One short sentence that encapsulates almost everything that is wrong the Labour party.
"Ken Livingstone is chairing Labour's defence review"
I'm mean, seriously.
He was on Radio 5 this morning and flippantly, because he was as always getting narked, suggested spending £20 billion on mental health care rather than submarines. I can not see Ken seriously thinking about defence, he's been given the job to deliver an already chosen answer.
I loved his logic last night when he claimed he was experienced in defence matters due to his involvement in civil defence as Mayor..........
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
Very good question, nobody springs to mind. You must understand I haven't always been anti tory, I met Michael Howard when he was in Folkestone, liked him very much. I thought Major was a very decent man and met him a couple of years ago when he spoke at a cricket lunch, he was very engaging and funny. They both had humility and interests outside of politics.
But the current crop are vacuous careerists, personified by the Chairman, Grant Shapps, who epitomises everything that's wrong with the party.
Ladbrokes Politics @LadPolitics 1m1 minute ago 10/1 Corbyn is replaced as Labour leader before year end. http://ow.ly/UPQx3
I'd be very wary of the wording there. Even if Corbyn goes, Labour won't have time for an election. Does Watson filling in count as Corbyn having been "replaced"?
One short sentence that encapsulates almost everything that is wrong the Labour party.
"Ken Livingstone is chairing Labour's defence review"
I'm mean, seriously.
He was on Radio 5 this morning and flippantly, because he was as always getting narked, suggested spending £20 billion on mental health care rather than submarines. I can not see Ken seriously thinking about defence, he's been given the job to deliver an already chosen answer.
I loved his logic last night when he claimed he was experienced in defence matters due to his involvement in civil defence as Mayor..........
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Presumably, any backlog that occurs consequent to these strikes is going to lead to the government increasingly looking elsewhere to source healthcare services.
After all, the people paying for the service are going to expect it to be delivered, and the majority don't care who does it, so long as it happens and is of acceptable quality.
One short sentence that encapsulates almost everything that is wrong the Labour party.
"Ken Livingstone is chairing Labour's defence review"
I'm mean, seriously.
He was on Radio 5 this morning and flippantly, because he was as always getting narked, suggested spending £20 billion on mental health care rather than submarines. I can not see Ken seriously thinking about defence, he's been given the job to deliver an already chosen answer.
I loved his logic last night when he claimed he was experienced in defence matters due to his involvement in civil defence as Mayor..........
Barking
To be fair, Ken was being unusually modest. After all, his declaration of the GLC as a nuclear-free zone worked 100% - not a single nuclear bomb hit London for the entire time it was in force.
When was the last time that a strike had such firm backing?"
An unprecedented result and for an extremely fair cause. This is one of the strike ballots Labour should be right behind but unfortunately owing to ridiculous internal squabbles they can't. Just the latest in a string of wasted open goals.
Just because the Doctors are united in their cause it doesn't mean it is right and they risk losing public support as patients operations are cancelled and patients die as a result of the strike. Also by striking in December at the time of high need will be counter productive. They need to get round the table and if necessary use Acas to resolve the dispute.
No prizes for guessing who the government will blame if there's another 'winter NHS crisis' this year.
The fairly recent top rating of the NHS was based ENTIRELY on governments' efforts previous to Cameron's. This was pointed out in Private Eye a while back.
Which top rating is this?
The OECD has just maligned the NHS as one of the worst performing healthcare services in the developed world, while the British Social Attitudes Study which gave a near record NHS satisfaction rating is an annual perception study among the general population, and so based on current perception.
Sorry, I have the details at home. Maybe this OECD rating is more recent. Maybe it relates more to the present state of affairs. Now, work.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
But the current crop are vacuous careerists
Have you noticed that Policemen are getting younger too?
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
Very good question, nobody springs to mind. You must understand I haven't always been anti tory, I met Michael Howard when he was in Folkestone, liked him very much. I thought Major was a very decent man and met him a couple of years ago when he spoke at a cricket lunch, he was very engaging and funny. They both had humility and interests outside of politics.
But the current crop are vacuous careerists, personified by the Chairman, Grant Shapps, who epitomises everything that's wrong with the party.
@patrickwintour: Camcorde, Dave's new plane, will save £775,000 a year and be shared with Royal Family. Has 158 seats. Retain air to air refuelling duties.
Yes indeed .... the heady days of January 2015 when PB Labourites had Ed on his way to Downing Street, Nick Palmer back in parliament and EICIPM and ELBOW rampant in their delirium.
