Premium bond prizes cut, although it is not really clear that the claimed fall in market rates (it was already 1.5% pa) has actually taken place. If I were Ed Miliband's chief PMQs SpAd, I'd be trying to spin it as an attack on unsophisticated investors while leaving the posh sorts unscathed.
@david_herdson said: » show previous quotes Just to say, in the piece I wrote a month ago, I tipped George at 12/1, Edward at 40/1 and Alexander and Henry at 50s.
I appreciate it's not quite Mike's Obamabet but I'm still fairly happy with those.
--
Yes, thanks David - You're a decent tipster & I confess I looked up your post this very morning!
Talking of Mike's Obama bet, is Morus still posting on here?
On Twitter Lee McKenzie has retweeted a claim that 2014 will see an Austrian GP. That would be a significant surprise. Not only is Austria unexpected, we're already having New York and Russia joining the calendar.
The Unite trade union has dismissed a poll suggesting only 12% of its members would personally choose to join the Labour Party as "pretty wanting".
Just under a quarter of those questioned in an online survey for former Tory treasurer Lord Ashcroft said they would vote Conservative.
And 86% of respondents supported the government's benefit cap - a policy opposed by Unite and Labour.
Three quarters did not recognise Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.
Shown a photograph, some people mistook him for former Manchester Unite manager Sir Alex Ferguson, ex-Conservative cabinet minister David Mellor or Labour leader Ed Miliband....
A panel of 15,970 adults were asked if they were members of a union and, if so, which one. Interviews were conducted online with 712 who said they were Unite members between 10 and 17 July. Unite has 1.5 million members.
On Twitter Lee McKenzie has retweeted a claim that 2014 will see an Austrian GP. That would be a significant surprise. Not only is Austria unexpected, we're already having New York and Russia joining the calendar.
My sources have said nothing. Everything new, Russia perhaps excepted, is outside Europe. Thailand seems to be moving back. 2015 at the very earliest.
We've heard over the last few days that Baby Cambridge emulates HH Prince Edward in 1894 as the third generation born direct line of a serving monarch, Then it was :
HH Prince Edward (later Edward VIII) son of the Duke of York (later George V) son of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) son of Queen Victoria.
The related question moves along a little :
Since AD1000 what was the first year in the timeline when we had a sovereign with a least 4 following monarchs living ?
The names will be traditional English names still in circulation, nothing too foreign or antiquated, so no Boris or Cuthbert, but that still leaves a lot of scope. Besides the obvious royal names, there are plenty of qualifying names which have never been used by a reigning British king: Anthony, Jack, Michael, Paul, Peter, Samuel, Thomas ...
Some are more likely than others, of course, but the pool of plausible names is still large.
However, Graeme Leach, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, has attacked the scheme and said it will “drive up prices”.
“The housing market needs help to supply, not help to buy and the extension of this scheme is very dangerous,” he said. “Government guarantees will not increase the supply of homes, but they will drive up prices at a time when it seems likely that house prices are already over-valued. “When the scheme is withdrawn any rise in prices that has taken place will be undermined, with potentially disastrous results. There is a real risk that the housing market will become dependent on the underwriting by government, making it very difficult politically to shut the scheme down.” Mr Leach added: “This should be of great concern. The world must have gone mad for us to now be discussing endless taxpayer guarantees for mortgages.
Indeed: as I said several threads back, inflation in house prices is a bad not a good thing. Far better to have stable prices with any increase in value coming from real improvements to the property, good maintenance etc rather than inflation together with a supply of good quality property for purchase or long-term rent.
I don't think any party will do anything about this. All of them want to maintain the illusion that rising house prices makes people richer and they all want to tax this illusory wealth.
Good Lord, a tad ‘ecclesiastical’ for my taste – perhaps for the second son , which in days gone by I believe, often took Holy Orders.
I’d be very surprised if it was anything other than ‘boring and traditional’ – not had an ‘Albert’ in quite a while – but ‘Snoop doggy dog’ is a non starter imho..!
Wouldn't 'James' be a non runner considering the rumours about Harry's mothers affair and who he looks like?
I thought that the Royals had tended to avoid James since the last King of England to bear that name was deposed.
I've found it interesting that people are mentioning Alexander - perhaps going for a name with Scottish pedigree will be a nod towards hoping that Scotland remains in the Union?
