I see France going all out against ISIS now. While good ole Jeremy is going about talking absolute rubbish. Its clear he would never use military force, and his political judgement and timing has been downright awful. The blokes beginning to make my blood boil. Labour need to get rid. And fast.
I'm glad to see Hollande gets it. This could be incredibly damaging for Labour. They are already seen as being on the wrong side of public opinion in 3 key areas - austerity, immigration and welfare. They can hardly afford to add a 4th to the list - national security
A surprisingly simplistic thread. Do we think the public blame politicians for the much poorer health outcomes at weekends? Do we think the public will blame politician for trying to do something to remedy those poor outcomes?
Do we think the public will blame politicians for their top down re-organisation of the NHS that created the CCGs that have got us in this mess?
It is unclear to me how the replacement of PCTs with CCGs has caused the problem of a lack of medical staff at weekends. A problem which from personal experience goes back many years. Perhaps you could enlighten us.
You may not have noticed but since the abolition of the PCTs and the creation of the CCGs NHS units across the country have started going deeply in the red financially. There's no money left for a 7 day NHS.
By the sounds of it if Corbyn was in charge, he would ask the SAS to invite a suicide bomber to have a friendly chat over a soya latte rather than engage and neutralize him.
We haven't had enough about Scottish independence recently. Here's a trenchant attack on the SNP's handling of the politics of the independence debate:
What makes it interesting is the identity of its author, who was Alex Salmond's former head of policy.
It is a fascinating piece. Predictably the zoomers have responded by complaining about 'the Vow'...
I wonder if there is a misstep here from Nicola - going all" Corbyn " - does the self appointed "bestest in the world compassion" of Natland really reflect the population North of the border right now ?
"She said: “I urge people not to let these terrorists win by dividing us and driving a wedge between the multi-cultural society Scotland is home to."
"Humza Yousaf, External Affairs Minister and Michael Matheson, Justice Secretary, joined the First Minister at the central Mosque to show support for the Muslim communities in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I have seen with my own eyes in the aftermath of past terrorist atrocities that our Muslim community often feel a double burden.
“They feel the same shock and horror and revulsion that we do, but they've also got to cope with knowing that there are some who would point the finger of blame at them.”"
By the sounds of it if Corbyn was in charge, he would ask the SAS to invite a suicide bomber to have a friendly chat over a soya latte rather than engage and neutralize him.
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
No just poorly expressed as I said earlier : "Actually his point was sound if poorly expressed. Once they have adult rights they ain't children. Oops - something the liberal left forgot to think of. "
Sorry, beating the snot out of some poorly trained band of camel herders and nomads doesn't really count as a war and it was wars not police actions that I was talking about.
Well it is facing various goat herders and religous loons in the desert, not the British Army now !
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
@MichaelLCrick: I'm told Tim Farron twice told Chris Rennard to resign from Lib Dem Fed Exec; 2nd time with a deadline of 9pm last Friday. Rennard refused
Rennard has already faced down Clegg, and the coterie of witch-hunters previously. Farron's got no chance. Instead, he should tell the malcontents to shut-up or leave. What part don't they understand about "The Rennard matter is closed"?
55% as Presedential candidate is pretty resounding I'd say, leaving as it does 45% to be divided amongst everyone else.
It it's so silly, why be so insistent against Assad standing? Not only has he (according to the US) 'gassed his own people', he's also only the leader of a minority Alawite sect, ruling the dissatisfied majority by fear. So why not see him utterly electorally humiliated? Unless he actually commands a majority amongst Sunnis too. Unless Syrian's support their President, and want to keep Syria, rather than become a Muslim Balkans
Doesn't the Yougov poll have the slight problem of having been undertaken during the civil war? In which case, perhaps you can see some problems with sampling (leaving aside the generic problems with polling we've seen in this country).
The last ones pre-2012 were run in 2007, where about two-thirds of the seats were 'reserved' for Assad's party, and other parties willing to accept Ba'athite rule.
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
A surprisingly simplistic thread. Do we think the public blame politicians for the much poorer health outcomes at weekends? Do we think the public will blame politician for trying to do something to remedy those poor outcomes?
Do we think the public will blame politicians for their top down re-organisation of the NHS that created the CCGs that have got us in this mess?
It is unclear to me how the replacement of PCTs with CCGs has caused the problem of a lack of medical staff at weekends. A problem which from personal experience goes back many years. Perhaps you could enlighten us.
You may not have noticed but since the abolition of the PCTs and the creation of the CCGs NHS units across the country have started going deeply in the red financially. There's no money left for a 7 day NHS.
GPs and Private Finance companies have wrung the NHS dry ! Not to mention the massively overgenerous pension plans and cost creating reorganisations every 5 years...
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
Okay, here's Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, saying the same thing. A lot of people who work in technology think this is coming. Self-driving cars are obviously going to cause problems for those who drive a vehicle for a living, and artificial intelligence is getting amazingly good these days. What will it be like in 10 years time?
