Was a real pleasure to ask him to write a piece for PB.
Nope. He is an idiot.
Whereas the most intelligent contribution to ever come out of you left a brown stain on the toilet bowl.
Dear Dear , how coarse TSE, have you joined the oafs. Even allowing for the provocation that is bad form.
Turnip Curry
Ingredients
◦1/4 cup vegetable oil ◦1 tablespoon black mustard seeds ◦1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic ◦1 small red onion, finely chopped ◦1 fresh green chile pepper (such as serrano) seeded and minced ◦1 teaspoon ground cumin ◦1 tablespoon ground coriander ◦1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped ◦1 pound tender turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces ◦1 cup unsweetened coconut milk ◦1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric ◦1 teaspoon salt ◦1 cup water ◦1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until crackling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and green chile and cook until onion turns golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and tomato and cook, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turnips, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until any remaining water is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Good afternoon. If anyone is watching the Wallonie Grand Prix this afternoon. The helicopter camera just showed one of Morris Dancer's pieces of midieval siege machinery in the grounds of a castle.
One thing, though, I'd take issue with - is it really true that there is an unusual amount of rage and anger at the moment?
Yes there really is. Incandescent rage. Masses of it.
There's not in my circles, but I can accept that I'm not "typical", but then again I doubt any of us are.
However, I'd have to admit I wouldn't fancy being 21 again fresh out of university, (well physically apart), as in many respects I had it easier in terms of house buying costs, lack of student debt, and not having to compete in the same way as now with an emerging couple of billion in the developing world for a job and resources.
That said, I had to play the game of life in my twenties as it was then presented to me then. House prices were lower in real terms, deposits were 0-5% but interest rates were 10% and going up. Going to university was a no brainer in career terms but doing so now and collecting 40K plus of debt is not necessarily so, and I think many 18 year olds would serve themselves better by thinking about that a bit more, rather than moaning about it at 25. (I'm not at all suggesting you are - just illustrating a general point). There were also over 3M unemployed when I joined the labour market though, so we all had our relative crosses to bear.
Intergenerational issues are real I fear, and we need to be aware and act, but be aware of the law of unintended consequences (Labour are historically rather crap at this I'm afraid). The issues are not all one way though, as I wrote earlier, I think a lot of BTL is driven by older folk looking to get themselves a decent income in old age because interest rates are so low, which props up borrowers (often the under 45's) but destroys pension returns. I just cannot accept that Jezza has the economic answers, which are, in my view, a classic set of plans for making us all more equal by making the "top 80%" poorer.
Was a real pleasure to ask him to write a piece for PB.
Nope. He is an idiot.
Whereas the most intelligent contribution to ever come out of you left a brown stain on the toilet bowl.
Dear Dear , how coarse TSE, have you joined the oafs. Even allowing for the provocation that is bad form.
Turnip Curry
Ingredients
◦1/4 cup vegetable oil ◦1 tablespoon black mustard seeds ◦1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic ◦1 small red onion, finely chopped ◦1 fresh green chile pepper (such as serrano) seeded and minced ◦1 teaspoon ground cumin ◦1 tablespoon ground coriander ◦1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped ◦1 pound tender turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces ◦1 cup unsweetened coconut milk ◦1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric ◦1 teaspoon salt ◦1 cup water ◦1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until crackling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and green chile and cook until onion turns golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and tomato and cook, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turnips, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until any remaining water is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Am I the only person already tired of the Corbyn circus? I hope we can leave him alone to either succeed or fail and get on with arguing about something else.
To paraphrase Group Captain Lionel Mandrake ... 'He is the Leader of the Opposition! Take a look at him in that photo... on the Front Bench! Yes thats right ... the Front Bench! The middle - where the Leader sits! Its what he's for, you twit!'
Lets leave Cameron alone to get on with it as well whilst we are at it.
I am all for women's equality but this woman is a b1tch ! The senior silk was wrong is complimenting her; agreed. But he only got to reply because she sent him an unsolicited mail.
She did not send it to the 280m linkedin users, only those she chose to send to. She or he did not know each other from Adam.
I know a number of female lawyers who won't instruct her on the basis of her behaviour, and judgement. They won't be alone.
Assume you have been a client of those lawyers and they confided in you, the alternative is too horrific to imagine.
Still conscious after lunch Malcolm? Why not help yourself to a nice refreshing glass of Windowlene from the Cleaning Cupboard, if there's no Brasso left.
Those who supported Mr Corbyn took part in a mass exercise in what political scientists call “expressive voting”, or the political equivalent of the selfie. By voting for him they reclaimed their political ego, a more important result than any that might occur in a general election.
At PMQs on Wednesday, the Labour leader continued to use himself as a means to that end. Mr Corbyn’s approach was idiosyncratic but it was as much a display of “gesture politics” as anything that he and his loyalists have slammed. There is no monopoly on flummery.
I've been working all morning, and haven't had a chance to follow what's being going on. How was PMQs?
And insofar as PMQs ever reaches the voters, Mr Corbyn’s approach carries another risk. By making himself into the spokesman for those who email him, he also risks letting their concerns define him. In effect, he may appear to be the parliamentary representative of welfare claimants, social housing tenants and other members of the vulnerable groups he says should be heard in politics. And in principle, he’s got a point: Parliament should reflect the country as a whole and its views. But in terms of brutal party politics, presenting Labour as the party of welfare recipients et al is exactly what the Conservatives want; Mr Corbyn’s approach risks doing Mr Cameron’s job for him.
