Labour in trouble again!! This time the Edstone that wonderful gift that keeps on giving...... and this lot thought they could run the country. What a bunch?
Labour is to be investigated by the Electoral Commission over two receipts relating to the party's so-called 'EdStone'.
During the 2015 election campaign, former party leader Ed Miliband unveiled a limestone slab inscribed with six of his pledges and claimed it could be installed in the Downing Street garden should he be elected Prime Minister. It means the party could end up spending even more on Ed Miliband’s £8,000 limestone plinth if a fine is imposed.
The party failed to include invoices for the 8ft 6 plinth and according to the published receipts the much-mocked monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Sorry, but I don't get this political seven-year-olds at all. I vaguely remember being quite pleased when Wilson won but I was already my teens then. I do remember being a little concerned by the Cuban Missile Crisis in '62 - would we still be alive the next day?
But at school, it wasn't a hot topic. Being atomised in a nuclear blast came second to England losing at football.
I can remember a playground conversation about the 1987 election when I would have been 7 but it can hardly be called political. Separately I can remember at one point wondering to myself why the newspapers were always writing about Maggie Philbin on the front page.
similar age, only remember being dimly aware of the election in 1987
Events of that period that I do remember the news overage of, vividly - Kings Cross Fire, Zeebrugge, Lockerbie, great storm. Not politics per se.
1992 I remember - we were off school and there was a lot of "last one out turn off the lights" mockery. But not of anyone, just repetition of the phrase.
I've just been doing the sums for the Government's borrowing target. It is almost a certainty it will be missed. The OBR target is £68.9bn, YTD borrowing is already £74.2bn, that means the final quarter will have to come in at -£5.3bn, even taking into account a better than expected £14bn January surplus (which I think is unlikely), that leaves just £8-9bn in spending for the final two months, an average of £4.5bn per month. Unless the January surplus hits somewhere like £18-19bn hitting the target isn't very likely and that will mean Osborne will have to ready more cuts or tax rises. It might explain the new purported raid on pensions.
In 1987, I was 11, and in my final year in Junior school, Fourth Form as it was called back then. We Fourth-formers acted as "prefects", who would, amongst other things, ensure the young'uns went down the staircases in single-file, keeping to the left, at break-times and dinner-times. So we would be positioned at all the landings on the stairs, calling out "Keep to the left". Now, come election time that year, I spontaneously called out "Keep to the left - vote Labour!" And then one of the teachers appeared saying, "No political bias, please!".
Having read the Sophie Ridge piece, one quote sounds odd to me:
'she grew up in Manchester in the 1980s, in what she describes as a "very angry time" when it was "impossible not to be political." '
But Nandy is 36. So in the 1980s she was aged under 11. Was she really aware of the angry times and was already becoming political? I have doubts.
I'm am the same age and growing up in Scotland I have the same recollection, it was impossible not to to be political, even as a 7 year old we discussed how much we hated Thatcher in the playground.
Yup. Kids who had parents known to be Tory voters were bullied at my school. Considered traitors to "people like us".
How terribly sad an environment. Thank goodness neither my school environment nor my household were politically charged like that. Which, to go a bit four Yorkshireman for a moment, given I was among the poorest of children in my class, is probably a good thing as I'dhave been the focus of sympathy due to government neglect or oppression or something, which would be worse than bullying.
I wasn't saying it was right (with hindsight), but it just seemed unquestionable to us at the time. As far as we were concerned, the Tories were out to get our parents, relatives and/or friends -- and (again, from a kid's two-dimensional perspective of the world), it's natural to hate someone who is causing pain to the people in your world. As far as we were concerned, it wasn't a matter of dry "politics" (most people bullying kids of Tory voters probably wouldn't even have known the meaning of the world "politics" then), we perceived it as personal, rightly or wrongly.
I totally understand it, I wasn't meaning to seem to criticise you. It's just unfortunate that kids can get so intense about such matters which they shouldn't have to worry about.
Whenever a politician starts on about where I grew up, with a hint of suffering and deprivation, but without specifics I become very suspicious. Manchester is a big place and has lots of nice leafy parts and well to do areas. More suspicions maybe thrown up by the "I grew up in the eighties" nonsense - not actually a lie but the full truth is somewhat different from the impression that the statement is designed to create. Any politician that tells there own story in such terms should be regarded as fundamentally dishonest are barred from any office.
