When I was concerned with these things the working, statistically based, hypothesis was that someone over 65 had 10 times the number of prescriptions as someone in their 40’s.
I don't know about over 65s but chatting to my local pharmacist he reckons between 50 and 60% of the population of Hurstpierpoint over the age of 55 are on regular medication. That seems an incredible proportion to me but I have to assume he knows his business. I think it raises two questions:
1. How much over prescribing is going on? Do people really need the medicines they take or is there an element of doctors giving patients a tablet to shut them up and make them go away? From the other side of the seven different medicines I am prescribed and take daily there are two which were prescribed years ago for conditions which I haven't had for years but which the GP says I should keep taking, just in case.
2. Payment. Until I was sixty I paid about £100 a year for a "season ticket" as my direct contribution to the cost of my medication. The moment I turned sixty I no longer had to pay anything even though my financial position remained exactly the same. That to me is crackers. Free prescriptions should be for those who cannot afford to pay not because one has reached some arbitrary age. If all the over sixties who can afford £100 per annum (i.e. most of us) were required to cough up there would be a lot more dosh sloshing around in the NHS drugs fund.
My other half is entitled to free prescriptions because, as part of the initial assessment made of him when he had his accident, they decided that he was diabetic. This seems ludicrous to me on two fronts:
1) we can afford to pay the prescription. 2) given everything else he's been through, diabetes is the least of his worries.
When I mentioned this incredulously in Northern Ireland, I was told that no one there pays for prescriptions.
The age for free prescriptions and bus passes should be increased from aged 60 to the retirment age of 68.
As amusing as the SNP demanding Scotland leave one Union in order to remain in another?
Almost
I view all petty Nationalists with equal disdain, and Scottish separation is at least as stupid as Brexit, but the Brexiteers wailing that economics will override Indy are hilarious
I am much amused by the parade of Brexiteers lining up to declaim the perils of breaking up unions...
Not at all. I would hold the door open for them if only to stem the stream of bitching on this forum but it would be courageous under the circumstances.
Mr Dancer, thank you. Clear scans for 3 years now, so if it weren't hubristic I would be toying with the "cured" word.
I hope it’s better for you Mr Z than it was for me. 5 years clear test results, discharged, then a different one appeared! Went to a talk on cancer from a researcher at our local Uni the other day and he remarked that 50% of us will get cancer of some sort. Somebody near me remarked that neither he nor his wife had, so I told him I must have his share!
OMG I mam sorry. One just has to keep on keeping on and hope for the best. And I must say that, without having anything as silly as a bucket list, I have got round to going to see a few places I have always meant to but not got round to.
The Scots will never have a better moment to go for independence than now, if that is what they want to do.
The shrill cries of Leavers who are determined to insist that their peculiar view of the appropriate governance arrangements for these islands is the only conceivable view convince only themselves.
They will lose an independence referendum on current polling, there is no point having another referendum until Brexit terms are known and independence now most likely means border controls at Berwick and customs duties
Ted Malloch, a professor at Henley Business School who wants to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to the EU, made false statements to deceive two US banks into giving him multimillion-dollar loans, according to court documents.
Legal papers obtained by the Financial Times reveal Mr Malloch and his wife Beth filed for bankruptcy in 2013, and list debts including credit cards, cable television bills and parking fines.
But two US banks refused to let outstanding debts of $5.9m be written off, arguing that the couple had falsely represented their assets when applying for loans.
When I was concerned with these things the working, statistically based, hypothesis was that someone over 65 had 10 times the number of prescriptions as someone in their 40’s.
I don't know about over 65s but chatting to my local pharmacist he reckons between 50 and 60% of the population of Hurstpierpoint over the age of 55 are on regular medication. That seems an incredible proportion to me but I have to assume he knows his business. I think it raises two questions:
1. How much over prescribing is going on? Do people really need the medicines they take or is there an element of doctors giving patients a tablet to shut them up and make them go away? From the other side of the seven different medicines I am prescribed and take daily there are two which were prescribed years ago for conditions which I haven't had for years but which the GP says I should keep taking, just in case.