There were even a couple of those pitiful 'if EICIPM I shall be emigrating' type of statements.
But not as many Nats who were going to emigrate if the 'losers' voted to stay in the UK......
Oh, I think there were plenty of Yoon zoomers promising the same.
Of course, serial fart & no follow through Michelle 'Mayfair' Mone finally bolted after she got her desired result. That principled consistency will serve her well as a Tory peer, I'm sure.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
Very good question, nobody springs to mind. You must understand I haven't always been anti tory, I met Michael Howard when he was in Folkestone, liked him very much. I thought Major was a very decent man and met him a couple of years ago when he spoke at a cricket lunch, he was very engaging and funny. They both had humility and interests outside of politics.
But the current crop are vacuous careerists, personified by the Chairman, Grant Shapps, who epitomises everything that's wrong with the party.
The GOP nomination is Trumps's to lose, which of course he is most admirably qualified so to do every time his lips move. If he is the nominee he will be crushed in a landslide by Hillary Clinton.
The essential problem for the GOP is similar to that of jezza's Labour party. The candidate tacks to the more extreme wing of their party to secure the leadership and then find themselves virtually unelectable.
The question for the GOP selectorate is will a pragmatic desire for the presidency outweigh their desperation for "one of us" to be the nominee. Presently the answer is emphatically no. The same problem is now facing the Labour party and its' more realistic members. Jezza in place in 2020 will lead to catastrophe and they know it, fear it and earnestly hope that in Mr Micawber's phrase - "something will turn up."
Meanwhile Clinton and Cameron know the GOP and Labour party are in a heap of trouble but are being ever so humble and smiling malevolently at the wreckage.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
Rating PMs is a bit of a mugs game IMHO. Especially when they are still in office. Their role in the world is always clearer some time, perhaps even decades, later. Partly it comes down to luck I'd say - events, dear boy events.
I am certainly no fan, but Cameron strikes me as being reasonable competent at handling the day to day pressures and the public seem to feel basically fairly secure that he's PM rather than anyone else.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
Oh, I think Jeremy Corbyn managed bigger audiences than that...
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
Oh, I think Jeremy Corbyn managed bigger audiences than that...
@LabourEoin: Really looking forward to Andy Burnham on #BBCqt tonight. He has been the stand out performer in Corbyn's Cabinet so far. Loyal & Competent.
Oxymoron, surely?
How can you be both loyal and competent to Corbyn.....
My lefty friends who backed Corbyn out of 80% despair and 20% pitiful hope are now spitting blood at his Islamohugging feebleness, and general inability to oppose anything the Tories do. They now hate him more than they hate Cameron. Intriguing.
The psychology is obvious - they don't want to admit that they were mind-blowingly stupid all along, and that the Blairites, Brownites, Tories, and everyone else who warned about Corbyn were right all along, so they need to create a narrative that they've been stabbed in the back. We'll see a lot of that in coming months - we are just at the start of that phase.
My lefty friends who backed Corbyn out of 80% despair and 20% pitiful hope are now spitting blood at his Islamohugging feebleness, and general inability to oppose anything the Tories do. They now hate him more than they hate Cameron. Intriguing.
The psychology is obvious - they don't want to admit that they were mind-blowingly stupid all along, and that the Blairites, Brownites, Tories, and everyone else who warned about Corbyn were right all along, so they need to create a narrative that they've been stabbed in the back. We'll see a lot of that in coming months - we are just at the start of that phase.
The GOP nomination is Trumps's to lose, which of course he is most admirably qualified so to do every time his lips move. If he is the nominee he will be crushed in a landslide by Hillary Clinton.
The essential problem for the GOP is similar to that of jezza's Labour party. The candidate tacks to the more extreme wing of their party to secure the leadership and then find themselves virtually unelectable.
The question for the GOP selectorate is will a pragmatic desire for the presidency outweigh their desperation for "one of us" to be the nominee. Presently the answer is emphatically no. The same problem is now facing the Labour party and its' more realistic members. Jezza in place in 2020 will lead to catastrophe and they know it, fear it and earnestly hope that in Mr Micawber's phrase - "something will turn up."
Meanwhile Clinton and Cameron know the GOP and Labour party are in a heap of trouble but are being ever so humble and smiling malevolently at the wreckage.
The Labour Party is ruining my job. Until a couple of months ago, that job was to write jokes about politics. It required a certain amount of effort. Since Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, however, that effort is now largely redundant. Today, the sketch writer’s role consists instead of helpless transcription.