Given all that, the PM did the right thing. All he needs to do to win is match Mr Corbyn’s earnest tone then sit back to watch the Labour lead reap the consequences of his worthy but ultimately limited strategy.
"Corbyn speaks for, and to, a great big slice of Britain"
But does he? That's the key question. Or does he just speak for, and to, a loud one. For now.
"Hence the appeal of Corbyn’s apparently home-spun rhetoric"
But isn't that intrinsically linked to the shambles of his first week? There's a reason why the professional greasy pole climbers act, speak and look like they do: Corbyn's just proved it by contradiction.
All IMHO, of course:
My impression is that the 'Labour leader' is now a committee and that Mr Corbyn is speaking for the committee; a figurehead.
Mr Corbyn seems to me to be a weak man, probably dominated by stronger personalities in his chosen set (which is now the committee). Outside of the well-trodden paths of protest, he cannot be allowed to speak for himself until the committee's party line is thoroughly worked out.
Mr Corbyn stood for election as leader because it was 'his turn' to represent the left. He got lucky. Or perhaps not.
Was a real pleasure to ask him to write a piece for PB.
Nope. He is an idiot.
Whereas the most intelligent contribution to ever come out of you left a brown stain on the toilet bowl.
Dear Dear , how coarse TSE, have you joined the oafs. Even allowing for the provocation that is bad form.
You call that coarse? I never knew you were such a delicate flower.
You can say what you like but the bloke is a fool and more fool you for pretending otherwise. CV? Don't make me laugh. But you invited him so I suppose you don't like the criticism. Same with the other rubbish about Labour suddenly becoming Eurosceptics. Proved to be rubbish before you ever printed it. Ask Hilary. If you don't like the criticism don't bother going into print.
One thing, though, I'd take issue with - is it really true that there is an unusual amount of rage and anger at the moment?
Yes there really is. Incandescent rage. Masses of it.
There's not in my circles, but I can accept that I'm not "typical", but then again I doubt any of us are.
However, I'd have to admit I wouldn't fancy being 21 again fresh out of university, (well physically apart), as in many respects I had it easier in terms of house buying costs, lack of student debt, and not having to compete in the same way as now with an emerging couple of billion in the developing world for a job and resources.
That said, I had to play the game of life in my twenties as it was then presented to me then. House prices were lower in real terms, deposits were 0-5% but interest rates were 10% and going up. Going to university was a no brainer in career terms but doing so now and collecting 40K plus of debt is not necessarily so, and I think many 18 year olds would serve themselves better by thinking about that a bit more, rather than moaning about it at 25. (I'm not at all suggesting you are - just illustrating a general point). There were also over 3M unemployed when I joined the labour market though, so we all had our relative crosses to bear.
Intergenerational issues are real I fear, and we need to be aware and act, but be aware of the law of unintended consequences (Labour are historically rather crap at this I'm afraid). The issues are not all one way though, as I wrote earlier, I think a lot of BTL is driven by older folk looking to get themselves a decent income in old age because interest rates are so low, which props up borrowers (often the under 45's) but destroys pension returns. I just cannot accept that Jezza has the economic answers, which are, in my view, a classic set of plans for making us all more equal by making the "top 80%" poorer.
Ever was it thus. When I entered the job mark, it was another recession, house deposits were 10-20% and mortgage max was 2.5 times salary. With a starter house at around 30k and salary at 4k, buying was simply out of reach. For someone fresh out of college without independent means, even getting on the lowest rung of the housing market would take at least until your 30s to get the deposit together. My parents thought they had it easier as nominal house prices were way lower in their day. But, like you, I graduated without debt.
Yes, good article. Even in conventional terms, Corbyn's mandate was so overwhelming - including amongst full party members, and even pre-2010 party members - that it will be hard for MPs to ditch him, even if they had an easy means and could agree on who they want to put in his place.
One thing, though, I'd take issue with - is it really true that there is an unusual amount of rage and anger at the moment? OK, amongst the die-hard lefties, sure, but then they are always angry that the world won't bend to fit their ideology. But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content: the economy is good, unemployment is fairly low, wages are rising now, the government is competent, scare stories about public services aren't borne out either by reality or by the occasional polls measuring satisfaction, and so on. Of course there are major issues and concerns - immigration, housing, the EU, the refugee crisis - but there's never been a time when there haven't been things to be concerned about. Twitter, Comment is Free, the Telegraph ranting pages, and even politicalbetting.com are not representative of the population at large. We should be careful not to be misled by a self-selected group of the strident and the malcontent.
Yup, and if Labour members were really unhappy with the government they'd have proritised getting rid of it. What they're telling us is that ultimately, they don't think a Tory government is too bad.
Maybe. Although even accepting that point, it'd be that they don't think this one is too bad.
Alternatively, it could be that they actually believe that electing Corbyn was the best way to get rid of it, having seen Cooper, Kendall and Burnham in action. Or in the absence of any meaningful way of getting rid of it, at least putting enough pressure on to take the edges of the worst aspects.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
No, he really hasn't. But he has surrounded himself with people who think he has.
Political gravity is going to be a bitch.
Correct. Of course he has not changed the rules. He stands up and he asks questions. And I think the word you are looking for is gravitas.
No, gravity. When they all come down with a bump.
I think at the moment JC is trying to climb out of the well he started at the bottom of; he just needs something, anything, that appears vaguely competent.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
You left out the nurses, the lovely nurses, the lovely voting nurses, the lovely Labour voting nurses.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
Where were all these outraged citizens last May ?