"My first job was in the NHS" (4 days working as a temp in the kitchen)
"My Dad ran a small business" (true - but may be considered misleading)
"Grew up on a farm" (an amenity farm)
I could have fun with this.
Indeed you could, Mr. C., and there would be lots of targets to choose from. The chap who, correctly, states that his parents were committed socialists but omits to mention that they were also so wealthy as to be able to buy a small hotel and turn it into a seven bedroomed family home is another example of the dishonest politician breed.
By the way thanks for your reply on the other thread about your family's involvement out East during the 19th century. I should dearly love to get my hands your family archives, there are more books to be written from that one source than you could shake a stick at.
You could always buy one of the books that our archivist wrote
But we are always helpful to serious historians - we have a lot of excellent information on equity market prices in the 17th and 18th century, for instance, that are otherwise hard to come by. Plus, of course, lots of correspondence and observations about various members of the great and the good.
(My grandfather and great-grandfather's papers are held at Churchill College these days, though, while the Irish side of the family has split theirs between PRONI, GCL and INL)
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
''It might explain the new purported raid on pensions.''
I wonder how likely it is that we will both never see a balanced budget under Osborne and never see a referendum under Cameron.
Getting more likely by the day.
Well the referendum is law, we have to have one by the end of 2017. If it comes down to it and it looks like leave will win I have no doubt that Dave will campaign for Leave and pretend that he thought up the idea because the EU wouldn't give him a deal etc...
On the budget, at least not while Osborne is chancellor, the date keeps getting pushed back and he hasn't accounted for a single period of slow or no growth (or, dare it be spoken a recession) in the 12 years since the last recession.
Politics was a big thing in our house during my childhood in the 70s, coming from a poor family in Leicester, but I can honestly say I was never touched by it, and I feel sorry for you poor 7 year olds who were discussing your hatred of whatever government was in charge at the time! The thing that affected me the most was an overall sense of doom over nuclear war. I still feel a creeping unease, a sort of throwback feeling tingling up my spine, when I watch the 70s and early 80s public info films and TV programmes such as panorama and Horizon discussing how to react if the warning went off.
I just don't get it. Normally a leader is expected to prove themselves in a ministerial post or by taking a leading role in a prominent campaign.
To come from nowhere to win you need to be something utterly special, like Obama or Trudeau.
Neither Jarvis, Nandy or Starmer have done anything remarkable yet. Jarvis is vaguely telegenic and has a good backstory. Nandy seems to be solid. And Starmer has the right name. That's it.
We are a million miles away from Blair or Wilson. And not even close to Kinnock, Smith, Brown or even - dare I say it - even EdM.
Maybe that's it for Labour. Maybe a completely new face etc is the only way. It's a way off though and won't happen until they ditch the nutters.
Step mum said she spent several hours in his company and he didn't even touch her once. Not entirely sure how to read that one.
Mum reported one about her mum, a nurse/matron of the old school. Saville came to visit the hospital. Nan came back and wouldn't talk about it, refused to have him on telly. Never said *why*?
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
Seriously, though, what the feck was going on in the minds of the people who thought of it, and even more so of the ones who signed it off?
On the budget, at least not while Osborne is chancellor, the date keeps getting pushed back and he hasn't accounted for a single period of slow or no growth (or, dare it be spoken a recession) in the 12 years since the last recession.
Osborne is proving to be a massive disappointment.
In 1987, I was 11, and in my final year in Junior school, Fourth Form as it was called back then. We Fourth-formers acted as "prefects", who would, amongst other things, ensure the young'uns went down the staircases in single-file, keeping to the left, at break-times and dinner-times. So we would be positioned at all the landings on the stairs, calling out "Keep to the left". Now, come election time that year, I spontaneously called out "Keep to the left - vote Labour!" And then one of the teachers appeared saying, "No political bias, please!".
Oh, how we laughed
At the grammar school I attended the No 3 Rugby master used to call out at the end of evwry Games session "Balls to me lads, balls to me" From about the first form onwards a cry would then go up "Balls to Mr (whatever his name was).
I wonder to this day whether he knew what he was doing, whether anyone else on the staff told him about it, or whether it had just become a tradition!
A few years back there was a phone-in on R5L during a teachers' strike. A man phoned in, saying that he was keeping his son away from school, and would disown his son if he crossed the picket line (apparently the school was still party open).
Madness.
The thing that indoctrinated me (unintentionally) was a book: something like "coping with inflation", which was one of the few books my parents ever had on their bedside cabinet along the teasmade. They were struggling to start a new business, and I remember my dad talking to me about the problems. I was only seven or so.