I was a consultant back in the Blair Force One days working for the DfT, which was responsible for the programme. Got to go to No. 10 and Buck House - my mum was every so proud!
It got shelved as there was - in words of Gus O'Donnell - "not enough political cover". Some titbits and thoughts on the issue:
1) The PM is in charge of one of the worlds most influential and economically powerful countries in the world. I personally think an aircraft for his use is appropriate. You may disagree.
2) Every other G20 nation has a private aircraft for use by the head of state. And a majority of other nations too. This is not an argument in itself, of course, but an interesting observation.
3) There are very few charterable aircraft of the appropriate size and specification (20 seats and above, not too ostentatious, not owned by dodgy oligarch or sub-saharan despot, not used the previous week to host an orgy with an internet billionaire). Really, the 'propriety' issue was HUGE.
4) Most acceptable aircraft/owners are in the US, and most of those are on the West Coast. The ferry flights from there add massively to the carbon footprint, and they are rarely available on short notice. Even these aircraft often had poor configuration for a working PM, but it is currently a case of 'beggars can't be choosers'.
4) At the time (2006/7) The Royal Household required a proper bed for the Queen and Phil. This was a large constraint on the aircraft. Luckily a Voyager is easy to fit out to accommodate this.
5) To accomplish (4), BA used to rip out first class from the front of one of their 747's, and fit a full new royal suite for every overseas trip the Queen made. This meant the aircraft out of service for 2 weeks either side of the visit, making the charter costs astronomical (BA still made a loss, justified it in the 'prestige', but it f*cked there schedules somewhat).
6) Security is a prime concern, as mentioned by others. Also the ability for the PM to make and receive secure calls, and discuss classified information freely on a long-haul flight, and to basically remain an 'operational PM' is not an option if he's sharing first class with others.
7) It was also intended to replace the ageing (dying!) RAF BAe146s then used for VIP transport. This meant it would, less frequently, be used by 'second tier' royals and politicos (Osborne to Davos, for example).
8) Aircraft - especially civilian aircraft - have a large capital cost. After you have them you should work them as hard as you can to get your money's worth. The marginal cost of each additional flight hour is relatively low, hence (7).
My lefty friends who backed Corbyn out of 80% despair and 20% pitiful hope are now spitting blood at his Islamohugging feebleness, and general inability to oppose anything the Tories do. They now hate him more than they hate Cameron. Intriguing.
The psychology is obvious - they don't want to admit that they were mind-blowingly stupid all along, and that the Blairites, Brownites, Tories, and everyone else who warned about Corbyn were right all along, so they need to create a narrative that they've been stabbed in the back. We'll see a lot of that in coming months - we are just at the start of that phase.
yes.
The "they now hate him" gives it away. Now? Not previously? Not always?
I've gone from a Labour Party member to an ABC (Anyone but Corbyn) voter in the course of a few months. I can't blame Tories for revelling in the moment, technically as I live in a Labour super-marginal I could be classed as a Tory voter right now. However I think the existentialist talk about the Labour Party is way off the mark. Those clamouring for Corbyn to go need to be careful what they wish for - a replacement by someone like Dan Jarvis would have me switching back and rejoining in a moment. The focus would then move to things like the tax credits and Tory divisions on Europe which are going to get very nasty soon I suspect. 2020 is a long way away and I would have thought it was in the Tories best interests to keep Corbyn in place.
You mean real politics instead of this prolonged Mad Hatter's tea party? That would not only be good for the country, it would be good for the government too. It is at times like this (although I struggle to recall a time quite like this) that governments tend to make their biggest mistakes: when no one is asking the awkward questions.
I've gone from a Labour Party member to an ABC (Anyone but Corbyn) voter in the course of a few months. I can't blame Tories for revelling in the moment, technically as I live in a Labour super-marginal I could be classed as a Tory voter right now. However I think the existentialist talk about the Labour Party is way off the mark. Those clamouring for Corbyn to go need to be careful what they wish for - a replacement by someone like Dan Jarvis would have me switching back and rejoining in a moment. The focus would then move to things like the tax credits and Tory divisions on Europe which are going to get very nasty soon I suspect. 2020 is a long way away and I would have thought it was in the Tories best interests to keep Corbyn in place.
TBH I am more concerned about best needs of the country than any one party.
@BethRigby: Sarah Smith to be #BBC Scotland editor: another big female appointment by beeb on heels of @bbclaurak being made Pol Ed this year
Sarah Smith and Laura Keunssberg, two high profile BBC journalists who are entirely in their position based on merit, both are women with politically significant parents (of the Left). But still, entirely where the are based on merit.