Looking at popular baby names I see that - James and Alexander apart - none of the other Scottish monarch names, such as Malcolm, Donald and Douglas, figure in recent years.
One old name with a good pedigree that has made a resurgence is Arthur, but I was hoping that if I ever had a son that I could name him after my Grandad without sharing the name with a future monarch.
France seems to be in the middle of culture wars atm. riots at the weekend on the burqa and now a local mayor says Hitler didn't kill enough travellers.
Every year from 1665 to 1685 (James II, William & Mary, Anne and George I)
1665 Correct .. Charles II and William III, Mary II, James II, Anne and George I
Not fully correct to 1685.
1683-5: During Charles II's reign: James II/VII, Anne, William II/III, Mary II, George I & George II. Also Richard Cromwell was still kicking around as an English ex-head of state
Off topic (and off JackW's quiz), I'm currently looking through a Government consultation. This has been provided in two formats, one of which is billed as "easy read". Naturally enough I started with it:
I hadn't seen a consultation in this format before. I'm torn between thinking that it's a good idea to reach out beyond the commentariat to the people who are actually affected by the changes and thinking that the Government never pays any blind notice to consultation responses anyway so what's the point.
Every year from 1665 to 1685 (James II, William & Mary, Anne and George I)
1665 Correct .. Charles II and William III, Mary II, James II, Anne and George I
Not fully correct to 1685.
1683-5: During Charles II's reign: James II/VII, Anne, William II/III, Mary II, George I & George II. Also Richard Cromwell was still kicking around as an English ex-head of state
Spot on Herders.
1683 added George II to the previous list. Monarch +6 is the largest number in British history.
"There are some interesting findings in Lord Ashcroft's poll of Unite members. For instance, only seven per cent plan to vote for the do-gooder Liberal Democrats "
"71 per cent of them don't think councils should have to provide sites for travellers and 59 per cent don't want to see the top rate of tax raised to 75p. Socialism isn't very popular amongst Britain's working class."
"Sadly, 49 per cent of Unite members still say they'll vote Labour, but that will largely be either out of public-sector self-interest or tribal voting handed down from generation to generation fuelled by a hatred of the Tories.
It isn't, tellingly, because they actually agree with the party's social or economic stances. In the long term, Labour's traditional base will increasingly migrate away from it as Labour stands up for welfare and not the working man."
WRT Parisien riots, they were well out into the suburbs. Trappes, which (imagining Paris as a clock face) if I'm at half past 6 on the Saclay Plateau, that's at about half past 8 and beyond Versailles.
If memory serves, you notice it when you go through it on the train, its a bit out in the middle of nowhere and has the feel of a planned 'new town' type suburb. FWIW, the most I noticed this weekend was the convoy of police heading in that direction on the Saturday night.
I agree on the general point - look at the sizes of the protests both for and against gay marriage and the fate of Clement Meric for a different angle.
I tried to find out exactly which groups of workers Unite represents from their website, to no avail.
I did find out they also encourage 'those not in work' to join. For those at the top of labour there is little difference between the low paid and those not in work.
My enthusiasm for the Spanish economy is now being matched by UBS. This morning they published a big report, and these were the first bullet points:
"Spain had 4 big problems…3 are sorted…there is 1 left Despite mixed headlines about Spain, investors with a long-term view should not ignore the country. Spain has sorted a numbers of key imbalances: 1) Current account has moved from a massive deficit to a surplus: Spain is now competitive. 2) Banks funding is much improved and sector is fairly capitalised. 3) Real estate excess has been largely cleaned-up. A remaining problem is a high budget deficit (c6%).
Positively surprised by recent data: risk on GDP forecasts to the upside We have been positively surprised by a few key data points: 1) Employment creation in May and June was best data for 7y. 2) Car sales stabilised in June (-0.7% vs. -5% YTD). 3) Tourist inflows are at historical highs (+7% y/y). 4) Retail sales for a few large retailers were flat in June (vs. -6% YTD). 5) Truck road traffic is stabilising, usually a leading indicator. 6) PMI’s at c50’s are now above Germany."
I really like the idea of Philip for the baby's name after his great grandfather, and it would be lovely to see a King Philip after the Queen failed to get the family surname changed in recognition of his family connection.
FPT: "In other extraordinary news, peope who work in the private sector can and do vote Labour.