I grew up in a political household, this was partly driven by having an uncle who was a Labour MP. My earliest political memory was getting a day off infant school as it used to be used as a polling station.
Sorry, but I don't get this political seven-year-olds at all. I vaguely remember being quite pleased when Wilson won but I was already my teens then. I do remember being a little concerned by the Cuban Missile Crisis in '62 - would we still be alive the next day?
But at school, it wasn't a hot topic. Being atomised in a nuclear blast came second to England losing at football.
I can remember a playground conversation about the 1987 election when I would have been 7 but it can hardly be called political. Separately I can remember at one point wondering to myself why the newspapers were always writing about Maggie Philbin on the front page.
Events of that period that I do remember the news overage of, vividly - Kings Cross Fire, Zeebrugge, Lockerbie, great storm. Not politics per se.
The Kings Cross fire was a good deal closer to me personally. I went up the escalator where it started about 20 minutes before it all kicked off. Lockerbie happened on my 18th birthday, so have never been able to forget it,
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
Actually... are there political museums in this country? Where you could see items of political significance, copies of posters/manifestos, that sort of thing?
Ignore the Spaceys, Di Caprios and others at Davos... always worth keeping an ear on GO.
From the BBC report: Ahead of the referendum - whenever that occurs - the government will be required publish alternatives to membership of the EU and what arrangements we the UK would have with its neighbours, he added. “That’s going to be one of the most interesting aspects of the referendum debate”. [Osborne]
So, to the great relief of Richard N at least, we will have a government-endorsed 'Leave' scenario to get our teeth into!
N.B. GO also had a productive meeting with the new Argentine Finance Minister - he described him as 'impressive'. Wheels within wheels?
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Many thanks to Henry G for his well-informed tips on the next Labour Leader. It may be worth mentioning that Hills have now shortened their odds against Nandy to 7/1, although Corals continue to offer her at 9/1. I know Henry is not a fan of Betfair (iirc he favours taking money off bookmakers, rather than from one another), but as regards backing Jarvis, I was able to secure odds of 5.94 net on the exchange, compared with his recommended odds of 5.5 (aka 9/2). For those who don't mind playing the field (are you listening St.John ?), it might be worth having a quid or two on Shadsy's two picks, Owen Smith at 25/1 and Heidi Alexander at 66/1 both available with Corals and others. Shadsy is certainly a real shrewdie if ever there was one - that said I have some difficulty in imagining Britain having a Prime Minister with a first name of Heidi ....... Maggie yes, but Heidi ? Well to be honest I'm not so sure!
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
Actually... are there political museums in this country? Where you could see items of political significance, copies of posters/manifestos, that sort of thing?
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Which I'd previously view as a cause for immense celebration but its not due to a death of all organised religion but instead one of the most rational/least worst of the organised religions is killing itself just as barbaric, medieval organised religion is going through a resurrection in this country.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
Actually... are there political museums in this country? Where you could see items of political significance, copies of posters/manifestos, that sort of thing?
Off topic - in a move which will no doubt increase my productivity, the new wifi at my employment has, it would seem, more robust web filters which impact my accessing of PB, but the odd thing is it seems inconsistent. Case in point, I was able to access and post on the last thread, but then several hours, the same thread was blocked, and yet this one is not. Same thing has happened all this week - a thread which was accessible for ages would stop being so. It doesn't seem to be a case of 'after a while, the filter catches it', as some threads from days ago I can open, and others I can.
Have you checked the offending threads for TSE jokes?
Off topic - in a move which will no doubt increase my productivity, the new wifi at my employment has, it would seem, more robust web filters which impact my accessing of PB, but the odd thing is it seems inconsistent. Case in point, I was able to access and post on the last thread, but then several hours, the same thread was blocked, and yet this one is not. Same thing has happened all this week - a thread which was accessible for ages would stop being so. It doesn't seem to be a case of 'after a while, the filter catches it', as some threads from days ago I can open, and others I can.
Have you checked the offending threads for TSE jokes?
Hmm, you may be on to something. I will have to assess when on a different network.
Ed-stone always struck me as one of those things you put on the list to make the others look sensible and well thought out.
Like that government meeting which discussed ideas for the Pope to visit things in Britain, like an abortion clinic? Yes, always unfortunate whenthe joke slips through though.