2. Payment. Until I was sixty I paid about £100 a year for a "season ticket" as my direct contribution to the cost of my medication. The moment I turned sixty I no longer had to pay anything even though my financial position remained exactly the same. That to me is crackers. Free prescriptions should be for those who cannot afford to pay not because one has reached some arbitrary age. If all the over sixties who can afford £100 per annum (i.e. most of us) were required to cough up there would be a lot more dosh sloshing around in the NHS drugs fund.
My other half is entitled to free prescriptions because, as part of the initial assessment made of him when he had his accident, they decided that he was diabetic. This seems ludicrous to me on two fronts:
1) we can afford to pay the prescription. 2) given everything else he's been through, diabetes is the least of his worries.
When I mentioned this incredulously in Northern Ireland, I was told that no one there pays for prescriptions.
The age for free prescriptions and bus passes should be increased from aged 60 to the retirment age of 68.
Cue Labour politicians waving shrouds of people aged in their early 60s with unfortunate conditions. Of course those sort of people exist in their late 50's as well, but wont be mentioned because it spoils the argument.
The Scots will never have a better moment to go for independence than now, if that is what they want to do.
The shrill cries of Leavers who are determined to insist that their peculiar view of the appropriate governance arrangements for these islands is the only conceivable view convince only themselves.
They will lose an independence referendum on current polling, there is no point having another referendum until Brexit terms are known and independence now most likely means border controls at Berwick and customs duties
It's just a proxy argument for EU remainers.
If they seriously can't discern a difference between, for example, the pension commitments involved for a few thousand eurocrats as compared to tens of millions of Britons, it isn't hard to see why they lost.
Mr. Pulpstar, I try not to faff around with such stuff often. With money tight, but that in my accounts purely winnings, I tend to just leave it in there and maybe withdraw a little if I have a good season.
Is it legally possible for elected representatives in France to withdraw or change their nominations before 17 March? Seems to me that if Juppé is going to stab Fillon he had better be pretty damned fast.
The published list of nominations - which will be updated today and on the 7, 10, 14 and 18 - is here.
The Scots will never have a better moment to go for independence than now, if that is what they want to do.
The shrill cries of Leavers who are determined to insist that their peculiar view of the appropriate governance arrangements for these islands is the only conceivable view convince only themselves.
They will lose an independence referendum on current polling, there is no point having another referendum until Brexit terms are known and independence now most likely means border controls at Berwick and customs duties
It's just a proxy argument for EU remainers.
If they seriously can't discern a difference between, for example, the pension commitments involved for a few thousand eurocrats as compared to tens of millions of Britons, it isn't hard to see why they lost.
Mr. P, think that's a strange thing, given it'd overlap with negotiations to leave the EU (ie Scots wouldn't know what they'd be voting on, for either side of the equation).
Juppe becomes new favourite if he runs but tight between top 3
Marco Rubio & John Kasich both did splendidly in general election polling too.
They were stopped in the primary by Trump, Juppe would be imposed as LR candidate by bigwigs
You do seem to love piss poor centre right candidates
Juppe leads this new poll
Rubio lead polls like that too.
In my opinion this could be good for Fillon - I reckon he has a good numbr of shy "Les Republicans" that will vote for him when push comes to shove. He may well win the first round.
Juppe becomes new favourite if he runs but tight between top 3
Marco Rubio & John Kasich both did splendidly in general election polling too.
They were stopped in the primary by Trump, Juppe would be imposed as LR candidate by bigwigs
You do seem to love piss poor centre right candidates
Juppe leads this new poll
It has a nice synchronicity doesn't it ? Juppe is Chirac's protege and has an record of convictions for corruption. We are likely to get a second round run off of Chirac's bag carrier vs JMLP's bag carrier in a re-run of "Do you want the crook or the fascist".
The reason the NHS has been "de-weaponised" is because most users are older, most patients are receiving good treatment, and most older people tend to vote Conservative anyway. The BBC's unflagging campaign to spread alarm and discontent has clearly failed. Younger people may be slightly concerned by the headlines but they rarely need NHS treatment and have other things to worry about.
Two years ago they needed to win an economic argument and failed.