Also interesting to see how many UNITE members have opted out of paying the political levy. I thought no-one did because of the cruel intimidaitn that they might suffer. "
I have only worked in the private sector all my working life and just to make PBTories feel better I have never taken a penny in benefits except for my son's child benefit which is gone now. Fortunately, I have never had the need to.
But I am a Labour supporter. Some PBTories think a Unite member is some kind of Martian !
Another one from the JackW stable of royal questions:
The birth of William and Kate's son means that in the normal course of events, the crown will pass to three successive eldest sons. Has this ever happened before? If so, when; if not, what is / are the closest instances?
The Unite trade union has dismissed a poll suggesting only 12% of its members would personally choose to join the Labour Party as "pretty wanting".
Haven't they got the memo from tim, Neil & OGH?
It's a Victory for Ed!
I'd also have thought Ed would be thrilled by the overwhelming support for nationalisation of utilities & transport! There's no pleasing some people!
If 12% of Unite members joined Labour, it would immediately more than double the Labour Party membership surely. Probably, even more. More the better !!
I've always thought of them as a public sector union, but from the link you post that appears very much not to be the case.
Definitely a largely private sector trade union (though with significant numbers in the public sector). It's a merger of the T&G and Amicus with Amicus itself largely being the result of mergers between MSF, AEEU, GPMU and UNIFI. JohnO's older than me so he can go back to earlier incarnations of the predecessor unions
The Unite trade union has dismissed a poll suggesting only 12% of its members would personally choose to join the Labour Party as "pretty wanting".
Haven't they got the memo from tim, Neil & OGH?
It's a Victory for Ed!
I'd also have thought Ed would be thrilled by the overwhelming support for nationalisation of utilities & transport! There's no pleasing some people!
If 12% of Unite members joined Labour, it would immediately more than double the Labour Party membership surely. Probably, even more. More the better !! Undoubtedly - the only question is why fearless Ed aims to resolve this within a year of the GE - any ideas?
I've always thought of them as a public sector union, but from the link you post that appears very much not to be the case.
Definitely a largely private sector trade union (though with significant numbers in the public sector). It's a merger of the T&G and Amicus with Amicus itself largely being the result of mergers between MSF, AEEU, GPMU and UNIFI. JohnO's older than me so he can go back to earlier incarnations of the predecessor unions
Another one from the JackW stable of royal questions:
The birth of William and Kate's son means that in the normal course of events, the crown will pass to three successive eldest sons. Has this ever happened before? If so, when; if not, what is / are the closest instances?
I should clarify: I mean instances where, as now, it would be anticipated that a monarch would pass (or has passed) the crown to his or her eldest son, followed by the son's eldest son, followed by the grandson's eldest son.
Just seen a bit on the news about just how much money has been bet on the Royal baby's name, especially in the last few days. So no surprise that the topic is generating so much talk on a betting site. And I must admit I loved going through baby name books while pregnant and choosing the names.
I suspect this won't deflect those who refuse to accept that Crosby didn't and this will carry on ad nauseum for another few months.
Lynton Crosby has just put out this statement:
“The Prime Minister has repeatedly and clearly said that I have never lobbied him on anything, including on the issue of tobacco or plain packaging of cigarettes. What the PM said should be enough for any ordinary person but to avoid any doubt or speculation let me be clear. At no time have I had any conversation or discussion with or lobbied the Prime Minister, or indeed the Health Secretary or the health minister, on plain packaging or tobacco issues. Indeed, any claim that I have sought to improperly use my position as part-time campaign adviser to the Conservative Party is simply false.”
Off topic. I recently had my email account hacked. Many of my friends got a message from me saying I had been mugged in Manila. I have been to many places but not there - and as far as I know all my friends were not taken in. After some days BT managed to work out what had happened and restored my service. I am sure this happens all the time. Anyone else had a similar experience? By the way I'm rooting for Richard IV.
FPT: "In other extraordinary news, peope who work in the private sector can and do vote Labour.
Also interesting to see how many UNITE members have opted out of paying the political levy. I thought no-one did because of the cruel intimidaitn that they might suffer. "
I have only worked in the private sector all my working life and just to make PBTories feel better I have never taken a penny in benefits except for my son's child benefit which is gone now. Fortunately, I have never had the need to.
But I am a Labour supporter. Some PBTories think a Unite member is some kind of Martian !
