Malcolm Tucker has kindly summed up Comrade Len's words. "If some c*nt can f*ck something up, that c*nt will pick the worst possible time to f*cking f*ck it up cause that c*nt's a c*nt."
The one area where Labour and Corbyn are mightily lucky is the collapse in UKIP support as witnessed in local by elections since the GE. Had it not been for that I'd probably make UKIP odds on for Oldham now.
Give it a year and Len will be fulminating at Corbyn "hawking his conscience round from body to body asking to be told what to do with it". It's what TGWU bosses do.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
Osborne is a master strategist and a skilled Chancellor, but he's fully capable of missing an open goal, and having the ball hit the post and ricochet into his face: his emotional antennae are very poorly tuned.
Forcing the issue of Trident onto the political agenda seems a pretty good day to me.
If the NATS had won the vote it would have removed one of their arguments for indy. As it is they have kept their argument and put Labour on the spot. Pretty good politics if you ask me.
Also the O'Hara guy spoke pretty well I thought. He may be one to watch.
In political terms it was a coup for the SNP, Labour were utterly diminished today and their fate in May is sealed.
In terms of the debate, the SNP really need to smarten up their arguments and end the dog whistle nature of their opposition to Trident.
One of them was describing the UK "deterrent" as capable of destroying the world several times over, when in reality it would struggle to destroy a couple of Russias smaller Federal Subjects - which is why it is no deterrent at all.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
It's Groundhog Day again, with another thread hijacked in traditional Cyber Nat style by the ranting Dair.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
Osborne is a master strategist and a skilled Chancellor, but he's fully capable of missing an open goal, and having the ball hit the post and ricochet into his face: his emotional antennae are very poorly tuned.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
on topic Rachel Sylvester in The Times ''MPs know they cannot oust Mr Corbyn less than three months after he was elected – as our poll today shows, two thirds of party members think he is doing a good job, rising to 86 per cent of those who voted for him. But they also fear that the longer they leave a coup the more the left will have secured its hold. If Labour fails to win in London, and gets trounced in local, Welsh and Scottish elections next May, they will be ready to act. But will that be too late? This is turning into a race to the death between the MPs who want to throw out their leader and the Corbynistas who want to purge the moderates.''
Where is McDonnell tomorrow? He ''is due to speak at a “Keep up the Momentum” meeting of the Labour Representation Committee, Waltham Forest Branch, where left-wingers are trying to seize key party positions and have discussed ousting Stella Creasy, the local MP. It is extraordinary that this should be the shadow chancellor’s priority on the day of the autumn statement.''
I think OGH is optimistic if he thinks the unions are going to pull the plug any time soon. The knives are being sharpened BY the Corbyn Crew not FOR them.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Because Ocean can't handle planes?
I never said it could.
The applications for which Ocean is well suited and frequently used will now have to be covered by a Supercarrier, rolling out to humanitarian missions, disaster relief and interdiction support, all of which will continue to be helicopter based.
Not too much of a surprise from McCluskey. He wanted Unite to back Andy Burnham but was overturned by the lay members on his Executive. That is a very rare occurrence and demonstrates the strength of feeling of the lay activists in the union.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Grossadmiral Dairnitz hat gesprochen.
.. he cleaned the windows and he swept the floor, and he polished up the handle of the big front door.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
It's Groundhog Day again, with another thread hijacked in traditional Cyber Nat style by the ranting Dair.
The arguments won't change with every new story that emerges on what the UK's defence is going to lose because of the commitment to the Supercarriers.
But they are still worth stating each time a new story emerges.
Ocean is a very effective ship and has been a mainstay for the bulk of active roles the RN has been involved in over the last 20 years. And now that capability is going. That is bad for the RN and bad for the UK.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Grossadmiral Dairnitz hat gesprochen.
.. he cleaned the windows and he swept the floor, and he polished up the handle of the big front door.
I take it your drooling personal attacks reflect the complete paucity of any argument in favour of the Supercarriers.
Superb piece by Simon Jenkins debunking our obsession with spending more billions on "big toys" in the illusion they keep us safe. Doing the small things well is far more effective than strutting around pretending we can buy ourselves safety and security.
Today's events show the hugely complex situation in Syria and the "alliance" against IS operating to very different agendas.
Wasting public money on big ticket defence items at the same time as police numbers are being cut makes no sense at all.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Grossadmiral Dairnitz hat gesprochen.