Now they don't have to do that.
It's just that there's a different economic argument now. But their main "logic" - that if Britain leaves the EU Scotland needs to be independent so it can join - may not convince many voters once people realise that Scotland would have to obey EU rules, allow as many Romanians in as want to come, not have a free market, customs union or freedom of movement with their only land neighbour and main export market, etc. Everyone without poo for brains in Scotland will want to keep British citizenship, so they'll be able to travel south, but things won't be so easy for those without Scottish passports who want to travel north.
As for the old economic argument, what currency would they want to use?
Juppe becomes new favourite if he runs but tight between top 3
Marco Rubio & John Kasich both did splendidly in general election polling too.
They were stopped in the primary by Trump, Juppe would be imposed as LR candidate by bigwigs
You do seem to love piss poor centre right candidates
Juppe leads this new poll
Rubio lead polls like that too.
In my opinion this could be good for Fillon - I reckon he has a good numbr of shy "Les Republicans" that will vote for him when push comes to shove. He may well win the first round.
Not when he is now 7% behind Le Pen and 5% behind Macron in round 1 and if Juppe topples him it will be in the next week or two
Juppe becomes new favourite if he runs but tight between top 3
Marco Rubio & John Kasich both did splendidly in general election polling too.
They were stopped in the primary by Trump, Juppe would be imposed as LR candidate by bigwigs
You do seem to love piss poor centre right candidates
Juppe leads this new poll
It has a nice synchronicity doesn't it ? Juppe is Chirac's protege and has an record of convictions for corruption. We are likely to get a second round run off of Chirac's bag carrier vs JMLP's bag carrier in a re-run of "Do you want the crook or the fascist".
The Scots will never have a better moment to go for independence than now, if that is what they want to do.
The shrill cries of Leavers who are determined to insist that their peculiar view of the appropriate governance arrangements for these islands is the only conceivable view convince only themselves.
They will lose an independence referendum on current polling, there is no point having another referendum until Brexit terms are known and independence now most likely means border controls at Berwick and customs duties
On 2015 polling Brexit was behind in 65 out of 74 polls, but stay complacent by all means.
Mr. P, but we didn't hold the referendum during a comparable separate negotiation.
Also, the upheaval would be far more from splitting a country than from leaving a supra-national body with aspirations of nationhood.
Once again the scale of the challenge that Brexit brings is underestimated.
No it's overestimated constantly. Scotland is an integrated part of a single nation and has been for 300 years, the EU is a glorified trade body with overegged aspirations.
Alain Juppé announces that he won't stab Fillon in the back, but were Fillon to withdraw of his own accord....
Looks to me like Fillon is toast, TBH.
Why stab in the back when you can stab in the front?
Or, to quote from the definitive guide to politics: "While he does not seek the office, he has pledged himself to the service of his country, and .. should his colleagues persuade him that that is the best way he can serve, he might reluctantly have to accept the responsibility, whatever his personal wishes might be."
According to tallies, it's 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance in Strangford, and 2 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 Green in North Down. Both constituencies apparently have high turnouts.
I can't help but feel that the SNP has a tunnel vision about independence. Actually I think what people want is for the SNP government to get on with dealing with the issues they want to see addressed on a day-to-day basis. Issues like the state of the economy, reforming schools - education used to be such a great flagship for Scotland, but sadly in recent years we have seen that deteriorating. ...
For too long a feeble and incompetent Scottish Labour opposition did nothing to scrutinise the SNP for their failures. An SNP government interested only in stoking-up endless constitutional grievance and furthering their obsession with independence, at the expense of Scottish public services like the NHS and education, was given a free pass by Labour.
You could substitute Conservatives for SNP and Brexit for Independence and that speech would still mostly make sense. Which is why I think Mrs May won't have a lot of credibility amongst Scots who support both unions. Those that support independence and those that support both Brexit and the United Kingdom will vote as they were always going to. There are many more people in the first category.
According to tallies, it's 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance in Strangford, and 2 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 Green in North Down. Both constituencies apparently have high turnouts.