The PB Tories, many of whom have been posting here for years seem simply unable to grasp anything about trades unions, their membership, who their members vote for, which affiliate to the Labour Party, how much they give to a political fund and how much of that fund goes to Labour
This cannot simply be a reflection of the PB Tory demographic, if a class of nine year olds had been reading a site for five years and didnt understand things that had been explained to them so many times but by 14 could simply not grasp you'd be giving up on their ability to learn.
which Trade union are\were you a member of tim ? ( NUS aside )
It's very common. I get that kind of email all the time, it's more common than the infamous Nigerian variants now. It's difficult to imagine anyone falling for it but I suppose enough people do to make it worth their while to carry on doing it.
FPT: "In other extraordinary news, peope who work in the private sector can and do vote Labour.
Also interesting to see how many UNITE members have opted out of paying the political levy. I thought no-one did because of the cruel intimidaitn that they might suffer. "
I have only worked in the private sector all my working life and just to make PBTories feel better I have never taken a penny in benefits except for my son's child benefit which is gone now. Fortunately, I have never had the need to.
But I am a Labour supporter. Some PBTories think a Unite member is some kind of Martian !
The PB Tories, many of whom have been posting here for years seem simply unable to grasp anything about trades unions, their membership, who their members vote for, which affiliate to the Labour Party, how much they give to a political fund and how much of that fund goes to Labour
This cannot simply be a reflection of the PB Tory demographic, if a class of nine year olds had been reading a site for five years and didnt understand things that had been explained to them so many times but by 14 could simply not grasp you'd be giving up on their ability to learn.
Could you clarify the relationship between Labour/New Labour and the Unions for the permanent record ?
The public now supports the royal charter on press regulation endorsed by parliament ahead of the alternative drawn up by the press industry by a factor of four to one, according to a new YouGov poll conducted for the Media Standards Trust.
There is apparently a new Yougov Welsh VI poll out for Westminster , Assembly and Assembly Regional . The results are mostly within M of E of the last poll for Wales in February .
My enthusiasm for the Spanish economy is now being matched by UBS. This morning they published a big report, and these were the first bullet points: ...
I feel as if I am jumping on every pro-Spanish post you make, Robert, but my aim is not so much to disagree with your optimism but to balance it with a cautionary and contrary note.
Herewith an extract from a recent Bloomberg article:
Data this week will show how viable Spain’s recovery hope is, as the Bank of Spain releases a report predicted by economists to estimate that the economy contracted for an eighth quarter during the three months through June. Labor market numbers will also show whether unemployment rose to a record in that period.
“Jobless numbers adjusted for the seasonal boost due to tourism show unemployment is still climbing,” said James Howat, an economist at Capital Economics Ltd. in London. “Fast enough economic growth to generate net increases in employment remains a distant prospect.”
Economists forecast the country’s jobless rate to rise to 27.2 percent in the second quarter from 27.16 percent in the previous three months, according to the median of seven estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The release is due July 25. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development now predicts unemployment to climb to around 28 percent in Spain next year.
Spain is the most immediate test for the Eurozone. If it pulls out of recession ahead of the rest of the periphery a catastrophic crisis may be averted.
But Spain appears to be where the UK was last year: the meniscus in the glass is at half-way point and no one really knows whether it is filling or emptying.
[P.S. Your new character limit on reply posts has required extensive cuts to your original post!]
Three quarters did not recognise Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.
So, reading between the lines, no-one recognises the bloke the right-wing press wants to demonize?
I suspect that "no-one" will still be more than recognise the bloke that the Left-Wing press want to demonize. I'm a political anorak and I couldn't pick L Crosby out of an identity parade.
Member of AEU..NUM..ACTT..BECTU. Was Shop Steward and national negotiating officer for two of them, therefore it figures that I know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of Trade Unions,,what a d*rk
@David Herdson John, Henry III, Edward I are three oldest sons in a row. John's father was Henry II, but John was not the oldest son.
John was not an eldest son (IIRC, he was about the fifth of Henry II's, though the second to survive him after Richard I), so that was only a run of two. You are quite close to an instance though.
After Crosby's denial a Labour source told the BBC: "This still leaves more questions than answers.
1. Why is that smelly mr Crosby such a clever cloggs?
2. Why are the conservatives using the same low, aggressive politics as us?
3. Why is it all so unfair?
4. Why aren't we further ahead in the polls?
LOL
It's a moments like this that I almost yearn for a story about ambient temperature savoury goods to break - this is so pointless as it's got nothing to it and it's sustained by the Lobby who have nothing better to do.