Incapable of voting for that arse Ed Miliband or the traitorous Nick Clegg. By the way, where is Clegg?!!
The MSM have failed to gauge the mood. We all just needed someone worthy to follow.
A surprising 95% approval rate for Jezza's PMQs amongst Guardian readers.
But they did let this slip through:
"When I received a Labour party email asking for questions to be posed to the prime minister this week, all I could think of was: ‘Prime Minister, can you believe your luck?’ "
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I'm probably where you are, Bob, from a Lib Dem perspective. I wouldn't vote for Corbyn but he's likeable and he's as long way from being this "threat to security" (at least in how he speaks and acts) the Conservatives claim.
For me, the test will be the degree to which (if any) he rows back from statist Labour policies - I believe Corbyn wants the best for the majority in this country and believes the State can direct it, provide it and control it.
I don't accept that - the State has a role as enabler and facilitator and as a means of help and last resource and incidentally I very warmly welcome Corbyn's emphasis on mental health which was a big part of Norman Lamb's work in Government. Mental health issues are huge and don't get the time and resources physical problems do.
Yet the State is no more "the answer" than the market - neither are wholly able to provide.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
You left out the nurses, the lovely nurses, the lovely voting nurses, the lovely Labour voting nurses.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
Where were all these outraged citizens last May ?
Incapable of voting for that arse Ed Miliband or the traitorous Nick Clegg. By the way, where is Clegg?!!
The MSM have failed to gauge the mood. We all just needed someone worthy to follow.
You need to think carefully about who exactly you mean by "we all".
You then need to go and have a detailed, analytical look at the demographic makeup of Britain. (Your friends, your colleagues, your family, people you know on facebook, people who live near you that you know of... forget all about them. They're anecdotal, unrepresentative. You need to look at the big picture: millions of people, not hundreds or thousands. For that you need cold hard statistics.)
Then calculate a floor, and a ceiling, of how many of these people in the second group are going to be the followers of Corbyn you identified in the first group.
Glen O'Hara has done this in the pretty decent* long article linked to by Tissue Price lower in the thread. The numbers he reckoned on came out worse than for Ed Miliband. That is not good news if you want Labour to win in 2020. If you disagree with him, crunch the numbers and show him wrong. Not crunch the feelings. The numbers.
* has a few slips, e.g. the comments pick up on the focus group video being wrong, and there is a clear ideological viewpoint it's been written from - which will annoy both hard-left and conservative-leaning readers alike - but it's worth reading whether you agree with it or not.
A surprising 95% approval rate for Jezza's PMQs amongst Guardian readers.
But they did let this slip through:
"When I received a Labour party email asking for questions to be posed to the prime minister this week, all I could think of was: ‘Prime Minister, can you believe your luck?’ "
v amusing.
I don't find that surprising at all. There are many, many Corbyn supporters who spend their time bigging him up all over the interwebs. Their slacktivism will surely extend to clicking on the Guardian website.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I'm probably where you are, Bob, from a Lib Dem perspective. I wouldn't vote for Corbyn but he's likeable and he's as long way from being this "threat to security" (at least in how he speaks and acts) the Conservatives claim.
For me, the test will be the degree to which (if any) he rows back from statist Labour policies - I believe Corbyn wants the best for the majority in this country and believes the State can direct it, provide it and control it.
I don't accept that - the State has a role as enabler and facilitator and as a means of help and last resource and incidentally I very warmly welcome Corbyn's emphasis on mental health which was a big part of Norman Lamb's work in Government. Mental health issues are huge and don't get the time and resources physical problems do.
Yet the State is no more "the answer" than the market - neither are wholly able to provide.
I believe Cameron wants the best for the majority in this country and - along with a majority of the voters - does not believe the State is the best mechanism to direct it, provide it and control it. His role is to prevent the excesses of both the market and the individual in providing the mechanics.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
Was a real pleasure to ask him to write a piece for PB.
Nope. He is an idiot.
Whereas the most intelligent contribution to ever come out of you left a brown stain on the toilet bowl.
Dear Dear , how coarse TSE, have you joined the oafs. Even allowing for the provocation that is bad form.
Turnip Curry
Ingredients
◦1/4 cup vegetable oil ◦1 tablespoon black mustard seeds ◦1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic ◦1 small red onion, finely chopped ◦1 fresh green chile pepper (such as serrano) seeded and minced ◦1 teaspoon ground cumin ◦1 tablespoon ground coriander ◦1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped ◦1 pound tender turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces ◦1 cup unsweetened coconut milk ◦1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric ◦1 teaspoon salt ◦1 cup water ◦1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until crackling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and green chile and cook until onion turns golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and tomato and cook, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turnips, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until any remaining water is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Serve hot, garnished with dill.
Lovely, a good few on here could do with that.
I love turnips! Wouldn't put vegetable oil in a curry though, much better with butter - the Indians don't revere the cow for nothing.
In my opinion, with Turnips, oats (much more nourishing than wheat), haggis (very nourishing) all traditional Scottish dishes, the Scottish diet used to be full of superfoods and it doesn't surprise me that at one stage the Scottish were said to be taller than the English.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I'm probably where you are, Bob, from a Lib Dem perspective. I wouldn't vote for Corbyn but he's likeable and he's as long way from being this "threat to security" (at least in how he speaks and acts) the Conservatives claim.
For me, the test will be the degree to which (if any) he rows back from statist Labour policies - I believe Corbyn wants the best for the majority in this country and believes the State can direct it, provide it and control it.