@BethRigby: Sarah Smith to be #BBC Scotland editor: another big female appointment by beeb on heels of @bbclaurak being made Pol Ed this year
Sarah Smith and Laura Keunssberg, two high profile BBC journalists who are entirely in their position based on merit, both are women with politically significant parents (of the Left). But still, entirely where the are based on merit.
Family[edit] She is the eldest daughter of one time leader the Labour Party John Smith, and of Elizabeth Smith, Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill. Her mother's status as Baroness affords her the right to use "the Honourable" before her forename. The John Smith Memorial Trust, on whose Advisory Council she sits, lists her as "The Hon. Sarah Smith". Smith married Simon Conway, an author and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition, on the island of Iona, where her father is buried, on 22 September 2007.
The GOP nomination is Trumps's to lose, which of course he is most admirably qualified so to do every time his lips move. If he is the nominee he will be crushed in a landslide by Hillary Clinton.
The essential problem for the GOP is similar to that of jezza's Labour party. The candidate tacks to the more extreme wing of their party to secure the leadership and then find themselves virtually unelectable.
The question for the GOP selectorate is will a pragmatic desire for the presidency outweigh their desperation for "one of us" to be the nominee. Presently the answer is emphatically no. The same problem is now facing the Labour party and its' more realistic members. Jezza in place in 2020 will lead to catastrophe and they know it, fear it and earnestly hope that in Mr Micawber's phrase - "something will turn up."
Meanwhile Clinton and Cameron know the GOP and Labour party are in a heap of trouble but are being ever so humble and smiling malevolently at the wreckage.
Pip pip.
Agreed - except in Trump's case (and Jeremy's) I don't think he's 'tacking to the extreme wing', he's already there out of choice and conviction.
German intelligence received information that a terror cell was planning to set off multiple bombs inside the stadium during the game in Hannover, according to Bild newspaper.
The explosives were to be smuggled inside the stadium in ambulances. The cell's leader planned to film the attack as it took place from inside the stadium.
The group also planned to detonate another bomb in the city centre, and to carry out a further attack at the main train station after midnight, when fans would have been on their way home.
Bild published what it claimed were the contents of an intelligence briefing passed to Thomas de Maiziere, the interior minister, just hours before the match.
This is worrying. It implies that not only is there a relatively large and well-organised cell out there, but also enough materials for a couple of large bombs (unless the Germans have since found them).
I also wonder whether there must have been 'help' within the stadium to help them get the ambulances in.
Unless the intelligence was wrong (e.g. because something was misunderstood, or the terrorists wanted to cause chaos by floating a non-existent plan)
@BethRigby: Sarah Smith to be #BBC Scotland editor: another big female appointment by beeb on heels of @bbclaurak being made Pol Ed this year
Sarah Smith and Laura Keunssberg, two high profile BBC journalists who are entirely in their position based on merit, both are women with politically significant parents (of the Left). But still, entirely where the are based on merit.
How are Kuenssberg's parents 'politically significant'?
Many moons ago when 'Karma'* Toenails was on holiday Kuenssberg did a forensic job of ripping through New Labour's horsefeathers - number 10 were mightily relieved when Toenails returned...
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
After unseasonable warmth, proper November weather is here. Overcast, freezing, rain, cold winds. Clearly, we should open more coal-fired power stations to encourage warming.
Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn is the only major party leader not to suffer a fall in his ratings since October, the poll found. All four leaders, however, have negative ratings overall.
If there was an election tomorrow, some 41 per cent of those who thought they would vote backed the Conservatives, with 34 per cent for Labour.
I was a consultant back in the Blair Force One days working for the DfT, which was responsible for the programme. Got to go to No. 10 and Buck House - my mum was every so proud!
It got shelved as there was - in words of Gus O'Donnell - "not enough political cover". Some titbits and thoughts on the issue: [snipped for space] In summary, JFDI already!
Great anecdote Mr Anorak, cheers – JFDI indeed, and a replacement for RY Britannia.
ISIS seem to be very determined to make as many enemies as possible. Murdering the Chinese hostage is the latest example. That probably removes the last obstacle to getting a strong UN resolution.
Well, yes. ISIS actively WANT as much division between Islam and the Rest of the World as possible. This includes China - which has a restive Muslim population in Uighur.
They are purposely seeking global religious war, to bring on Koranically-predicted apocalypse. The envisage Islam triumphing amid the ruins.