Read this about a week ago, one for the philosophers, programmers and mathematicians.
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
Technology Party? I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
At last! As a long term lurker and very occasional commenter on this site, this is exactly the way I think things should go. Evidence based decisions free of tiresome and blinkered left-right-religious slanted preconceived positions. Almost assured my vote. Bring it on.
Thanks Dimitry. Please come and say hello on the forum. Like I said, we're looking for key people, and also trying to build a community, so please get involved in any way you can!
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
For the first time it's making me wonder about the Oldham by-election - I mean they can read up there.
I'm no wall flower when it comes to females sticking it to Rennard types - but WTF are hand wringers in LD ranks doing here? Who is voting for him?
Another oily slug any Party shoud be ashamed of. The LDs are a pathetic Party on so many levels. This is just more evidence. They need a very long and hard look at themselves.
@MichaelLCrick: I'm told Tim Farron twice told Chris Rennard to resign from Lib Dem Fed Exec; 2nd time with a deadline of 9pm last Friday. Rennard refused
Rennard has already faced down Clegg, and the coterie of witch-hunters previously. Farron's got no chance. Instead, he should tell the malcontents to shut-up or leave. What part don't they understand about "The Rennard matter is closed"?
Technology Party? I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
Tesla are already into real world beta testing of this. The official line is that you shouldn't use driverless on a public road... but people are happily posting the (Not always perfect) results to Youtube !
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
Milne's having the sort of day, which Ingram and Campbell would have never had. Distracted by manhole cover collecting, then Corbyn fouling up almost every interview since lunchtime to-day. The Guardian must have known they were well rid of him.
A surprisingly simplistic thread. Do we think the public blame politicians for the much poorer health outcomes at weekends? Do we think the public will blame politician for trying to do something to remedy those poor outcomes?
Do we think the public will blame politicians for their top down re-organisation of the NHS that created the CCGs that have got us in this mess?
It is unclear to me how the replacement of PCTs with CCGs has caused the problem of a lack of medical staff at weekends. A problem which from personal experience goes back many years. Perhaps you could enlighten us.
You may not have noticed but since the abolition of the PCTs and the creation of the CCGs NHS units across the country have started going deeply in the red financially. There's no money left for a 7 day NHS.
The problem of worse than normal medical outcomes at weekends has been around for longer than CCGs. To my mind therefore the introduction of CCGs cannot be responsible for the problem that needs to be addressed.
Furthermore, the Junior Doctors are not threatening to strike over the structure of the NHS or that it should be given even more money. They are threatening to strike because of changes to their pay and conditions. An 11% payrise is not enough for them they want more.
When Corbyn was elected I said his response to a major terrorist incident would be dire. He's proving my point in spades. Can you imagine him responding to a similar incident occurring in the UK? The remaining sensible Labour members ought to be acting now to get rid of him before he does some permanent damage to the party.
Prime Minster Corbyn we have an incident. There a several groups of terrorists randomly shooting people at various locations across London. One group has taken a 1000 hostages at the Brixton Academy. We have teams of SAS on route, what do you want them to do.
Ask them if they want to have a chat with me.
What the SAS commander?
No. The misguided individuals inside the Brixton Academy.
Its a bit harsh to call fans of Finger Finger Death Punch misguided.
No. The misguided individuals with the guns.
They don't want to talk. Shall we order an offensive by the SAS.
Yes ok if you must, but no shooting. At the end of the day, we want to be able to negotiate with these individuals.
@thomasknox: Let me get this right. If ISIS attacked us the way they attacked France, prime minister Jeremy Corbyn would NOT retaliate. Is that correct?
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
Milne's having the sort of day, which Ingram and Campbell would have never had. Distracted by manhole cover collecting, then Corbyn fouling up almost every interview since lunchtime to-day. The Guardian must have known they well well rid of him.
When Corbyn was elected I said his response to a major terrorist incident would be dire. He's proving my point in spades. Can you imagine him responding to a similar incident occurring in the UK? The remaining sensible Labour members ought to be acting now to get rid of him before he does some permanent damage to the party.
A surprisingly simplistic thread. Do we think the public blame politicians for the much poorer health outcomes at weekends? Do we think the public will blame politician for trying to do something to remedy those poor outcomes?
Do we think the public will blame politicians for their top down re-organisation of the NHS that created the CCGs that have got us in this mess?
It is unclear to me how the replacement of PCTs with CCGs has caused the problem of a lack of medical staff at weekends. A problem which from personal experience goes back many years. Perhaps you could enlighten us.
You may not have noticed but since the abolition of the PCTs and the creation of the CCGs NHS units across the country have started going deeply in the red financially. There's no money left for a 7 day NHS.
GPs and Private Finance companies have wrung the NHS dry ! Not to mention the massively overgenerous pension plans and cost creating reorganisations every 5 years...
