I'm not sure if the premise of the thread is right. If PVV do it, it will just mean the recent events with Turkey didn't have the impact we currently expect.
Does anyone think the outsiders in Holland are a touch of value? CDA 40, D66 120, GL 110 on Betfair.
Looking at the polling, it would have to be a very big miss indeed for one of those to win, and it's not obvious (to me at least) what the driver of such a miss might be. So maybe a small touch of value, but only in the sense of 'sometimes the unexpected happens'.
FWIW I followed Alastair's tip but by laying the PVV rather than backing the VVD, to cover that possibility.
Thinking about Scottish independence... don't the Scots have a great opportunity to sample all the permutations?
At the moment they are part of the uk in the eu Soon they will be part of an independent uk The they could try being totally independent Then become part of the eu
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
Didn't watch PMQs, how crap was Jez? What did he do/didn't do?
Crap beyond crap. Presented with an open goal over Gov chaos over NICs he managed to kick the ball back into his own goal. He had six attempts, only three of which actaully asked a question. Easily the worst performance, given the opportunity, in years.
In the name of God, Labour members wake up and deal with this!
Except the VVD is also technically the right, albeit the centre right not the far right, I think Rutte' s tough line with Turkey and tougher rhetoric on migration should see him home now
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
Didn't watch PMQs, how crap was Jez? What did he do/didn't do?
It was the first PMQs I've watched live in ages. Corbyn was more awful than usual. A more interesting point is that May is utterly flat. If she was facing Blair, Hague or Cameron she'd be slaughtered. But she's facing Corbyn.
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
Didn't watch PMQs, how crap was Jez? What did he do/didn't do?
It was the first PMQs I've watched live in ages. Corbyn was more awful than usual. A more interesting point is that May is utterly flat. If she was facing Blair, Hague or Cameron she'd be slaughtered. But she's facing Corbyn.
She was on auto-pilot against Jezza but upped her game against Roberston, IMO.
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
Didn't watch PMQs, how crap was Jez? What did he do/didn't do?
It was the first PMQs I've watched live in ages. Corbyn was more awful than usual. A more interesting point is that May is utterly flat. If she was facing Blair, Hague or Cameron she'd be slaughtered. But she's facing Corbyn.
She was on auto-pilot against Jezza but upped her game against Roberston, IMO.
Didn't Robertson say something like "shrieking" when referring to her?
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
Didn't watch PMQs, how crap was Jez? What did he do/didn't do?
It was the first PMQs I've watched live in ages. Corbyn was more awful than usual. A more interesting point is that May is utterly flat. If she was facing Blair, Hague or Cameron she'd be slaughtered. But she's facing Corbyn.
May is extraordinarily lucky to be up against Corbyn. All she has to fear is the Tory press and as today's events show she is utterly terrified of them.
He's supposed to be the leader of the Opposition - if he turns up at PMQs unable to think of a line of questioning on a breaking government u-turn, then he really should stand aside in favour of someone who will.
For all the #Tories4Corbyn jokes, the government really needs an opposition worthy of the name. Time to go, Jeremy.
To be fair, Hilton when he has done long form interviews is actually quite interesting and not short of ideas...as long as you take everything with a pinch of salt.
The tag-line flatters him - he's a reasonably well-known, respected middle-ranking CDU politician who has held a variety of solid posts. Influential? Nah.
I am curious if you ever had a really flattering tagline attached to a story which you contributed to while in parliament - I feel like everyone has been reported as a 'senior backbencher' if they've been there more than a single term.
Setting Tweets to automatic, doesn't work, particularly when Corbyn is involved in the event.
I didn't even notice the time, it was the content that I thought was idiotic.
Labour really are in deep trouble, even if Corbyn went there must be a decent chance that his supporters would find someone worse to replace him.
That's the problem. When the MPs did finally organise a coup against him, they picked a candidate who made Corbyn look like a masterful leader.
The problem all goes back to Brown. His ambition to be leader killed a whole generation of potential leaders within the Labour party: he plotted against them and demolished them. He left behind him an intellectual vacuum: their answer to Cameron was Miliband, ffs.