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Yes, they have tried all those things, and more, what they have never tried, as far back as I can remember, is saying this is what we believe in and this is how we express it in our services. In its ever more desperate attempts to appear "relevant" the CofE has made itself irrelevant and, frequently absurd.
Mandatory pre-employment criminal record checks have been ruled unlawful in the UK, following a ruling today in the High Court.
Lord Justice McCombe and Mrs Justice Carr today declared the government's disclosure scheme is incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
People, including me, didn't realise the Iraq War was ridiculous - and catastrophic - until about three years after it was launched. The process of getting there, erroneous groupthink, was similar, but the outcome was significantly more depressing.
But you and your MP were lied to by the Prime Minister. Blatantly. There were actually no WMDs as the 'dodgy dossier' alleged and there were no proper post-conflict plans as his Toniness assured us there were. Those, including me, who were supportive did so on the 'I now realise was profoundly and stupidly naïve' belief that a sitting British PM could not and would not do that. It was a rational view given the info we had. The outrage is that Blair still hasn't been skinned alive and dipped in lemon juice for it.
Hate to bang on, but BBC World just did a piece on migrants in Macedonia. They all spoke pretty good English.
The idea they will all stay in Austria or Germany or Belgium or Finland is insane. Given the chance, they will, in time, move to the biggest, most vibrant English-speaking economy in the EU - the UK.
Thinking otherwise is just wistful self-deception. Or europhile duplicity.
Has this happened to previous refugee groups? All the Yugoslavs seemed to have stayed in Sweden. Unless they signed for Spanish football clubs.
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Yes, they have tried all those things, and more, what they have never tried, as far back as I can remember, is saying this is what we believe in and this is how we express it in our services. In its ever more desperate attempts to appear "relevant" the CofE has made itself irrelevant and, frequently absurd.
Please it's just all to ghastly. Where on earth did they find Wonga Welby ?
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Apparently they didn't realise it was ridiculous until the moment it was unveiled. Ouch. Major Groupthink.
But they're hardly alone. People, including me, didn't realise the Iraq War was ridiculous - and catastrophic - until about three years after it was launched. The process of getting there, erroneous groupthink, was similar, but the outcome was significantly more depressing.
What amused me about the detail of it all was the the lettering was just painted on. So if they had ever had the opportunity to erect it in Downing Street, all of the promises would have just weathered away and disappeared.
So it was never really a long-term symbol of anything other than the stupidity of the people who came up with the idea.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
People, including me, didn't realise the Iraq War was ridiculous - and catastrophic - until about three years after it was launched. The process of getting there, erroneous groupthink, was similar, but the outcome was significantly more depressing.
But you and your MP were lied to by the Prime Minister. Blatantly. There were actually no WMDs as the 'dodgy dossier' alleged and there were no proper post-conflict plans as his Toniness assured us there were. Those, including me, who were supportive did so on the 'I now realise was profoundly and stupidly naïve' belief that a sitting British PM could not and would not do that. It was a rational view given the info we had. The outrage is that Blair still hasn't been skinned alive and dipped in lemon juice for it.
Spot on, Mr. Patrick. I would add that there were some people, including me, that were deeply uneasy about the whole affair because it was a war of aggression - Iraq hadn't and wasn't likely to attack us or our friends or our vital interests. However, the PM of the day said if you could see the intelligence that I have seen... . So we went, uncomfortably, along with it because no PM would ever tell such blatant lies about anything so important.
That Blair remains a free man and an even richer one is a blot on our national life. Mind you, Cameron's tissue of lies over Libya and the way he conspired to bend a UN resolution beyond breaking point, to the extent that he not only created a failed state that is now a menace to Europe and demonstrated to Putin et al that might is right, is no great shakes either.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
Could have sold it to the British Museum for a tidy sum.
Actually... are there political museums in this country? Where you could see items of political significance, copies of posters/manifestos, that sort of thing?
Something of such eminence doesn't deserve to be stuck in some rarely visited museum. It should be right next to the Rosetta Stone
'moving away from Scotland seeming like the only viable option for something decent.'
Hasn't that been essentially true for about 500 years? Even the Scots royal family moved south
absolute bollox , what bellend loser came out with that bilge, some loser who could not make it amongst real people no doubt
Why would anyone with ambition want to hang around in Scotland? As you helpfully informed us earlier, it has nothing of note, businesses with any sense having fled elsewhere years ago.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Yes, they have tried all those things, and more, what they have never tried, as far back as I can remember, is saying this is what we believe in and this is how we express it in our services. In its ever more desperate attempts to appear "relevant" the CofE has made itself irrelevant and, frequently absurd.
