Surely if the limit is £1m, then there might be something in including each union's collected political levies as a single block. I don't agree with including them in a £50,000 cap or whatever.
Labour’s woes over candidate selections go beyond the unions. The party has launched an investigation into a sudden surge in membership in Enfield Southgate, once held by schools minister Stephen Twigg.
In September the local party will pick its candidate for 2015. While they can go for weeks or months without a new recruit, there have been 120 new members since last September, and 62 between April and June alone. Disgruntled members claim all bar a handful are from the Kurdish community and when officials attempted to contact the new members by phone, in many cases the male head of the house would simply hang up.
The party’s AGM in May, called to elect the executive committee that would have a large sway over choosing the new MP, had to be abandoned after it emerged some of those present had joined the previous day and needed a translator to follow the meeting....
You don't know many Spurs fans do you?! It's not pessimism, it's realism born of years of experience.
In the first game of the last six Ashes series now England have been largely outplayed and/or beaten. We got away with it the last two times because the Australian bowlers were not good enough. This time they look a lot better and our batting looks as fragile as ever. Hopefully our bowlers can dig us out of the hole, but the pitch looks decent enough.
Definitely. I said around March last season that we would blow it, every non-Spurs fan said that was not going to happen, I had already resigned myself to Europa League. Came away in May unsurprised, but not too disappointed since I had already come to terms with it!
For a lady who was actually on the spot for the period covered by today's PAC, the BBC's Dir of HR appeared to have almost no grasp on many of the issues and Mrs Hodge took the opportunity to criticise her directly at the end for 'blaming people who aren't in the room' and 'not taking responsibility'.
No wonder - she was the one signing off the deals she's subsequently trying to creep away from. All in all a poor performance for some who's been in post for 4yrs and on £320k
Patrick Foster @patrickfoster2 Here's the BBC's internal minutes showing who proposed and signed off Mark Byford's mega pay-off: pic.twitter.com/XbIWQHVII1
1: Labour will sink or swim with Millipede this side of the GE in 2015. The only danger I see for next year is for Labour to come a bad third after UKIP and the Cons, in the European elections. And if they do badly in the local elections at the same time, some will squirm in their parliamentary seats.
2: The capping of funds to £5K would be a disaster for all political parties. A proper cap of say £100K would seem most reasonable, making sure of course that a person couldn't donate twice through proxies or through businesses.
The donations cap is not a particular problem for David Cameron, if it carries on being reported in the terms that Nick Robinson reports it:
There is no earthly reason that any cap should result in an increase in costs for taxpayers. Let political parties do what they can with the money they raise, if they cant raise enough to do everything they want to then they will have to do less.
The Conservative party raised £3.66m in donations in the first three months of this year, which is about 34p for each vote they received in 2010.
Would a £5,000 cap really present a serious problem?
Donations to parties will follow the 80/20 rule , the £ 3.66 million represented 137 donations but just 8 of those donations totaled £ 2 million
Gaby Hinsliff sums it up well: "Scoring that #pmqs like trying to score punchup outside kebab shop. Somebody won, technically. But you end up thinking worse of all involved."
Or as a senior exec of the company I used to work for observed of us in dispute with a competitor 'two whores brawling in public will do none of us any good...'
The donations cap is not a particular problem for David Cameron, if it carries on being reported in the terms that Nick Robinson reports it:
There is no earthly reason that any cap should result in an increase in costs for taxpayers. Let political parties do what they can with the money they raise, if they cant raise enough to do everything they want to then they will have to do less.
The Conservative party raised £3.66m in donations in the first three months of this year, which is about 34p for each vote they received in 2010.
Would a £5,000 cap really present a serious problem?
Quick calc suggests you'd need 2,928 people donating the full quota every year. Doesn't sound too much of a challenge for the Tory party to cultivate 3,000 high value donors. The question is whether the donation rate increases drastically in election years.
Gaby Hinsliff sums it up well: "Scoring that #pmqs like trying to score punchup outside kebab shop. Somebody won, technically. But you end up thinking worse of all involved."
Or as a senior exec of the company I used to work for observed of us in dispute with a competitor 'two whores brawling in public will do none of us any good...'
Speaker: “Order. We come now to a statement by the Secretary of State for…”
Really. That was it. Half an hour of non-stop bellowing that drowned out more or less every word of David Cameron’s answers. Afterwards Mr Cameron admitted that it was the loudest PMQs he’d ever known; it had been, he said, “like facing a wall”. ..."
antifrank, this is an issue where the Tories could win. Call for Ed to come back to the negotiating table with a cap between 25-50k on the table and no union exemption. That will force Ed to refuse negotiations and hand the victory to Dave. If Ed wants to argue on party funding this is a very, very easy argument for the Tories to win on, Dave just needs to grow a pair and put on a poker face.
A £50k cap, twice average earnings, £250k over a parliament. Yes that'll sell really well.