I don't accept that - the State has a role as enabler and facilitator and as a means of help and last resource and incidentally I very warmly welcome Corbyn's emphasis on mental health which was a big part of Norman Lamb's work in Government. Mental health issues are huge and don't get the time and resources physical problems do.
Yet the State is no more "the answer" than the market - neither are wholly able to provide.
He is a threat to our security because he does not believe that we should have or use armed forces, because he is dangerously naïve about many of the people that he shared platforms with when no one outside the awkward squad was listening and because he has very poor judgment. His manners have little to do with it.
I thought it was unfortunate that Norman Lamb's excellent work on mental health was not given a hat tip today. I thought Cameron missed a trick there. But the Lib Dems for the moment seem to be airbrushed out of our national story. The world is a lot harsher than Mr Corbyn thinks and you need to protect yourself. Any Lib Dem could tell him that.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
You left out the nurses, the lovely nurses, the lovely voting nurses, the lovely Labour voting nurses.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
Where were all these outraged citizens last May ?
Incapable of voting for that arse Ed Miliband or the traitorous Nick Clegg. By the way, where is Clegg?!!
The MSM have failed to gauge the mood. We all just needed someone worthy to follow.
You need to think carefully about who exactly you mean by "we all".
You then need to go and have a detailed, analytical look at the demographic makeup of Britain. (Your friends, your colleagues, your family, people you know on facebook, people who live near you that you know of... forget all about them. They're anecdotal, unrepresentative. You need to look at the big picture: millions of people, not hundreds or thousands. For that you need cold hard statistics.).
60% of 425,000 of 500,000 eligible lalala.
But, and I know this will seem arrogant, I'm more in tune with ordinary people than 90% of people on this site.
You need to wake up and smell the cappuchino. There's a sea-change taking place. No wonder the media are running around like the proverbial headless.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
@JohnRentoul: Two late thoughts about #PMQs: Corbyn felt he had to do a preface reminding benches behind him of his mandate from party members..
@JohnRentoul: And had to hide his shadow chancellor out of PM's sight behind Speaker's Chair to try (unsuccessfully) to avoid his being attacked. #PMQs
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
The way to destroy Corbyn will be to turn John McDonnell into a bogey man. Shouldn't be hard.
You need to wake up and smell the cappuchino. There's a sea-change taking place. No wonder the media are running around like the proverbial headless.
No, no, no, that wasn’t quite good, or a refreshing change, or a worthy start, or not-as-bad-as-it-might-have-been. That was the finishing whimper of a once-powerful party. That was worse than Ed Miliband’s first PMQs. It was as bad as late-Miliband’s “I met Nigel, a nurse from Nottingham.”
No. Many decided at the last minute to vote Conservative in the hope they might stop a Labour-SNP coalition and instead get a second Conservative-LibDem one.
EdM was an awful schmuck of a politician: a paler shade of Brown which is saying quite something.
A surprising 95% approval rate for Jezza's PMQs amongst Guardian readers.
But they did let this slip through:
"When I received a Labour party email asking for questions to be posed to the prime minister this week, all I could think of was: ‘Prime Minister, can you believe your luck?’ "
v amusing.
I don't find that surprising at all. There are many, many Corbyn supporters who spend their time bigging him up all over the interwebs. Their slacktivism will surely extend to clicking on the Guardian website.
I'm sorry.
I need to work on my sarcasm in print. No indeed it is not surprising. CiF thought they had collectively died and gone to heaven upon the appointment of Jezza. Of his entry into the leadership contest, for that matter.
I mean look at @Estobar - I'm sure he did his apprenticeship over there and look how incisive and acute his posts are.*
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
Although as we've seen on C4 and with the Walk Of Silence, Corbyn isn't always affable and polite.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
The way to destroy Corbyn will be to turn John McDonnell into a bogey man. Shouldn't be hard.
No it's not. McDonnell can be sacked, reshuffled or can choose to resign.
A surprising 95% approval rate for Jezza's PMQs amongst Guardian readers.
But they did let this slip through:
"When I received a Labour party email asking for questions to be posed to the prime minister this week, all I could think of was: ‘Prime Minister, can you believe your luck?’ "
v amusing.
I don't find that surprising at all. There are many, many Corbyn supporters who spend their time bigging him up all over the interwebs. Their slacktivism will surely extend to clicking on the Guardian website.
I'm sorry.
I need to work on my sarcasm in print. No indeed it is not surprising. CiF thought they had collectively died and gone to heaven upon the appointment of Jezza. Of his entry into the leadership contest, for that matter.
I mean look at @Estobar - I'm sure he did his apprenticeship over there and look how incisive and acute his posts are.*
*note: more sarcasm.
Perhaps it is I who should be more attuned to sarcasm (considering how often I am sarcastic)
Estobar is just one in a long line of trolls who have come and gone on here. I just wish I could get the widget to work properly - but it isn't great with Chrome.
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
The way to destroy Corbyn will be to turn John McDonnell into a bogey man. Shouldn't be hard.
No it's not. McDonnell can be sacked, reshuffled or can choose to resign.
Won't work. They are too close. They have been friends for the best part of 30 years and clearly believe much the same.
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
How would you know if you only joined September 3rd. and don't give me the old lurker defence
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
You left out the nurses, the lovely nurses, the lovely voting nurses, the lovely Labour voting nurses.
But, compared with much of the last fifty years, mostly people seem pretty content:
Christ. You haven't got a clue! Go and talk to teachers, health workers, people trying to get on the housing ladder, students not to mention people forced to use food banks, pound shops, wonga dealers ... the list could go on.
Where were all these outraged citizens last May ?