.. he cleaned the windows and he swept the floor, and he polished up the handle of the big front door.
I polished up that handle so carefullee That now I am the Ruler of the Nat's Navee!
The briefing in brief: "A planned lengthy session with a professional coach was much abbreviated and left some members of the team a little exasperated. Mr Corbyn told aides he’d simply forgotten the appointment."
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
It's Groundhog Day again, with another thread hijacked in traditional Cyber Nat style by the ranting Dair.
The arguments won't change with every new story that emerges on what the UK's defence is going to lose because of the commitment to the Supercarriers.
But they are still worth stating each time a new story emerges.
Ocean is a very effective ship and has been a mainstay for the bulk of active roles the RN has been involved in over the last 20 years. And now that capability is going. That is bad for the RN and bad for the UK.
Its not a supercarrier even if it is too big for our needs. 3 40,000 tonne ships would have been better, but the costs of building would still be there. It is the weapon system we inherited and can be used perfectly adequately. It is just one sytem that we are bringing into service.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
I think the LDs are 95% certain to get less than 5% of the vote. I don't understand why the bookies make them evens to reach that level.
There was a lot of talk that Labour would lose moderate voters to the LD in Oldham. However that doesn't stand up, because in Oldham the Labour MP was a hardline leftie so he wouldn't have got many moderate voters in May anyway.
I made a prediction of Labour 55-65, UKIP on around 30 and the Tories at 10 with LD lost deposit long ago. Events since then haven't changed that prediction much, perhaps Labour will get closer to 50 than I expected and UKIP to 35.
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
I think the LDs are 95% certain to get less than 5% of the vote. I don't understand why the bookies make them evens to reach that level.
I'm on them to be above 5%, because turnout could likely be very low, and they have flooded the constituency with activists.
If each LibDem activist in OW&R gets out 5 of the voters who voted LD in May, they'll save their deposit. That seems like a fair bet.
The cut off for a deposit is around 1400 votes based the on maximum turnout I expect (a little under 40%), the LD got 1589 votes in May, I don't expect them all to turn out for a December by-election in a constituency they don't have many votes anyway and zero chance of winning. If Turnout crashes to a bit lower than 20% which is the minimum of my expectations, then the LD have a chance since they would only need 700 votes.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
Osborne is a master strategist and a skilled Chancellor, but he's fully capable of missing an open goal, and having the ball hit the post and ricochet into his face: his emotional antennae are very poorly tuned.
Osborne is a master strategist
who said comedy's dead ?
He's helped win two general elections, helped gain about 150 net seats over them and vanquished the Lib Dems taking their seats after using them.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
Osborne is a master strategist and a skilled Chancellor, but he's fully capable of missing an open goal, and having the ball hit the post and ricochet into his face: his emotional antennae are very poorly tuned.
Osborne is a master strategist
who said comedy's dead ?
He's helped win two general elections, helped gain about 150 net seats over them and vanquished the Lib Dems taking their seats after using them.
If that's not masterful what is?
he didn't win 2010 it was a coalition and Crosby won 2015.
''A veteran Lib Dem told me today the party could get 1% of the vote in the Oldham by-election and canvassers only go round in groups''
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
I think the LDs are 95% certain to get less than 5% of the vote. I don't understand why the bookies make them evens to reach that level.
I'm on them to be above 5%, because turnout could likely be very low, and they have flooded the constituency with activists.
If each LibDem activist in OW&R gets out 5 of the voters who voted LD in May, they'll save their deposit. That seems like a fair bet.
The cut off for a deposit is around 1400 votes based the on maximum turnout I expect (a little under 40%), the LD got 1589 votes in May, I don't expect them all to turn out for a December by-election in a constituency they don't have many votes anyway and zero chance of winning. If Turnout crashes to a bit lower than 20% which is the minimum of my expectations, then the LD have a chance since they would only need 700 votes.
on topic Rachel Sylvester in The Times ''MPs know they cannot oust Mr Corbyn less than three months after he was elected – as our poll today shows, two thirds of party members think he is doing a good job, rising to 86 per cent of those who voted for him. But they also fear that the longer they leave a coup the more the left will have secured its hold. If Labour fails to win in London, and gets trounced in local, Welsh and Scottish elections next May, they will be ready to act. But will that be too late? This is turning into a race to the death between the MPs who want to throw out their leader and the Corbynistas who want to purge the moderates.''