As Andrew Neil was pointing out today, they get all their different family members to pony up so that's a million from one family. He cited one family who paid the Tories a million quid each, four million in total.
because Labour don't have families or family dynasties.
Labour is arguing for a £5k limit, so the largest family of four donation would be £100k over a parliament The Tories want a million quid limit.
How about a "connected persons" test similar to that in various bits of tax legislation? The limit applies to amounts from the donor and his/her connected persons. It's a fairly straightforward piece of anti-avoidance that would be pretty difficult to oppose once someone's proposed it.
Fortunately for the blues, cousins fall outside most definitions...
"Last week EdM’s PMQS performance was poor and there were reports of unease at his leadership amongst some in the parliamentary party which led to some betting on his survival. At one stage it was 16/1 that he wouldn’t survive 2013.
Since then he’s adopted two tactics – to demand that MPs outside earnings are restricted and to open up discussion beyond Labour’s financial relationship with the unions."
And yet Ed Miliband and his party combined with the Libdems to prevent the boundary changes, and with it a cut in the overall size and cost of the HoC's to the British taxpayer at a time when it really mattered? Ed Miliband's current predicament is entirely of his and his party's own making, and Miliband is currently on the back foot trying to respond and divert attention away from this fact. But as always with Labour, when they are in a mess, their inevitable solution will end up costing the British Taxpayer more in the end to clear it up. Attempting to attack and restrict MP's outside earnings as well as well outside financial donations to all party's will inevitable bring the debate right back around to the issue of increased State funding in this areas at a time of austerity for the UK.
Ed Miliband is currently in danger of digging yet another elephant trap for his own party in the run up to the next GE. And this is yet another opportunity for the Conservatives whereby they can position themselves on the right side of public opinion, and as the only party who tried to cut the costs of the HoC's in real terms by reducing the number of MP's. At at time when the public are extremely hostile towards the idea of MP's getting a pay rise. I am not sure how clever it is to be seen to be cutting off an MP's ability to supplement their income, and which lessens the case for that pay rise and eases the current burden on taxpayers. And none of this is going to make the current issues coming to light in some Labour constituency selections go away over the summer recess. So fully expect yet more 'clarifications and kite flying' from Miliband over his summer hols.
If you haven't read Tom Bowers biography of Gordon Brown, highly recommend it, particularly his selection as a Labour Parliamentary candidate.
A word of warning to teams of both colours is in order, I think: putting your own affairs in order might allow the scoring of points against the other, but any idea you're navel gazing could do as much damage and in a far less visible way.
FPT. "@David_Herdson Good point - it'd be interesting to know how much polls change DURING a GE campaign and if they changed the result from start to end - much, at all, the Party who won."
"Ten weeks in Scottish politics – what are the lessons?
I’ve been meaning to put up this chart for some time because I’m sure that the polling experience leading up to the Holyrood election on May 5th will be referred to time and time again.
This shows the regional list where the changes were most pronounced. From a position just ten weeks before election day where Labour had a 14 point lead over the SNP voters on the day gave Salmond’s party an 18 point margin over Labour."
The Indy's journos are keen on having a strike - there aren't many of them left as it is, talk about shooting yourself in the head.
"The chapel at the Independent has voted to move to a ballot for action following the announcement of 27 redundancies at the newspaper.
The following motion was carried unanimously: "The chapel deplores this latest attack on editorial quality and on jobs at the Independent; as well as its inevitable knock-on effect at the other Independent Print Limited titles. It has a long-standing and outright opposition to compulsory redundancies and demands that the threat of these be removed. The chapel is also dismayed that no consultation was undertaken before plans for the more than 20 redundancies were announced. The chapel insists on meaningful consultation being held on a collective basis and expresses its deep concern for the future of the Independent Print Limited Titles.
"The Chapel moves to ballot for industrial action up to and including a strike."
Chris Blackhurst, the group content director of the Independent titles had said the job losses were about saving money. He told the Press Gazette that the Independent's losses had nearly halved in the last two years and are expected to be £11.8 million this year, but that more savings needed to be found. In the year to September 2012 the Independent titles reported an operating loss of £16.6m. He said: "We are a privately-funded group and we are facing the same problems as other newspapers."
antifrank, this is an issue where the Tories could win. Call for Ed to come back to the negotiating table with a cap between 25-50k on the table and no union exemption. That will force Ed to refuse negotiations and hand the victory to Dave. If Ed wants to argue on party funding this is a very, very easy argument for the Tories to win on, Dave just needs to grow a pair and put on a poker face.
A £50k cap, twice average earnings, £250k over a parliament. Yes that'll sell really well.
As Andrew Neil was pointing out today, they get all their different family members to pony up so that's a million from one family. He cited one family who paid the Tories a million quid each, four million in total.
because Labour don't have families or family dynasties.
Labour is arguing for a £5k limit, so the largest family of four donation would be £100k over a parliament The Tories want a million quid limit.