It shifts no votes so doesn't bother me - but its boring a hell. If Labour had anything of value to say, they'd be talking that up instead - but they don't - so we have to endure this instead.
There is apparently a new Yougov Welsh VI poll out for Westminster , Assembly and Assembly Regional . The results are mostly within M of E of the last poll for Wales in February .
Member of AEU..NUM..ACTT..BECTU. Was Shop Steward and national negotiating officer for two of them, therefore it figures that I know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of Trade Unions,,what a d*rk
I have probably been a member of more trade unions than some of the more more prolific posters here
Member of AEU..NUM..ACTT..BECTU. Was Shop Steward and national negotiating officer for two of them, therefore it figures that I know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of Trade Unions,,what a d*rk
I have probably been a member of more trade unions than some of the more more prolific posters here
I've been with CWU, STE and Unison. I find it interesting how few PBers are sharing on this subject - I assume they've never been in one as its hardly something to be reticent about.
Comments
Prince Ernie?
» show previous quotes
Just to say, in the piece I wrote a month ago, I tipped George at 12/1, Edward at 40/1 and Alexander and Henry at 50s.
I appreciate it's not quite Mike's Obamabet but I'm still fairly happy with those.
--
Yes, thanks David - You're a decent tipster & I confess I looked up your post this very morning!
Talking of Mike's Obama bet, is Morus still posting on here?
BTW, should I lay the draw as usual?
Just under a quarter of those questioned in an online survey for former Tory treasurer Lord Ashcroft said they would vote Conservative.
And 86% of respondents supported the government's benefit cap - a policy opposed by Unite and Labour.
Three quarters did not recognise Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.
Shown a photograph, some people mistook him for former Manchester Unite manager Sir Alex Ferguson, ex-Conservative cabinet minister David Mellor or Labour leader Ed Miliband....
A panel of 15,970 adults were asked if they were members of a union and, if so, which one. Interviews were conducted online with 712 who said they were Unite members between 10 and 17 July. Unite has 1.5 million members.
They could choose Francis, and push Ian Paisley Senior over the edge.
Formalhaut McGillicutty Battenburg Windsor
And if he's noisy, give him gin.
Please can you confirm the paypal donation link on this page is still valid?
http://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2011/05/23/marf-on-super-injunction-monday/
Thanks
I think that the most likely forenames are Theodoric, Wiglaf, or Mohammed
'...who's dafter?'
Anyone on here who thinks the petty nit picking tribal micro arguments they engage in are any thing more than hot air?
It's why the Princess Royal didn't want her son Peter to have a title !!
Smiles ....
The PayPal link is still valid
I do hope for either Philip or Francis. But it'll be some boringly obvious Royal name, probably.....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2374878/Papiss-Cisse-allegedly-gambles-casino-despite-Newcastle-Wonga-row.html
Well you can certainly get long odds against Prince Jack. [Exits huffily.]
FPT @isam - please donate your stake to the site via the button on this page.
http://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2011/05/23/marf-on-super-injunction-monday/
Cheers.
We've heard over the last few days that Baby Cambridge emulates HH Prince Edward in 1894 as the third generation born direct line of a serving monarch, Then it was :
HH Prince Edward (later Edward VIII) son of the Duke of York (later George V) son of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) son of Queen Victoria.
The related question moves along a little :
Since AD1000 what was the first year in the timeline when we had a sovereign with a least 4 following monarchs living ?
Smiles ....
'If this is Papisse Cisse then his principled stance may be coming undone at the seams...'
He was also quite happy to wear the Virgin money shirt and I wasn't aware that Virgin had given up charging interest on loans.
1470 (Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, Henry VII).
Some are more likely than others, of course, but the pool of plausible names is still large.
I don't think any party will do anything about this. All of them want to maintain the illusion that rising house prices makes people richer and they all want to tax this illusory wealth.
1537 - Henry VIII - Edward VI , Jane Grey, Mary, Philip and Elizabeth
1470 - Correct.
Good Lord, a tad ‘ecclesiastical’ for my taste – perhaps for the second son , which in days gone by I believe, often took Holy Orders.
I’d be very surprised if it was anything other than ‘boring and traditional’ – not had an ‘Albert’ in quite a while – but ‘Snoop doggy dog’ is a non starter imho..!