Where is McDonnell tomorrow? He ''is due to speak at a “Keep up the Momentum” meeting of the Labour Representation Committee, Waltham Forest Branch, where left-wingers are trying to seize key party positions and have discussed ousting Stella Creasy, the local MP. It is extraordinary that this should be the shadow chancellor’s priority on the day of the autumn statement.''
I think OGH is optimistic if he thinks the unions are going to pull the plug any time soon. The knives are being sharpened BY the Corbyn Crew not FOR them.
67% think he is doing a good job, 86% of those who voted for him, Lab membership number of "a", new members of "b"....has anyone solved the simultaneous equations to find out how many three quidders think he is doing a good job now vs when they joined (when presumably (100% x b) thought he was doing a good job)?
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Would anyone like to bet me some more money on a LD lost deposit in Oldham?
AndyJS, Speedy, others: money where you mouthes are guys
The LD chances are based on Turnout, if it's snowing on by-election day they might make it if their last supporters turn out despite the weather, I'm not willing to risk it over the Met.Office weather predictions 10 days from now. Pass.
Having been of the view, in the immediate aftermath of Paris, that we needed to be part of the bombing campaign against IS (given three of the other Permanent members of the UNSC are already actively involved), I'm now much less certain.
As Jenkins and others have argued, how effective is a purely aerial campaign ? Yes, it supports the indigenous ground troops but so they have what it takes to capture Raqqa, Mosul and Palmyra among other places ?
Today has shown the tensions within the anti-IS grouping and the competing and contradictory agendas at work. Even if IS is destroyed, what then ? Where is the comprehensive political settlement for Iraq and Syria ? We destroyed AQ in Afghanistan only for its diaspora to infect Europe, Asia and Africa. The real battle against IS isn't just around Raqqa and Mosul but is to be fought here, within families and communities.
Sacrificing our freedom on the altar of intrusive legislation for a vague and unverifiable promise of safety and security can't be all we have to offer ourselves. Cultural and moral battles can't be won by making new laws and enforcing new rules and diktats.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
Even by Corbyn standards this is quite a week.
and another four and a half years of it to go !
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I'm moderately interested, as a thought experiment, in working out what I would do if I were a non-Corbinyte Labour MP. I can see what my ultimate goal would be -a credible and popular mainstream Labour leadership challenger. And I can work back a bit to see what the penultimate parts of the process would be. But I can't see a way to get there from here - in short, where to begin ? Openly mock Labour's election prospects and wait? Or what ? Organise? Organise what, with whom?
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
Even by Corbyn standards this is quite a week.
and another four and a half years of it to go !
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
Superb piece by Simon Jenkins debunking our obsession with spending more billions on "big toys" in the illusion they keep us safe. Doing the small things well is far more effective than strutting around pretending we can buy ourselves safety and security.
Today's events show the hugely complex situation in Syria and the "alliance" against IS operating to very different agendas.
Wasting public money on big ticket defence items at the same time as police numbers are being cut makes no sense at all.
Another good post from Mr Stodge. Mrs C and I watched the 10pm News last night with mounting disbelief. Where's all this money come from? Mrs C, who once had Tory sympathies, but is rapidly moving to outflank me on the Left, opined that it was coming from the poor! Cameron and Osborne really are a pair of nasty pieces of work.
Individual Corbynistas like NickP can enjoy the self-indulgence of perpetual, but pure, opposition. The trade unions cannot. They know that under never-ending Tory government they will be emasculated completely. They need a Labour government. And they are rapidly finding out that under Corbyn and the far left they will never get one. Len may have to bite his tongue and compromise but he cannot afford a dead duck as LOTO.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
Even by Corbyn standards this is quite a week.
and another four and a half years of it to go !
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
I always find popcorn pretty pointless. It and Corbyn are pretty well matched.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
So on Monday we had the utter humiliation of the defence review and Jonny nomates. Today we have 20 Labour MPs defying the whip and voting on the SNP motion. Tomorrow we have the Autumn Statement and spending review. We also had a meeting of the PLP that went so well that no one other than McDonnell was allowed to talk about it.
Even by Corbyn standards this is quite a week.
and another four and a half years of it to go !