How about a "connected persons" test similar to that in various bits of tax legislation? The limit applies to amounts from the donor and his/her connected persons. It's a fairly straightforward piece of anti-avoidance that would be pretty difficult to oppose once someone's proposed it.
Fortunately for the blues, cousins fall outside most definitions...
Even when cousins are part of the family of four?
Umm... assuming we're talking about a notional Mummy, Daddy, Son, Daughter (ignoring the driver and the nanny) nuclear family of 4, then the spousal connection trumps the fact that Mummy is Daddy's cousin, if that's what you're getting at.
@Tim "Yet more evidence, as if it were needed, that Mike and I called this right at the time"
The love affair continues.....
Waldorf and Stadler...
Ren and Stimpy?
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
antifrank, this is an issue where the Tories could win. Call for Ed to come back to the negotiating table with a cap between 25-50k on the table and no union exemption. That will force Ed to refuse negotiations and hand the victory to Dave. If Ed wants to argue on party funding this is a very, very easy argument for the Tories to win on, Dave just needs to grow a pair and put on a poker face.
A £50k cap, twice average earnings, £250k over a parliament. Yes that'll sell really well.
As Andrew Neil was pointing out today, they get all their different family members to pony up so that's a million from one family. He cited one family who paid the Tories a million quid each, four million in total.
because Labour don't have families or family dynasties.
Labour is arguing for a £5k limit, so the largest family of four donation would be £100k over a parliament The Tories want a million quid limit.
How about a "connected persons" test similar to that in various bits of tax legislation? The limit applies to amounts from the donor and his/her connected persons. It's a fairly straightforward piece of anti-avoidance that would be pretty difficult to oppose once someone's proposed it.
Fortunately for the blues, cousins fall outside most definitions...
Even when cousins are part of the family of four?
Umm... assuming we're talking about a notional Mummy, Daddy, Son, Daughter (ignoring the driver and the nanny) nuclear family of 4, then the spousal connection trumps the fact that Mummy is Daddy's cousin, if that's what you're getting at.
I was just highlighting the fact that, while vice is nice, incest is best ;-)
OK..The awsome speech yesterday and Ed's brilliant job at PMQ's today Does anyone have a clue what the Feck he is talking about..oops.. there goes another of them pesky squirrels
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
Dim-witted? Surely merely a ruse to lull said dog into a false sense of security. There is now an app that allows cats to take photos of themselves. It was only a matter of time before Planet of the Cats became reality.
Just to make sure I don't have a wining bet ever again, I thought I'd post that î backed Haddin as top Aussie runs order for this test at 11s and the series at 16s, as well as top bat in the series outright at 110s
Fancied Smith too at 25s for the series but couldn't get on, and forgot to back him as top Aussie in this test.... That means he is 50% more likely to do so!
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
Dim-witted? Surely merely a ruse to lull said dog into a false sense of security. There is now an app that allows cats to take photos of themselves. It was only a matter of time before Planet of the Cats became reality.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
Incidentally the deafening silence from the usual suspects at the Guardian about the ONS inequality figures is hilarious. Polly, Seamus, George? Are you OK? Normally you're hot to trot on any inequality stats.
If anyone likes spoof accounts - @CatFoodBreath is very good on Twitter. How the chap who does this keeps it up day after day is beyond me, but its frequently very funny. A recent favourite theme was #OccupyCouch that took the mickey splendidly.
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
Dim-witted? Surely merely a ruse to lull said dog into a false sense of security. There is now an app that allows cats to take photos of themselves. It was only a matter of time before Planet of the Cats became reality.
If anyone likes spoof accounts - @CatFoodBreath is very good on Twitter. How the chap who does this keeps it up day after day is beyond me, but its frequently very funny. A recent favourite theme was #OccupyCouch that took the mickey splendidly.
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
Dim-witted? Surely merely a ruse to lull said dog into a false sense of security. There is now an app that allows cats to take photos of themselves. It was only a matter of time before Planet of the Cats became reality.
Have you seen the show? Stimpy doesn't stand a chance.
Try youtube - there are repeats (same channel as does Robot Chicken, but I don't recall which one). It was originally Nickelodeon in the early 90s - the forerunner of South Park, Family Guy, etc.
This I think is even firmer evidence on equality. Not only does it detail the lowest 10% rather than 20% but it actually shows the income of the lowest 10% going up. This is important, I think,. Although the ONS figures are still an important feature of the landscape, if PBers recall the Hughes/Thatcher exchange, then they might be wary of accepting a fall in the lowest incomes as long as the top incomes fall proportionately more - this is what Thatcher charges Hughes with believing.
Can the Health SComm do that instead re the mins of meetings and ask others who were there - but not the actual ministers themselves?