Thanks for accommodating my bets
I've found it interesting that people are mentioning Alexander - perhaps going for a name with Scottish pedigree will be a nod towards hoping that Scotland remains in the Union?
Looking at popular baby names I see that - James and Alexander apart - none of the other Scottish monarch names, such as Malcolm, Donald and Douglas, figure in recent years.
One old name with a good pedigree that has made a resurgence is Arthur, but I was hoping that if I ever had a son that I could name him after my Grandad without sharing the name with a future monarch.
Not fully correct to 1685.
1022 to 1035 - Harald Harefoot, Harthacnut, Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson (and from 1028, William the Conqueror)
http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2013/07/23/01002-20130723ARTFIG00273-hitler-et-les-gens-du-voyage-les-politiques-condamnent-unanimement-le-maire-de-cholet.php
Just give the first date of the timeline @antifrank
Well done so far.
Just enjoy. Normal service will be resumed shortly.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223916/Easy_read_funding_reform_consulation.pdf
I hadn't seen a consultation in this format before. I'm torn between thinking that it's a good idea to reach out beyond the commentariat to the people who are actually affected by the changes and thinking that the Government never pays any blind notice to consultation responses anyway so what's the point.
1683 added George II to the previous list. Monarch +6 is the largest number in British history.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaelheaver/100227716/unites-workers-have-had-enough-of-funding-the-underclass/
"There are some interesting findings in Lord Ashcroft's poll of Unite members. For instance, only seven per cent plan to vote for the do-gooder Liberal Democrats "
"71 per cent of them don't think councils should have to provide sites for travellers and 59 per cent don't want to see the top rate of tax raised to 75p. Socialism isn't very popular amongst Britain's working class."
"Sadly, 49 per cent of Unite members still say they'll vote Labour, but that will largely be either out of public-sector self-interest or tribal voting handed down from generation to generation fuelled by a hatred of the Tories.
It isn't, tellingly, because they actually agree with the party's social or economic stances. In the long term, Labour's traditional base will increasingly migrate away from it as Labour stands up for welfare and not the working man."
If memory serves, you notice it when you go through it on the train, its a bit out in the middle of nowhere and has the feel of a planned 'new town' type suburb. FWIW, the most I noticed this weekend was the convoy of police heading in that direction on the Saturday night.
I agree on the general point - look at the sizes of the protests both for and against gay marriage and the fate of Clement Meric for a different angle.
Couldnt you just adapt the Guardian republican app for pbc?!
I tried to find out exactly which groups of workers Unite represents from their website, to no avail.
I did find out they also encourage 'those not in work' to join. For those at the top of labour there is little difference between the low paid and those not in work.
"Spain had 4 big problems…3 are sorted…there is 1 left
Despite mixed headlines about Spain, investors with a long-term view should not
ignore the country. Spain has sorted a numbers of key imbalances: 1) Current account
has moved from a massive deficit to a surplus: Spain is now competitive. 2) Banks
funding is much improved and sector is fairly capitalised. 3) Real estate excess has
been largely cleaned-up. A remaining problem is a high budget deficit (c6%).
Positively surprised by recent data: risk on GDP forecasts to the upside
We have been positively surprised by a few key data points: 1) Employment creation in
May and June was best data for 7y. 2) Car sales stabilised in June (-0.7% vs. -5%
YTD). 3) Tourist inflows are at historical highs (+7% y/y). 4) Retail sales for a few
large retailers were flat in June (vs. -6% YTD). 5) Truck road traffic is stabilising,
usually a leading indicator. 6) PMI’s at c50’s are now above Germany."
Haven't they got the memo from tim, Neil & OGH?
It's a Victory for Ed!
I'd also have thought Ed would be thrilled by the overwhelming support for nationalisation of utilities & transport! There's no pleasing some people!
http://www.unitetheunion.org/how-we-help/list-of-sectors/
As you would expect from the biggest trade union in the country it has its fingers in most pies.
Thanks Neil. I've always thought of them as a public sector union, but from the link you post that appears very much not to be the case.
"In other extraordinary news, peope who work in the private sector can and do vote Labour.
Also interesting to see how many UNITE members have opted out of paying the political levy. I thought no-one did because of the cruel intimidaitn that they might suffer. "
@Southam.
I have only worked in the private sector all my working life and just to make PBTories feel better I have never taken a penny in benefits except for my son's child benefit which is gone now. Fortunately, I have never had the need to.