I think that argument has been wrung dry. I repeat what Brown said in 2010. The NHS now has enough money and can undertake a £20bn efficiency drive. That efficiency drive is continuing adter the 2015 election. The govt has already added another £8bn to its spending plans for the NHS since the election. All health services are facing serious financial deficits. The French NHS has a deficit. There is no evidence that the CCGs are any more responsible for going in the red than any other sort of set up. Treating more people is costly. One of the biggest problems the NHS has is discharging people after treatment, something for which social services deserve criticism.
Technology Party? I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
They said that about spinning and weaving machines. They said that about computers. They even said that about the internet. Driverless vehicles will happen
Perhaps Corbyn has been misunderstood? I haven't watched the video, but could he be arguing for a shoot-to-incapacitate policy, rather than kill?
(And with that, my requirements for continued membership in the PB Tories for Corbyn club are fulfilled.)
When someone has a bomb on them (as did all the terrorists in Paris) shoot to incapacitate and shoot to kill are essentially identical. i.e. You ideally shoot them in the head.
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
Milne's having the sort of day, which Ingram and Campbell would have never had. Distracted by manhole cover collecting, then Corbyn fouling up almost every interview since lunchtime to-day. The Guardian must have known they well well rid of him.
Milne can't spin to save his boss's career.
Actually I think it was tim from twitter of all people....
Faisal Islam @faisalislam 1 hr1 hour ago Serik, Antalya
President Hollande calls for a United Nations Security Council meeting as "France is at war" with Isil...
Hollandes going for em.....
Seems a long time ago that Hollande was that joke figure whose biggest difficulties with trying to spin those late night moped runs for a bit of after hours bonking. So the question is Obama Big Balls what you going to do? Putin will say yes, Cameron will say yes.
Whatever Laura K's advice was to Jezza's spin team the other week, I some how doubt it was what we have seen today. From discussions of the latest edition of manhole cover weekly to advocating the SAS hug a Jahadi.
Milne's having the sort of day, which Ingram and Campbell would have never had. Distracted by manhole cover collecting, then Corbyn fouling up almost every interview since lunchtime to-day. The Guardian must have known they well well rid of him.
Milne can't spin to save his boss's career.
Actually I think it was tim from twitter of all people....
Technology Party? I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
Tesla are already into real world beta testing of this. The official line is that you shouldn't use driverless on a public road... but people are happily posting the (Not always perfect) results to Youtube !
It's madness.
The amazing thing is that the automotive world is quite conservative, technology-wise. I worked mainly in the consumer electronics (CE) world, and it was quite painful moving on to automotive projects, where the manufacturers demanded really strict specs (e.g. on EMI).
To my mind, this is why the major manufacturers are mainly concentrating on evolutionary additions: cruise control, lane control, auto parking, auto braking etc. This way, they can perfect the technologies over millions of miles and tens of thousands of cars, perfecting them and making them work together. When they are, they'll move on to the next suite of autonomous controls.
Tesla and Google are doing it with the big-bang approach. Whilst technically brilliant, it is still very much smoke-and-mirrors. Which are two of the many things that can fool some of the systems.
As I've said before, the main thing the manufacturers are after at the moment isn't necessarily the tech required for automonous cars, but the data. Who controls the data will control the cars.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
Corbyn makes sense once you realise he's the Tory party's longest sleeper agent.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
Okay, here's Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, saying the same thing. A lot of people who work in technology think this is coming. Self-driving cars are obviously going to cause problems for those who drive a vehicle for a living, and artificial intelligence is getting amazingly good these days. What will it be like in 10 years time?
Read this about a week ago, one for the philosophers, programmers and mathematicians.
No doubt the mechanization of agriculture was going to end employment. Then the industrialization of industries destroying cottage industries. Then mechanization of mining and construction. Then IT doing away with bank tellers, secretaries and archivists. Now driverless cars and big data.
I am sure the outcome will be different this time.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
Corbyn makes sense once you realise he's the Tory party's longest sleeper agent.
LOL. Do you have a link to that article? I need a good chortle.
Prime Minster Corbyn we have an incident. There a several groups of terrorists randomly shooting people at various locations across London. One group has taken a 1000 hostages at the Brixton Academy. We have teams of SAS on route, what do you want them to do.
Ask them if they want to have a chat with me.
What the SAS commander?
No. The misguided individuals inside the Brixton Academy.
Its a bit harsh to call fans of Finger Finger Death Punch misguided.
No. The misguided individuals with the guns.
They don't want to talk. Shall we order an offensive by the SAS.
Yes ok if you must, but no shooting. At the end of the day, we want to be able to negotiate with these individuals.
It'd be none of those. He'd be paralysed by having to make a decision, and some brave underling would do it for him.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
Corbyn makes sense once you realise he's the Tory party's longest sleeper agent.