Incapable of voting for that arse Ed Miliband or the traitorous Nick Clegg. By the way, where is Clegg?!!
The MSM have failed to gauge the mood. We all just needed someone worthy to follow.
You need to think carefully about who exactly you mean by "we all".
You then need to go and have a detailed, analytical look at the demographic makeup of Britain. (Your friends, your colleagues, your family, people you know on facebook, people who live near you that you know of... forget all about them. They're anecdotal, unrepresentative. You need to look at the big picture: millions of people, not hundreds or thousands. For that you need cold hard statistics.).
60% of 425,000 of 500,000 eligible lalala.
But, and I know this will seem arrogant, I'm more in tune with ordinary people than 90% of people on this site.
You need to wake up and smell the cappuchino. There's a sea-change taking place. No wonder the media are running around like the proverbial headless.
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you Estobar?
He is a threat to our security because he does not believe that we should have or use armed forces, because he is dangerously naïve about many of the people that he shared platforms with when no one outside the awkward squad was listening and because he has very poor judgment. His manners have little to do with it.
I thought it was unfortunate that Norman Lamb's excellent work on mental health was not given a hat tip today. I thought Cameron missed a trick there. But the Lib Dems for the moment seem to be airbrushed out of our national story. The world is a lot harsher than Mr Corbyn thinks and you need to protect yourself. Any Lib Dem could tell him that.
I don't think Monday's Sun headline is a fair reflection of Corbyn's views and the Conservative attack video in which Corbyn speaks is more about Corbyn asking whether Britain needs to have some form of "global reach" in terms of armed forces. The fact is we have that as part of NATO and I've yet to hear Corbyn explain where he is on NATO membership.
Blair was elected on the anti-NATO and anti-EU platform in 1983 yet nobody ever questioned his commitment to either institution. Corbyn's anti-EU stance (if it occurs) won't do him any harm and I've yet to hear him unequivocally demand our withdrawal from NATO so I'll reserve judgement on your first point.
Yes, he has mixed with individuals whose views and attitudes would be repellent to many. I'm less uncomfortable with that than many and before Flightpath jumps down the collective throat, I get the outrage at the friendly nature of such meetings but I believe in a plurality of views and that means having to listen to views I personally don't agree with - I'm an LD on a forum dominated (in terms of posts if not posters) by Conservatives.
I want to hear those views and I want them challenged or to challenge them myself. Corbyn didn't or didn't appear to challenge at best - at worst, he came close to endorsement and while he's entitled to an opinion as a backbench MP (there might be considerable differences within the Conservative side on issues such as abortion for example), as a Party leader he has to be seen to be taking a more, dare I say it, responsible view.
Thank you for the kind word on Norman Lamb's mental health work. At the LD Leadership Hustings I attended in July, it was the one part of his remarks that drew the greatest applause from the audience and, to be fair, Tim Farron was highly complimentary.
I too regret the passing of the Coalition and you, and a few others on here, have made some very kind remarks about the LD participation. Time may tell that while the LDs made some dire mistakes and didn't always comport themselves well, we did a lot of good things in terms of influencing public policy (Steve Webb's work on pensions being another good example) which will have positive benefits in the years to come.
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
I believe I called a lot right. I said the Tories would be the largest party in May. I said the SNP would pound the Unionist Parties like a Dockside Hooker, I said FPTP would screw UKIP.
I also made money on the Labour leadership election. Plus my much highed 50/1 tip traded down as low at 5/1 I think.
This time last year I tipped Sajid Javid at 50/1 to be our next PM, he's now as low as 8/1
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
Although as we've seen on C4 and with the Walk Of Silence, Corbyn isn't always affable and polite.
He is a Mr Angry. All you have to do is identify the right button and press it at the right moment.
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
I believe I called a lot right. I said the Tories would be the largest party in May. I said the SNP would pound the Unionist Parties like a Dockside Hooker, I said FPTP would screw UKIP.
I also made money on the Labour leadership election. Plus my much highed 50/1 tip traded down as low at 5/1 I think.
This time last year I tipped Sajid Javid at 50/1 to be our next PM, he's now as low as 8/1
One thing you keep getting wrong is the timing of the AV thread. Curse these blasted 'events'.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
Getting a heck of a lot wrong is a badge of courage round here.
They get balanced out by the 50/1's and better that come in.* How many of them have YOU had?
*Like backing Jeremy Corbyn to be Labour leader. There have been others, but they, er, slip my mind...
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
I believe I called a lot right. I said the Tories would be the largest party in May. I said the SNP would pound the Unionist Parties like a Dockside Hooker, I said FPTP would screw UKIP.
I also made money on the Labour leadership election. Plus my much highed 50/1 tip traded down as low at 5/1 I think.
This time last year I tipped Sajid Javid at 50/1 to be our next PM, he's now as low as 8/1
One thing you keep getting wrong is the timing of the AV thread. Curse these blasted 'events'.
5 days left to go in this stint as Guest Editor, it's touch and go if we see it published.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
They just need to email the Labour Party, as 'Derek from Westminster','Diane from Westminster','Nick from Brussels' etc
No. Many decided at the last minute to vote Conservative in the hope they might stop a Labour-SNP coalition and instead get a second Conservative-LibDem one.
EdM was an awful schmuck of a politician: a paler shade of Brown which is saying quite something.
Who was the Muppet talking about tax paying public sector workers at PMQ's? Why doesn't he realise that they are not paying tax, they are just recycling it.
Or do you believe lovely nurses pay rather than recycle tax?
He is a Mr Angry. All you have to do is identify the right button and press it at the right moment.