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
I always find popcorn pretty pointless. It and Corbyn are pretty well matched.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
Nah I'll leave that til Thursday when we find out all the things he didn't tell us.
The EEF will be pretty downbeat about his contribution.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Isn't that right on the Belgian border?
Well it's only a short way from the ISIS capital, Brussels.
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Isn't that right on the Belgian border?
It's like West Bromwich without the scenic bits.
Paris-Roubaix - the hell of the north. Watch those cobblestones.
Donald Trump 25% [20%] Ted Cruz 23% [10%] Ben Carson 18% [28%] Marco Rubio 13% [13%] Rand Paul 5% [6%] Jeb Bush 4% [5%] Carly Fiorina 3% [5%] Chris Christie 2% [1%] Mike Huckabee 2% [2%] Rick Santorum 2% [1%] John Kasich 1% [3%] Jim Gilmore 0% [0%] Lindsey Graham 0% [0%] George Pataki 0% [0%] Undecided – 2% [3%] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/iowa/release-detail?ReleaseID=2305
Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
Isn't that right on the Belgian border?
Well it's only a short way from the ISIS capital, Brussels.
I have three fun-filled days there next week, hopefully.
Donald Trump 25% [20%] Ted Cruz 23% [10%] Ben Carson 18% [28%] Marco Rubio 13% [13%] Rand Paul 5% [6%] Jeb Bush 4% [5%] Carly Fiorina 3% [5%] Chris Christie 2% [1%] Mike Huckabee 2% [2%] Rick Santorum 2% [1%] John Kasich 1% [3%] Jim Gilmore 0% [0%] Lindsey Graham 0% [0%] George Pataki 0% [0%] Undecided – 2% [3%] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/iowa/release-detail?ReleaseID=2305
Trump and Cruz the only ones gaining traction, 70 days to go till Iowa.
Another good post from Mr Stodge. Mrs C and I watched the 10pm News last night with mounting disbelief. Where's all this money come from? Mrs C, who once had Tory sympathies, but is rapidly moving to outflank me on the Left, opined that it was coming from the poor!
No it's the ~2% of GDP more or less everybody, bar Corbynites, agrees we need to spend on defence.
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
I always find popcorn pretty pointless. It and Corbyn are pretty well matched.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
Nah I'll leave that til Thursday when we find out all the things he didn't tell us.
The EEF will be pretty downbeat about his contribution.
I think this is one of his toughest gigs since he was appointed. None of the numbers are moving his way and yet the demands for increased spending are everywhere.
There is a serious risk of an internationally driven slow down next year which will make cutting the deficit even harder. I suspect we might see some tax increases being sneaked through- maybe revisiting fuel duty in light of the fall in the oil price? I really don't see how the numbers add up otherwise.
Regarding the Turkmen shooting the descending and defenseless pilots, did they not see The Great Escape and understand what happened to the perpetrators after the war?
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
I always find popcorn pretty pointless. It and Corbyn are pretty well matched.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
Nah I'll leave that til Thursday when we find out all the things he didn't tell us.
The EEF will be pretty downbeat about his contribution.
I think this is one of his toughest gigs since he was appointed. None of the numbers are moving his way and yet the demands for increased spending are everywhere.
There is a serious risk of an internationally driven slow down next year which will make cutting the deficit even harder. I suspect we might see some tax increases being sneaked through- maybe revisiting fuel duty in light of the fall in the oil price? I really don't see how the numbers add up otherwise.
It's not about spending, though it's about reform, If he doesn;t undertake reform now then our motor for growth remains borrowing more. He baulked at this stage in the last Parliament, I can't see chicken george do much differently tomorrow.
Saw her berthed at Greenwich a couple of years ago. Impressive sight.
HMS Ocean, the "Flagship of the Royal Navy", is to be decommissioned after a multi-million pound refit.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the move would happen in 2018, when HMS Ocean will have "reached the end of her life", despite no mention of it in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The Devonport-based helicopter carrier and assault ship, which is Britain's biggest warship, underwent a £65m upgrade in 2014.
Another casualty of the ridiculous, bloated Supercarrier vanity project.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
Grossadmiral Dairnitz hat gesprochen.
.. he cleaned the windows and he swept the floor, and he polished up the handle of the big front door.
I take it your drooling personal attacks reflect the complete paucity of any argument in favour of the Supercarriers.
I am not an expert in the field, so I probably shouldn't comment as such.