Please it's just all to ghastly. Where on earth did they find Wonga Welby ?
He was the only choice, Mr. Brooke. The Archbishop of York was likely to say things that were not acceptable to the progressives and Welby appealed to the lay movers and shakers (see the conversations on here between myself and Mr. Charles at the time). It may be I am far out of line on this but I also suspect there was more than a little bit of racism in there - can't have a darkie as ++ Canterbury.
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Yes, they have tried all those things, and more, what they have never tried, as far back as I can remember, is saying this is what we believe in and this is how we express it in our services. In its ever more desperate attempts to appear "relevant" the CofE has made itself irrelevant and, frequently absurd.
Please it's just all to ghastly. Where on earth did they find Wonga Welby ?
He was the only choice, Mr. Brooke. The Archbishop of York was likely to say things that were not acceptable to the progressives and Welby appealed to the lay movers and shakers (see the conversations on here between myself and Mr. Charles at the time). It may be I am far out of line on this but I also suspect there was more than a little bit of racism in there - can't have a darkie as ++ Canterbury.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
Outside of the professions and strict trade groupings nobody did in those days. There was no such thing as NVQs in passenger safety or whatever (or indeed NVQs a all). Do remember the Kings Cross fire was nearly thirty years ago, a very different world back then.
EdStone -monument cost the party £8,000, including £180 for twelve week's storage, £1,575 for haulage costs and £270 to have a mason in attendance.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
People, including me, didn't realise the Iraq War was ridiculous - and catastrophic - until about three years after it was launched. The process of getting there, erroneous groupthink, was similar, but the outcome was significantly more depressing.
But you and your MP were lied to by the Prime Minister. Blatantly. There were actually no WMDs as the 'dodgy dossier' alleged and there were no proper post-conflict plans as his Toniness assured us there were. Those, including me, who were supportive did so on the 'I now realise was profoundly and stupidly naïve' belief that a sitting British PM could not and would not do that. It was a rational view given the info we had. The outrage is that Blair still hasn't been skinned alive and dipped in lemon juice for it.
Well said.
The utter disbelief that a sitting PM would blatantly lie about something so serious was what got me, especially after I'd switched sides and voted for him in 2001. There is rightly a high bar to cross when discussing invading another country that poses no immediate threat to us, that Blair and Campbell were dishonest has eroded any trust in senior politicians for a generation.
She is far more telegenic (and seems smarter) than the last 3 Labour leaders. Could she possibly be any worse?
Worse for who? IMHO she would be good for Labour just as EdM was good for Labour. But another Labour Leader with a speech impediment? I just cannot see that happening.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
Outside of the professions and strict trade groupings nobody did in those days. There was no such thing as NVQs in passenger safety or whatever (or indeed NVQs a all). Do remember the Kings Cross fire was nearly thirty years ago, a very different world back then.
Those were the days when people could smoke on Underground platforms. An alien concept now.
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Well, they've tried guitars to reach out to youngsters, dumbed-down services to reach out to the inarticulate, creches at the back of the church to reach out to mums, and 'messy church' to reach out to the badly-behaved, so I guess it's a logical next step in the sequence.
Yes, they have tried all those things, and more, what they have never tried, as far back as I can remember, is saying this is what we believe in and this is how we express it in our services. In its ever more desperate attempts to appear "relevant" the CofE has made itself irrelevant and, frequently absurd.
Please it's just all to ghastly. Where on earth did they find Wonga Welby ?
He was the only choice, Mr. Brooke. The Archbishop of York was likely to say things that were not acceptable to the progressives and Welby appealed to the lay movers and shakers (see the conversations on here between myself and Mr. Charles at the time). It may be I am far out of line on this but I also suspect there was more than a little bit of racism in there - can't have a darkie as ++ Canterbury.
Does he like steam trains?
Avaaast, Cap'n Doc, ye scurvy lugger! 'Tis said that Welby do like steam trains, but we baint be sure on tis attitude to cricket. Belike, else.
Clive Lewis at 22/1? Served in Afghanistan, working-class, solidly left-wing/Corbynite friendly... Worth a punt perhaps? Nandy is as low as 6/1 on betfair, and given that we don't even know when the next election will be, she still has to get on the ballot, and would likely face a few challengers- don't see much value there now.