I think that's probably true of a lot of people and probably true of David Cameron as well who was shown to be quite short-tempered on a couple of occasions as LOTO.
I suspect some awkward questions about his EU re-negotiation might see Dave's "Mr Angry" put in an appearance as well.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
Labour leaders and 45 minutes? Why does that bring back memories but I know not why?
I don't think Monday's Sun headline is a fair reflection of Corbyn's views and the Conservative attack video in which Corbyn speaks is more about Corbyn asking whether Britain needs to have some form of "global reach" in terms of armed forces. The fact is we have that as part of NATO and I've yet to hear Corbyn explain where he is on NATO membership.
Blair was elected on the anti-NATO and anti-EU platform in 1983 yet nobody ever questioned his commitment to either institution. Corbyn's anti-EU stance (if it occurs) won't do him any harm and I've yet to hear him unequivocally demand our withdrawal from NATO so I'll reserve judgement on your first point.
Yes, he has mixed with individuals whose views and attitudes would be repellent to many. I'm less uncomfortable with that than many and before Flightpath jumps down the collective throat, I get the outrage at the friendly nature of such meetings but I believe in a plurality of views and that means having to listen to views I personally don't agree with - I'm an LD on a forum dominated (in terms of posts if not posters) by Conservatives.
I want to hear those views and I want them challenged or to challenge them myself. Corbyn didn't or didn't appear to challenge at best - at worst, he came close to endorsement and while he's entitled to an opinion as a backbench MP (there might be considerable differences within the Conservative side on issues such as abortion for example), as a Party leader he has to be seen to be taking a more, dare I say it, responsible view.
Thank you for the kind word on Norman Lamb's mental health work. At the LD Leadership Hustings I attended in July, it was the one part of his remarks that drew the greatest applause from the audience and, to be fair, Tim Farron was highly complimentary.
I too regret the passing of the Coalition and you, and a few others on here, have made some very kind remarks about the LD participation. Time may tell that while the LDs made some dire mistakes and didn't always comport themselves well, we did a lot of good things in terms of influencing public policy (Steve Webb's work on pensions being another good example) which will have positive benefits in the years to come.
Steve Webb was a star. I was very happy with the Coalition. As long as Osborne keeps the Tories on the centre ground the loss will be minimised but the chronic weakness of Labour is going to make some of the less pleasant elements of the Conservative party a problem at some stage. But the wheel has to turn...
TSE, not being funny, but you've got a heck of a lot wrong in the last six months as have others on here. Maybe you should put a gentle unsmelly sock in it and spend some time reading a little more, studying what's going on, listening and trying to understand?
TSE underestimated the number of seats the Conservatives would win in May (as most of us did). That's not encouraging from your point of view.
15m people voted Conservative or UKIP in May. How do you think Corbyn will win them over?
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
Labour leaders and 45 minutes? Why does that bring back memories but I know not why?
If things reach the point where most of the shadow cabinet resign and Corbyn can not find substitutes, then he will have to step down regardless of what the party members want.
Then for their next leadership election, Labour MPs will limit the choice to more middle of the road candidates.
If things reach the point where most of the shadow cabinet resign and Corbyn can not find substitutes, then he will have to step down regardless of what the party members want.
Then for their next leadership election, Labour MPs will limit the choice to more middle of the road candidates.
Is not the danger then that the deselections follow and at that point a number of MP's start seriously thinking "sod it, may as well jump ship as I've got no future anyway?"
His dogmatism/echo chamber lifestyle strikes me as someone who doesn't have the self-confidence to grow or expose himself to alternatives that could challenge his position.
"Corbyn speaks for, and to, a great big slice of Britain"
But does he? That's the key question. Or does he just speak for, and to, a loud one. For now.
"Hence the appeal of Corbyn’s apparently home-spun rhetoric"
But isn't that intrinsically linked to the shambles of his first week? There's a reason why the professional greasy pole climbers act, speak and look like they do: Corbyn's just proved it by contradiction.
All IMHO, of course:
My impression is that the 'Labour leader' is now a committee and that Mr Corbyn is speaking for the committee; a figurehead.
Mr Corbyn seems to me to be a weak man, probably dominated by stronger personalities in his chosen set (which is now the committee). Outside of the well-trodden paths of protest, he cannot be allowed to speak for himself until the committee's party line is thoroughly worked out.
Mr Corbyn stood for election as leader because it was 'his turn' to represent the left. He got lucky. Or perhaps not.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
That was just the length of his opening ramble.
Dear god did I ever think one would be able to hark back to this and think: there is an operator.
Very good piece. I agree with a lot of it and have said similar in recent weeks on here.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
I see very little evidence that he is clever or articulate. Does seem polite though. Unless you are a cameraman of course.
As affable and polite as Corbyn is, it will ultimately be those he surrounds himself with that will be his downfall.
The way to destroy Corbyn will be to turn John McDonnell into a bogey man. Shouldn't be hard.
No it's not. McDonnell can be sacked, reshuffled or can choose to resign.
Won't work. They are too close. They have been friends for the best part of 30 years and clearly believe much the same.
There are no friendships at the top.
If it comes to a choice between keeping McDonnell and losing his leadership, then McDonnell will go. For that matter, if it does come to that, McDonnell might well jump to save Corbyn the embarrassment. After all, if the situation is that severe, it's not as if he has anything to gain by staying.
That said, it would weaken Corbyn if the two can be prised apart.