Donald Trump 25% [20%] Ted Cruz 23% [10%] Ben Carson 18% [28%] Marco Rubio 13% [13%] Rand Paul 5% [6%] Jeb Bush 4% [5%] Carly Fiorina 3% [5%] Chris Christie 2% [1%] Mike Huckabee 2% [2%] Rick Santorum 2% [1%] John Kasich 1% [3%] Jim Gilmore 0% [0%] Lindsey Graham 0% [0%] George Pataki 0% [0%] Undecided – 2% [3%] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/iowa/release-detail?ReleaseID=2305
Trump and Cruz the only ones gaining traction, 70 days to go till Iowa.
“First, we need clarity about the difference that extending Britain’s intervention will make to hastening Isis’s defeat. Our role should not solely be justified by solidarity, but on how we can make a practical difference.
“Second, any military action must be accompanied by a diplomatic plan to broker a political agreement to end the conflict in Syria… No adequate long-term solution can have any place for a dictator [President Assad] who has used chemical weapons against his own people…
“In the longer term a presence will be needed on the ground to keep the peace. This needs to be led by troops from the region – otherwise we risk reinforcing Isis’s narrative. Britain must therefore work closely with countries in the region to develop a plan.
“Third, we should be using our economic power as well as military resources. Isis is trading like a state, so we need to follow the money. That should include economic sanctions, cutting off the finances and targeting the human trafficking operations that fund its bloodshed.
“Fourth, the prime minister must provide assurances that post-conflict reconstruction is not being treated as an afterthought. Syria is a failed state with broken institutions, and will need to be rebuilt.”
"Finally the government must include in its plan “measures to strengthen community cohesion, give our police the resources they need, and prevent extremism from finding a voice in our communities.”
I can't see Cameron doing all these, Jarvis probably knows that.
I know. For a 66 year old you must admire his stamina. A man half his age would be struggling to fit that many fiascos and disasters into a week.
I wish I'd gone in to popcorn manufacturing instead of engineering !
I always find popcorn pretty pointless. It and Corbyn are pretty well matched.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
Nah I'll leave that til Thursday when we find out all the things he didn't tell us.
The EEF will be pretty downbeat about his contribution.
I think this is one of his toughest gigs since he was appointed. None of the numbers are moving his way and yet the demands for increased spending are everywhere.
There is a serious risk of an internationally driven slow down next year which will make cutting the deficit even harder. I suspect we might see some tax increases being sneaked through- maybe revisiting fuel duty in light of the fall in the oil price? I really don't see how the numbers add up otherwise.
It's not about spending, though it's about reform, If he doesn;t undertake reform now then our motor for growth remains borrowing more. He baulked at this stage in the last Parliament, I can't see chicken george do much differently tomorrow.
What sort of reform?
In this Parliament and the last we have seen a major increase in apprenticeships, we have seen steps taken to reform benefits, we have seen improved regulation by the Bank of financial institutions, we have seen decent growth (admittedly driven in part by continuing borrowing), we are starting to see significant increases in productivity, we have seen simply stunning increases in employment, we have seen an end to spurious UD claims and we have seen innovative steps taken to force the rich and the international companies to pay more.
I would like to see NI and IT combined, a massive simplification of the tax code, reductions in regulation (held up by Cable), less current spending and more capital investment but these are easy things to wish for and very hard things for a Chancellor with no money to ease delivery to provide.
I thought that we were assured that the Lib Dems were going to do far better than their GE showing in Oldham due to all the effort that the party could now focus on the seat? Fact is - as the Lib Dems well know - at by-elections particularly, when the turnout's low and so those who do vote are proportionately more tuned-in - if you're not in the running then you're likely to get squeezed if it looks tight at the top.
Another good post from Mr Stodge. Mrs C and I watched the 10pm News last night with mounting disbelief. Where's all this money come from? Mrs C, who once had Tory sympathies, but is rapidly moving to outflank me on the Left, opined that it was coming from the poor!
No it's the ~2% of GDP more or less everybody, bar Corbynites, agrees we need to spend on defence.
Comments
@HamishP95: .@SamCoatesTimes @stephenkb Lib Dems are Evens at LadBrokes to get under 5% of the vote lump on while you can
https://twitter.com/FinancialTimes/status/669180488632934400
If EVER there was a time, I mean EVER, to get an unpopular spending round full of tough decisions through parliament, it is now.