The PAC today was citing legal advice/precedent re data protection/independence of the BBC excuses Lord Patten tried to put up when it came to revealing all the questionable deals given to ex-employees. Steve Barclay MP came well armed and the PAC backed his request.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
Cathy "stupid woman" Jamieson is clearly very wise:
"Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: the services of a Technical Support Analyst to support me in my role as a Shadow Treasury Minister during the passage of the Finance Bill 2013 committee stage, for three months between 18 March and 18 June 2013; value £18,144"
From PWC......
If I wanted to go after the evil banksters PWC are the first people I'd want on the case....
JackW - Yeah, well, I won't be holding my breath...
Hague is sadly paying the price for Dave and George.
What did Andrea Leadsom say to Osborne that led him to block her promotion? What did Dame Tanni grey Thompson say that led to George Osborne blocking her appointment? What did Justine Greening say that led George Osborne to brief against her?
Good moaning, tom! We are still weeting for our farst foomale Loobour preem munuster!
BBC 6 o'clock news headlines: St Vince saying we should privatise Royal Mail, well upholstered Union Chap says no, SAS Sgt, BBC payoffs, The Ashes.....today's weekly spat didn't make it....
This is rather fun - following on from the Metro's seagull watch over the Vatican, now they're onto the ladders outside Kate's hospital awaiting the Great Day...
That's a surprise: gap between Britain's richest and poorest now smallest for a generation
"The ONS reported that in 2011-12 the average annual incomes of the best-off and worst-off households, once taxes and benefit payments are taken into account, were £57,300 and £15,800 respectively. The ratio between them is less than four to one, which is the smallest gap since 1986."
The inept tory spinners are even funnier and more frantic than usual today.
Cammie had an amusingly bad PMQs. Not for the first time and not for the last time. Get over it.
They should be more worried that with the Blairites running about like headless chickens again, forcing little Ed into panic moves, the chumocracy are incapable of making more of such a wide open goal.
The reason there is even discussion about little Ed's leadership is the same reason it happened the first time with the Blairites briefing against little Ed. The divisions in the labour party are still there, still poisonous and some will clearly never forgive little Ed for beating brother David.
That they are currently behind little Ed for his posturing on unions will not stop them from turning on him later on like they always do. The Blairite Hodges are nothing if not predictable.
Evening all. Many thanks to PtP for the 'lay the draw' tip. I have rather cowardly already cashed in to lock in 70% of my potential profit. Also thanks to whoever suggested the US version of House Of Card (Plato?). I watched the first couple of episodes on the plane yesterday afternoon. Very good imo.
JackW - Yeah, well, I won't be holding my breath...
Hague is sadly paying the price for Dave and George. What did Andrea Leadsom say to Osborne that led him to block her promotion? What did Dame Tanni grey Thompson say that led to George Osborne blocking her appointment? What did Justine Greening say that led George Osborne to brief against her?
Good moaning, tom! We are still weeting for our farst foomale Loobour preem munuster!
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
Ed Miliband is safe until the election, he still has a poll lead and if he loses it it will probably be too late to change, in any case with David M in NY now there isn't really any alternative. Although if he does lose Chuka will be waiting eagerly in the wings to assume his destiny!
Sarah Palin considers 2014 Senate run “I’ve considered it because people have requested me considering it, but I’m still waiting to see what the lineup will be and hoping that, there again, there will be some new blood, new energy, not just kind of picking from the same old politicians in the state that come from political families that have sort of [unintelligible] up there for so many years because too many of them have been part of the problem,” Palin answered. “I’m glad you brought that up,” she continued, “because Senator Mark Begich (D-Ak.) has got to be replaced. He has not done what he has promised to do for the people of Alaska.”
My thought on party funding is quite simple - there shouldn't be any.
Maximum donation - £0. The whole thing should be completely and totally run on a volunteer basis - a party can have as many workers, agents, canvassers, organisers etc, etc but it can't pay for any of them.
People who willingly and freely give up their time, effort, knowhow, technology for a political party - fine, but no paid advisers. Experts can volunteer their time to help a party if they wish.
Just a thought - better than yet another contribution telling us a wicket has fallen.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
#Post office privatisation, gas rip off prices, rail rip off prices, can we learn or not?
Ah well, it's not as if Clegg's toxic personal ratings can get much worse anyway and that lib dem base was never going to be useful at the election, so why worry about it?
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
According to YouGov LAB voters the most likely to say Andy Murray should get knighted, UKIP voters the least likely http://goo.gl/NAXqk
Tory voters 39% say yes Lab voters 37% say yes UKIP voters 25% say yes Scottish voters 62% say yes
62% will be saying No soon
Alistair Darling @TogetherDarling I will deliver a major lecture on #indyref tomorrow morning. Follow #bettertogether @UK_Together for details on how to watch it live online.
There's an idea for a thread. Live stream the finest man in British politics
He may be too busy conteplating life as a second class MP under the proposals for a solution to the WLQ. His tory friends in better together no doubt warned him about that. Probably.
He could also tell Lamont what her position is on Falkirk while he's at it.
