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    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.
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    DadgeDadge Posts: 2,038

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    :-) I can't imagine the Tories allowing London to be counted as a single county though!
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    Nigelb said:

    Scott_P said:
    The alternate view is that Farage is deliberately undermining HMG's relations with a foreign government.
    Traitor, anyone ?
    :-)
    Private diplomacy in the US is highly illegal.
    Ah yes The Logan Act.
    For a brief moment I thought this was a joke, but no there really is a Logan Act. Think it only applies to citizens. So Boris better stay on message.
    I did some research on it after watching Charlie Wilson's War and the good old Congressman was worried about having violated said act.
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    PlatoSaidPlatoSaid Posts: 10,383
    The Greek Analyst
    Only in #Greece: Municipalities given till year 4144 to pay off debt (Yes, you read that right: *year 4144* !!!) https://t.co/SOco4StUKs
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,060
    Patrick said:

    Patrick said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    Oh dear. Someone is getting emotional. There is not now and never will be a valid reason for the UK to become a part of the U.S.E. Yes, a Leave vote poses challenges. A Remain vote would have been a crossing of the event horizon into the EU black hole. From which we would never have been able to escape.
    The black hole is the one of uncertainty that is about to engulf us.
    A democracy can be identified by two key attributes:
    1. You can kick the buggers out; and
    2. Thereby change direction or policy.
    The EU is not a democracy - voters can do precisely nothing to divert it from its journey towards becoming a lefty superstate. From your post I deduce that you are worried about uncertainty over trade terms and our economy but relaxed about our potential loss of democracy and identity. I'm the other way round.
    You deduce incorrectly; or at least me view is far more nuanced than that.
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,902
    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
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    DadgeDadge Posts: 2,038
    The gap has jumped to 800,000 or 0.7% overnight.

    It'd be nice to know which states have certified their results and which haven't. These extra tens of thousands of votes can't all be coming from California, which is the impression given by some. Is the result in Michigan still in doubt or not?
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    PlatoSaidPlatoSaid Posts: 10,383
    Sheila Jones
    Donald Trump's $1 trillion plan sends bond yields and Dow Jones soaring https://t.co/loIlbkd2uv via @CityAM
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    PlatoSaid said:

    The Greek Analyst
    Only in #Greece: Municipalities given till year 4144 to pay off debt (Yes, you read that right: *year 4144* !!!) https://t.co/SOco4StUKs

    That is effectively a complete cancellation of the debt. Assuming 1% long run inflation (A very modest assumption), the NPV of the €535 million debt effectively heads to €3
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    His week so far...

    I will get a job at Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a job as envoy to Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a selfie at Trump's Whitehouse lift shaft

    BETRAYAL!
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @EdConwaySky: Weak inflation this month. But higher prices incoming. ONS says imported goods prices up 14.1% in yr to Sep. Biggest increase since Sep 2011
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    Dadge said:

    The gap has jumped to 800,000 or 0.7% overnight.

    It'd be nice to know which states have certified their results and which haven't. These extra tens of thousands of votes can't all be coming from California, which is the impression given by some. Is the result in Michigan still in doubt or not?

    Changes:

    -1459 Minnesota
    2 Hawaii
    71 Nebraska
    82 North Carolina
    753 Louisiana
    1118 South Carolina
    1279 Iowa
    1789 New Mexico
    3056 Georgia
    4456 Texas
    8628 Oregon
    9959 Virginia
    15720 Illinois
    22395 Missouri
    36501 Connecticut
    39293 Colorado
    39609 Maryland
    72262 Washington
    156665 Arizona <- Trump adding to his lead
    525972 California
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,196

    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    It's bit like Sam Allardyce and John Terry trading off being England Manager/Captain. Very poor form.
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    Merchandising the brand is far less detrimental than pay to play cash for access.
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    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,933

    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    We don't agree on much but yes, this needs stamping out. Someone, probably Pence or Christie, needs to give him a nudge that he can't have the same family members involved in both the political and business interests for the next few years.
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    GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    Scott_P said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    His week so far...

    I will get a job at Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a job as envoy to Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a selfie at Trump's Whitehouse lift shaft

    BETRAYAL!
    Yeah, Farage is a lightweight.

    If only he'd added "mindlessly post retweets on a betting blog" to that list of goals then he'd aspire to your levels of weekly achievement, eh. Scott?
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    edited November 2016
    Hillary is extending her PV lead in Colorado also, and Virginia.