@BBCAllegra: 2/... backbenchers have complained to Speaker such long Corbyn Qs will crowd them out. Will Bercow have to step in? https://t.co/iyBPqdexSQ
Did he not just make PMQs last 45 minutes? It certainly seemed much longer.
That was just the length of his opening ramble.
Dear god did I ever think one would be able to hark back to this and think: there is an operator.
Comments
And the result has been nothing more than to hasten the demise of the labour party and socialism.
Ingredients
◦1/4 cup vegetable oil
◦1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
◦1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
◦1 small red onion, finely chopped
◦1 fresh green chile pepper (such as serrano) seeded and minced
◦1 teaspoon ground cumin
◦1 tablespoon ground coriander
◦1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
◦1 pound tender turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
◦1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
◦1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
◦1 teaspoon salt
◦1 cup water
◦1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until crackling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, and green chile and cook until onion turns golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and tomato and cook, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turnips, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until any remaining water is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Serve hot, garnished with dill.
PS: You surely don't expect Scott to know anything , his maximum is a few button clicks.
If anyone is watching the Wallonie Grand Prix this afternoon.
The helicopter camera just showed one of Morris Dancer's pieces of midieval siege machinery in the grounds of a castle.
Unseat
Jeremy
Corbyn
Association
However, I'd have to admit I wouldn't fancy being 21 again fresh out of university, (well physically apart), as in many respects I had it easier in terms of house buying costs, lack of student debt, and not having to compete in the same way as now with an emerging couple of billion in the developing world for a job and resources.
That said, I had to play the game of life in my twenties as it was then presented to me then. House prices were lower in real terms, deposits were 0-5% but interest rates were 10% and going up. Going to university was a no brainer in career terms but doing so now and collecting 40K plus of debt is not necessarily so, and I think many 18 year olds would serve themselves better by thinking about that a bit more, rather than moaning about it at 25. (I'm not at all suggesting you are - just illustrating a general point). There were also over 3M unemployed when I joined the labour market though, so we all had our relative crosses to bear.
Intergenerational issues are real I fear, and we need to be aware and act, but be aware of the law of unintended consequences (Labour are historically rather crap at this I'm afraid). The issues are not all one way though, as I wrote earlier, I think a lot of BTL is driven by older folk looking to get themselves a decent income in old age because interest rates are so low, which props up borrowers (often the under 45's) but destroys pension returns. I just cannot accept that Jezza has the economic answers, which are, in my view, a classic set of plans for making us all more equal by making the "top 80%" poorer.
In a boring, monotone drone.
Yep the revolution follows.
Lets leave Cameron alone to get on with it as well whilst we are at it.
I never knew you were such a delicate flower.
I've written a piece for tomorrow comparing Jeremy Corbyn to Julius Caesar and what have the New Statesman put on their front cover for tomorrow?
Corbyn as Caesar.
Sorry !
My impression is that the 'Labour leader' is now a committee and that Mr Corbyn is speaking for the committee; a figurehead.
Mr Corbyn seems to me to be a weak man, probably dominated by stronger personalities in his chosen set (which is now the committee). Outside of the well-trodden paths of protest, he cannot be allowed to speak for himself until the committee's party line is thoroughly worked out.
Mr Corbyn stood for election as leader because it was 'his turn' to represent the left. He got lucky. Or perhaps not.
As I say, all IMHO, of course.
But you invited him so I suppose you don't like the criticism. Same with the other rubbish about Labour suddenly becoming Eurosceptics. Proved to be rubbish before you ever printed it. Ask Hilary. If you don't like the criticism don't bother going into print.
Alternatively, it could be that they actually believe that electing Corbyn was the best way to get rid of it, having seen Cooper, Kendall and Burnham in action. Or in the absence of any meaningful way of getting rid of it, at least putting enough pressure on to take the edges of the worst aspects.
But what I am seeing in common amongst all the social media posts I'm seeing praising Corbyn and his refreshing unspun tone and look - they're all from died-in-the-wool Labourites.
I'm a Tory voter. I find him eccentric and unacceptably Leftie - yet reasonably likeable, personable and he's certainly clever and articulate. But am I going to be less likely to vote Tory as a result?
Of course not. I'm more resolutely Tory now because of his dangerous and unacceptable views.
The MSM have failed to gauge the mood. We all just needed someone worthy to follow.
But they did let this slip through:
"When I received a Labour party email asking for questions to be posed to the prime minister this week, all I could think of was: ‘Prime Minister, can you believe your luck?’ "
v amusing.
For me, the test will be the degree to which (if any) he rows back from statist Labour policies - I believe Corbyn wants the best for the majority in this country and believes the State can direct it, provide it and control it.
I don't accept that - the State has a role as enabler and facilitator and as a means of help and last resource and incidentally I very warmly welcome Corbyn's emphasis on mental health which was a big part of Norman Lamb's work in Government. Mental health issues are huge and don't get the time and resources physical problems do.
Yet the State is no more "the answer" than the market - neither are wholly able to provide.
Even Corbyn isn't that bad.
You then need to go and have a detailed, analytical look at the demographic makeup of Britain. (Your friends, your colleagues, your family, people you know on facebook, people who live near you that you know of... forget all about them. They're anecdotal, unrepresentative. You need to look at the big picture: millions of people, not hundreds or thousands. For that you need cold hard statistics.)
Then calculate a floor, and a ceiling, of how many of these people in the second group are going to be the followers of Corbyn you identified in the first group.
Glen O'Hara has done this in the pretty decent* long article linked to by Tissue Price lower in the thread. The numbers he reckoned on came out worse than for Ed Miliband. That is not good news if you want Labour to win in 2020. If you disagree with him, crunch the numbers and show him wrong. Not crunch the feelings. The numbers.