And the new generation of Labour MPs - the 2010 and 2015 intake - are to a man and woman bland and soulless. I include even relative luminaries such as Starmer in that.
Any new Labour leader needs a vision. Their problem is that any vision that will appeal to a majority of the public will repel the hard leftists who seem to vote within the party.
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
I spoke to my God-daughter's husband last evening, he is Dutch. He seldom votes but is voting this time for Wilders and says his parents and brother are doing the same. He is from the extreme South of the Netherlands (Oisterwijk, near Eindhoven), which I understand is Wilders' home turf and the area of his greatest support. Straws in the wind, nothing more.
Twitter Philip Sim @BBCPhilipSim Asked about policy on full EU membership Mr Russell says "we will set out our position in advance of the choice so it is an informed choice"
Philip Sim@BBCPhilipSim 24h24 hours ago Mike Russell says there will be "absolute clarity" on ScotGov's position towards EU membership by the time of indyref2; asks for "patience".
Oh, for crying out loud. Look, Eoin, mate, even if the media are all out to get him, even if they are all in cahoots with the Tories, if Corbyn keeps gifting them stuff it is still his bloody fault, he is still a failure of a leader even if he does face significant challenges.
I'm with those getting angry at all this now. I went so far as to say I didn't think it inevitable Labour would do as badly under Corbyn as predicted, I still think the brand of the party is too strong to disappear, but the MPs had the right idea to go mostly quiet and give him rope to hang himself - without them, all we have is Corbyn's own screwups and the morons on twitter turning everything into a conspiracy against the great Jez. It looks terrible.
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
I spoke to my God-daughter's husband last evening, he is Dutch. He seldom votes but is voting this time for Wilders and says his parents and brother are doing the same. He is from the extreme South of the Netherlands (Oisterwijk, near Eindhoven), which I understand is Wilders' home turf and the area of his greatest support. Straws in the wind, nothing more.
What is this thing about voting for people with weird hair?
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
I spoke to my God-daughter's husband last evening, he is Dutch. He seldom votes but is voting this time for Wilders and says his parents and brother are doing the same. He is from the extreme South of the Netherlands (Oisterwijk, near Eindhoven), which I understand is Wilders' home turf and the area of his greatest support. Straws in the wind, nothing more.
"from the extreme South"
Is that a geographic or political adjective, Mr Llama?
Twitter Philip Sim @BBCPhilipSim Asked about policy on full EU membership Mr Russell says "we will set out our position in advance of the choice so it is an informed choice"
Philip Sim@BBCPhilipSim 24h24 hours ago Mike Russell says there will be "absolute clarity" on ScotGov's position towards EU membership by the time of indyref2; asks for "patience".
Rule of thumb when it comes to political excuses (and also scandals) - how would the side using it react if their opponents used it? If it would be outrage or criticism, the excuse is probably weak.
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
I spoke to my God-daughter's husband last evening, he is Dutch. He seldom votes but is voting this time for Wilders and says his parents and brother are doing the same. He is from the extreme South of the Netherlands (Oisterwijk, near Eindhoven), which I understand is Wilders' home turf and the area of his greatest support. Straws in the wind, nothing more.
What is this thing about voting for people with weird hair?
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
This is starting to make me really angry now. The country needs an Opposition. This is way way beyond funny now. Labour do something.
As with all previous occasions when Corbyn has upset people, the rest of the Labour Party will almost certainly continue to do absolutely nothing about it. The MPs have given up - out of despair, because they're too emotionally invested in Labour to dump it, or because they're too frightened to split off (and probably a combination of all three in most cases.) Corbyn's support amongst the membership has declined, but I reckon that most of the losses are hardcore Europhiles: most of his supporters aren't going anywhere, and that makes him impossible to shift through another leadership challenge. The Unions are powerless to do anything, even if they wanted to - apart from withdrawing funds, which would probably precipitate the collapse of the wider Labour movement in any case.
