mechanism in their rules that meant IDS had no option but to stand aside. Similarly with Thatcher in 1990. Yes, she could have run in the second round but every contemporary report suggests she'd have lost (and in any case, even if she hadn't, the means were there to give the MPs the chance). By contrast, what does Labour have? The Blair-Brown case is instructive. It took three full years of insubordination and dysfunctionality before Blair decided it wasn't worth it (during which time they did win an election, admittedly). 'Pressure' only goes so far if the leader decides to resist.
    I think you'll find that if Blair won in '97 and '01, then he (not "they") also won in '05. Certainly socialism didn't win in any of those polls.

  • Options
    Watford30... Bono and Roger are thinking about it... it may take some time..and lots of bolly..
  • Options

    There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers

    At the risk of anecdata, Mrs Capitano is one, on the basis that Cooper is too robotic and Burnham too incompetent to ever be electable.
    Fair enough. I'd guessed at highish single-figures but maybe it'll be a bit more. But really? She thinks that Burnham would be more incompetent than Corbyn as leader?
  • Options

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    Correct.

    As I've said before, there are four pre-requisites to bring down a leader:

    1. A backdrop of discontent.
    2. A spark to focus that discontent into outright rebellion.
    3. A mechanism by which the leader can be brought down.
    4. A viable alternative (or alternatives) who would make things better afterwards.

    .... The Blair-Brown case is instructive. It took three full years of insubordination and dysfunctionality before Blair decided it wasn't worth it (during which time they did win an election, admittedly). 'Pressure' only goes so far if the leader decides to resist.
    Labour won the election because Brown went round with Blair pretending they were united. Of course it was wholly in Brown's interest to do so.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,052
    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,997
    edited September 2015
    Burnham's doomed.

    Just seen on Twitter that Eddie Izzard's backed him.

    Edited extra bit: quite right, Mr. 1000. It really ought to be hyphenated.
  • Options

    There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers

    At the risk of anecdata, Mrs Capitano is one, on the basis that Cooper is too robotic and Burnham too incompetent to ever be electable.
    Fair enough. I'd guessed at highish single-figures but maybe it'll be a bit more. But really? She thinks that Burnham would be more incompetent than Corbyn as leader?
    I rejected AB outright because he looks like a straight continuation of EdM - and we've already seen how that story ends.
  • Options
    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474

    Watford30... Bono and Roger are thinking about it... it may take some time..and lots of bolly..

    I note Cooper was on Radio 4's Today earlier, not answering questions as she does. She's another one, eager for everyone else to do something, but not overly keen to make her comfortable second home available for use.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,100

    There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers

    At the risk of anecdata, Mrs Capitano is one, on the basis that Cooper is too robotic and Burnham too incompetent to ever be electable.
    Fair enough. I'd guessed at highish single-figures but maybe it'll be a bit more. But really? She thinks that Burnham would be more incompetent than Corbyn as leader?
    I rejected AB outright because he looks like a straight continuation of EdM - and we've already seen how that story ends.
    Burnham polls best of the 4 while Ed polled behind David
  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?

    We'll get that about the same time that we get a ban on the notion that selfishness is a form of emotional maturity.

  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    kle4 said:

    Roger said:

    None of us know yet how personally ambitious Corbyn is. If as we hope he's in it for the commune rather than himself then I don't imagine his disloyal past will cause too many difficulties.

    Ed's problem was that most suspected he was on an ego trip just by virtue of standing and for those who missed it he built a pharaonic tablet just before his defeat to remind us how stupid we'd been.

    Oh, the edstone, what a gift you were . How I still thought labour would win after that I don't know.
    Let's be kind and say your political antennae were getting interference from a pirate station....
  • Options

    Mr. HYUFD, Blair won after Iraq.

    He was eased out because he had a single major rival who had had a decade to amass power and was able to force Blair to go, after the latter foolishly said he would go sooner rather than later.

    Blair's ousting was a tale of just two people.

    The Conservatives turned on Thatcher (from what I gather) pretty quickly. It took a decade of unrivalled dominance for Brown to get rid of Blair.

    Correct.

    As I've said before, there are four pre-requisites to bring down a leader:

    1. A backdrop of discontent.
    2. A spark to focus that discontent into outright rebellion.
    3. A mechanism by which the leader can be brought down.
    4. A viable alternative (or alternatives) who would make things better afterwards.

    Number one can be more-or-less relied upon throughout the whole of a Corbyn leadership. Number two will occur from time to time: these things always do. Number four is probably satisfied, most probably by Cooper or (less probably) Burnham from this political generation, or Harman or Johnson if Labour want to follow the Tories' lead after Howard replaced IDS.