Okay, here's Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, saying the same thing. A lot of people who work in technology think this is coming. Self-driving cars are obviously going to cause problems for those who drive a vehicle for a living, and artificial intelligence is getting amazingly good these days. What will it be like in 10 years time?
Read this about a week ago, one for the philosophers, programmers and mathematicians.
No doubt the mechanization of agriculture was going to end employment. Then the industrialization of industries destroying cottage industries. Then mechanization of mining and construction. Then IT doing away with bank tellers, secretaries and archivists. Now driverless cars and big data.
I am sure the outcome will be different this time.
At a time when we have record employment levels in the UK, it seems a little premature to be worrying about employment being ended by technology.
@bbclaurak: Senior Labour MP tells me Corbyn 'heading for a bit of a showdown' at PLP tonight over his comments on Paris attacks in last few days
@DPJHodges: Not actually about Corbyn any more, it's about the shadow cabinet and the PLP. If they continue to tolerate this the blame rests with them.
Prime Minster Corbyn we have an incident. There a several groups of terrorists randomly shooting people at various locations across London. One group has taken a 1000 hostages at the Brixton Academy. We have teams of SAS on route, what do you want them to do.
Ask them if they want to have a chat with me.
What the SAS commander?
No. The misguided individuals inside the Brixton Academy.
Its a bit harsh to call fans of Finger Finger Death Punch misguided.
No. The misguided individuals with the guns.
They don't want to talk. Shall we order an offensive by the SAS.
Yes ok if you must, but no shooting. At the end of the day, we want to be able to negotiate with these individuals.
It'd be none of those. He'd be paralysed by having to make a decision, and some brave underling would do it for him.
Yes you are probably right. I was giving him too much credit.
Prime Minster Corbyn we have an incident. There a several groups of terrorists randomly shooting people at various locations across London. One group has taken a 1000 hostages at the Brixton Academy. We have teams of SAS on route, what do you want them to do.
Ask them if they want to have a chat with me.
What the SAS commander?
No. The misguided individuals inside the Brixton Academy.
Its a bit harsh to call fans of Finger Finger Death Punch misguided.
No. The misguided individuals with the guns.
They don't want to talk. Shall we order an offensive by the SAS.
Yes ok if you must, but no shooting. At the end of the day, we want to be able to negotiate with these individuals.
It'd be none of those. He'd be paralysed by having to make a decision, and some brave underling would do it for him.
Imagine a similar situation with the RAF requesting permission to shoot down a rogue aircraft? Presumably he'd ask them if there was any way that they could force it to circle, whilst he deliberated.
@bbclaurak: Senior Labour MP tells me Corbyn 'heading for a bit of a showdown' at PLP tonight over his comments on Paris attacks in last few days
@DPJHodges: Not actually about Corbyn any more, it's about the shadow cabinet and the PLP. If they continue to tolerate this the blame rests with them.
A "bit of a showdown". If I was one of the more sensible based in reality Labour MPs out there, I would be livid at him.
how would you differentiate yourselves from the other parties? I doubt any of them would suggest that they are not evidence-based (scientific and rational) in their policy-making.
Would you see such a party being defined by others as centre-right or centre-left?
I'm not a fan of using one dimension to try and explain what a party stands for. I describe the party as being socially and economically liberal because we are philosophically skeptical empricists:
We think the only way to really know anything is through examining the evidence, and we are very suspicious of untestable dogma. This makes us skeptical empiricists and naturally leads to us being pretty liberal about most things (both socially and economically) since new ideas can come from anywhere, and we are wary of any form of authority that tries to tell people what they can and cannot do. If there is a good reason to do something we would rather let everyone know about it and let them choose for themselves than force it on everyone. For this reason we value freedom of information, freedom of speech and think critical thinking is an essential skill like reading, writing, and maths that should be taught in school.
As I see it, there are two problems for a would be 'scientific' party:
1. The problem with evidence-based approaches is that you have to continually change and adapt your approach as new evidence comes in. I think the public will have a hard time understanding what such a party stands for.
The evidence doesn't change that often, and I think the public would understand.
2. Any one set of evidence can be read has supporting many different theses or political dogmas (e.g. the UK's economic performance under austerity has both been claimed to have worked - we are doing better than Europe - and to have damaged the economy - we should have done better without it). How can you determine the 'truly scientific' policy prescription when you'll never have perfect data that everyone agrees should be interpreted the same way?
We want to encourage science and technology by encouraging education and then getting out of the way - we are not technocrats.
@bbclaurak: Senior Labour MP tells me Corbyn 'heading for a bit of a showdown' at PLP tonight over his comments on Paris attacks in last few days
@DPJHodges: Not actually about Corbyn any more, it's about the shadow cabinet and the PLP. If they continue to tolerate this the blame rests with them.
A "bit of a showdown". If I was one of the more sensible based in reality Labour MPs out there, I would be livid at him.