    Basically even if another 10 million votes were added the patterns wouldn't be changed, and no states flipped.
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116
    A win for Brexit? Frank-Walter Steinmeier apparently can't stand being in Boris Johnson's presence, but now he's going to become the German President so there'll be a new Foreign Minister to deal with.
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    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,818

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    That's excellent, thanks. I wonder at which elections it would have changed things: 2010 would be an odd one due to the coalition? 2005?
    Just done 2010 - it would have been a knife edge majority for the Tories:
    329 EVs Cameron
    288 EVs Brown
    12 EVs Clegg

    If it were done as PR by county, it would have been Con 266, Lab 228, LD 125, SNP 11, Others 20
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    GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    You've actually managed to miss your own point there - which is impressive.
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    Sandpit said:

    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    We don't agree on much but yes, this needs stamping out. Someone, probably Pence or Christie, needs to give him a nudge that he can't have the same family members involved in both the political and business interests for the next few years.
    Agree, but that's the least of our troubles.
    BTW here's the latest on Trump University lawsuit.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    Arizona, Colorado and Virginia really should be faster - those are not super safe states either way... particularly Arizona.
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    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,902
    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    You've actually managed to miss your own point there - which is impressive.
    Eh? Please explain. Clearly you're operating on a far higher level.
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    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    Getting elected would be a small start.
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,291
    edited November 2016

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Except it didn't...it simply gave the illusion of that.
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Except it didn't...it simply gave the illusion of that.
    Any new treaty would need unilateral approval so we always had it. We were hardly dragged into the single European act against our will.
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    brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352
    edited November 2016

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
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    LennonLennon Posts: 1,735
    Pulpstar said:

    PlatoSaid said:

    The Greek Analyst
    Only in #Greece: Municipalities given till year 4144 to pay off debt (Yes, you read that right: *year 4144* !!!) https://t.co/SOco4StUKs

    That is effectively a complete cancellation of the debt. Assuming 1% long run inflation (A very modest assumption), the NPV of the €535 million debt effectively heads to €3
    Although unlike a genuine cancellation of the debt - presumably they still have to pay the interest every year.
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    Sandpit said:

    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    We don't agree on much but yes, this needs stamping out. Someone, probably Pence or Christie, needs to give him a nudge that he can't have the same family members involved in both the political and business interests for the next few years.
    Agree, but that's the least of our troubles.
    BTW here's the latest on Trump University lawsuit.
    http://www.democracynow.org/2016/11/11/headlines/trump_will_take_stand_nov_28_in_trial_over_trump_university
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610
    Where's Faisal? Inflation has dropped against expectations. It's also sent sterling tumbling giving up some of the gains of the last couple of days.
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Except it didn't...it simply gave the illusion of that.
    Any new treaty would need unilateral approval so we always had it. We were hardly dragged into the single European act against our will.
    Isn't the Lisbon treaty self amending to get round all that?
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    I seem to recall the deal was immediately undermined by the EU itself, as one talking head said – ‘if it’s not written into a treaty, then it’s not worth a bag of beans.'
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    GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    You've actually managed to miss your own point there - which is impressive.
    Eh? Please explain. Clearly you're operating on a far higher level.
    Yes. Clearly I am.
  • Options
    Yes, there are some higher numbers hidden behind the 0.9% CPI figure, but even if we're talking factory prices, it's 2.1% - hardly a catastrophe (and closer to the 2% target).
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    MaxPB said:

    Where's Faisal? Inflation has dropped against expectations. It's also sent sterling tumbling giving up some of the gains of the last couple of days.

    Earlier this month, the ONS announced that from March 2017, there would be a new measure of inflation that would include the cost of owning a home.

    Rofl.
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
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    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,388
    edited November 2016

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
    If you believe that you'll believe anything.

    Seriously, the EU position has always been simple. Lump it, or leave it.

    The idea that Britain was going to slowly diverge from Europe is not one any EU leader would countenance.
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Dave's deal? Which one would that be? The one that never happened? The one that got spun as magnificent but when the curtain was pulled back it was a big fat nada? The EU doesn't and cannot do deals that are not made into EU law. The whole premise of the Remain strategy 'we'll negotiate, get a deal and then vote' was horseshit. Nothing in the EU that is not in a treaty is worth a bag of beans.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,360
    Scott_P said:

    @SkyNewsBreak: Office for National Statistics says consumer price inflation has fallen to 0.9% in October from 1% in September

    Damn that falling pound! How will we cope?
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    weejonnieweejonnie Posts: 3,820
    Dadge said:

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    :-) I can't imagine the Tories allowing London to be counted as a single county though!
    It is to give us something as bad as California in the UK.