Perhaps some interwebbers on PB could use this ;^ )
"French company Spotter has developed an analytics tool that claims to be able to identify sarcastic comments posted online.
Spotter says its clients include the Home Office, EU Commission and Dubai Courts.
The algorithm-based analytics software generates reputation reports based on social and traditional media material. However some experts say such tools are often inadequate because of the nuance of language.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
Possibly. But it also creates hostages to fortune. If Hunt can make his demands, Labour can quite reasonably make similar demands of Tory ministers covering their time in office but also when they were in opposition. Who was Lansley talking to when Dave was promising no top down reorganisation of the NHS? Who has Gove been having meetings with as he has diverted money from LEA schools to get free schools set up? And so on.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite. Attacking Labour's union links probably passes most voters by, but Tories love it. That instils a collective spirit - something that has been lacking. It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite.
That is incidental. Crosby was hired for one reason. To do to little Ed what he did to Ken.
For a preview of the 2015 election simply look at the 'Not Ken Again' campaign and all the other tactics Crosby used.
Wouldn't matter if little Ed made Dan Hodges his communications chief. That's what Crosby and the tory papers are going to do and no amount of blue labour tory triangulation from little Ed will stop it.
So it just becomes a question of whether little Ed wants to fight the election on Crosby's terms or as an opposition leader opposing the tories.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
Possibly. But it also creates hostages to fortune. If Hunt can make his demands, Labour can quite reasonably make similar demands of Tory ministers covering their time in office but also when they were in opposition. Who was Lansley talking to when Dave was promising no top down reorganisation of the NHS? Who has Gove been having meetings with as he has diverted money from LEA schools to get free schools set up? And so on.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite. Attacking Labour's union links probably passes most voters by, but Tories love it. That instils a collective spirit - something that has been lacking. It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
That's a depressingly low level of ambition if so, given that the Tories had the kippers in 2010, and the LDs almost certainly had more of the Labour votes than they will have in 2015.
Of course Andy Murray should be knighted. Why on earth not? He has contributed enormously to the great cause of cheering us all up.
I always feel that honours are something that should be done as an athlete retires rather than at the time.
After the 05 Ashes it was almost embarrassing at the adulation and honours heaped on the team, showed how far expectations and standards had dropped.
If you consider the non entities and time servers from the political sphere who routinely receive knighthoods and peerages , Murray deserves a Dukedom , at least.
Of course Andy Murray should be knighted. Why on earth not? He has contributed enormously to the great cause of cheering us all up.
I always feel that honours are something that should be done as an athlete retires rather than at the time.
After the 05 Ashes it was almost embarrassing at the adulation and honours heaped on the team, showed how far expectations and standards had dropped.
If you consider the non entities and time servers from the political sphere who routinely receive knighthoods and peerages , Murray deserves a Dukedom , at least.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
Possibly. But it also creates hostages to fortune. If Hunt can make his demands, Labour can quite reasonably make similar demands of Tory ministers covering their time in office but also when they were in opposition. Who was Lansley talking to when Dave was promising no top down reorganisation of the NHS? Who has Gove been having meetings with as he has diverted money from LEA schools to get free schools set up? And so on.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite. Attacking Labour's union links probably passes most voters by, but Tories love it. That instils a collective spirit - something that has been lacking. It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
That's a depressingly low level of ambition if so, given that the Tories had the kippers in 2010, and the LDs almost certainly had more of the Labour votes than they will have in 2015.
I agree. But Crosby's job is to maximise the Tory vote and he is between a rock and a hard place. It's UKIPers or LD/Lab voters. You can't please both. He has decided to settle for the Tory (and his own) comfort zone. If Ed puts off centre left voters to the extent they stay at home - and as Mick Pork says Ed will be a central target in 2015 - you never know, it could work.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015. One of the funniest things about UKIP's rise, is that they have attracted more 2010 LD voters than the Conservatives.
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
One of the funniest things about UKIP's rise, is that they have attracted more 2010 LD voters than the Conservatives.
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
Having taken that journey they are unlikely to go to the Tories. Maybe they are the best hope for the LDs to get voters back.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
One of the funniest things about UKIP's rise, is that they have attracted more 2010 LD voters than the Conservatives.
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
Having taken that journey they are unlikely to go to the Tories. Maybe they are the best hope for the LDs to get voters back. Replacing Mr Clegg looks like the LDs best remaining option.
I agree. But Crosby's job is to maximise the Tory vote and he is between a rock and a hard place. It's UKIPers or LD/Lab voters. You can't please both.
Which is one of the the fundamental flaws of triangulation. You then define yourself and your party by one other party and what it's policies are. Easy to do when there is a simple choice between two parties. Near impossible when the voters are markedly fed up with the politics as usual and are flirting with other choices and moving away from previous parties.
Eventually we might get a return to party leaders at westminster knowing instinctively what their party stands for and pursuing that in their polices and campaigning without having to check every five minutes on what the other party thinks of it. But it won't be any time soon by the looks of things.