It's mad but it's what they believe, and once you accept their worldview all their actions make sense, indeed they are often "clever".
However they tread a fine line. They also want to establish a genuine Caliphate - a true Islamic state encompassing as much of the Middle East as possible. Therefore a land invasion by enemy powers which extinguished them would be calamitous, in their eyes, at least until they have the strength to resist. So at the moment they have to go so far, but no further.
(snip)
Except they will want a land invasion of Syria sometime:
These include the belief that there will be only 12 legitimate caliphs, and Baghdadi is the eighth; that the armies of Rome will mass to meet the armies of Islam in northern Syria; and that Islam’s final showdown with an anti-Messiah will occur in Jerusalem after a period of renewed Islamic conquest.
The Islamic State has attached great importance to the Syrian city of Dabiq, near Aleppo. It named its propaganda magazine after the town, and celebrated madly when (at great cost) it conquered Dabiq’s strategically unimportant plains. It is here, the Prophet reportedly said, that the armies of Rome will set up their camp. The armies of Islam will meet them, and Dabiq will be Rome’s Waterloo or its Antietam.
If ISIS were to be 'defeated' (and my views on this are well known), then a fair bet has to be a final stand in that part of Syria. But ISIS are not stupid (at least by their own terms), and such a 'final conflict' may not be this time around ...
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
George Galloway?
Really? Which political audiences does he address?
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
Who, out of the current crop, do you think would do better?
Rating PMs is a bit of a mugs game IMHO. Especially when they are still in office. Their role in the world is always clearer some time, perhaps even decades, later. Partly it comes down to luck I'd say - events, dear boy events.
I am certainly no fan, but Cameron strikes me as being reasonable competent at handling the day to day pressures and the public seem to feel basically fairly secure that he's PM rather than anyone else.
Isn't rating PMs while they're still in office (and the potential PMs who could replace them) one of the things we ask the electorate to do every four or five years. By and large, their record isn't that bad.
@BethRigby: Sarah Smith to be #BBC Scotland editor: another big female appointment by beeb on heels of @bbclaurak being made Pol Ed this year
Sarah Smith and Laura Keunssberg, two high profile BBC journalists who are entirely in their position based on merit, both are women with politically significant parents (of the Left). But still, entirely where the are based on merit.
Family[edit] She is the eldest daughter of one time leader the Labour Party John Smith, and of Elizabeth Smith, Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill. Her mother's status as Baroness affords her the right to use "the Honourable" before her forename. The John Smith Memorial Trust, on whose Advisory Council she sits, lists her as "The Hon. Sarah Smith". Smith married Simon Conway, an author and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition, on the island of Iona, where her father is buried, on 22 September 2007.
Funny thing is, I remember watching a television programme making the same point about Michael Hestletine's daughter.
The old school tie only gets you so far, but it does get your foot in the door. Ask David Cameron.
@BethRigby: Sarah Smith to be #BBC Scotland editor: another big female appointment by beeb on heels of @bbclaurak being made Pol Ed this year
Sarah Smith and Laura Keunssberg, two high profile BBC journalists who are entirely in their position based on merit, both are women with politically significant parents (of the Left). But still, entirely where the are based on merit.
I agree, a couple of world class talents that the BBC has done well to snap up. If anything their high birth has held them back in the fiercely anti-nepotistic corporation.
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
13% of Syrian refugees feel "positive" or "very positive" about ISIS. That means about 130,000 of the 1m refugees now entering Germany, and the EU, are potential ISIS sympathisers.
@patrickwintour: Camcorde, Dave's new plane, will save £775,000 a year and be shared with Royal Family. Has 158 seats. Retain air to air refuelling duties.
What are the upfront capital conversion costs before it starts to save £775,000 a year?
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
@patrickwintour: Camcorde, Dave's new plane, will save £775,000 a year and be shared with Royal Family. Has 158 seats. Retain air to air refuelling duties.
What are the upfront capital conversion costs before it starts to save £775,000 a year?
Well they're saying payback is 10 years, so I'd say about £6m after discounting future savings. Seems an optimistic amount to me, but I guess marginal labour is 'free' in the RAF.
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
If David Cameron wants his own plane, he should follow Ronald Reagan's line in explaining why he did not go to church. It worked, as Reagan captured the Christian vote and defeated a president who actually taught Sunday school from the White House. CCHQ must point to Cameron nobly protecting the general public from being blown up by terrorists targeting the PM as he strolled through customs at Heathrow airport.