* has a few slips, e.g. the comments pick up on the focus group video being wrong, and there is a clear ideological viewpoint it's been written from - which will annoy both hard-left and conservative-leaning readers alike - but it's worth reading whether you agree with it or not.
I wonder if anybody can pick a vaguely coherent policy out of this, because I can't.
In my opinion, with Turnips, oats (much more nourishing than wheat), haggis (very nourishing) all traditional Scottish dishes, the Scottish diet used to be full of superfoods and it doesn't surprise me that at one stage the Scottish were said to be taller than the English.
I thought it was unfortunate that Norman Lamb's excellent work on mental health was not given a hat tip today. I thought Cameron missed a trick there. But the Lib Dems for the moment seem to be airbrushed out of our national story. The world is a lot harsher than Mr Corbyn thinks and you need to protect yourself. Any Lib Dem could tell him that.
But, and I know this will seem arrogant, I'm more in tune with ordinary people than 90% of people on this site.
You need to wake up and smell the cappuchino. There's a sea-change taking place. No wonder the media are running around like the proverbial headless.
@JohnRentoul: And had to hide his shadow chancellor out of PM's sight behind Speaker's Chair to try (unsuccessfully) to avoid his being attacked. #PMQs
No. Many decided at the last minute to vote Conservative in the hope they might stop a Labour-SNP coalition and instead get a second Conservative-LibDem one.
EdM was an awful schmuck of a politician: a paler shade of Brown which is saying quite something.
I need to work on my sarcasm in print. No indeed it is not surprising. CiF thought they had collectively died and gone to heaven upon the appointment of Jezza. Of his entry into the leadership contest, for that matter.
I mean look at @Estobar - I'm sure he did his apprenticeship over there and look how incisive and acute his posts are.*
*note: more sarcasm.
I only ever seem to hear that from, shall we say, people of a certain political leaning.
I'm wondering when they'll next be in power.
41 years ago.
Estobar is just one in a long line of trolls who have come and gone on here. I just wish I could get the widget to work properly - but it isn't great with Chrome.
Blair was elected on the anti-NATO and anti-EU platform in 1983 yet nobody ever questioned his commitment to either institution. Corbyn's anti-EU stance (if it occurs) won't do him any harm and I've yet to hear him unequivocally demand our withdrawal from NATO so I'll reserve judgement on your first point.
Yes, he has mixed with individuals whose views and attitudes would be repellent to many. I'm less uncomfortable with that than many and before Flightpath jumps down the collective throat, I get the outrage at the friendly nature of such meetings but I believe in a plurality of views and that means having to listen to views I personally don't agree with - I'm an LD on a forum dominated (in terms of posts if not posters) by Conservatives.
I want to hear those views and I want them challenged or to challenge them myself. Corbyn didn't or didn't appear to challenge at best - at worst, he came close to endorsement and while he's entitled to an opinion as a backbench MP (there might be considerable differences within the Conservative side on issues such as abortion for example), as a Party leader he has to be seen to be taking a more, dare I say it, responsible view.
Thank you for the kind word on Norman Lamb's mental health work. At the LD Leadership Hustings I attended in July, it was the one part of his remarks that drew the greatest applause from the audience and, to be fair, Tim Farron was highly complimentary.
I too regret the passing of the Coalition and you, and a few others on here, have made some very kind remarks about the LD participation. Time may tell that while the LDs made some dire mistakes and didn't always comport themselves well, we did a lot of good things in terms of influencing public policy (Steve Webb's work on pensions being another good example) which will have positive benefits in the years to come.
I also made money on the Labour leadership election. Plus my much highed 50/1 tip traded down as low at 5/1 I think.
This time last year I tipped Sajid Javid at 50/1 to be our next PM, he's now as low as 8/1
They get balanced out by the 50/1's and better that come in.* How many of them have YOU had?
*Like backing Jeremy Corbyn to be Labour leader. There have been others, but they, er, slip my mind...
Or do you believe lovely nurses pay rather than recycle tax?
I suspect some awkward questions about his EU re-negotiation might see Dave's "Mr Angry" put in an appearance as well.
Mr TSE, you don;t have to justify yourself to a poster who may well be just a sock puppet trying to wind up right wing posters on the site.
Many posters got May 2015 spectacularly wrong, but they have not been called out on it.
15m people voted Conservative or UKIP in May. How do you think Corbyn will win them over?
I like to think I'd stop ribbing him if he came back
Then for their next leadership election, Labour MPs will limit the choice to more middle of the road candidates.
@StewartWood: The Duke of Wellington has just been elected to the House of Lords. Straight up.
His dogmatism/echo chamber lifestyle strikes me as someone who doesn't have the self-confidence to grow or expose himself to alternatives that could challenge his position.
Mr Speaker, I have a question from a Mrs Trellis of North Wales...
To be fair it was in 2012 and the logic was UKIP could hand a load of Con held seats to the Lib Dems .
Ed Milliband's first PMQs
If it comes to a choice between keeping McDonnell and losing his leadership, then McDonnell will go. For that matter, if it does come to that, McDonnell might well jump to save Corbyn the embarrassment. After all, if the situation is that severe, it's not as if he has anything to gain by staying.
That said, it would weaken Corbyn if the two can be prised apart.
Which only shows how clueless you were about the nature of Lib Dem & UKIP voters I'm afraid.
Now that's quite a gaffe or an indicator that there's something rather odd going on when it comes to who sets policy if not the leader.