Lucid Talk expect the DUP to win about 26%, so they should still be the largest party, unless support for SDLP collapses to Sinn Fein.
According to tallies, it's 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance in Strangford, and 2 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 Green in North Down. Both constituencies apparently have high turnouts.
Alain Juppé announces that he won't stab Fillon in the back, but were Fillon to withdraw of his own accord....
Looks to me like Fillon is toast, TBH.
Why stab in the back when you can stab in the front?
Or, to quote from the definitive guide to politics: "While he does not seek the office, he has pledged himself to the service of his country, and .. should his colleagues persuade him that that is the best way he can serve, he might reluctantly have to accept the responsibility, whatever his personal wishes might be."
<<La balle doit-elle sortir de la mêlée? .... >> ?
Why would i) a cross-bench peer have any idea how many Tory MPs are likely to revolt ii) any Tory MP who has previously voted against unilateral guarantees for EU migrants switch their vote?
Sounds like Soubry is coming out with fantasy numbers to try to get enough backbenchers on her side.
I) They could have been told by MPs. Those MPs might well be overselling it.
Why would i) a cross-bench peer have any idea how many Tory MPs are likely to revolt ii) any Tory MP who has previously voted against unilateral guarantees for EU migrants switch their vote?
Sounds like Soubry is coming out with fantasy numbers to try to get enough backbenchers on her side.
I) They could have been told by MPs. Those MPs might well be overselling it.
Some will be pawns of the whips trying to get a handle on the number of rebels, "I am thinking about voting against the bill, what do you think ?"
According to tallies, it's 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance in Strangford, and 2 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 Green in North Down. Both constituencies apparently have high turnouts.
@DPJHodges: Slice it however you want. You can't simultaneously argue the UK can flourish outside of the EU, but Scotland can't flourish outside the UK.
It's far easier to achieve a painless divorce from someone who you have no children with whilst renting a flat after one year of marriage, than it is to divorce someone after thirty years who you have a family and property with.
The UK union is much more heavily embedded that the european one.
@DPJHodges: Slice it however you want. You can't simultaneously argue the UK can flourish outside of the EU, but Scotland can't flourish outside the UK.
It's far easier to achieve a painless divorce from someone who you have no children with whilst renting a flat after one year of marriage, than it is to divorce someone after thirty years who you have a family and property with.
The UK union is much more heavily embedded that the european one.
So what? If it isnt fit for purpose then logievity alone isnt a reason to save it.
Theresa May has signalled a far tougher line on Scottish demands for greater devolution after Brexit, laying down a clear challenge to Nicola Sturgeon to call another independence vote.
The prime minister told the Scottish Conservative party she would fight against any further decentralisation of power which meant the UK became “a looser and weaker union”. “We cannot allow our United Kingdom to drift apart,” she said.
In a marked escalation of her attacks on the first minister’s demand for far greater autonomy for the Scottish parliament after Brexit, May warned there would be a strict limit to any extra powers and spending.
I am much amused by the parade of Brexiteers lining up to declaim the perils of breaking up unions...
There are risks to breaking up any union. But not all unions are of equal value.
With the right deal, the EU/UK union would have carried on.
Yes it could have. That would have been my preference, frankly, but I lost faith that a suitable deal could be made - there was no wish for it from the EU, and it is an irony that it is possible they might become more like one I could have accepted, only because of the shock of us leaving (but whether they can change enough is still up in the air, as is if they want to for th benefit of their remaining members)
When I was concerned with these things the working, statistically based, hypothesis was that someone over 65 had 10 times the number of prescriptions as someone in their 40’s.
I don't know about over 65s but chatting to my local pharmacist he reckons between 50 and 60% of the population of Hurstpierpoint over the age of 55 are on regular medication. That seems an incredible proportion to me but I have to assume he knows his business. I think it raises two questions:
1. How much over prescribing is going on? Do people really need the medicines they take or is there an element of doctors giving patients a tablet to shut them up and make them go away? From the other side of the seven different medicines I am prescribed and take daily there are two which were prescribed years ago for conditions which I haven't had for years but which the GP says I should keep taking, just in case.