I would say "oh to be a fly on the wall" but given that the PLP is leaking like a sieve at present we'll no doubt be given a full blow-by-blow account by 10.30 tonight.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
It's not funny is it, the leader of the opposition, the Labour Party, is a complete tool.
Plenty of us have been saying he has no intention of being PM, its just one big f**k you all ego trip.
PoliticsHome VERIFIED ACCOUNT @politicshome 2 hrs2 hours ago
Corbyn on Isis: "At the end of the day all wars have to end by political discussion." #skynews
Funny.. I can't remember when WW2 ended with 'political discussion'.
True, though perhaps an even more pertinent point is that while most wars end by political discussion, they only do so when either one side is close to defeated and wants a settlement, or both sides are ready to talk and compromise.
I made a tit of myself (not difficult) with a quick comment about Molenbeek earlier, insinuating that the EU had a say over the policing there.... obviously they don't. And I wasn't trying to have a go at the EU - I was more annoyed at how blase the Belgian minister was being.
The point I was trying to get at is that Belgium, France and the other EU contiguous countries have a cross-border agreement through Shengen, so if the intelligence work is poor in Belgium then France's security is only as good as Belgium's policing.
I'd be an even more worried French person right now, knowing that Molenbeek*has had a recent history of radicalism, and the Belgian's seem to have pussy-footed around it.
*Interesting snippet earlier that some of the terrorists who killed Shah Masoud in Afghanistan pre 9/11, were from Molenbeek.
In France, there is no God, there is no King, there is only 'Country'.
Which might be why the Frogs have been thumped in every war they have fought for the last two hundred and odd years (and a not a few before that).
I wonder whether they might use the Foreign Legion. Apart from being let down in N Vietnam they’ve a pretty good record!
I’ve also been diretcted to a Septic site called DC Whispers which, a week or so ago, published a long article (http://dcwhispers.com/russias-putin-issues-order-on-isis-annihilate-them/) which suggests that the soon to appear Russian boots-on-the-ground in ISIS areas will be expected to take no prisoners.
So it looks like you are not really a political party in waiting but a movement to sway the actual parties.
BTW, I pride myself on being a scientist and an amateur economist, and do not agree that evidence naturally leads to liberal economic policies. I guess some of that depends on what 'liberal' definition you are using. I would be more libertarian.
@bbclaurak: Senior Labour MP tells me Corbyn 'heading for a bit of a showdown' at PLP tonight over his comments on Paris attacks in last few days
@DPJHodges: Not actually about Corbyn any more, it's about the shadow cabinet and the PLP. If they continue to tolerate this the blame rests with them.
A "bit of a showdown". If I was one of the more sensible based in reality Labour MPs out there, I would be livid at him.
I would say "oh to be a fly on the wall" but given that the PLP is leaking like a sieve at present we'll no doubt be given a full blow-by-blow account by 10.30 tonight.
I would hope their objections will be heard half way across Westminster, let alone to the journos eavesdropping outside the door.
It is a total disgrace that we have the Tom and Jeremy "comedy" act, otherwise known as Hug a Jihadi and the noncefinder general, sorry nonce wrongly accuser general, in charge of her majesties official opposition. The Tories being a piss poor opposition to Blair was bad for the country, these two being the opposition to the Tories is equally.
It seems increasingly likely there will be French boots in the desert going after these scum, possibly within the month. Will the British deploy along with them? Not without a Commons resolution (whatever the technicalities of Article V). Will Cameron get one? Corbyn is going to find this question the very opposite of hypothetical all too soon.
I would like to think that he could not bring his party with him on pacifism. If he fails to do so can he survive?
Personally, I regard this as more analogous to Afghanistan than the stupid diversion that was Iraq. These people hold territory and a safe(ish) haven on the face of the planet. That is not a tolerable state of affairs. It must end.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
They've been bewildered ever since he was elected.
Regardless of one's political persuasions, we need a credible Opposition, and there isn't one with him in charge of the Labour Party.
Corbyn's comments about military action in Syria are one thing, his comments about dealing with an incident similar to what happened in Paris — and it could happen here at any time so saying it is hypothetical is laughable — are quite another. Cameron rightly has said "shoot to kill", Corbyn is essentially saying "don't shoot". His dithering would almost certainly cost lives.
These past few days Corbyn has made the biggest blunder since Gaius Terentius Varro decided that the clear open ground just down the road from Cannae offered an excellent prospect for shattering Hannibal’s army.
Technology Party? I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
Tesla are already into real world beta testing of this. The official line is that you shouldn't use driverless on a public road... but people are happily posting the (Not always perfect) results to Youtube !
It's madness.
The amazing thing is that the automotive world is quite conservative, technology-wise. I worked mainly in the consumer electronics (CE) world, and it was quite painful moving on to automotive projects, where the manufacturers demanded really strict specs (e.g. on EMI).
