" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
MPs in constituencies visited by the battlebus would have no reason to consider whether it should be included in their local return – they were directed that the bus would be visiting as part of CCHQ’s national spending."
and
"Police have focused on the Tory Battle Bus tour, which visited a number of different areas during the campaign and was staffed mainly by volunteers.
Over 20 Conservative MPs could be involved and the CPS will decide whether the cases should be heard in court by the end of May."
Seems the police were investigating something the EC has exonerated the MPs for.
" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
What was it for then?
Good point but they must have decided it was seen to be promoting the party nationally, as it would as it travelled across the nation. But that statement in itself must prejeudice any case against the mp's
The surprising thing is they released this now without seeing how it would be interpreted
I think the seat Farage thought will be interesting.From the reports I saw it was vast amounts spent on hotel bills etc from people outside the area and not declared over many weeks.So not just a bus traveling around the country .
Apologies fought do not seem to have an edit button anymore.
" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
MPs in constituencies visited by the battlebus would have no reason to consider whether it should be included in their local return – they were directed that the bus would be visiting as part of CCHQ’s national spending."
and
"Police have focused on the Tory Battle Bus tour, which visited a number of different areas during the campaign and was staffed mainly by volunteers.
Over 20 Conservative MPs could be involved and the CPS will decide whether the cases should be heard in court by the end of May."
Seems the police were investigating something the EC has exonerated the MPs for.
" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
What was it for then?
Good point but they must have decided it was seen to be promoting the party nationally, as it would as it travelled across the nation. But that statement in itself must prejeudice any case against the mp's
The surprising thing is they released this now without seeing how it would be interpreted
I think the seat Farage thought will be interesting.From the reports I saw it was vast amounts spent on hotel bills etc from people outside the area and not declared over many weeks.So not just a bus traveling around the country .
I think a by election with Farage would see him beaten again - indeed I do not expect him to stand - with his new found fame with the President could you see him being bothered to look after his constituents
They are paying 1/4 for 3 places - and its a good price for a quality horse.
Full disclosure, I am on £10 E/W with Skybet paying 1/5 3 places cos I missed Boyle's superior deal. Still think its a good bet though. Eight runner race :>
Politics is a strange world sometimes - a man can claim to have "won" an election even though his party lost 20% of its seats. Rutte's VVD, which I see as a recognisable amalgam of Cameroon Liberal-Conservatism and Clegg's Orange Bookism, lost 8 of its 41 seats but Rutte is striding around as though he's won a majority.
The big losers were the PVDA who suffered an LD-style eclipse dropping from 37 to 9. Once again, the curse of being the junior partner in a coalition has struck though unlike in Britain, the senior partner lost as well.
The winners - the Greens, D66 and the CDA so right across the board if you like. D66 are the Dutch LDs though they sit with the VVD in the ALDE and Liberal International. CDA are the Dutch Conservative Party up to a point - they are the old Christian Democrat party of Ruud Lubbers which dominated Dutch Government in the past.
The obvious coalition is VVD, D66 and CDA which would have 71 seats which while not a majority would probably be fine given the fragmentation and disparity of the opposition parties.
Technical question, sort of - life is busy and I'm awlays happy to read PB headers and skim the comments elow the line, but I almost never have time to sit down and listen to a podcast, so the admirable effort in making them completely passes me by, even when it sounds interesting, as it often does. Is that unusual, and most of you are keenly listening?
I listen to them when I swim. (Waterproof MP3 players rock.)
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
MPs in constituencies visited by the battlebus would have no reason to consider whether it should be included in their local return – they were directed that the bus would be visiting as part of CCHQ’s national spending."
and
"Police have focused on the Tory Battle Bus tour, which visited a number of different areas during the campaign and was staffed mainly by volunteers.
Over 20 Conservative MPs could be involved and the CPS will decide whether the cases should be heard in court by the end of May."
Seems the police were investigating something the EC has exonerated the MPs for.
" ‘The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the [Conservative] Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates’ (para. 106).
What was it for then?
Good point but they must have decided it was seen to be promoting the party nationally, as it would as it travelled across the nation. But that statement in itself must prejeudice any case against the mp's
The surprising thing is they released this now without seeing how it would be interpreted
I think the seat Farage thought will be interesting.From the reports I saw it was vast amounts spent on hotel bills etc from people outside the area and not declared over many weeks.So not just a bus traveling around the country .