Interesting new line of attack that we saw a week or so back with Gove and Twigg. Try to put their LAB opposites on the spot by asking them difficult questions.
Hunt wants permission to let his department release dates and minutes of meetings and correspondence between ministers and union leaders from Burnham’s time as Health Secretary. He also asks for a list of all union donations to shadow health ministers’ constituency parties, election campaigns and parliamentary offices...
QTWTAIN?
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
One of the funniest things about UKIP's rise, is that they have attracted more 2010 LD voters than the Conservatives.
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
Having taken that journey they are unlikely to go to the Tories. Maybe they are the best hope for the LDs to get voters back.
Replacing Mr Clegg looks like the LDs best remaining option.
They'd be mad to. Clegg got into a govt when most of the other "stars" didn't. Clegg has better survival instincts than Dave or Ed and despite all the jibes he is still there and will potentially hold the balance of power in 2015. So the LDs have a route to the blues- Clegg -and one to the Reds - Cable. Nice place to be. The LDs are currently letting Labour and the Conservatives hack chunks out of each other whilst sitting quietly on the sidelines. Just by not getting involved in idiot fights they can carve out a position as the vaguely sane ones.
Comments
'Far easier to have 12 people for kitchen supper.'
Or Len for a pint?
What is wrong with getting drinks? I fnd this approach offensive.
Labour’s woes over candidate selections go beyond the unions. The party has launched an investigation into a sudden surge in membership in Enfield Southgate, once held by schools minister Stephen Twigg.
In September the local party will pick its candidate for 2015. While they can go for weeks or months without a new recruit, there have been 120 new members since last September, and 62 between April and June alone. Disgruntled members claim all bar a handful are from the Kurdish community and when officials attempted to contact the new members by phone, in many cases the male head of the house would simply hang up.
The party’s AGM in May, called to elect the executive committee that would have a large sway over choosing the new MP, had to be abandoned after it emerged some of those present had joined the previous day and needed a translator to follow the meeting....
I was simply complimenting Ed's hosting skills.
Who is offensive?
Who has revealed their true character....?
No wonder - she was the one signing off the deals she's subsequently trying to creep away from. All in all a poor performance for some who's been in post for 4yrs and on £320k
Patrick Foster @patrickfoster2
Here's the BBC's internal minutes showing who proposed and signed off Mark Byford's mega pay-off: pic.twitter.com/XbIWQHVII1
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BO0twWlCIAEDS4e.png:large
2: The capping of funds to £5K would be a disaster for all political parties. A proper cap of say £100K would seem most reasonable, making sure of course that a person couldn't donate twice through proxies or through businesses.
Rattled, much?
http://tinyurl.com/n28t6sg
"A win for Ed says twitter"
You really are scratching about in the dirt.
But he was right on agricultural subsidies......wasn't he?
Len pulling the strings ....
Or as a senior exec of the company I used to work for observed of us in dispute with a competitor 'two whores brawling in public will do none of us any good...'
(c) David Cameron
" There follows a full transcript of the session.
Speaker: “Questions to the Prime Minister.”
Hon members: “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!”
Speaker: “Order. We come now to a statement by the Secretary of State for…”
Really. That was it. Half an hour of non-stop bellowing that drowned out more or less every word of David Cameron’s answers. Afterwards Mr Cameron admitted that it was the loudest PMQs he’d ever known; it had been, he said, “like facing a wall”. ..."
"Yet more evidence, as if it were needed, that Mike and I called this right at the time"
The love affair continues.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23257282
Since then he’s adopted two tactics – to demand that MPs outside earnings are restricted and to open up discussion beyond Labour’s financial relationship with the unions."
And yet Ed Miliband and his party combined with the Libdems to prevent the boundary changes, and with it a cut in the overall size and cost of the HoC's to the British taxpayer at a time when it really mattered? Ed Miliband's current predicament is entirely of his and his party's own making, and Miliband is currently on the back foot trying to respond and divert attention away from this fact. But as always with Labour, when they are in a mess, their inevitable solution will end up costing the British Taxpayer more in the end to clear it up. Attempting to attack and restrict MP's outside earnings as well as well outside financial donations to all party's will inevitable bring the debate right back around to the issue of increased State funding in this areas at a time of austerity for the UK.
Ed Miliband is currently in danger of digging yet another elephant trap for his own party in the run up to the next GE. And this is yet another opportunity for the Conservatives whereby they can position themselves on the right side of public opinion, and as the only party who tried to cut the costs of the HoC's in real terms by reducing the number of MP's. At at time when the public are extremely hostile towards the idea of MP's getting a pay rise. I am not sure how clever it is to be seen to be cutting off an MP's ability to supplement their income, and which lessens the case for that pay rise and eases the current burden on taxpayers. And none of this is going to make the current issues coming to light in some Labour constituency selections go away over the summer recess. So fully expect yet more 'clarifications and kite flying' from Miliband over his summer hols.