    BTW - I assume this was vote counting. Were the UKECVotes purely the same as constituencies or did you add in 2 extra votes/ county so that the influence of the smaller counties was enhanced?
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    Nigelb said:

    Scott_P said:
    The alternate view is that Farage is deliberately undermining HMG's relations with a foreign government.
    Traitor, anyone ?
    :-)
    Private diplomacy in the US is highly illegal.
    Ah yes The Logan Act.
    For a brief moment I thought this was a joke, but no there really is a Logan Act. Think it only applies to citizens. So Boris better stay on message.
    If we had a Logan type Act here, then Mandelson, Blair and Clegg would be in trouble. Not a bad idea come to think of it.
    :smile:
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    DromedaryDromedary Posts: 1,194
    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?
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    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    You've actually managed to miss your own point there - which is impressive.
    Eh? Please explain. Clearly you're operating on a far higher level.
    Yes. Clearly I am.
    He did say please, why not explain?
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,360
    Scott_P said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    His week so far...

    I will get a job at Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a job as envoy to Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a selfie at Trump's Whitehouse lift shaft

    BETRAYAL!
    Weird kind of week. I mean he wasn't leader of UKIP even once.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    DavidL said:



    Interesting. So Trump's efficiency of vote overcomes Clinton's lead in the popular vote regardless? But why do Americans think it is ok that some votes are worth so much more than others? Its like some of the more bizarre arguments against equal seat sizes here.

    Because it's a federation not a single country
    IanB2 said:



    Clearly "Independence for Southern California!" is the Dems best strategy...

    Socal would generally vote GOP. That's why the congressional redistricting was so outrageous. They gerrymandered by splitting OC up and merging parts of it with SouthCentral LA and parts with Anaheim. Went from 2 GOP seats to 2 Dem seats. (This wad bwfore the Trump election with the Johnson effect)
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
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    DromedaryDromedary Posts: 1,194

    A win for Brexit? Frank-Walter Steinmeier apparently can't stand being in Boris Johnson's presence, but now he's going to become the German President so there'll be a new Foreign Minister to deal with.

    It could be Ursula von der Leyen, on her way towards the Chancellorship.
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    DavidL said:

    Scott_P said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    His week so far...

    I will get a job at Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a job as envoy to Trump's Whitehouse

    I will get a selfie at Trump's Whitehouse lift shaft

    BETRAYAL!
    Weird kind of week. I mean he wasn't leader of UKIP even once.
    I thought he was at the moment.
    It is confusing though to try to keep up with who's leading UKIP this week.
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    It'd be interesting to see how many UK voters would want to join the EU as it actually stands now.
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    @Pulpstar It's not a new measure, it's a souped-up version of an old measure. This was the view of some bloke off of the internet:

    @outlawbizjourno · 17h17 hours ago

    'Chopping and changing' official #inflation measure leads to public confusion, says @AlastairMeeks #pensions http://ow.ly/sBoZ3069Igp

  • Options
    "Downing Street say that in fact it wasn’t a Cabinet Office memo at all, it was an unsolicited report authored by Deloitte. In which they found the government needs 30,000 extra staff, presumably Deloitte consultants. "
    http://order-order.com/2016/11/15/deloitte-author-of-leaked-memo/

    Anyone think Deloitte's will be off Mrs May's xmas list?
    How to offend customers and lose future sales.
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    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,388
    edited November 2016
    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.

    Juppe's biggest problem would be low turnout this Sunday, not next year.
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    not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    Charles said:

    DavidL said:



    Interesting. So Trump's efficiency of vote overcomes Clinton's lead in the popular vote regardless? But why do Americans think it is ok that some votes are worth so much more than others? Its like some of the more bizarre arguments against equal seat sizes here.

    Because it's a federation not a single country
    IanB2 said:



    Clearly "Independence for Southern California!" is the Dems best strategy...