I think a by election with Farage would see him beaten again - indeed I do not expect him to stand - with his new found fame with the President could you see him being bothered to look after his constituents
You might be correct .I have no idea what he would do if there was a by election there.
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Kittens yes, cats, meh. My main issue with cats is their being skittish and not instinctively friendly like most dogs are. I just wanted to give you a stroke mr mittens, why did you bolt away!
Wilders and the PVV gained 5 seats to get to 20, comfortable progress from 2012, but still some way behind where they were in 2010 (24 seats).
D66, who are pro-business LibDems, gained 7 seats to reach 19. The CDA, who are Cameroonian Conservatives, gained 6 seats to also so reach 19. The Greens were the biggest single gainer on the night, going from 4 to 14.
So, who lost? The ruling VVD dropped 8 seats to 33. The real carnage, though, was on the traditional left. The PvdA (Labour Party) lost 29 seats, falling to just 9, while the Socialists shed 1 to 14.
Your "understanding" of the Dutch parties and their comparison to British parties is very different from mine, Robert.
CDA aren't "Cameroon Conservatives" - they are more traditional Christian Democrats, quite socially conservative. VVD are the Cameroons combined with the Orange Bookers, pro-EU and both socially and economically liberal. D66 are the Liberal Democrats - they sit with the VVD in ALDE and in the Liberal International while the CDA sits with the EPP grouping in the EU Parliament.
Strange how you don't see the Greens as a party of the "Left" in order to have a dig at the "Left" parties. Many would argue the Greens are of the Left in many respects.
What we've seen in the Netherlands is a re-ordering within the traditional blocs but I join with those pleased to see Wilders failing to progress.
Gin returned to the consumer prices basket after a 13-year absence amid soaring popularity of small-batch producers and festivals dedicated to the spirit formerly known as Mother’s Ruin. Once considered a “favorite of the middle-aged suburban couple, gin has become the staple of the younger drinker,” the ONS said.
Who can forget the Tory electoral campaign of 2015, which essentially revolved around telling English voters that if they were not careful appalling Scots would be ruling over them.
The SNP is not Scotland.
Absolutely not. But between them the SNP and Labour got just under 75% of the vote at the last general election. The Tory message to English voters about Scottish voters was very clear.
Understandably, English voters weren't keen on the prospect. The SNP is not popular, South of the Border.
I had labour voters begging me on the doorstep to stop her in the week run up to the GE. Under no circumstance was she to be part of any coalition. And this is in a constituency that is little more than a few miles away from the Scottish border.
Those posters of Salmond and Sturgeon with Miliband in their top pocket were as powerful as anything produced in the 80s by the Conservatives.
This will continue to be a problem as long as Scotland remains part of the UK, unless Labour can somehow recover there (highly unlikely at this point). In some ways Labour should be welcoming Scottish independence. Draw a line under the issue and move on. In almost every election where Labour won a majority, they had won it without Scottish seats.
Technical question, sort of - life is busy and I'm awlays happy to read PB headers and skim the comments elow the line, but I almost never have time to sit down and listen to a podcast, so the admirable effort in making them completely passes me by, even when it sounds interesting, as it often does. Is that unusual, and most of you are keenly listening?
I listen to them when I swim. (Waterproof MP3 players rock.)
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
They are very interesting podcasts. I recently cancelled my apple music subscription and have basically switched full time from listening to music on the go to listening to podcasts.
Wasn't there a webseries version of this podcast at some point?
Gin returned to the consumer prices basket after a 13-year absence amid soaring popularity of small-batch producers and festivals dedicated to the spirit formerly known as Mother’s Ruin. Once considered a “favorite of the middle-aged suburban couple, gin has become the staple of the younger drinker,” the ONS said.
Technical question, sort of - life is busy and I'm awlays happy to read PB headers and skim the comments elow the line, but I almost never have time to sit down and listen to a podcast, so the admirable effort in making them completely passes me by, even when it sounds interesting, as it often does. Is that unusual, and most of you are keenly listening?