2. Payment. Until I was sixty I paid about £100 a year for a "season ticket" as my direct contribution to the cost of my medication. The moment I turned sixty I no longer had to pay anything even though my financial position remained exactly the same. That to me is crackers. Free prescriptions should be for those who cannot afford to pay not because one has reached some arbitrary age. If all the over sixties who can afford £100 per annum (i.e. most of us) were required to cough up there would be a lot more dosh sloshing around in the NHS drugs fund.
15m people aged 60 and above in UK. Assume 50% would pay your £100 a year season ticket. You've raised £750m a year. About 0.65% of NHS budget.
I'm not saying it wouldn't help - but it's really not going to make that much difference. I can understand why politicians don't want to go there and think it's not worth the political cost.
This is interesting. I had a meeting with senior Tories about what will happen vote wise in the next 2 years.
I paraphrase completely, because I can't talk like a knob, and DYOR...
if 2017 and 2018 local elections were to happen tomorrow, Tories would make gains universally...country, towns, cities.
They believe that Lib Dem surge will be by-elctions only.
UKIP - piss up and brewery comes to mind.
SNP - mildly down.
Labour under Corbym - down everywhere.
Labour under AN Other will come back just as strong as before and we are ready.
I said Corbyn strong in big cities and we won't win them...they just ignored me.
They will tell you that we are working hard and take nothing for granted, which is true. But deep down, they are cock-sure! One of the reasons I suppose Mrs May is being gung-ho about Brexit with Commons and Lords.
As I say, the above could be blarney, bravado, not strategy. Just sayin'
Macron will have a tougher fight on his hands against Juppe than against Fillon. So would not say it is looking good for him.
But, Fillon is a stubborn git who appears to care more about hanging in there to try and save his skin by getting the immunity that the Presidency would bring. He has the required nominations, he COULD threaten resign from the Party and go it alone as an Independent against Juppe. Unlikely, but is a possibility and of course that would be excellent for Macron.
It's far easier to achieve a painless divorce from someone who you have no children with whilst renting a flat after one year of marriage, than it is to divorce someone after thirty years who you have a family and property with.
The UK union is much more heavily embedded that the european one.
Of course it is. If you do one stupid thing there is no logical argument for doing a similar and even more stupid thing. There's a credibility problem however for those that have already rejected the first when those that support breaking the EU relationship say it's stupid to break the UK one.
Incidentally,it will be a far from painless divorce with the EU. Just a less painful one than Scotland breaking up the United Kingdom.
Ted Malloch, a professor at Henley Business School who wants to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to the EU, made false statements to deceive two US banks into giving him multimillion-dollar loans, according to court documents.
Legal papers obtained by the Financial Times reveal Mr Malloch and his wife Beth filed for bankruptcy in 2013, and list debts including credit cards, cable television bills and parking fines.
But two US banks refused to let outstanding debts of $5.9m be written off, arguing that the couple had falsely represented their assets when applying for loans.
If Malloch becomes US ambassador to the EU he will be able to avoid paying future parking fines. Shows his motivation for the job.
@DPJHodges: Slice it however you want. You can't simultaneously argue the UK can flourish outside of the EU, but Scotland can't flourish outside the UK.
It's far easier to achieve a painless divorce from someone who you have no children with whilst renting a flat after one year of marriage, than it is to divorce someone after thirty years who you have a family and property with.
The UK union is much more heavily embedded that the european one.
@DPJHodges: Slice it however you want. You can't simultaneously argue the UK can flourish outside of the EU, but Scotland can't flourish outside the UK.
It's far easier to achieve a painless divorce from someone who you have no children with whilst renting a flat after one year of marriage, than it is to divorce someone after thirty years who you have a family and property with.
The UK union is much more heavily embedded that the european one.
So what? If it isnt fit for purpose then logievity alone isnt a reason to save it.
Longevity isn't the key point; entanglement/entwinement is.
The more entwined you are, the harder and more painful it is to uncouple.
I would also say that the longer you have been together, the more likely you are to find reasons to stay though.
This is interesting. I had a meeting with senior Tories about what will happen vote wise in the next 2 years.