    Socal would generally vote GOP. That's why the congressional redistricting was so outrageous. They gerrymandered by splitting OC up and merging parts of it with SouthCentral LA and parts with Anaheim. Went from 2 GOP seats to 2 Dem seats. (This wad bwfore the Trump election with the Johnson effect)
    Congressional redistricting is done by an independent committee in CA.
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    DavidL said:

    Scott_P said:

    @SkyNewsBreak: Office for National Statistics says consumer price inflation has fallen to 0.9% in October from 1% in September

    Damn that falling pound! How will we cope?
    Have you bought fuel lately?
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    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    That's probably compulsory in French politics!
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    Trump isn't putting his assets into a blind trust. They are buildings with his name on so how could he ? We were told by Guiliani his children would run the company and they would not be part of government. But now they are on the Transition team and there is briefing security clearance for them as being sought. Ivanka is advertising her Jewelry as being worn on the Sixty Minutes President Elect interview.

    This all may be stamped on and out quickly by the deep state. But it's started. They are trying it.

    This is the kind of thing that gets political leaders very hated very quickly if things start to go wrong.

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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975

    @Pulpstar It's not a new measure, it's a souped-up version of an old measure. This was the view of some bloke off of the internet:

    @outlawbizjourno · 17h17 hours ago

    'Chopping and changing' official #inflation measure leads to public confusion, says @AlastairMeeks #pensions http://ow.ly/sBoZ3069Igp

    The "real" inflation rate is miles higher than the Gov't ones banded about I think.
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    nunununu Posts: 6,024
    edited November 2016

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
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    brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
    Which proves my point; no promise means anything unless it is written into treaty. Dave deal was not an EU treaty.
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    Scott_P said:
    Brought to you from the same people who reported on the meeting between Barry and Theresa at the White House....Given silicon valleys desire to censor "fake" news, the Times might have to be very careful going forward...
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116
    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think that's a good bet actually. She has more chance of winning outright in the first round than of winning the run off. A repeat of the shock result of her father but this time going one better.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,291
    edited November 2016

    "Downing Street say that in fact it wasn’t a Cabinet Office memo at all, it was an unsolicited report authored by Deloitte. In which they found the government needs 30,000 extra staff, presumably Deloitte consultants. "
    http://order-order.com/2016/11/15/deloitte-author-of-leaked-memo/

    Anyone think Deloitte's will be off Mrs May's xmas list?
    How to offend customers and lose future sales.

    For once, a politician claiming they don't recognise this document, is actually telling the truth...not sure what BBC excuse is, they were excitedly claiming their journos had also seen it, so it isn't simply they were reporting what another paper said.

    "Government sources say they told the BBC their headline and story was wrong at 7am."

    They were obviously too busy reading the Guardian at that time.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116

    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
    Which proves my point; no promise means anything unless it is written into treaty. Dave deal was not an EU treaty.
    But there is no new promise in the deal, just a reference to the existing treaties.
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,902
    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    GeoffM said:

    Jonathan said:

    Who can put Farage back in his box? By undermining HMG he is working against the national interest.

    Does that argument also apply to the remoaners on here and elsewhere?
    Why Farage and not also, for example. the BBC?
    If the BBC were having discussions with Trump (or any other foreign leader) you might have a point. But since they are not, you don't.

    If Farage wants to represent the UK, he knows what he has to do.
    You've actually managed to miss your own point there - which is impressive.
    Eh? Please explain. Clearly you're operating on a far higher level.
    Yes. Clearly I am.
    Sorry, I thought you had something interesting to say. My mistake. Please ignore.
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,237
    edited November 2016

    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?

    Edit: ah, just checked.

    'Convicted for fraud
    In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of fraud and sentenced her a 10,000 Euro fine, for producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the 2012 election. In a statement, her counsel Wallerand de Saint-Just announced that she was appealing the conviction.'
  • Options
    brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352

    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?
    Maybe he's thinking of her father?
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,360

    DavidL said:

    Scott_P said:

    @SkyNewsBreak: Office for National Statistics says consumer price inflation has fallen to 0.9% in October from 1% in September

    Damn that falling pound! How will we cope?
    Have you bought fuel lately?
    Yesterday. 114.7p per litre of diesel. Touch higher than recently but not much.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610
    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    Where's Faisal? Inflation has dropped against expectations. It's also sent sterling tumbling giving up some of the gains of the last couple of days.

    Earlier this month, the ONS announced that from March 2017, there would be a new measure of inflation that would include the cost of owning a home.