Osborne is a f8cking idiot if he doesn;t take the opportunity.
In terms of the debate, the SNP really need to smarten up their arguments and end the dog whistle nature of their opposition to Trident.
One of them was describing the UK "deterrent" as capable of destroying the world several times over, when in reality it would struggle to destroy a couple of Russias smaller Federal Subjects - which is why it is no deterrent at all.
Why use a cheap, inexpensive, effective ship like Ocean when you can roll in a hideously expensive Supercarrier.
who said comedy's dead ?
Rachel Sylvester in The Times
''MPs know they cannot oust Mr Corbyn less than three months after he was elected – as our poll today shows, two thirds of party members think he is doing a good job, rising to 86 per cent of those who voted for him. But they also fear that the longer they leave a coup the more the left will have secured its hold. If Labour fails to win in London, and gets trounced in local, Welsh and Scottish elections next May, they will be ready to act. But will that be too late? This is turning into a race to the death between the MPs who want to throw out their leader and the Corbynistas who want to purge the moderates.''
Where is McDonnell tomorrow?
He ''is due to speak at a “Keep up the Momentum” meeting of the Labour Representation Committee, Waltham Forest Branch, where left-wingers are trying to seize key party positions and have discussed ousting Stella Creasy, the local MP. It is extraordinary that this should be the shadow chancellor’s priority on the day of the autumn statement.''
I think OGH is optimistic if he thinks the unions are going to pull the plug any time soon. The knives are being sharpened BY the Corbyn Crew not FOR them.
The applications for which Ocean is well suited and frequently used will now have to be covered by a Supercarrier, rolling out to humanitarian missions, disaster relief and interdiction support, all of which will continue to be helicopter based.
and he polished up the handle of the big front door.
But they are still worth stating each time a new story emerges.
Ocean is a very effective ship and has been a mainstay for the bulk of active roles the RN has been involved in over the last 20 years. And now that capability is going. That is bad for the RN and bad for the UK.
In his interview with the NS, Bickley hinted the Asian vote may not be as solid for labour as some might expect. DYOR.
If each LibDem activist in OW&R gets out 5 of the voters who voted LD in May, they'll save their deposit. That seems like a fair bet.
Superb piece by Simon Jenkins debunking our obsession with spending more billions on "big toys" in the illusion they keep us safe. Doing the small things well is far more effective than strutting around pretending we can buy ourselves safety and security.
Today's events show the hugely complex situation in Syria and the "alliance" against IS operating to very different agendas.
Wasting public money on big ticket defence items at the same time as police numbers are being cut makes no sense at all.
That now I am the Ruler of the Nat's Navee!
(a) and (b) look better bets right now :-)
The briefing in brief: "A planned lengthy session with a professional coach was much abbreviated and left some members of the team a little exasperated. Mr Corbyn told aides he’d simply forgotten the appointment."
It is the weapon system we inherited and can be used perfectly adequately. It is just one sytem that we are bringing into service.
However that doesn't stand up, because in Oldham the Labour MP was a hardline leftie so he wouldn't have got many moderate voters in May anyway.
I made a prediction of Labour 55-65, UKIP on around 30 and the Tories at 10 with LD lost deposit long ago.
Events since then haven't changed that prediction much, perhaps Labour will get closer to 50 than I expected and UKIP to 35.
Even by Corbyn standards this is quite a week.
AndyJS, Speedy, others: money where you mouthes are guys
If Turnout crashes to a bit lower than 20% which is the minimum of my expectations, then the LD have a chance since they would only need 700 votes.
If that's not masterful what is?
Reuters: Medical services say several people have been wounded in an ongoing hostage situation in the northern French town of #Roubaix
God willing
The LD chances are based on Turnout, if it's snowing on by-election day they might make it if their last supporters turn out despite the weather, I'm not willing to risk it over the Met.Office weather predictions 10 days from now.
Pass.
Having been of the view, in the immediate aftermath of Paris, that we needed to be part of the bombing campaign against IS (given three of the other Permanent members of the UNSC are already actively involved), I'm now much less certain.
As Jenkins and others have argued, how effective is a purely aerial campaign ? Yes, it supports the indigenous ground troops but so they have what it takes to capture Raqqa, Mosul and Palmyra among other places ?