If you haven't read Tom Bowers biography of Gordon Brown, highly recommend it, particularly his selection as a Labour Parliamentary candidate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-23259765
Uncomfortable reading for Burnham.
@Plato, Mike penned this article following the Holyrood elections back in 2011 with an interesting graph. PB - Could Labour’s polling position just evaporate?
"Ten weeks in Scottish politics – what are the lessons?
I’ve been meaning to put up this chart for some time because I’m sure that the polling experience leading up to the Holyrood election on May 5th will be referred to time and time again.
This shows the regional list where the changes were most pronounced. From a position just ten weeks before election day where Labour had a 14 point lead over the SNP voters on the day gave Salmond’s party an 18 point margin over Labour."
Look at the video, it's really uncanny:
http://blog.gadgethelpline.com/keith-harris-orville-rap-comeback-support-simonly-network-freerange-chickens/
"The chapel at the Independent has voted to move to a ballot for action following the announcement of 27 redundancies at the newspaper.
The following motion was carried unanimously:
"The chapel deplores this latest attack on editorial quality and on jobs at the Independent; as well as its inevitable knock-on effect at the other Independent Print Limited titles. It has a long-standing and outright opposition to compulsory redundancies and demands that the threat of these be removed. The chapel is also dismayed that no consultation was undertaken before plans for the more than 20 redundancies were announced. The chapel insists on meaningful consultation being held on a collective basis and expresses its deep concern for the future of the Independent Print Limited Titles.
"The Chapel moves to ballot for industrial action up to and including a strike."
Chris Blackhurst, the group content director of the Independent titles had said the job losses were about saving money. He told the Press Gazette that the Independent's losses had nearly halved in the last two years and are expected to be £11.8 million this year, but that more savings needed to be found. In the year to September 2012 the Independent titles reported an operating loss of £16.6m. He said: "We are a privately-funded group and we are facing the same problems as other newspapers."
(for those who have yet to discover this marvellously cynical programme: The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat)
http://youtu.be/kFZTko2TXNY
Tsk ....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2359244/Meow-thats-great-The-app-lets-cats-photos-themselves.html
Fancied Smith too at 25s for the series but couldn't get on, and forgot to back him as top Aussie in this test.... That means he is 50% more likely to do so!
Tsk ....
If anyone likes spoof accounts - @CatFoodBreath is very good on Twitter. How the chap who does this keeps it up day after day is beyond me, but its frequently very funny. A recent favourite theme was #OccupyCouch that took the mickey splendidly.
http://cdn2.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/blogs.dir/11/files/2013/07/794014-Andy-Burnham-copy.pdf
I bet Len is thrilled - another Blairite bites the dust!
Or not.....
This I think is even firmer evidence on equality. Not only does it detail the lowest 10% rather than 20% but it actually shows the income of the lowest 10% going up. This is important, I think,. Although the ONS figures are still an important feature of the landscape, if PBers recall the Hughes/Thatcher exchange, then they might be wary of accepting a fall in the lowest incomes as long as the top incomes fall proportionately more - this is what Thatcher charges Hughes with believing.
The PAC today was citing legal advice/precedent re data protection/independence of the BBC excuses Lord Patten tried to put up when it came to revealing all the questionable deals given to ex-employees. Steve Barclay MP came well armed and the PAC backed his request.
QTWTAIN?
"Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: the services of a Technical Support Analyst to support me in my role as a Shadow Treasury Minister during the passage of the Finance Bill 2013 committee stage, for three months between 18 March and 18 June 2013; value £18,144"
From PWC......
If I wanted to go after the evil banksters PWC are the first people I'd want on the case....
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/cathy_jamieson/kilmarnock_and_loudoun#register
http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/10/royal-baby-photographers-going-mad-with-boredom-3876390/
That's a surprise: gap between Britain's richest and poorest now smallest for a generation
"The ONS reported that in 2011-12 the average annual incomes of the best-off and worst-off households, once taxes and benefit payments are taken into account, were £57,300 and £15,800 respectively. The ratio between them is less than four to one, which is the smallest gap since 1986."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/thats-a-surprise-gap-between-britains-richest-and-poorest-now-smallest-for-a-generation-8701049.html
Who was in power in 1986?
Cammie had an amusingly bad PMQs.
Not for the first time and not for the last time. Get over it.
They should be more worried that with the Blairites running about like headless chickens again, forcing little Ed into panic moves, the chumocracy are incapable of making more of such a wide open goal.
The reason there is even discussion about little Ed's leadership is the same reason it happened the first time with the Blairites briefing against little Ed. The divisions in the labour party are still there, still poisonous and some will clearly never forgive little Ed for beating brother David.
That they are currently behind little Ed for his posturing on unions will not stop them from turning on him later on like they always do. The Blairite Hodges are nothing if not predictable.
Many thanks to PtP for the 'lay the draw' tip.
I have rather cowardly already cashed in to lock in 70% of my potential profit.