I paraphrase completely, because I can't talk like a knob, and DYOR...
if 2017 and 2018 local elections were to happen tomorrow, Tories would make gains universally...country, towns, cities.
They believe that Lib Dem surge will be by-elctions only.
UKIP - piss up and brewery comes to mind.
SNP - mildly down.
Labour under Corbym - down everywhere.
Labour under AN Other will come back just as strong as before and we are ready.
I said Corbyn strong in big cities and we won't win them...they just ignored me.
They will tell you that we are working hard and take nothing for granted, which is true. But deep down, they are cock-sure! One of the reasons I suppose Mrs May is being gung-ho about Brexit with Commons and Lords.
As I say, the above could be blarney, bravado, not strategy. Just sayin'
'Senior Tories' believe the SNP vote will go down in May's council elections?
Turnout in Strangford was up 61%, and in North Down 60%, which is up 11% and 10% respectively on last year. Overall, both Unionist and Nationalist seats seem to be averaging about a 10% increase on last year, albeit turnout is usually a bit higher in Nationalist seats.
Longevity isn't the key point; entanglement/entwinement is.
The more entwined you are, the harder and more painful it is to uncouple.
Therein lies the rub for the Brexiteers...
Disentangling the Scottish legal system from the UK legal system (for example) will be far easier than disentangling car factories in England from their pan-European supply chains
To claim that Brexit is much easier than Indy is at best, wishful thinking
Mr. P, but we didn't hold the referendum during a comparable separate negotiation.
Also, the upheaval would be far more from splitting a country than from leaving a supra-national body with aspirations of nationhood.
Once again the scale of the challenge that Brexit brings is underestimated.
No it's overestimated constantly. Scotland is an integrated part of a single nation and has been for 300 years, the EU is a glorified trade body with overegged aspirations.
The European mainland increasingly functions as a borderless country, no matter what 'peripheral northerners' think. One silly driver set a satnav wrongly in Belgium and ended up in Zagreb.
Countries like the UK and Denmark are entitled to say they want borders for ever but can't stop the continental countries which began the EU and the ones which willingly joined, e.g. Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic from joining together without borders.
Scotland had a tradition of being closer to France than England. It may still feel that way. I don't know.
Neither Scotland nor Ireland seem remotely as prosperous as other northern member states, i.e. Denmark or Sweden. Ireland sold its soul to US corporations in order to stay afloat financially. Would an independent Scotland do that?
This is interesting. I had a meeting with senior Tories about what will happen vote wise in the next 2 years.
I paraphrase completely, because I can't talk like a knob, and DYOR...
if 2017 and 2018 local elections were to happen tomorrow, Tories would make gains universally...country, towns, cities.
They believe that Lib Dem surge will be by-elctions only.
UKIP - piss up and brewery comes to mind.
SNP - mildly down.
Labour under Corbym - down everywhere.
Labour under AN Other will come back just as strong as before and we are ready.
I said Corbyn strong in big cities and we won't win them...they just ignored me.
They will tell you that we are working hard and take nothing for granted, which is true. But deep down, they are cock-sure! One of the reasons I suppose Mrs May is being gung-ho about Brexit with Commons and Lords.
As I say, the above could be blarney, bravado, not strategy. Just sayin'
'Senior Tories' believe the SNP vote will go down in May's council elections?
share of vote versus most recent elections. Not versus 4 years ago. Post SINDY. Anyway, take with pinch of salt, forecasts are not actuals. Just passing on.
Countries like the UK and Denmark are entitled to say they want borders for ever but can't stop the continental countries which began the EU and the ones which willingly joined, e.g. Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic from joining together without borders.
Longevity isn't the key point; entanglement/entwinement is.
The more entwined you are, the harder and more painful it is to uncouple.
Therein lies the rub for the Brexiteers...
Disentangling the Scottish legal system from the UK legal system (for example) will be far easier than disentangling car factories in England from their pan-European supply chains
To claim that Brexit is much easier than Indy is at best, wishful thinking
Far more people are committed to the Union at an emotional level in Scotland, than are committed to the EU at an emotional level in the UK. That's the key difference, rather than dry arguments about economics.