To my mind, this is why the major manufacturers are mainly concentrating on evolutionary additions: cruise control, lane control, auto parking, auto braking etc. This way, they can perfect the technologies over millions of miles and tens of thousands of cars, perfecting them and making them work together. When they are, they'll move on to the next suite of autonomous controls.
Tesla and Google are doing it with the big-bang approach. Whilst technically brilliant, it is still very much smoke-and-mirrors. Which are two of the many things that can fool some of the systems.
As I've said before, the main thing the manufacturers are after at the moment isn't necessarily the tech required for automonous cars, but the data. Who controls the data will control the cars.
I used to work in automotive. When fuel injection was first introduced it required aircraft standards of technology - at aircraft costs. Now, it's at costs that sup[port new cars costing £7,000.new. It's all about designing out cost whilst maintaining a reliable product..That often takes lots of years...
Corbyn on whether he would back military action on extremists. BBC: "I'm not saying I would or I wouldn't," he said".
...what a dither. I would laugh if it wasn't so tragic and serious.
Reminds me of the Yes Prime Minister on the deterrent where Hacker's reminded that he's PM *now* and in theory Nato HQ could ring at any moment (which it then does, asking for a speech).
Corbyn is applying to be PM. He might be able to dodge an answer now, at the cost of looking foolish, but a PM cannot do so: to hide under the covers or behind a wibble *is* to say No.
Matthew Holehouse writes: Federica Mogherini, the EU's chief diplomat, says that all the attackers are so far believed to be EU citizens. She speaks after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
"Let me underline, the profile of the terrorists so far identified tells us this is an internal threat," said the High Representative. She notes the external EU border is an issue regarding returning jihadis. But she adds: "It is all EU citizens so far. This can change with the hours, but so far it is quite clear it is an issue of internal domestic security."
Her comments may be part of a pre-emptive effort to help defend Schengen in the coming weeks.
Personally, I regard this as more analogous to Afghanistan than the stupid diversion that was Iraq. These people hold territory and a safe(ish) haven on the face of the planet. That is not a tolerable state of affairs. It must end.
+1. I think the case for war is stronger than Afghanistan if anything, Al Qaeda was not the Taliban, and the terrorists there were Saudi. Al Baghdadi is Al Baghdadi, and IS is IS !
@bbclaurak: Senior Labour MP tells me Corbyn 'heading for a bit of a showdown' at PLP tonight over his comments on Paris attacks in last few days
Corbyn has to go.
Regardless of one's political persuasions, we need a credible Opposition, and there isn't one with him in charge of the Labour Party.
It's stopped being funny now, this clown shoe is a danger to the country. He can't provide a decent opposition and in the unlikely event he was ever in a position of real power he would utterly feck it up. I was of the opinion that the longer we could keep him in charge of Labour the better, but he is far, far, too pathetic to be allowed to remain, regardless of your own political affiliation. Somebody needs to read him his future and quickly.
In France, there is no God, there is no King, there is only 'Country'.
Which might be why the Frogs have been thumped in every war they have fought for the last two hundred and odd years (and a not a few before that).
I wonder whether they might use the Foreign Legion. Apart from being let down in N Vietnam they’ve a pretty good record!
I’ve also been diretcted to a Septic site called DC Whispers which, a week or so ago, published a long article (http://dcwhispers.com/russias-putin-issues-order-on-isis-annihilate-them/) which suggests that the soon to appear Russian boots-on-the-ground in ISIS areas will be expected to take no prisoners.
"Gas was first pumped into the theater which rendered most inside unconscious. (and is believed to have caused the deaths of some of the hostages) Then Russian special forces entered the theater and proceeded to do what they were trained, and ordered by Putin himself, to do – they killed every one of the Muslim terrorists. No mercy was given to any of them. If a terrorist was found already passed out from the gas, an assault rifle was soon aimed at their heads and their life terminated."
Is that true? I mean I can believe it, given how Putin administration has dealt with descenters both at home and abroad. I mean unlike Corbyn if somebody from Putin's mob invites you to meet for a cup of tea and a chat, you better watch out whats in your tea. And I am not talking about some sort of hipster unpasterized camel's milk.
I am completely at a loss to know what to say about Jeremy Corbyn's latest interventions. I can only assume that he is a passionate pacifist and cannot bring himself to compromise his principles.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
They probably will be bewildered, but only because they haven't been paying much attention.
Anyone who has been paying attention won't be in the least bewildered. His interventions are exactly as expected, and exactly as predicted here and elsewhere.
Seriously how the feck do you manage to get on the side of Jihadi John?
I'll tell you. You start with far-fetched resolutions. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a code, and you go through the years sticking to that, outdated, misplaced, irrelevant to the real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Labour opposition-- a Labour opposition -- hiring taxis to scuttle round a city handing out grants to the jihadis. .