The most likely scenario, especially with A50 notification due imminently, is that the Conservatives will still be polling in the mid-40s in a months' time - despite all the brouhaha over NICs, and also because the latest unemployment figures have just come out and show another quarterly drop.
I wholeheartedly agree that it would be much better for all concerned to have a strong Opposition, but for so long as the main Opposition party is controlled by the Far Left it is even more important that it remain weak. There are worse things than any potential damage caused by embarrassing budget u-turns, or Scottish referendums, or setbacks in Brexit talks - and one of those is the notion of the Far Left getting its hands on real power in this country.
If Labour is incapable of reforming itself then it must be crushed at a General Election, and be seen to be crushed. Perhaps then, in time, something better might emerge to replace it?
This is starting to make me really angry now. The country needs an Opposition. This is way way beyond funny now. Labour do something.
As with all previous occasions when Corbyn has upset people, the rest of the Labour Party will almost certainly continue to do absolutely nothing about it. The MPs have given up - out of despair, because they're too emotionally invested in Labour to dump it, or because they're too frightened to split off (and probably a combination of all three in most cases.) Corbyn's support amongst the membership has declined, but I reckon that most of the losses are hardcore Europhiles: most of his supporters aren't going anywhere, and that makes him impossible to shift through another leadership challenge. The Unions are powerless to do anything, even if they wanted to - apart from withdrawing funds, which would probably precipitate the collapse of the wider Labour movement in any case.
The most likely scenario, especially with A50 notification due imminently, is that the Conservatives will still be polling in the mid-40s in a months' time - despite all the brouhaha over NICs, and also because the latest unemployment figures have just come out and show another quarterly drop.
I wholeheartedly agree that it would be much better for all concerned to have a strong Opposition, but for so long as the main Opposition party is controlled by the Far Left it is even more important that it remain weak. There are worse things than any potential damage caused by embarrassing budget u-turns, or Scottish referendums, or setbacks in Brexit talks - and one of those is the notion of the Far Left getting its hands on real power in this country.
If Labour is incapable of reforming itself then it must be crushed at a General Election, and be seen to be crushed. Perhaps then, in time, something better might emerge to replace it?
its quite possible the Tories could increase their poll lead after this u Turn, but Hammond is going to get the money back somehow..........
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
Strikes me TM panicked. Although the C4 NIC rise was not popular with the self employed, the far more numerous employed section of the population who have no choice in these matters supported the move quite strongly. Short term politics trumping economics again.
FWIW my sense is that Wilders will underperform because he's simply taken his rhetoric and policy too far.
My thesis (throughout almost all of Western politics) as well is that voters will start returning to mainstream parties just as soon as they take their concerns on migration/identity seriously. Otherwise, they stick with the fringes until they learn the lesson.
i.e. UKIP/Leave Labourites > May Tories, and Wilderites (VVPVPV) > Rutte (PVPVPVVV).
Merkel may just be about to learn this lesson too. The hard way.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
That would be a good start, but is not enough. I hate to say this, but spin is a factor. For each measure, look at the disadvantages (and there will always be people disadvantaged in budgets). Create lines to counter any criticisms, and for big measures, counter-proposals ("we're taking from the self-employed with measure a, but measure g will see them better off by £200 a year").
The government tried to spin the NIC rise by using a measure previously announced by Osborne that advantaged the self-employed, but it didn't work. Firstly because that measure was announced by a previous government and chancellor, and secondly because it was very old news.
It's very important to note that the noisiest criticism of the measure came from the media and the government's own backbenchers.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
Strikes me TM panicked. Although the C4 NIC rise was not popular with the self employed, the far more numerous employed section of the population who have no choice in these matters supported the move quite strongly. Short term politics trumping economics again.
Manifesto, Manifesto, Manifesto. That's the be-all and end-all here. It was a cock-up and it's been reversed, but it's also hopefully signalled the future direction of policy once an election has intervened.