    Rofl.
    It's like the government didn't learn the lessons of 15% interest rates sending inflation through the roof.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,291
    edited November 2016

    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?

    Edit: ah, just checked.

    'Convicted for fraud
    In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of fraud and sentenced her a 10,000 Euro fine, for producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the 2012 election. In a statement, her counsel Wallerand de Saint-Just announced that she was appealing the conviction.'
    I thought being being done for fraud or campaign finance irregularities was a pre-condition of standing for election in France, along side having had an extra-martial affair?
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116

    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?

    Edit: ah, just checked.

    'Convicted for fraud
    In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of fraud and sentenced her a 10,000 Euro fine, for producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the 2012 election. In a statement, her counsel Wallerand de Saint-Just announced that she was appealing the conviction.'
    You see... she's a true liberal democrat!
  • Options
    TwistedFireStopperTwistedFireStopper Posts: 2,538
    edited November 2016
    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
  • Options

    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?

    Edit: ah, just checked.

    'Convicted for fraud
    In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of fraud and sentenced her a 10,000 Euro fine, for producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the 2012 election. In a statement, her counsel Wallerand de Saint-Just announced that she was appealing the conviction.'
    You see... she's a true liberal democrat!
    Watch out chiens.
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
    If you believe that you'll believe anything.

    Seriously, the EU position has always been simple. Lump it, or leave it.

    The idea that Britain was going to slowly diverge from Europe is not one any EU leader would countenance.
    That's not true, they've been giving Britain opt-outs since forever and they weren't about to stop. What they weren't going to do was change the *EU* into something else to match whatever it was that the British were taking objection to this month.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,360

    "Downing Street say that in fact it wasn’t a Cabinet Office memo at all, it was an unsolicited report authored by Deloitte. In which they found the government needs 30,000 extra staff, presumably Deloitte consultants. "
    http://order-order.com/2016/11/15/deloitte-author-of-leaked-memo/

    Anyone think Deloitte's will be off Mrs May's xmas list?
    How to offend customers and lose future sales.

    For once, a politician claiming they don't recognise this document, is actually telling the truth...not sure what BBC excuse is, they were excitedly claiming their journos had also seen it, so it isn't simply they were reporting what another paper said.

    "Government sources say they told the BBC their headline and story was wrong at 7am."

    They were obviously too busy reading the Guardian at that time.
    This story was so ridiculous that even Chris Grayling was able to deal with it competently this morning. His throwaway about what on earth would 30K people do working on Brexit was unusually telling and almost coherent.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    MaxPB said:

    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    Where's Faisal? Inflation has dropped against expectations. It's also sent sterling tumbling giving up some of the gains of the last couple of days.

    Earlier this month, the ONS announced that from March 2017, there would be a new measure of inflation that would include the cost of owning a home.

    Rofl.
    It's like the government didn't learn the lessons of 15% interest rates sending inflation through the roof.
    Paying rent or a mortgage is pretty much unavoidable, surely a proper inflation measure should include some sort of weighted average between the two - with the weighting given as part of the average man or woman's cost in this area ?
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,818
    weejonnie said:

    Dadge said:

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    :-) I can't imagine the Tories allowing London to be counted as a single county though!
    It is to give us something as bad as California in the UK.

    BTW - I assume this was vote counting. Were the UKECVotes purely the same as constituencies or did you add in 2 extra votes/ county so that the influence of the smaller counties was enhanced?
    Dammit, I didn't add in the extra 2 votes per county - you're right. I'll have another go.
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,176
    DavidL said:

    Scott_P said:

    @SkyNewsBreak: Office for National Statistics says consumer price inflation has fallen to 0.9% in October from 1% in September

    Damn that falling pound! How will we cope?
    The ONS publishes a table of "Contributions to the 12-month rate of CPI by import intensity" which shows that ALL of the CPI inflation over the last year is the result of price increases in components with the LOWEST import intensity.
    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/contributionstothe12monthrateofcpibyimportintensity/january2003tooctober2016/cpiimportintensitydatatable.xls
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610

    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
    This is what we were discussing yesterday. There was enough split ticket voting in Michigan and NC to swing the state from the Dems at Gubernatorial, House or Senate level to Trump for the White House. Dems turned out but they voted for Trump. Clinton was a rubbish candidate and should have been told by the DNC not to run and they should have pushed Biden to have a go for one term while they rebuilt the party machinery and flushed all the Clinton surrogates out.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Charles said:

    DavidL said:



    Interesting. So Trump's efficiency of vote overcomes Clinton's lead in the popular vote regardless? But why do Americans think it is ok that some votes are worth so much more than others? Its like some of the more bizarre arguments against equal seat sizes here.