@patrickwintour: Camcorde, Dave's new plane, will save £775,000 a year and be shared with Royal Family. Has 158 seats. Retain air to air refuelling duties.
What are the upfront capital conversion costs before it starts to save £775,000 a year?
Well they're saying payback is 10 years, so I'd say about £6m after discounting future savings. Seems an optimistic amount to me, but I guess marginal labour is 'free' in the RAF.
Air Tanker / Voyager is operated under a PFI arrangement signed by the Labour government in 2008. Was this eventually not built into the contract?
Further reading leads to the conclusion it probably wasn't.
'A review of the scheme by the National Audit Office (NAO) was published in March 2010, concluding that it did not represent value for money. '
Another expensive legacy of Gordon Brown's tenure in No 11. No wonder the MoD had a £37 billion hole in it's budget.
@patrickwintour: Camcorde, Dave's new plane, will save £775,000 a year and be shared with Royal Family. Has 158 seats. Retain air to air refuelling duties.
What are the upfront capital conversion costs before it starts to save £775,000 a year?
Well they're saying payback is 10 years, so I'd say about £6m after discounting future savings. Seems an optimistic amount to me, but I guess marginal labour is 'free' in the RAF.
Air Tanker / Voyager is operated under a PFI arrangement signed by the Labour government in 2008. Was this eventually not built into the contract?
Good point. One would hope so, but given experience of previous PFI contracts, one suspects not...
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
If David Cameron wants his own plane, he should follow Ronald Reagan's line in explaining why he did not go to church. It worked, as Reagan captured the Christian vote and defeated a president who actually taught Sunday school from the White House. CCHQ must point to Cameron nobly protecting the general public from being blown up by terrorists targeting the PM as he strolled through customs at Heathrow airport.
For those too lazy to Google:
Reagan attended church only once in his eight years of presidency. Can a man who does not worship God be called Christian?
When asked about his lack of church attendance during the 1984 presidential debate with former Vice President Walter Mondale, Reagan said he feared endangering his own life and those of others: "I pose a threat to several hundred people if I got to church. I know all the threats that are made against me."
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
If David Cameron wants his own plane, he should follow Ronald Reagan's line in explaining why he did not go to church. It worked, as Reagan captured the Christian vote and defeated a president who actually taught Sunday school from the White House. CCHQ must point to Cameron nobly protecting the general public from being blown up by terrorists targeting the PM as he strolled through customs at Heathrow airport.
There's much more to it than that, as well you know.
The GOP nomination is Trumps's to lose, which of course he is most admirably qualified so to do every time his lips move. If he is the nominee he will be crushed in a landslide by Hillary Clinton.
The essential problem for the GOP is similar to that of jezza's Labour party. The candidate tacks to the more extreme wing of their party to secure the leadership and then find themselves virtually unelectable.
The question for the GOP selectorate is will a pragmatic desire for the presidency outweigh their desperation for "one of us" to be the nominee. Presently the answer is emphatically no. The same problem is now facing the Labour party and its' more realistic members. Jezza in place in 2020 will lead to catastrophe and they know it, fear it and earnestly hope that in Mr Micawber's phrase - "something will turn up."
Meanwhile Clinton and Cameron know the GOP and Labour party are in a heap of trouble but are being ever so humble and smiling malevolently at the wreckage.
Pip pip.
Agreed - except in Trump's case (and Jeremy's) I don't think he's 'tacking to the extreme wing', he's already there out of choice and conviction.
Trump is promoting himself and his name. That's how he makes a living.
There's been an argument on here that tories in Oldham will vote Labour to keep Corbyn in place, I don't think the electorate is as sophisticated as that. I'd say tories will abstain and enjoy the fight.
That was me. I'd now vote UKIP if I lived in Oldham.
The country doesn't need Corbyn, Dave is at his best when he's under pressure.
Corbyn will never put Dave under pressure.
I take your point but Cameron is only good at winning elections, he's a very ordinary PM as the next few years will prove.
ordinary is better than Brown and Miliband and ordinary ranks miles ahead of Corbyn.
Milliband was never PM and comparing him with Brown sets the bar very low. Of course I realise that for tories what he does as PM is irrelevant, he is PM, nothing else matters.
Poor old Farage can't even get himself elected as an MP. Where does he sit on the spectrum of failure?
A predictable but irrelevant reply. Even his critics must accept he has changed the face of politics in many respects and made a far bigger impact than 99% of MPs.