This is interesting. I had a meeting with senior Tories about what will happen vote wise in the next 2 years.
I paraphrase completely, because I can't talk like a knob, and DYOR...
if 2017 and 2018 local elections were to happen tomorrow, Tories would make gains universally...country, towns, cities.
They believe that Lib Dem surge will be by-elctions only.
UKIP - piss up and brewery comes to mind.
SNP - mildly down.
Labour under Corbym - down everywhere.
Labour under AN Other will come back just as strong as before and we are ready.
I said Corbyn strong in big cities and we won't win them...they just ignored me.
They will tell you that we are working hard and take nothing for granted, which is true. But deep down, they are cock-sure! One of the reasons I suppose Mrs May is being gung-ho about Brexit with Commons and Lords.
As I say, the above could be blarney, bravado, not strategy. Just sayin'
'Senior Tories' believe the SNP vote will go down in May's council elections?
share of vote versus most recent elections. Not versus 4 years ago. Post SINDY. Anyway, take with pinch of salt, forecasts are not actuals. Just passing on.
Hmm, the last poll on Scottish council elections had the SNP marginally up on the Holyrood election. Still, I'm sure Tessie's masterplan to turn the locals into a straw poll on another referendum is bound to bear fruit.
Longevity isn't the key point; entanglement/entwinement is.
The more entwined you are, the harder and more painful it is to uncouple.
Therein lies the rub for the Brexiteers...
Disentangling the Scottish legal system from the UK legal system (for example) will be far easier than disentangling car factories in England from their pan-European supply chains
To claim that Brexit is much easier than Indy is at best, wishful thinking
The idea that you think there are no supply chains between England and Scotland is rather quaint.
Comments
I know I do.
The age for free prescriptions and bus passes should be increased from aged 60 to the retirment age of 68.
LD hold.
I view all petty Nationalists with equal disdain, and Scottish separation is at least as stupid as Brexit, but the Brexiteers wailing that economics will override Indy are hilarious
https://twitter.com/johnferry18/status/837451033110523904
https://www.ft.com/content/d1b0453a-fde0-11e6-8d8e-a5e3738f9ae4
Ted Malloch, a professor at Henley Business School who wants to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to the EU, made false statements to deceive two US banks into giving him multimillion-dollar loans, according to court documents.
Legal papers obtained by the Financial Times reveal Mr Malloch and his wife Beth filed for bankruptcy in 2013, and list debts including credit cards, cable television bills and parking fines.
But two US banks refused to let outstanding debts of $5.9m be written off, arguing that the couple had falsely represented their assets when applying for loans.
4.3 backers trying to parlay their Rubio winnings.
Two years ago they needed to win an economic argument and failed.
Now they don't have to do that.
So broadly laying the DUP.
If they seriously can't discern a difference between, for example, the pension commitments involved for a few thousand eurocrats as compared to tens of millions of Britons, it isn't hard to see why they lost.
Mr. Pulpstar, I try not to faff around with such stuff often. With money tight, but that in my accounts purely winnings, I tend to just leave it in there and maybe withdraw a little if I have a good season.
The published list of nominations - which will be updated today and on the 7, 10, 14 and 18 - is here.
Labour doing badly wherever you look !
In my opinion this could be good for Fillon - I reckon he has a good numbr of shy "Les Republicans" that will vote for him when push comes to shove. He may well win the first round.
Corbyn is about to being 100% of the uncommitted voters out to support him.
It is 100% going to happen tomorrow.
http://presicote.factoviz.com/index/more/id/qoo_lew_1
Also, the upheaval would be far more from splitting a country than from leaving a supra-national body with aspirations of nationhood.
As for the old economic argument, what currency would they want to use?
Breaking Mid-Ulster turn-out 72.38% huge rise from 58% last time
Looks to me like Fillon is toast, TBH.
SF First Minister?
I can't help but feel that the SNP has a tunnel vision about independence. Actually I think what people want is for the SNP government to get on with dealing with the issues they want to see addressed on a day-to-day basis. Issues like the state of the economy, reforming schools - education used to be such a great flagship for Scotland, but sadly in recent years we have seen that deteriorating. ...