    The big question is Number Three. How? The Tories sensibly included a no confidence mechanism in their rules that meant IDS had no option but to stand aside. Similarly with Thatcher in 1990. Yes, she could have run in the second round but every contemporary report suggests she'd have lost (and in any case, even if she hadn't, the means were there to give the MPs the chance). By contrast, what does Labour have? The Blair-Brown case is instructive. It took three full years of insubordination and dysfunctionality before Blair decided it wasn't worth it (during which time they did win an election, admittedly). 'Pressure' only goes so far if the leader decides to resist.
    I think you'll find that if Blair won in '97 and '01, then he (not "they") also won in '05. Certainly socialism didn't win in any of those polls.

    I've no idea what that has to do with what I've written.

    'They' in this case referred to Labour, not Blair.
  • Options

    isam said:

    (snip)
    IN the same passage we find that the head of MI6 , John Sawers, also tried to restrain the amateur premier:
    (snip)

    "Amateur premier".
    Hitchens really doesn't like Cameron, does he?
    Still, I suppose it makes a change from 'lucky' ;)
    I do not know who is the bigger saddo - Hitchens or isam. Still at least scores of thousands of inhabitants of Bengazi are alive and not dead. How effective were MI6 in predicting ISIS and its beheading cult?

  • Options
    Moses_Moses_ Posts: 4,865
    A few moments ago A new thread appeared and then just as quickly disappeared .....?

    Like Corby?
  • Options
    Moses_ said:

    A few moments ago A new thread appeared and then just as quickly disappeared .....?

    Like Corby?

    Has Corby disappeared? I would have thought a large town going missing would have been on the news ... ;)
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,671
    Hmmm.

    Define Survival.
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,389
    on topic: whatever his victory margin (he won't win, YC will, but anyway) to think that there will somehow be a coup magicked from thin air is wishful/fearful thinking.

    Things don't just happen. People don't just rise up. The Labour Party won't just overthrow him. They, in their mealy-mouthed way, will put up with him.
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125

    There will surely be very few LK-JC transfers

    At the risk of anecdata, Mrs Capitano is one, on the basis that Cooper is too robotic and Burnham too incompetent to ever be electable.
    Shouldn't Mrs Capitano be La Capitana? :)
  • Options

    JWisemann said:

    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.

    Bizarre logic, given that by the end of the year I'd be surprised if labour didn't have half a million full members, probably more than UKIP, the lib dems and the Tories put together.

    Whatever problems a Corbyn led labour will have, member numbers won't be one of them.
    We'll see. I'm not convinced that so many of the three quidders will actually join. Summer is passing, the nights are drawing in and the holiday romance will soon be a distant memory IMHO.
    The 3quidders will be automatically signed up as full members. It will be made as easy as possible for unions to invent labour party full members. I am amazed that the penny has not dropped yet amongst pbers - its going to be a take over. The £3quidders are only interested in revolution anyway. The original Labour Party has just gone up in smoke.
    I do not see it being very helpful for the SNP really if their bozo lefty ex labourites think Corbyn gives them a chance of running riot over the whole of Britain not just Scotland.
  • Options

    isam said:

    (snip)
    IN the same passage we find that the head of MI6 , John Sawers, also tried to restrain the amateur premier:
    (snip)

    "Amateur premier".
    Hitchens really doesn't like Cameron, does he?
    Still, I suppose it makes a change from 'lucky' ;)
    I do not know who is the bigger saddo - Hitchens or isam. Still at least scores of thousands of inhabitants of Bengazi are alive and not dead. How effective were MI6 in predicting ISIS and its beheading cult?
    Low blow against iSam there.

    As I said yesterday, I'm a bit sceptical about such biographies coming out especially when the people concerned are still very much in power.
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125
    rcs1000 said:

    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?

    Ok - I always preferred 'sanctimonious twattery' as being a much more appropriate response to luvvery :)
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Did she mention 50k Syrians or 15k - I didn't quite catch it.
    watford30 said:

    Watford30... Bono and Roger are thinking about it... it may take some time..and lots of bolly..

    I note Cooper was on Radio 4's Today earlier, not answering questions as she does. She's another one, eager for everyone else to do something, but not overly keen to make her comfortable second home available for use.
  • Options
    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    TOPPING said:

    on topic: whatever his victory margin (he won't win, YC will, but anyway) to think that there will somehow be a coup magicked from thin air is wishful/fearful thinking.

    Things don't just happen. People don't just rise up. The Labour Party won't just overthrow him. They, in their mealy-mouthed way, will put up with him.

    Witness Chucky Umanna's U turn last week.
  • Options
    Mr. Jessop, it seems daft to me.

    Cameron hasn't even finished being PM yet. He could still do something fantastic/terrible which will define his premiership.

    It's like sportsman who write [or have written] biographies at 23.

    The biographies of Hannibal, Caesar and Basil II based on what they were doing in their early 20s would be drastically different to proper reviews of their entire lives.
  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?