Farage has certainly changed forever the way we look at a politician resigning.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Its amazing how people outside of ukip are far more concerned with his resignation than those within. He's all over the UK addressing audiences of 1000 at a time, I can't think of any other low grade ego doing that.
George Galloway?
Really? Which political audiences does he address?
he does 'An evening with' shows. I can't imagine those turning up do so for his song-and-dance routine.
Given the amount of stick the government will take over this it plainly isn't a vanity project. I'm more or less certain Cameron would like to say no, but the people who look after his and other ministers security are probably saying it is unavoidable and long overdue.
If David Cameron wants his own plane, he should follow Ronald Reagan's line in explaining why he did not go to church. It worked, as Reagan captured the Christian vote and defeated a president who actually taught Sunday school from the White House. CCHQ must point to Cameron nobly protecting the general public from being blown up by terrorists targeting the PM as he strolled through customs at Heathrow airport.
For those too lazy to Google:
Reagan attended church only once in his eight years of presidency. Can a man who does not worship God be called Christian?
When asked about his lack of church attendance during the 1984 presidential debate with former Vice President Walter Mondale, Reagan said he feared endangering his own life and those of others: "I pose a threat to several hundred people if I got to church. I know all the threats that are made against me."
And that was after the assassination attempt on him, during which several other people got seriously injured.
Comments
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/34866711
Barking
Labour MPs best hope might be to employ Mrs Doyle to force yet another mince pie down him...
But the current crop are vacuous careerists, personified by the Chairman, Grant Shapps, who epitomises everything that's wrong with the party.
After all, the people paying for the service are going to expect it to be delivered, and the majority don't care who does it, so long as it happens and is of acceptable quality.
Now, work.
Other than that, another low-grade ego who doesn't know when to quit.
Andrew Feldman is the Chairman.
Surely they aren't going to Mach 2 of them?
Oh, I think there were plenty of Yoon zoomers promising the same.
Of course, serial fart & no follow through Michelle 'Mayfair' Mone finally bolted after she got her desired result. That principled consistency will serve her well as a Tory peer, I'm sure.
I am certainly no fan, but Cameron strikes me as being reasonable competent at handling the day to day pressures and the public seem to feel basically fairly secure that he's PM rather than anyone else.
Oxymoron, surely?
How can you be both loyal and competent to Corbyn.....
Who do you think is going to get the GOP nomination? And who do you think is going to win 2016 US?
..............................................................................................................
The GOP nomination is Trumps's to lose, which of course he is most admirably qualified so to do every time his lips move. If he is the nominee he will be crushed in a landslide by Hillary Clinton.
The essential problem for the GOP is similar to that of jezza's Labour party. The candidate tacks to the more extreme wing of their party to secure the leadership and then find themselves virtually unelectable.
The question for the GOP selectorate is will a pragmatic desire for the presidency outweigh their desperation for "one of us" to be the nominee. Presently the answer is emphatically no. The same problem is now facing the Labour party and its' more realistic members. Jezza in place in 2020 will lead to catastrophe and they know it, fear it and earnestly hope that in Mr Micawber's phrase - "something will turn up."
Meanwhile Clinton and Cameron know the GOP and Labour party are in a heap of trouble but are being ever so humble and smiling malevolently at the wreckage.
Pip pip.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/12003500/Jeremy-Corbyns-Labour-a-party-hell-bent-on-doing-satirists-out-of-a-job.html
It got shelved as there was - in words of Gus O'Donnell - "not enough political cover". Some titbits and thoughts on the issue:
1) The PM is in charge of one of the worlds most influential and economically powerful countries in the world. I personally think an aircraft for his use is appropriate. You may disagree.
2) Every other G20 nation has a private aircraft for use by the head of state. And a majority of other nations too. This is not an argument in itself, of course, but an interesting observation.
3) There are very few charterable aircraft of the appropriate size and specification (20 seats and above, not too ostentatious, not owned by dodgy oligarch or sub-saharan despot, not used the previous week to host an orgy with an internet billionaire). Really, the 'propriety' issue was HUGE.
4) Most acceptable aircraft/owners are in the US, and most of those are on the West Coast. The ferry flights from there add massively to the carbon footprint, and they are rarely available on short notice. Even these aircraft often had poor configuration for a working PM, but it is currently a case of 'beggars can't be choosers'.
4) At the time (2006/7) The Royal Household required a proper bed for the Queen and Phil. This was a large constraint on the aircraft. Luckily a Voyager is easy to fit out to accommodate this.