For too long a feeble and incompetent Scottish Labour opposition did nothing to scrutinise the SNP for their failures. An SNP government interested only in stoking-up endless constitutional grievance and furthering their obsession with independence, at the expense of Scottish public services like the NHS and education, was given a free pass by Labour.
You could substitute Conservatives for SNP and Brexit for Independence and that speech would still mostly make sense. Which is why I think Mrs May won't have a lot of credibility amongst Scots who support both unions. Those that support independence and those that support both Brexit and the United Kingdom will vote as they were always going to. There are many more people in the first category.
With the right deal, the EU union would have carried on with the UK in it.
Afraid I don't have enough local knowledge to put one together.
The prime minister told the Scottish Conservative party she would fight against any further decentralisation of power which meant the UK became “a looser and weaker union”. “We cannot allow our United Kingdom to drift apart,” she said.
In a marked escalation of her attacks on the first minister’s demand for far greater autonomy for the Scottish parliament after Brexit, May warned there would be a strict limit to any extra powers and spending.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/03/theresa-may-lays-down-independence-vote-challenge-to-sturgeon?CMP=share_btn_tw
One feature not factored in is the effect of any migrant vote. Do they vote in NI Assembly elections?
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/forget-independence-and-settle-down-to-eternity-of-rule-by-english-twats-may-tells-snp-20170303123294
Morality binds and blinds. @JonHaidt
A wise-man can play the fool. A fool can only be a fool
https://t.co/UUCStiPhtk #Regressiveleft https://t.co/ua1aDc46KB
Assume 50% would pay your £100 a year season ticket.
You've raised £750m a year. About 0.65% of NHS budget.
I'm not saying it wouldn't help - but it's really not going to make that much difference.
I can understand why politicians don't want to go there and think it's not worth the political cost.
I paraphrase completely, because I can't talk like a knob, and DYOR...
if 2017 and 2018 local elections were to happen tomorrow, Tories would make gains universally...country, towns, cities.
They believe that Lib Dem surge will be by-elctions only.
UKIP - piss up and brewery comes to mind.
SNP - mildly down.
Labour under Corbym - down everywhere.
Labour under AN Other will come back just as strong as before and we are ready.
I said Corbyn strong in big cities and we won't win them...they just ignored me.
They will tell you that we are working hard and take nothing for granted, which is true. But deep down, they are cock-sure! One of the reasons I suppose Mrs May is being gung-ho about Brexit with Commons and Lords.
As I say, the above could be blarney, bravado, not strategy. Just sayin'
But, Fillon is a stubborn git who appears to care more about hanging in there to try and save his skin by getting the immunity that the Presidency would bring. He has the required nominations, he COULD threaten resign from the Party and go it alone as an Independent against Juppe. Unlikely, but is a possibility and of course that would be excellent for Macron.
Incidentally,it will be a far from painless divorce with the EU. Just a less painful one than Scotland breaking up the United Kingdom.
If Malloch becomes US ambassador to the EU he will be able to avoid paying future parking fines. Shows his motivation for the job.
The more entwined you are, the harder and more painful it is to uncouple.
I would also say that the longer you have been together, the more likely you are to find reasons to stay though.
Disentangling the Scottish legal system from the UK legal system (for example) will be far easier than disentangling car factories in England from their pan-European supply chains
To claim that Brexit is much easier than Indy is at best, wishful thinking
Apart from 24 hour news channels and social media full coverage is available :
BBC NI - From 1:30pm
BBC Parliament - From 2:15pm
Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle - From 3:00pm
Countries like the UK and Denmark are entitled to say they want borders for ever but can't stop the continental countries which began the EU and the ones which willingly joined, e.g. Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic from joining together without borders.
Scotland had a tradition of being closer to France than England. It may still feel that way. I don't know.
Neither Scotland nor Ireland seem remotely as prosperous as other northern member states, i.e. Denmark or Sweden. Ireland sold its soul to US corporations in order to stay afloat financially. Would an independent Scotland do that?
(To put it non-controversially. Ahem.)