Also thanks to whoever suggested the US version of House Of Card (Plato?).
I watched the first couple of episodes on the plane yesterday afternoon.
Very good imo.
Looks like a Crosby approach - quite smart QTWTAIN?
“I’ve considered it because people have requested me considering it, but I’m still waiting to see what the lineup will be and hoping that, there again, there will be some new blood, new energy, not just kind of picking from the same old politicians in the state that come from political families that have sort of [unintelligible] up there for so many years because too many of them have been part of the problem,” Palin answered.
“I’m glad you brought that up,” she continued, “because Senator Mark Begich (D-Ak.) has got to be replaced. He has not done what he has promised to do for the people of Alaska.”
My thought on party funding is quite simple - there shouldn't be any.
Maximum donation - £0. The whole thing should be completely and totally run on a volunteer basis - a party can have as many workers, agents, canvassers, organisers etc, etc but it can't pay for any of them.
People who willingly and freely give up their time, effort, knowhow, technology for a political party - fine, but no paid advisers. Experts can volunteer their time to help a party if they wish.
Just a thought - better than yet another contribution telling us a wicket has fallen.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/the-romney-campaign-is-still-going-strong-in-africa
It's the kind of stuff that keeps supporters and cheerleaders happy. But as we saw with Gove's very clever letter it makes zero impact on people who live in the real world.
It also provides journalists with copy...and manifesto writers with ammunition...either of which might get through..
He may be too busy conteplating life as a second class MP under the proposals for a solution to the WLQ. His tory friends in better together no doubt warned him about that. Probably.
He could also tell Lamont what her position is on Falkirk while he's at it.
"French company Spotter has developed an analytics tool that claims to be able to identify sarcastic comments posted online.
Spotter says its clients include the Home Office, EU Commission and Dubai Courts.
The algorithm-based analytics software generates reputation reports based on social and traditional media material. However some experts say such tools are often inadequate because of the nuance of language.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said she should not comment at this time... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23160583
Possibly. But it also creates hostages to fortune. If Hunt can make his demands, Labour can quite reasonably make similar demands of Tory ministers covering their time in office but also when they were in opposition. Who was Lansley talking to when Dave was promising no top down reorganisation of the NHS? Who has Gove been having meetings with as he has diverted money from LEA schools to get free schools set up? And so on.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite. Attacking Labour's union links probably passes most voters by, but Tories love it. That instils a collective spirit - something that has been lacking. It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
After the 05 Ashes it was almost embarrassing at the adulation and honours heaped on the team, showed how far expectations and standards had dropped.
For a preview of the 2015 election simply look at the 'Not Ken Again' campaign and all the other tactics Crosby used.
Wouldn't matter if little Ed made Dan Hodges his communications chief. That's what Crosby and the tory papers are going to do and no amount of blue labour tory triangulation from little Ed will stop it.
So it just becomes a question of whether little Ed wants to fight the election on Crosby's terms or as an opposition leader opposing the tories.
What Crosby seems to be doing is developing a narrative around which the Tories can unite. Attacking Labour's union links probably passes most voters by, but Tories love it. That instils a collective spirit - something that has been lacking. It seems as if Crosby has given up on wavering LDs and Labour voters. His goal is to bring home the UKIPers in the hope that will be enough to get the Tories over the line in 2015.
That's a depressingly low level of ambition if so, given that the Tories had the kippers in 2010, and the LDs almost certainly had more of the Labour votes than they will have in 2015.
I agree. But Crosby's job is to maximise the Tory vote and he is between a rock and a hard place. It's UKIPers or LD/Lab voters. You can't please both. He has decided to settle for the Tory (and his own) comfort zone. If Ed puts off centre left voters to the extent they stay at home - and as Mick Pork says Ed will be a central target in 2015 - you never know, it could work.
One of the funniest things about UKIP's rise, is that they have attracted more 2010 LD voters than the Conservatives.
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
The Cameroons whole strategy was designed attract the nice LDs, and then the blighters prefer those ghastly UKIP fruitcakes instead. :-)
Having taken that journey they are unlikely to go to the Tories. Maybe they are the best hope for the LDs to get voters back.
Replacing Mr Clegg looks like the LDs best remaining option.
Eventually we might get a return to party leaders at westminster knowing instinctively what their party stands for and pursuing that in their polices and campaigning without having to check every five minutes on what the other party thinks of it. But it won't be any time soon by the looks of things.
They'd be mad to. Clegg got into a govt when most of the other "stars" didn't. Clegg has better survival instincts than Dave or Ed and despite all the jibes he is still there and will potentially hold the balance of power in 2015. So the LDs have a route to the blues- Clegg -and one to the Reds - Cable. Nice place to be. The LDs are currently letting Labour and the Conservatives hack chunks out of each other whilst sitting quietly on the sidelines. Just by not getting involved in idiot fights they can carve out a position as the vaguely sane ones.