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
I spoke to my God-daughter's husband last evening, he is Dutch. He seldom votes but is voting this time for Wilders and says his parents and brother are doing the same. He is from the extreme South of the Netherlands (Oisterwijk, near Eindhoven), which I understand is Wilders' home turf and the area of his greatest support. Straws in the wind, nothing more.
"from the extreme South"
Is that a geographic or political adjective, Mr Llama?
Good spot, Mr. Hopkins and it made me smile. Strictly geographical I am afraid. He is a nice enough bloke, bit of an IT wizard from a well to do middle-class family (daddy is a retired dentist). Not the sort of folk you would think would be voting for an extreme-right wing party. That said, I remember from some ten years ago tensions in Oisterwijk over an asylum centre on the edge of the town and I don't suppose those have eased.
Who knows, I claim no special knowledge and was just replying with some thoughts to Mr. Tyndall's question up-thread.
The tag-line flatters him - he's a reasonably well-known, respected middle-ranking CDU politician who has held a variety of solid posts. Influential? Nah.
I am curious if you ever had a really flattering tagline attached to a story which you contributed to while in parliament - I feel like everyone has been reported as a 'senior backbencher' if they've been there more than a single term.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
That would be a good start, but is not enough. I hate to say this, but spin is a factor. For each measure, look at the disadvantages (and there will always be people disadvantaged in budgets). Create lines to counter any criticisms, and for big measures, counter-proposals ("we're taking from the self-employed with measure a, but measure g will see them better off by £200 a year").
The government tried to spin the NIC rise by using a measure previously announced by Osborne that advantaged the self-employed, but it didn't work. Firstly because that measure was announced by a previous government and chancellor, and secondly because it was very old news.
It's very important to note that the noisiest criticism of the measure came from the media and the government's own backbenchers.
A slightly smarter opposition would have supported the C4 NI move. It was a progressive centrist measure that looked to begin to address the shortfall in public finances in the light of our new economy. Ok the amount raised was small but the principle was correct. If they had done so they could have roasted the overrated Hammond today.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
Strikes me TM panicked. Although the C4 NIC rise was not popular with the self employed, the far more numerous employed section of the population who have no choice in these matters supported the move quite strongly. Short term politics trumping economics again.
Manifesto, Manifesto, Manifesto. That's the be-all and end-all here.
Except sometimes it may be necessary to divert from the manifesto in response to events. Was it necessary here? They decided it was, then decided it wasn't, but flexibility is going to be necessary sometimes, and given they thought it necessary here at first (or they were idiots and forgot about it), cowering at the first hint of opposition does not speak well as to their determination or forward planning, since either they thought it good and are pretending it is not now because of outcry, or they realised too late it was crap, showing they plan very poorly. They won't always have the option of backing off, and 'it's a manifesto commitment' is a reason to stick with something in most instances, not as something carved into stone.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
That would be a good start, but is not enough. I hate to say this, but spin is a factor. For each measure, look at the disadvantages (and there will always be people disadvantaged in budgets). Create lines to counter any criticisms, and for big measures, counter-proposals ("we're taking from the self-employed with measure a, but measure g will see them better off by £200 a year").
The government tried to spin the NIC rise by using a measure previously announced by Osborne that advantaged the self-employed, but it didn't work. Firstly because that measure was announced by a previous government and chancellor, and secondly because it was very old news.
It's very important to note that the noisiest criticism of the measure came from the media and the government's own backbenchers.
A slightly smarter opposition would have supported the C4 NI move. It was a progressive centrist measure that looked to begin to address the shortfall in public finances in the light of our new economy. Ok the amount raised was small but the principle was correct. If they had done so they could have roasted the overrated Hammond today.
Absolutely that's the way they should have played it, and today could have challenged the govt as to what spending would be cut to pay for the 'tax cut', social care?
The problem is that under Corbyn there isn't a functioning Opposition.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
That would be a good start, but is not enough. I hate to say this, but spin is a factor. For each measure, look at the disadvantages (and there will always be people disadvantaged in budgets). Create lines to counter any criticisms, and for big measures, counter-proposals ("we're taking from the self-employed with measure a, but measure g will see them better off by £200 a year").