    Because it's a federation not a single country
    IanB2 said:



    Clearly "Independence for Southern California!" is the Dems best strategy...

    Socal would generally vote GOP. That's why the congressional redistricting was so outrageous. They gerrymandered by splitting OC up and merging parts of it with SouthCentral LA and parts with Anaheim. Went from 2 GOP seats to 2 Dem seats. (This wad bwfore the Trump election with the Johnson effect)
    Congressional redistricting is done by an independent committee in CA.
    Packed by Dems
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,116
    MaxPB said:

    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    Where's Faisal? Inflation has dropped against expectations. It's also sent sterling tumbling giving up some of the gains of the last couple of days.

    Earlier this month, the ONS announced that from March 2017, there would be a new measure of inflation that would include the cost of owning a home.

    Rofl.
    It's like the government didn't learn the lessons of 15% interest rates sending inflation through the roof.
    They did?

    image
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    MaxPB said:

    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
    This is what we were discussing yesterday. There was enough split ticket voting in Michigan and NC to swing the state from the Dems at Gubernatorial, House or Senate level to Trump for the White House. Dems turned out but they voted for Trump. Clinton was a rubbish candidate and should have been told by the DNC not to run and they should have pushed Biden to have a go for one term while they rebuilt the party machinery and flushed all the Clinton surrogates out.
    I'm not sure what conclusions one can draw from governor races.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_gubernatorial_election,_2016

    The GOP won in Vermont !
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    weejonnie said:

    Dadge said:

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    :-) I can't imagine the Tories allowing London to be counted as a single county though!
    It is to give us something as bad as California in the UK.

    BTW - I assume this was vote counting. Were the UKECVotes purely the same as constituencies or did you add in 2 extra votes/ county so that the influence of the smaller counties was enhanced?
    Dammit, I didn't add in the extra 2 votes per county - you're right. I'll have another go.
    Still very interesting!
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    The Times which is has always been known as "the paper of record" is testing that line to destruction. The tale of non-existent meeting of the POTUS and the PM at the white house, now a company sales pitch reported as a secret government memo.
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    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,818

    weejonnie said:

    Dadge said:

    Thought experiment: suppose the EU elected a president with a similar electoral college system to the US. Which countries would be the "swing states"? I guess the UK would be the equivalent of Texas...

    I did 2015 with counties instead of states. It ended up something like this:

    7th May 2015, from another Timeline.

    "And the final results of the first UK General Election to be held under an Electoral College are now final, with the recounts in Derbyshire and Clwyd being completed.
    As our viewers will be aware, the UK Electoral Systems Act 2014 means that results are given by counties or Unitary Authority areas, with the number of Electoral Votes cast by each being equivalent to their former number of MPs"

    "Yes, David, and while we expect Northern Ireland to continue voting on sectarian lines as it did in the past, their only hope for real influence is if the election gets thrown to the Lords if no Party wins more than the target of 325 EVs. In that case, the Lords will choose between the leaders of the top three parties, which were widely - and correctly - expected to be David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nicola Sturgeon"

    "Indeed, but we can now say that it won't come to that. With Derbyshire's 11 Electoral Votes and Clwyd's 7 EVs both going to the Conservatives after their recounts, David Cameron now has 337 Electoral Votes, which is enough to put him over the line."

    "Yes, David. Ed Milliband got 236 EVs, with London's 73 Electoral Votes making up nearly a third of his entire count, the SNP swept Scotland with 59 EVs, and Northern Ireland, as expected, split their Electoral votes between the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Ulster Unionists. There will be no trade-offs before the Electoral College meets as Mr Cameron does not, in the end, require any 'lent' EVs to be sworn in"

    "The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Green Parties were all disappointed, receiving no Electoral Votes. None of them even came close to winning any county."
    :-) I can't imagine the Tories allowing London to be counted as a single county though!
    It is to give us something as bad as California in the UK.