Clive Lewis at 22/1? Served in Afghanistan, working-class, solidly left-wing/Corbynite friendly... Worth a punt perhaps? Nandy is as low as 6/1 on betfair, and given that we don't even know when the next election will be, she still has to get on the ballot, and would likely face a few challengers- don't see much value there now.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
Outside of the professions and strict trade groupings nobody did in those days. There was no such thing as NVQs in passenger safety or whatever (or indeed NVQs a all). Do remember the Kings Cross fire was nearly thirty years ago, a very different world back then.
Those were the days when people could smoke on Underground platforms. An alien concept now.
IIRC You could only smoke on open air tube platforms at that time.
'moving away from Scotland seeming like the only viable option for something decent.'
Hasn't that been essentially true for about 500 years? Even the Scots royal family moved south
absolute bollox , what bellend loser came out with that bilge, some loser who could not make it amongst real people no doubt
Why would anyone with ambition want to hang around in Scotland? As you helpfully informed us earlier, it has nothing of note, businesses with any sense having fled elsewhere years ago.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
Outside of the professions and strict trade groupings nobody did in those days. There was no such thing as NVQs in passenger safety or whatever (or indeed NVQs a all). Do remember the Kings Cross fire was nearly thirty years ago, a very different world back then.
Those were the days when people could smoke on Underground platforms. An alien concept now.
Very true, Mr. 30, and not just on the platforms. The second car and the penultimate car on the District Line were smoking. Going up to town from East Putney in the rush hour one didn't actually need to light a fag the atmosphere was "full" anyway - especially if my GP got on with his pipe going or Signore Belluco from the Italian Embassy with his balkan sobranie cigarettes.
Reading the Kings Cross fire report now (loser, I know). Amazing that one of the directors admitted that none of the staff at Kings Cross had any nationally recognised qualifications!
Outside of the professions and strict trade groupings nobody did in those days. There was no such thing as NVQs in passenger safety or whatever (or indeed NVQs a all). Do remember the Kings Cross fire was nearly thirty years ago, a very different world back then.
Those were the days when people could smoke on Underground platforms. An alien concept now.
Very true, Mr. 30, and not just on the platforms. The second car and the penultimate car on the District Line were smoking. Going up to town from East Putney in the rush hour one didn't actually need to light a fag the atmosphere was "full" anyway - especially if my GP got on with his pipe going or Signore Belluco from the Italian Embassy with his balkan sobranie cigarettes.
According to Real Clear Politics the Donald is now 3.5 points clear of Cruz in Iowa.
What will be interesting after Iowa is where Carson's supporters go? He's surely a drop-out after the first couple of primary seats. He has 9% on average in S. Carolina.
'moving away from Scotland seeming like the only viable option for something decent.'
Hasn't that been essentially true for about 500 years? Even the Scots royal family moved south
absolute bollox , what bellend loser came out with that bilge, some loser who could not make it amongst real people no doubt
Why would anyone with ambition want to hang around in Scotland? As you helpfully informed us earlier, it has nothing of note, businesses with any sense having fled elsewhere years ago.
You really are billy liar incarnate
Don't be getting back on the forklift if you've had a few birthday brews today.
I would like to congratulate Royal Bank of Scotland. On a day when world stock markets are soaring, they have some how contrived to be practically the only stock in the world that is actually down.
Politics was a big thing in our house during my childhood in the 70s, coming from a poor family in Leicester, but I can honestly say I was never touched by it, and I feel sorry for you poor 7 year olds who were discussing your hatred of whatever government was in charge at the time! The thing that affected me the most was an overall sense of doom over nuclear war. I still feel a creeping unease, a sort of throwback feeling tingling up my spine, when I watch the 70s and early 80s public info films and TV programmes such as panorama and Horizon discussing how to react if the warning went off.
Growing up in Leeds in the 70s, in the 4 minute warning days, we had an air raid siren located next to my school. They tested it every couple of months or so, usually in the mornings. WW2 sounding siren. The teacher would say "not to worry, it's only a test" but you could see in his eyes that he was a bit freaked out.
Probably the best thing that came out of the defeat of communism for us is that the current generation of young people don't have that cloud over their heads. Long may it stay that way.
I have a Times travel commission to go there and write about it in March, which is v nice, as it's a lifelong ambition... but neither me nor my editor know much about it, and she's telling me I can choose where to go. But I haven't the foggiest what's good, bad, tastic or tasteless.
Advice welcome.