The government tried to spin the NIC rise by using a measure previously announced by Osborne that advantaged the self-employed, but it didn't work. Firstly because that measure was announced by a previous government and chancellor, and secondly because it was very old news.
It's very important to note that the noisiest criticism of the measure came from the media and the government's own backbenchers.
A slightly smarter opposition would have supported the C4 NI move. It was a progressive centrist measure that looked to begin to address the shortfall in public finances in the light of our new economy. Ok the amount raised was small but the principle was correct. If they had done so they could have roasted the overrated Hammond today.
Absolutely that's the way they should have played it, and today could have challenged the govt as to what spending would be cut to pay for the 'tax cut', social care?
The problem is that under Corbyn there isn't a functioning Opposition.
Even if Labour was led by someone sensible such as Umuna, do Labour have the discipline to support the government with a view to taking advantage of a U-turn when it arrives? Personally, I don't think so.
Pathetic behavior over the NiC increase. The government has marshmallows for balls.
I imagine Barnier and co are looking, laughing and learning.
This was on account of popular, ie media outcry. I doubt there will be the same furore over some arcane piece of EU legislation one way or the other and if there is, I doubt there will be an audience for it.
Could I humbly suggest that Chancellors are given a clusterfuck-control-checklist to go through before every budget: 1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment? 2. Is this going to incense our core vote? 3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion? 4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame? 5. How will our opponents use this to damage us? 6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards? 7. How will the press and experts react? 8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent? 9. etc -
Mr. Patrick, I fear you underestimate the power of the treasury mandarins. Treasury policy is set by Treasury officials. Chancellors are there to implement Treasury policy not to form it. Occasionally, it appears that the reverse is true but that is only a smoke and mirrors job whereby a Chancellor is allowed to pretend he is in charge as long as the Treasury gets more control over the workings of government departments.
I had high hopes of Hammond, but he has disappointed. I thought for a while that he might actually confine himself to his own job - balancing the books whilst raising the cash needed by the spending departments (a pretty damn big job all on its own). Alas, he seems to have become house-trained very quickly. HMT uber alles and all that.
Maybe one day we will again have a PM who can put HMT in their proper place
Pathetic behavior over the NiC increase. The government has marshmallows for balls.
I imagine Barnier and co are looking, laughing and learning.
This was on account of popular, ie media outcry. I doubt there will be the same furore over some arcane piece of EU legislation one way or the other and if there is, I doubt there will be an audience for it.
And an outcry from loads of backbench Conservatives as well.
Comments
What thoughts on the much higher than expected turnout that is being reported? Who does that help?
Does anyone think the outsiders in Holland are a touch of value? CDA 40, D66 120, GL 110 on Betfair.
"The Corbyn “experiment” has failed. You have to end it. Now."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/15/labour-mps-must-end-farce-jeremy-corbyns-leadership-now/
"More perhaps than any other occasion, today's PMQs was proof that Corbyn is leader of the opposition in name only."
FWIW I followed Alastair's tip but by laying the PVV rather than backing the VVD, to cover that possibility.
Sigh. It is days like this we wish @jeremycorbyn would let us have his questions. He clearly doesn't want them.
At the moment they are part of the uk in the eu
Soon they will be part of an independent uk
The they could try being totally independent
Then become part of the eu
In the name of God, Labour members wake up and deal with this!
https://youtu.be/sN1MkVfXeao
Private Eye are keen on him staying.
Just a hint Labour.
https://twitter.com/PolProfSteve/status/842004618058059777
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2017/03/only-24-of-voters-support-gop-health-care-plan.html
https://mobile.twitter.com/FT/status/842006002878844928
Labour really are in deep trouble, even if Corbyn went there must be a decent chance that his supporters would find someone worse to replace him.