    BTW - I assume this was vote counting. Were the UKECVotes purely the same as constituencies or did you add in 2 extra votes/ county so that the influence of the smaller counties was enhanced?
    Dammit, I didn't add in the extra 2 votes per county - you're right. I'll have another go.
    With the 2 extra votes per county (Upper House members, of course), we get:
    Con 420
    Lab 263
    SNP 81
    Others (NI) 30
    No Greens, LD or UKIP

    794 EVs, 397 to win
  • Options

    The Times which is has always been known as "the paper of record" is testing that line to destruction. The tale of non-existent meeting of the POTUS and the PM at the white house, now a company sales pitch reported as a secret government memo.

    The Times seems very dominated by REMAIN supporters desperate to create anti-Brexit stories. People at the Times should be fired.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,896

    The Times which is has always been known as "the paper of record" is testing that line to destruction. The tale of non-existent meeting of the POTUS and the PM at the white house, now a company sales pitch reported as a secret government memo.

    The Times seems very dominated by REMAIN supporters desperate to create anti-Brexit stories. People at the Times should be fired.
    They're entitled to their opinion, but yes, the Times is very pro-Remain.
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    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,176

    @Pulpstar It's not a new measure, it's a souped-up version of an old measure. This was the view of some bloke off of the internet:

    It comes from the ONS itself.
    https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/cpihcompendium/2016-10-13
    The CPIH is identical to the UK’s headline measure of inflation, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), save for the treatment of OOH costs, which are excluded from the CPI.
    ...
    As the more complete measure, then, it is intended that CPIH should in due course become the headline measure of consumer price inflation in the UK.
    ...
    We hope for CPIH to be awarded National Statistic status in the first half of 2017
  • Options

    The Times which is has always been known as "the paper of record" is testing that line to destruction. The tale of non-existent meeting of the POTUS and the PM at the white house, now a company sales pitch reported as a secret government memo.

    The original story makes that clear

    A government source said that the memo had not been commissioned by the government. The Times understands that its author prepared it under his own initiative.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610
    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
    This is what we were discussing yesterday. There was enough split ticket voting in Michigan and NC to swing the state from the Dems at Gubernatorial, House or Senate level to Trump for the White House. Dems turned out but they voted for Trump. Clinton was a rubbish candidate and should have been told by the DNC not to run and they should have pushed Biden to have a go for one term while they rebuilt the party machinery and flushed all the Clinton surrogates out.
    I'm not sure what conclusions one can draw from governor races.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_gubernatorial_election,_2016

    The GOP won in Vermont !
    But I think the point is that Dems seem to have split their tickets and to the detriment of Hillary. Before the election everyone was talking about how Hillary would lift the Dems in the House and Senate. The Dems made gains in the Senate and the House, but Hillary still lost.
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,896
    MaxPB said:

    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
    This is what we were discussing yesterday. There was enough split ticket voting in Michigan and NC to swing the state from the Dems at Gubernatorial, House or Senate level to Trump for the White House. Dems turned out but they voted for Trump. Clinton was a rubbish candidate and should have been told by the DNC not to run and they should have pushed Biden to have a go for one term while they rebuilt the party machinery and flushed all the Clinton surrogates out.
    The Republicans won the overall vote for the House by 50% to 47%. So Clinton did slightly overperform Democratic House candidates, and Trump slightly underperformed Republicans.
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    Pulpstar said:

    Dromedary said:

    Got to wonder whether pollsters aren't kidding themselves about the chances of Alain Juppé, a 70-year old convicted crook, winning the French presidency. The other main candidate from the non-FN right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is awaiting trial for corruption. Is anyone offering a price on Le Pen winning outright in the first round?

    I think he'll win, if there is one nation that won't want to be seen to be going the way of the USA and Britain - it is France.
    Le Pen is also a convicted criminal.
    She is?

    Edit: ah, just checked.

    'Convicted for fraud
    In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of fraud and sentenced her a 10,000 Euro fine, for producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the 2012 election. In a statement, her counsel Wallerand de Saint-Just announced that she was appealing the conviction.'
    You see... she's a true liberal democrat!
    :smile:
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    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Time to shelve Brexit.

    On trade, security, and democracy it is a busted flush. The arguments in favour - academic at best - have been decisively Trumped.

    Our permanent interests as a maritime nation are for the freest trade and for a world of liberal democratic internationalism - from the UN to the World Bank.

    Irony or ironies, the safest vehicle for that today is the EU.

    Sorry Brexiters, you just got Trexited. You're allying yourself with demagoguery, isolationism and kleptocracy. Quit before the mental and moral gymnastics start to affect your health.