Comments
Corbyn on Isis: "At the end of the day all wars have to end by political discussion." #skynews
Funny.. I can't remember when WW2 ended with 'political discussion'.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14034562.Refugees_deserve_compassion_says_Nicola_Sturgeon/
"She said: “I urge people not to let these terrorists win by dividing us and driving a wedge between the multi-cultural society Scotland is home to."
"Humza Yousaf, External Affairs Minister and Michael Matheson, Justice Secretary, joined the First Minister at the central Mosque to show support for the Muslim communities in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I have seen with my own eyes in the aftermath of past terrorist atrocities that our Muslim community often feel a double burden.
“They feel the same shock and horror and revulsion that we do, but they've also got to cope with knowing that there are some who would point the finger of blame at them.”"
Corbyn's dangerous.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34832023
Perhaps I have typed to many letters in one of those words.
"Actually his point was sound if poorly expressed. Once they have adult rights they ain't children. Oops - something the liberal left forgot to think of. "
Head back to your allotments, and prepare to garden.
The last ones pre-2012 were run in 2007, where about two-thirds of the seats were 'reserved' for Assad's party, and other parties willing to accept Ba'athite rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_parliamentary_election,_2007
And if you're talking about the 2007 presidential election, you might like to look at the terms under which it was held. I don't really favour the 'Hobson's Choice' electoral system myself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_presidential_election,_2007
It makes Burma's electoral system look positively enlightened.
I can understand why someone who backs Putin's interests at every opportunity would quite like Syria's political system.
Oh, and why might people vote out of fear of Assad:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/images-syrian-torture-shock-new-yorkers-united-nations
Not to mention the massively overgenerous pension plans and cost creating reorganisations every 5 years...
Corbyn hiding in his shed, pretending he can't hear the sounds of gunshots and beheadings.
Okay, here's Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, saying the same thing. A lot of people who work in technology think this is coming. Self-driving cars are obviously going to cause problems for those who drive a vehicle for a living, and artificial intelligence is getting amazingly good these days. What will it be like in 10 years time?
Read this about a week ago, one for the philosophers, programmers and mathematicians.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/
Were previous Popes wrong? Hang on, they can't have been!
If you're a moderate Muslim then you should be funding (and participating in) the kicking the shit out of ISIS. If you don't then everyone else will.
Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia need to jointly act.
I do not care what the chairman of Google says in pursuit of his own commercial interests. The notion of 'driverless vehicles' is bunkum. Frankly it is so transparently bunkum that I cannot be bothered to list the problems both technological, practical and legal as well as socially they would have to overcome.
Another oily slug any Party shoud be ashamed of. The LDs are a pathetic Party on so many levels. This is just more evidence. They need a very long and hard look at themselves.
Illiberal Democrats has rarely been so accurate.
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/666293145748054016
Milne can't spin to save his boss's career.
Furthermore, the Junior Doctors are not threatening to strike over the structure of the NHS or that it should be given even more money. They are threatening to strike because of changes to their pay and conditions. An 11% payrise is not enough for them they want more.
Ask them if they want to have a chat with me.
What the SAS commander?
No. The misguided individuals inside the Brixton Academy.
Its a bit harsh to call fans of Finger Finger Death Punch misguided.
No. The misguided individuals with the guns.
They don't want to talk. Shall we order an offensive by the SAS.
Yes ok if you must, but no shooting. At the end of the day, we want to be able to negotiate with these individuals.
It would of course be a ludicrous idea, and taken up by nobody, but history would say he must.
I guess he is too busy worrying about whether his flock are using contraceptives.
If he did call a Crusade then I'd be very keen that he should be immediately imprisoned, and anyone that calls a Jihad should be too.
(And with that, my requirements for continued membership in the PB Tories for Corbyn club are fulfilled.)
This is it in spades.
David Cameron had hug a hoodie. Jeremy Corbyn has hug a Jihadi.
If my political leader was like this - I'd be speechless and enormously betrayed
President Hollande calls for a United Nations Security Council meeting as "France is at war" with Isil...
Hollandes going for em.....
There is no evidence that the CCGs are any more responsible for going in the red than any other sort of set up. Treating more people is costly. One of the biggest problems the NHS has is discharging people after treatment, something for which social services deserve criticism.
Corbyn on whether he would back military action on extremists. BBC: "I'm not saying I would or I wouldn't," he said".
...what a dither. I would laugh if it wasn't so tragic and serious.
I think Monsieur President de la Ve République speaks for the UK.
Poor Ed Miliband was just ahead of his time.
The amazing thing is that the automotive world is quite conservative, technology-wise. I worked mainly in the consumer electronics (CE) world, and it was quite painful moving on to automotive projects, where the manufacturers demanded really strict specs (e.g. on EMI).