Sorry, absolutely no idea; I had to Google it. But sounds an exciting commission.
I have a Times travel commission to go there and write about it in March, which is v nice, as it's a lifelong ambition... but neither me nor my editor know much about it, and she's telling me I can choose where to go. But I haven't the foggiest what's good, bad, tastic or tasteless.
Advice welcome.
Sorry, absolutely no idea; I had to Google it. But sounds an exciting commission.
One of my ambitions, havin g met someone who has been there and peple who know about the place. I'm pretty sure you HAVE to book an orgnised trip, though. IIRC, only so many tourists (etc) allowed per year.
Smoking was banned in tube trains in 1984 and banned altogether on platforms, escalators, ticket offices, etc 6. months before the Kings Cross disaster (as part of a trial period). So the person smoking the cigarette that started the fire was breaking the law. They never identified who it was.
I have a Times travel commission to go there and write about it in March, which is v nice, as it's a lifelong ambition... but neither me nor my editor know much about it, and she's telling me I can choose where to go. But I haven't the foggiest what's good, bad, tastic or tasteless.
Advice welcome.
I think it's the only country in the world where the top two religions are Buddhism and Hinduism. (The former is the state religion).
On topic, the more I hear from Dan Jarvis, the less convinced I am that he has remotely what it takes. Like Liz Kendall, all he seems to offer is meaningless platitudes, without giving any concrete proposals about what Labour should stand for.
Politics was a big thing in our house during my childhood in the 70s, coming from a poor family in Leicester, but I can honestly say I was never touched by it, and I feel sorry for you poor 7 year olds who were discussing your hatred of whatever government was in charge at the time! The thing that affected me the most was an overall sense of doom over nuclear war. I still feel a creeping unease, a sort of throwback feeling tingling up my spine, when I watch the 70s and early 80s public info films and TV programmes such as panorama and Horizon discussing how to react if the warning went off.
Growing up in Leeds in the 70s, in the 4 minute warning days, we had an air raid siren located next to my school. They tested it every couple of months or so, usually in the mornings. WW2 sounding siren. The teacher would say "not to worry, it's only a test" but you could see in his eyes that he was a bit freaked out.
Probably the best thing that came out of the defeat of communism for us is that the current generation of young people don't have that cloud over their heads. Long may it stay that way.
If the wind's blowing in the right direction, I can hear the Air Raid sirens surrounding Broadmoor that signal that an inmate has escaped, when they're tested every Monday morning. Unnerving even now.
Comments
Events of that period that I do remember the news overage of, vividly - Kings Cross Fire, Zeebrugge, Lockerbie, great storm. Not politics per se.
1992 I remember - we were off school and there was a lot of "last one out turn off the lights" mockery. But not of anyone, just repetition of the phrase.
I remember feeling very uneasy when being told a woman called Barbara Castle was in charge of all the roads.
Oh, how we laughed
But we are always helpful to serious historians - we have a lot of excellent information on equity market prices in the 17th and 18th century, for instance, that are otherwise hard to come by. Plus, of course, lots of correspondence and observations about various members of the great and the good.
(My grandfather and great-grandfather's papers are held at Churchill College these days, though, while the Irish side of the family has split theirs between PRONI, GCL and INL)
I wonder how likely it is that we will both never see a balanced budget under Osborne and never see a referendum under Cameron.
Getting more likely by the day.
I do think we'll have a referendum, however.
Well worth the cost, just for the laughs alone. – Still scratching my head as to how such a ridiculous proposal was ever mooted during the campaign, let alone revealed to an audience.
On the budget, at least not while Osborne is chancellor, the date keeps getting pushed back and he hasn't accounted for a single period of slow or no growth (or, dare it be spoken a recession) in the 12 years since the last recession.
The thing that affected me the most was an overall sense of doom over nuclear war. I still feel a creeping unease, a sort of throwback feeling tingling up my spine, when I watch the 70s and early 80s public info films and TV programmes such as panorama and Horizon discussing how to react if the warning went off.
Step mum said she spent several hours in his company and he didn't even touch her once. Not entirely sure how to read that one.
Mum reported one about her mum, a nurse/matron of the old school. Saville came to visit the hospital. Nan came back and wouldn't talk about it, refused to have him on telly. Never said *why*?
That's basically how he got away with it, right?
Osborne is proving to be a massive disappointment.
I wonder to this day whether he knew what he was doing, whether anyone else on the staff told him about it, or whether it had just become a tradition!