    If the EU showed any interest whatsoever in returning powers to Member States, you might have a point, but they don't, so the argument for leaving remains the same.
    You do know that Member States have a veto over the final deal, don't you?
    It doesn't alter the fact that EU membership means ever More Europe. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
    Dave's Deal specifically opted us out of Ever Closer Union.
    Er, no it didn't. That's a ridiculous claim.
    The Tusk text says (p10) specifically: “It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union.” It also promises to incorporate this in the EU treaties next time they are opened.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/eu-deal-what-david-cameron-asked-for-and-what-he-actually-got/
    Which proves my point; no promise means anything unless it is written into treaty. Dave deal was not an EU treaty.
    Well, there's not much point arguing over Dave's Deal - that's now dead and gone. But it's interesting how it's gone from 'worthless piece of evil europhile capitulation that cost him the referendum' to 'okay but needs to be enshrined in a treaty'.
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    MrsBMrsB Posts: 574
    FPT for MaxPB

    You say it is not "liberal" to shut free speech down by saying it is racist or islamophobic. But what if it IS racist or islamophobic?

    I think you are not clear what liberalism is and are mixing it up with libertarianism. Both of them are about people being free to do what they want. The difference is that liberalism says you are free to do what you want up until the point at which you start hurting others, while libertarianis says you are free to do what you want and to hell with everyone else.

    There is room for a discussion about the point at which freely expressed opinions cross over from being merely offensive to raising the possibility of real harm being done to people. But true liberals would say there must be some form of limit to free speech. The usual and obvious example is the one about shouting fire in a crowded theatre.

    I've had quite enough of people thinking they can say and do what they like. We have created a society across a lot of the world made up of selfish people who think they are entitled to have whatever they want whenever they want it and don't care who they trample on to get it.

    I've also had quite enough of people sneering at "liberals" on this site and elsewhere.

    And while I'm at it I have had quite enough of Brexit bullies claiming we all have to do as they say. No we don't.

    Off to have a cup of tea - although what I really need is a stiff gin.

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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,291
    edited November 2016

    The Times which is has always been known as "the paper of record" is testing that line to destruction. The tale of non-existent meeting of the POTUS and the PM at the white house, now a company sales pitch reported as a secret government memo.

    The original story makes that clear

    A government source said that the memo had not been commissioned by the government. The Times understands that its author prepared it under his own initiative.
    The first paragraph says...

    "Whitehall is working on more than 500 Brexit-related projects and could need to hire 30,000 extra civil servants, according to a leaked memo prepared for the Cabinet Office."

    That is highly misleading.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,975
    Sean_F said:

    MaxPB said:

    nunu said:

    Donald Trump has accused a judge of being biased because he's Mexican, mocked the disabled, insulted the parents of a dead veteran and boasted of grabbing women by the pussy. I really can't get worked up about his daughter advertising jewellery for sale.

    Yes the voters knew he is a sleazeball and shruged their shoulders, (atleast almost half of them) they won't care about this.

    Politics is so debased now, why give a fuck about any "scandal'. Who cares.
    What I can't understand is why Hilary Clinton is so deified by many liberal commentators? I read the Guardian mostly, and it's opinion writers, especially it's cadre of feminist writers such as Jessica Valenti are actually traumatised by the Trump vote. They have projected so much onto her, almost as if she was the perfect candidate. The Guardian is literally pissing its pants and begging for money to fight Trump., and I can't fail to think that if Trump is such a monster (and he probably his) why didn't the Dems pick a better candidate?
    It almost feels as if it was Clinton's turn to have a play, and somehow she was denied it.
    This is what we were discussing yesterday. There was enough split ticket voting in Michigan and NC to swing the state from the Dems at Gubernatorial, House or Senate level to Trump for the White House. Dems turned out but they voted for Trump. Clinton was a rubbish candidate and should have been told by the DNC not to run and they should have pushed Biden to have a go for one term while they rebuilt the party machinery and flushed all the Clinton surrogates out.
    The Republicans won the overall vote for the House by 50% to 47%. So Clinton did slightly overperform Democratic House candidates, and Trump slightly underperformed Republicans.
    It looks like any GOP candidate may well have won, but I think the polling would have been 'more right'.
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    The 30,000 extra civil servants claim could have come from the lips of Sir Humphrey himself.
This discussion has been closed.