5) To accomplish (4), BA used to rip out first class from the front of one of their 747's, and fit a full new royal suite for every overseas trip the Queen made. This meant the aircraft out of service for 2 weeks either side of the visit, making the charter costs astronomical (BA still made a loss, justified it in the 'prestige', but it f*cked there schedules somewhat).
6) Security is a prime concern, as mentioned by others. Also the ability for the PM to make and receive secure calls, and discuss classified information freely on a long-haul flight, and to basically remain an 'operational PM' is not an option if he's sharing first class with others.
7) It was also intended to replace the ageing (dying!) RAF BAe146s then used for VIP transport. This meant it would, less frequently, be used by 'second tier' royals and politicos (Osborne to Davos, for example).
8) Aircraft - especially civilian aircraft - have a large capital cost. After you have them you should work them as hard as you can to get your money's worth. The marginal cost of each additional flight hour is relatively low, hence (7).
In summary, JFDI already!
The "they now hate him" gives it away. Now? Not previously? Not always?
Hmmm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34859860
SLAB infighting for List seats.
The PLP infighting over Corbyn.
I'm actually quite torn as to which will end up being worse for Labour and their electoral prospects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Smith_(news_reporter)
Family[edit]
She is the eldest daughter of one time leader the Labour Party John Smith, and of Elizabeth Smith, Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill. Her mother's status as Baroness affords her the right to use "the Honourable" before her forename. The John Smith Memorial Trust, on whose Advisory Council she sits, lists her as "The Hon. Sarah Smith". Smith married Simon Conway, an author and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition, on the island of Iona, where her father is buried, on 22 September 2007.
I also wonder whether there must have been 'help' within the stadium to help them get the ambulances in.
Unless the intelligence was wrong (e.g. because something was misunderstood, or the terrorists wanted to cause chaos by floating a non-existent plan)
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/george-osborne-is-cutting-wrong-services-say-voters-a3118476.html
Many moons ago when 'Karma'* Toenails was on holiday Kuenssberg did a forensic job of ripping through New Labour's horsefeathers - number 10 were mightily relieved when Toenails returned...
*Nat troll on Robinson's diagnosis.....
If there was an election tomorrow, some 41 per cent of those who thought they would vote backed the Conservatives, with 34 per cent for Labour.
If ISIS were to be 'defeated' (and my views on this are well known), then a fair bet has to be a final stand in that part of Syria. But ISIS are not stupid (at least by their own terms), and such a 'final conflict' may not be this time around ...
“Never seen it before”
“What’s that in your hand John?”
“Nothing…”
https://t.co/0hcyoy8Zgu
Honestly. Even Mr. Eagles has a better grasp of history.
CON 41 (+5)
LAB 34 (+2)
Awaiting full details
Writeup https://t.co/C15OETQF2y
'Just one per cent - those working longer hours than would be allowed - would see cuts, he said.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/nhs/11887308/How-much-are-junior-doctors-paid-and-why-are-they-threatening-to-strike.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34866406
http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/engine-room-fire-breaks-out-on-le-boreal/
The old school tie only gets you so far, but it does get your foot in the door. Ask David Cameron.
http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/422120/slide_422120_5406672_free.jpg
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/7321983/Carly-Simon-lets-slip-name-of-man-who-thought-Youre-So-Vain-was-about-him.html
Clever of her, then.
Further reading leads to the conclusion it probably wasn't.
'A review of the scheme by the National Audit Office (NAO) was published in March 2010, concluding that it did not represent value for money. '
Another expensive legacy of Gordon Brown's tenure in No 11. No wonder the MoD had a £37 billion hole in it's budget.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Strategic_Tanker_Aircraft
(5 of the aircraft are currently leased to Thomas Cook for package holiday flights).
Reagan attended church only once in his eight years of presidency. Can a man who does not worship God be called Christian?
When asked about his lack of church attendance during the 1984 presidential debate with former Vice President Walter Mondale, Reagan said he feared endangering his own life and those of others: "I pose a threat to several hundred people if I got to church. I know all the threats that are made against me."
I wonder if he's ever railed against austerity whilst taking £82k a year?
A very sensible analysis and we'll done for taking the time to do it.
In so doing of course you also totally defenestrate the odious SNP and their pathetic take on crass party politics.
Police treat vicious street attack in Bradford by hooded thugs on Christian convert as hate crime
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/14040719.Police_treat_vicious_attack_by_hooded_thugs_on_Christian_convert_as_hate_crime/