A few years back there was a phone-in on R5L during a teachers' strike. A man phoned in, saying that he was keeping his son away from school, and would disown his son if he crossed the picket line (apparently the school was still party open).
Madness.
The thing that indoctrinated me (unintentionally) was a book: something like "coping with inflation", which was one of the few books my parents ever had on their bedside cabinet along the teasmade. They were struggling to start a new business, and I remember my dad talking to me about the problems. I was only seven or so.
My earliest political memory was getting a day off infant school as it used to be used as a polling station.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/12115434/Vicars-should-grow-beards-to-reach-out-to-Muslims-bishop-suggests.html
"Vicars should grow beards to reach out to Muslims, bishop suggests "
Lockerbie happened on my 18th birthday, so have never been able to forget it,
From the BBC report:
Ahead of the referendum - whenever that occurs - the government will be required publish alternatives to membership of the EU and what arrangements we the UK would have with its neighbours, he added.
“That’s going to be one of the most interesting aspects of the referendum debate”. [Osborne]
So, to the great relief of Richard N at least, we will have a government-endorsed 'Leave' scenario to get our teeth into!
N.B. GO also had a productive meeting with the new Argentine Finance Minister - he described him as 'impressive'. Wheels within wheels?
Trump attack ad against Cruz
It may be worth mentioning that Hills have now shortened their odds against Nandy to 7/1, although Corals continue to offer her at 9/1.
I know Henry is not a fan of Betfair (iirc he favours taking money off bookmakers, rather than from one another), but as regards backing Jarvis, I was able to secure odds of 5.94 net on the exchange, compared with his recommended odds of 5.5 (aka 9/2).
For those who don't mind playing the field (are you listening St.John ?), it might be worth having a quid or two on Shadsy's two picks, Owen Smith at 25/1 and Heidi Alexander at 66/1 both available with Corals and others.
Shadsy is certainly a real shrewdie if ever there was one - that said I have some difficulty in imagining Britain having a Prime Minister with a first name of Heidi ....... Maggie yes, but Heidi ? Well to be honest I'm not so sure!
Hasn't that been essentially true for about 500 years? Even the Scots royal family moved south
So it was never really a long-term symbol of anything other than the stupidity of the people who came up with the idea.
That Blair remains a free man and an even richer one is a blot on our national life. Mind you, Cameron's tissue of lies over Libya and the way he conspired to bend a UN resolution beyond breaking point, to the extent that he not only created a failed state that is now a menace to Europe and demonstrated to Putin et al that might is right, is no great shakes either.
No.
She is far more telegenic (and seems smarter) than the last 3 Labour leaders. Could she possibly be any worse?
The utter disbelief that a sitting PM would blatantly lie about something so serious was what got me, especially after I'd switched sides and voted for him in 2001. There is rightly a high bar to cross when discussing invading another country that poses no immediate threat to us, that Blair and Campbell were dishonest has eroded any trust in senior politicians for a generation.
IMHO she would be good for Labour just as EdM was good for Labour.
But another Labour Leader with a speech impediment? I just cannot see that happening.
Served in Afghanistan, working-class, solidly left-wing/Corbynite friendly...
Worth a punt perhaps? Nandy is as low as 6/1 on betfair, and given that we don't even know when the next election will be, she still has to get on the ballot, and would likely face a few challengers- don't see much value there now.
Not a student of history, clearly,.,..
Number Cruncher
Now, about that oversampling of the politically engaged... https://t.co/GZv1p0STvt
14% of Democrats in this poll say they have personally met Hillary Clinton https://t.co/hntXCzFRQn
Are you a member of the public with an idea for Budget? 1 wk 'til survey closes https://t.co/5IVQ1Trxfj #haveyoursay https://t.co/5HTQInW0g8
Probably the best thing that came out of the defeat of communism for us is that the current generation of young people don't have that cloud over their heads. Long may it stay that way.
Value of FTSE100 has risen by about £50bn (give or take) since Damian advised us to stock up on tinned food... https://t.co/3U4ittItw5
Snort
Is this current or a trailer for when the Shadow gets into power?
It managed to define and also redefine in equal order the meaning of a "monumental fuckup."
Just look at his "offering" in this Guardian article - http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/09/dan-jarvis-jeremy-and-i-are-not-on-each-others-speed-dials . Empty slogans about being "pro-business and pro-worker" or "harnessing the digital revolution" are not a solution to any of Labour's problems.