For all the #Tories4Corbyn jokes, the government really needs an opposition worthy of the name. Time to go, Jeremy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199980/BETRAYED-Spineless-Labour-MPs-backed-Aspergers-victims-bid-beat-extradition-desert-him.html
The problem all goes back to Brown. His ambition to be leader killed a whole generation of potential leaders within the Labour party: he plotted against them and demolished them. He left behind him an intellectual vacuum: their answer to Cameron was Miliband, ffs.
And the new generation of Labour MPs - the 2010 and 2015 intake - are to a man and woman bland and soulless. I include even relative luminaries such as Starmer in that.
Any new Labour leader needs a vision. Their problem is that any vision that will appeal to a majority of the public will repel the hard leftists who seem to vote within the party.
Philip Sim @BBCPhilipSim
Asked about policy on full EU membership Mr Russell says "we will set out our position in advance of the choice so it is an informed choice"
Philip Sim@BBCPhilipSim 24h24 hours ago
Mike Russell says there will be "absolute clarity" on ScotGov's position towards EU membership by the time of indyref2; asks for "patience".
I'm with those getting angry at all this now. I went so far as to say I didn't think it inevitable Labour would do as badly under Corbyn as predicted, I still think the brand of the party is too strong to disappear, but the MPs had the right idea to go mostly quiet and give him rope to hang himself - without them, all we have is Corbyn's own screwups and the morons on twitter turning everything into a conspiracy against the great Jez. It looks terrible.
"from the extreme South"
Is that a geographic or political adjective, Mr Llama?
1. Is this in breach of a manifesto commitment?
2. Is this going to incense our core vote?
3. Is this going to drive a backbench rebellion?
4. Is this going to make the chancellor and/or PM look stupid/mean/clueless/otherwise lame?
5. How will our opponents use this to damage us?
6. Is there an underlying vision that this builds towards?
7. How will the press and experts react?
8. Does this make tax and spend simpler and more transparent?
9. etc -
Too much hard work. It gave me a headache.
The most likely scenario, especially with A50 notification due imminently, is that the Conservatives will still be polling in the mid-40s in a months' time - despite all the brouhaha over NICs, and also because the latest unemployment figures have just come out and show another quarterly drop.
I wholeheartedly agree that it would be much better for all concerned to have a strong Opposition, but for so long as the main Opposition party is controlled by the Far Left it is even more important that it remain weak. There are worse things than any potential damage caused by embarrassing budget u-turns, or Scottish referendums, or setbacks in Brexit talks - and one of those is the notion of the Far Left getting its hands on real power in this country.
If Labour is incapable of reforming itself then it must be crushed at a General Election, and be seen to be crushed. Perhaps then, in time, something better might emerge to replace it?
My thesis (throughout almost all of Western politics) as well is that voters will start returning to mainstream parties just as soon as they take their concerns on migration/identity seriously. Otherwise, they stick with the fringes until they learn the lesson.
i.e. UKIP/Leave Labourites > May Tories, and Wilderites (VVPVPV) > Rutte (PVPVPVVV).
Merkel may just be about to learn this lesson too. The hard way.
The government tried to spin the NIC rise by using a measure previously announced by Osborne that advantaged the self-employed, but it didn't work. Firstly because that measure was announced by a previous government and chancellor, and secondly because it was very old news.
It's very important to note that the noisiest criticism of the measure came from the media and the government's own backbenchers.
Who knows, I claim no special knowledge and was just replying with some thoughts to Mr. Tyndall's question up-thread.
Yes, looks standard to me. Someone trying to read too much into it.
I imagine Barnier and co are looking, laughing and learning.
@freetochoose good effort 1/1 so far. And now we wait...
The problem is that under Corbyn there isn't a functioning Opposition.
https://order-order.com/2017/03/15/rory-stewart-hit-nics-u-turn-live-tv/
I had high hopes of Hammond, but he has disappointed. I thought for a while that he might actually confine himself to his own job - balancing the books whilst raising the cash needed by the spending departments (a pretty damn big job all on its own). Alas, he seems to have become house-trained very quickly. HMT uber alles and all that.
Maybe one day we will again have a PM who can put HMT in their proper place