Today has shown the tensions within the anti-IS grouping and the competing and contradictory agendas at work. Even if IS is destroyed, what then ? Where is the comprehensive political settlement for Iraq and Syria ? We destroyed AQ in Afghanistan only for its diaspora to infect Europe, Asia and Africa. The real battle against IS isn't just around Raqqa and Mosul but is to be fought here, within families and communities.
Sacrificing our freedom on the altar of intrusive legislation for a vague and unverifiable promise of safety and security can't be all we have to offer ourselves. Cultural and moral battles can't be won by making new laws and enforcing new rules and diktats.
Openly mock Labour's election prospects and wait? Or what ? Organise? Organise what, with whom?
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/23/nick-clegg-eu-referendum-oxford_n_8634084.html
Cameron and Osborne really are a pair of nasty pieces of work.
I take it you will cheering George on tomorrow as always?
The EEF will be pretty downbeat about his contribution.
Donald Trump 25% [20%]
Ted Cruz 23% [10%]
Ben Carson 18% [28%]
Marco Rubio 13% [13%]
Rand Paul 5% [6%]
Jeb Bush 4% [5%]
Carly Fiorina 3% [5%]
Chris Christie 2% [1%]
Mike Huckabee 2% [2%]
Rick Santorum 2% [1%]
John Kasich 1% [3%]
Jim Gilmore 0% [0%]
Lindsey Graham 0% [0%]
George Pataki 0% [0%]
Undecided – 2% [3%]
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/iowa/release-detail?ReleaseID=2305
Reuters - several people have gunshot wounds. A bank director and his family maybe taken.
AFP - several gunmen have taken hostages. An 'operation' is underway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nK60C4BqLo
Not really, they just happen to take defence seriously unlike the comedy "opposition".
There is a serious risk of an internationally driven slow down next year which will make cutting the deficit even harder. I suspect we might see some tax increases being sneaked through- maybe revisiting fuel duty in light of the fall in the oil price? I really don't see how the numbers add up otherwise.
Conflict News @Conflicts 40s40 seconds ago
UPDATE: Situation in #Roubaix a bank robbery, not terror-related. As such, will end coverage.
This is how you do a political ad:
https://www.instagram.com/p/-bz5HWGhXZ/?taken-by=realdonaldtrump
He is also a paid 'adviser' to Nike.
http://labourlist.org/2015/11/jarvis-sets-five-tests-for-backing-military-action-in-syria/?utm_source=hootsuite
“First, we need clarity about the difference that extending Britain’s intervention will make to hastening Isis’s defeat. Our role should not solely be justified by solidarity, but on how we can make a practical difference.
“Second, any military action must be accompanied by a diplomatic plan to broker a political agreement to end the conflict in Syria… No adequate long-term solution can have any place for a dictator [President Assad] who has used chemical weapons against his own people…
“In the longer term a presence will be needed on the ground to keep the peace. This needs to be led by troops from the region – otherwise we risk reinforcing Isis’s narrative. Britain must therefore work closely with countries in the region to develop a plan.
“Third, we should be using our economic power as well as military resources. Isis is trading like a state, so we need to follow the money. That should include economic sanctions, cutting off the finances and targeting the human trafficking operations that fund its bloodshed.
“Fourth, the prime minister must provide assurances that post-conflict reconstruction is not being treated as an afterthought. Syria is a failed state with broken institutions, and will need to be rebuilt.”
"Finally the government must include in its plan “measures to strengthen community cohesion, give our police the resources they need, and prevent extremism from finding a voice in our communities.”
I can't see Cameron doing all these, Jarvis probably knows that.
http://www.newyorktolondonswim.com/
In this Parliament and the last we have seen a major increase in apprenticeships, we have seen steps taken to reform benefits, we have seen improved regulation by the Bank of financial institutions, we have seen decent growth (admittedly driven in part by continuing borrowing), we are starting to see significant increases in productivity, we have seen simply stunning increases in employment, we have seen an end to spurious UD claims and we have seen innovative steps taken to force the rich and the international companies to pay more.
I would like to see NI and IT combined, a massive simplification of the tax code, reductions in regulation (held up by Cable), less current spending and more capital investment but these are easy things to wish for and very hard things for a Chancellor with no money to ease delivery to provide.
The total for Welfare + NHS + Education + Housing is north of £330Bn. Per year.