But I am a Labour supporter. Some PBTories think a Unite member is some kind of Martian !
The birth of William and Kate's son means that in the normal course of events, the crown will pass to three successive eldest sons. Has this ever happened before? If so, when; if not, what is / are the closest instances?
It's a Victory for Ed!
I'd also have thought Ed would be thrilled by the overwhelming support for nationalisation of utilities & transport! There's no pleasing some people!
If 12% of Unite members joined Labour, it would immediately more than double the Labour Party membership surely. Probably, even more. More the better !!
@GuidoFawkes
Lynton Crosby: ‘No Discussion, Conversation or Lobbying’: http://bit.ly/139X17b
Undoubtedly - the only question is why fearless Ed aims to resolve this within a year of the GE - any ideas?
I now see Len in an even worse light than before, if that were possible.
How can Len be so hostile to the private sector, when the jobs of so many of his members depend on its health?
Lynton Crosby has just put out this statement:
“The Prime Minister has repeatedly and clearly said that I have never lobbied him on anything, including on the issue of tobacco or plain packaging of cigarettes. What the PM said should be enough for any ordinary person but to avoid any doubt or speculation let me be clear. At no time have I had any conversation or discussion with or lobbied the Prime Minister, or indeed the Health Secretary or the health minister, on plain packaging or tobacco issues. Indeed, any claim that I have sought to improperly use my position as part-time campaign adviser to the Conservative Party is simply false.”
In fairness, its his most popular policy - enjoying almost the same levels of support as the Benefit cap he opposes.
http://blog.thebump.com/2013/07/22/10-things-the-royal-baby-will-do-in-his-first-24-hours/
I recently had my email account hacked. Many of my friends got a message from me saying I had been mugged in Manila. I have been to many places but not there - and as far as I know all my friends were not taken in. After some days BT managed to work out what had happened and restored my service. I am sure this happens all the time. Anyone else had a similar experience?
By the way I'm rooting for Richard IV.
It's very common. I get that kind of email all the time, it's more common than the infamous Nigerian variants now. It's difficult to imagine anyone falling for it but I suppose enough people do to make it worth their while to carry on doing it.
Could you clarify the relationship between Labour/New Labour and the Unions for the permanent record ?
Until he provides a full confession - on the rack or with the help of waterboarding - this matter cannot be laid to rest.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jul/23/press-regulation-government-press-industry
Westminster
Lab 48 Con 23 LD 8 Plaid 9 UKIP 8 Others 4
Assembly
Lab 46 Con 19 LD 8 Plaid 17 UKIP 6 Others 3
Assy Regional
Lab 25 Con 12 LD 9 Plaid 23 UKIP 16 Others 14
Herewith an extract from a recent Bloomberg article:
Data this week will show how viable Spain’s recovery hope is, as the Bank of Spain releases a report predicted by economists to estimate that the economy contracted for an eighth quarter during the three months through June. Labor market numbers will also show whether unemployment rose to a record in that period.
“Jobless numbers adjusted for the seasonal boost due to tourism show unemployment is still climbing,” said James Howat, an economist at Capital Economics Ltd. in London. “Fast enough economic growth to generate net increases in employment remains a distant prospect.”
Economists forecast the country’s jobless rate to rise to 27.2 percent in the second quarter from 27.16 percent in the previous three months, according to the median of seven estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The release is due July 25. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development now predicts unemployment to climb to around 28 percent in Spain next year.
Full article: http://bloom.bg/15A3Q3W
Spain is the most immediate test for the Eurozone. If it pulls out of recession ahead of the rest of the periphery a catastrophic crisis may be averted.
But Spain appears to be where the UK was last year: the meniscus in the glass is at half-way point and no one really knows whether it is filling or emptying.
[P.S. Your new character limit on reply posts has required extensive cuts to your original post!]
1. Why is that smelly mr Crosby such a clever cloggs?
2. Why are the conservatives using the same low, aggressive politics as us?
3. Why is it all so unfair?
4. Why aren't we further ahead in the polls?
It's a moments like this that I almost yearn for a story about ambient temperature savoury goods to break - this is so pointless as it's got nothing to it and it's sustained by the Lobby who have nothing better to do.
It shifts no votes so doesn't bother me - but its boring a hell. If Labour had anything of value to say, they'd be talking that up instead - but they don't - so we have to endure this instead.