To my mind, this is why the major manufacturers are mainly concentrating on evolutionary additions: cruise control, lane control, auto parking, auto braking etc. This way, they can perfect the technologies over millions of miles and tens of thousands of cars, perfecting them and making them work together. When they are, they'll move on to the next suite of autonomous controls.
Tesla and Google are doing it with the big-bang approach. Whilst technically brilliant, it is still very much smoke-and-mirrors. Which are two of the many things that can fool some of the systems.
http://jalopnik.com/this-is-how-bad-self-driving-cars-suck-in-the-rain-1666268433
http://www.citymetric.com/google-s-driverless-cars-can-t-spot-potholes-or-drive-heavy-rain
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2739765/Is-Google-s-driverless-car-fair-weather-friend-Vehicle-WON-T-work-heavy-rain-snow-insider-reveals.html
As I've said before, the main thing the manufacturers are after at the moment isn't necessarily the tech required for automonous cars, but the data. Who controls the data will control the cars.
Shoot to kill seems better under the circumstances.
Corbyn's a dangerous lunatic.
The British public are going to be utterly bewildered.
Corbyn's Ed Stone...Hug a Jihadi....
Read this about a week ago, one for the philosophers, programmers and mathematicians.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/
No doubt the mechanization of agriculture was going to end employment. Then the industrialization of industries destroying cottage industries. Then mechanization of mining and construction. Then IT doing away with bank tellers, secretaries and archivists. Now driverless cars and big data.
I am sure the outcome will be different this time.
underling would do it for him.
That occurred to me too.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/
No doubt the mechanization of agriculture was going to end employment. Then the industrialization of industries destroying cottage industries. Then mechanization of mining and construction. Then IT doing away with bank tellers, secretaries and archivists. Now driverless cars and big data.
I am sure the outcome will be different this time.
At a time when we have record employment levels in the UK, it seems a little premature to be worrying about employment being ended by technology.
@DPJHodges: Not actually about Corbyn any more, it's about the shadow cabinet and the PLP. If they continue to tolerate this the blame rests with them.
Both Hunt and Corbyn have supported homeopathy which is obviously utter nonsense. I'm not a fan of using one dimension to try and explain what a party stands for. I describe the party as being socially and economically liberal because we are philosophically skeptical empricists: The evidence doesn't change that often, and I think the public would understand. We want to encourage science and technology by encouraging education and then getting out of the way - we are not technocrats.
Regardless of one's political persuasions, we need a credible Opposition, and there isn't one with him in charge of the Labour Party.
Plenty of us have been saying he has no intention of being PM, its just one big f**k you all ego trip.
The point I was trying to get at is that Belgium, France and the other EU contiguous countries have a cross-border agreement through Shengen, so if the intelligence work is poor in Belgium then France's security is only as good as Belgium's policing.
I'd be an even more worried French person right now, knowing that Molenbeek*has had a recent history of radicalism, and the Belgian's seem to have pussy-footed around it.
*Interesting snippet earlier that some of the terrorists who killed Shah Masoud in Afghanistan pre 9/11, were from Molenbeek.
It was that discussion that caused WW2.
I’ve also been diretcted to a Septic site called DC Whispers which, a week or so ago, published a long article (http://dcwhispers.com/russias-putin-issues-order-on-isis-annihilate-them/) which suggests that the soon to appear Russian boots-on-the-ground in ISIS areas will be expected to take no prisoners.
So it looks like you are not really a political party in waiting but a movement to sway the actual parties.
BTW, I pride myself on being a scientist and an amateur economist, and do not agree that evidence naturally leads to liberal economic policies. I guess some of that depends on what 'liberal' definition you are using. I would be more libertarian.
It is a total disgrace that we have the Tom and Jeremy "comedy" act, otherwise known as Hug a Jihadi and the noncefinder general, sorry nonce wrongly accuser general, in charge of her majesties official opposition. The Tories being a piss poor opposition to Blair was bad for the country, these two being the opposition to the Tories is equally.
I would like to think that he could not bring his party with him on pacifism. If he fails to do so can he survive?
Personally, I regard this as more analogous to Afghanistan than the stupid diversion that was Iraq. These people hold territory and a safe(ish) haven on the face of the planet. That is not a tolerable state of affairs. It must end.
It's all about designing out cost whilst maintaining a reliable product..That often takes lots of years...
Corbyn is applying to be PM. He might be able to dodge an answer now, at the cost of looking foolish, but a PM cannot do so: to hide under the covers or behind a wibble *is* to say No.
Al Baghdadi is Al Baghdadi, and IS is IS !
Is that true? I mean I can believe it, given how Putin administration has dealt with descenters both at home and abroad. I mean unlike Corbyn if somebody from Putin's mob invites you to meet for a cup of tea and a chat, you better watch out whats in your tea. And I am not talking about some sort of hipster unpasterized camel's milk.
Anyone who has been paying attention won't be in the least bewildered. His interventions are exactly as expected, and exactly as predicted here and elsewhere.