    Can you please advise on the alternative we can use? :-)
  • Options

    JWisemann said:

    Good morning, comrades.

    Mr. Royale, I agree. Not only is Labour frit when it comes to axing leaders, on the rare occasions it tries, it's incompetent. The Conservatives tore themselves apart with disloyalty and regicide whilst Labour cruised serenely through with drone-like loyalty to Blair [less than a decade ago!].

    Now, the fortune of the parties is reversed.

    I agree with Mr. Smithson that the scale of victory is important. Breaking down the numbers might matter too (by that I mean the three sectors: membership, unions, threepenny voters).

    UKIP and the Lib Dems need to exploit this opportunity to gain members at the expense of Labour, particularly if Corbyn wins.

    Bizarre logic, given that by the end of the year I'd be surprised if labour didn't have half a million full members, probably more than UKIP, the lib dems and the Tories put together.

    Whatever problems a Corbyn led labour will have, member numbers won't be one of them.
    We'll see. I'm not convinced that so many of the three quidders will actually join. Summer is passing, the nights are drawing in and the holiday romance will soon be a distant memory IMHO.
    The 3quidders will be automatically signed up as full members. It will be made as easy as possible for unions to invent labour party full members. I am amazed that the penny has not dropped yet amongst pbers - its going to be a take over. The £3quidders are only interested in revolution anyway. The original Labour Party has just gone up in smoke.
    I do not see it being very helpful for the SNP really if their bozo lefty ex labourites think Corbyn gives them a chance of running riot over the whole of Britain not just Scotland.
    I'm absolutely fascinated by the power play that is going on, and which will go on, once the result is out in a few days. It'll either be the low-grade squabbling for position which you get after every leadership election, medium-grade (on the scale of the Brown-Blair conflict) or all-out thermonuclear war within the party.

    And this is whoever way it goes. A while back I posted five or six different outcomes; I've still no idea which one is going to happen.
  • Options
    PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    IIRC Katie Price has 'written' 5 autobiogs...

    Mr. Jessop, it seems daft to me.

    Cameron hasn't even finished being PM yet. He could still do something fantastic/terrible which will define his premiership.

    It's like sportsman who write [or have written] biographies at 23.

    The biographies of Hannibal, Caesar and Basil II based on what they were doing in their early 20s would be drastically different to proper reviews of their entire lives.

  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,671
    edited September 2015

    rcs1000 said:

    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?

    Can you please advise on the alternative we can use? :-)
    "Tokenistic posturing just like...."

    Fill in the blanks.

    Suggest ... like "a neutered tom cat desperate to breed."
  • Options

    Mr. Jessop, it seems daft to me.

    Cameron hasn't even finished being PM yet. He could still do something fantastic/terrible which will define his premiership.

    It's like sportsman who write [or have written] biographies at 23.

    The biographies of Hannibal, Caesar and Basil II based on what they were doing in their early 20s would be drastically different to proper reviews of their entire lives.

    Interim biographies serve one great purpose: they provide a record that is *not* skewed by the knowledge of what was to come or what the settled historic opinion would be. For example,

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RVN4UMPMD0R7H
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,389
    edited September 2015
    Plato said:

    Did she mention 50k Syrians or 15k - I didn't quite catch it.

    watford30 said:

    Watford30... Bono and Roger are thinking about it... it may take some time..and lots of bolly..

    I note Cooper was on Radio 4's Today earlier, not answering questions as she does. She's another one, eager for everyone else to do something, but not overly keen to make her comfortable second home available for use.
    she answered nothing. It was pathetic. She has gone to the councils to ask what they want (apparently) but still wouldn't name a figure.

    Nor would she answer on funding.

    Diverting Britain's foreign aid budget to this IMO is a mini-masterstroke. If we are to have refugees (and right-minded centre/even farther right people agree we should) then what more sensible a way to lance the boil in the minds of the right about the 0.7% than to apply some of it at home. By any definition it qualifies as aid spending.
  • Options

    Mr. Jessop, it seems daft to me.

    Cameron hasn't even finished being PM yet. He could still do something fantastic/terrible which will define his premiership.

    It's like sportsman who write [or have written] biographies at 23.

    The biographies of Hannibal, Caesar and Basil II based on what they were doing in their early 20s would be drastically different to proper reviews of their entire lives.

    Pure guesswork: I wonder whether Seldon and Snowdon had done the book deal before the election, and they were expecting Cameron to lose?

    Seldon did a book on Blair in 2005, whilst he was still in power, but another after he had left, and he wrote about Brown in 2011.

    His book on the 'coalition effect', published in March this year, seems particularly stupidly early if you want to write about the full coalition.
  • Options

    rcs1000 said:

    Can we have a moratorium on the phrase "virtue signalling" please?

    Can you please advise on the alternative we can use? :-)
    Conspicuous compassion.
Sign In or Register to comment.