I listen to them when I swim. (Waterproof MP3 players rock.)
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
They are very interesting podcasts. I recently cancelled my apple music subscription and have basically switched full time from listening to music on the go to listening to podcasts.
Wasn't there a webseries version of this podcast at some point?
I listen to a lot of Podcast these days, mostly movie/gaming ones, but politics as well.
Gin returned to the consumer prices basket after a 13-year absence amid soaring popularity of small-batch producers and festivals dedicated to the spirit formerly known as Mother’s Ruin. Once considered a “favorite of the middle-aged suburban couple, gin has become the staple of the younger drinker,” the ONS said.
Wilders and the PVV gained 5 seats to get to 20, comfortable progress from 2012, but still some way behind where they were in 2010 (24 seats).
D66, who are pro-business LibDems, gained 7 seats to reach 19. The CDA, who are Cameroonian Conservatives, gained 6 seats to also so reach 19. The Greens were the biggest single gainer on the night, going from 4 to 14.
So, who lost? The ruling VVD dropped 8 seats to 33. The real carnage, though, was on the traditional left. The PvdA (Labour Party) lost 29 seats, falling to just 9, while the Socialists shed 1 to 14.
Your "understanding" of the Dutch parties and their comparison to British parties is very different from mine, Robert.
CDA aren't "Cameroon Conservatives" - they are more traditional Christian Democrats, quite socially conservative. VVD are the Cameroons combined with the Orange Bookers, pro-EU and both socially and economically liberal. D66 are the Liberal Democrats - they sit with the VVD in ALDE and in the Liberal International while the CDA sits with the EPP grouping in the EU Parliament.
Strange how you don't see the Greens as a party of the "Left" in order to have a dig at the "Left" parties. Many would argue the Greens are of the Left in many respects.
What we've seen in the Netherlands is a re-ordering within the traditional blocs but I join with those pleased to see Wilders failing to progress.
I agree with Stodge in this analysis, though international allocation of parties on a traditional left-right spectrum is always tricky. A real international issue is the decline of the traditional, serious, sometimes stodgy centre-left in favour of the insurrectionist, leftist, sometimes reckless left - Sanders vs Clinton, Corbyn vs various, Syriza vs Pasok, SF vs SDLP, GL vs POvdA, etc. The traditional left are always up for a serious discussion and even a coalition with the centre-right. The insurrectionist left, not so much, though I guess you can cite SF in Ulster as a special case. But without a centre-left challenge offering a credible alternative government, an incompetnt centre-right government (and all wings of politics will sometimes be incompetent) will flounder without a resolution, and that's not good for democracy.
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
Wilders and the PVV gained 5 seats to get to 20, comfortable progress from 2012, but still some way behind where they were in 2010 (24 seats).
D66, who are pro-business LibDems, gained 7 seats to reach 19. The CDA, who are Cameroonian Conservatives, gained 6 seats to also so reach 19. The Greens were the biggest single gainer on the night, going from 4 to 14.
So, who lost? The ruling VVD dropped 8 seats to 33. The real carnage, though, was on the traditional left. The PvdA (Labour Party) lost 29 seats, falling to just 9, while the Socialists shed 1 to 14.
Your "understanding" of the Dutch parties and their comparison to British parties is very different from mine, Robert.
CDA aren't "Cameroon Conservatives" - they are more traditional Christian Democrats, quite socially conservative. VVD are the Cameroons combined with the Orange Bookers, pro-EU and both socially and economically liberal. D66 are the Liberal Democrats - they sit with the VVD in ALDE and in the Liberal International while the CDA sits with the EPP grouping in the EU Parliament.
Strange how you don't see the Greens as a party of the "Left" in order to have a dig at the "Left" parties. Many would argue the Greens are of the Left in many respects.
What we've seen in the Netherlands is a re-ordering within the traditional blocs but I join with those pleased to see Wilders failing to progress.
So, VVD and D66 are both in ALDE group in the EU parliament and both in Liberal International, Between them they have 52 seats to Wilders 20, but they would need 76 to have a majority. Is it safe to presume that they would form the basis of a new coalition? In which case who is most likely to join them?
A very long read, and fascinating to read the factual details of the intricate planning.
Could have been done without the Guardian's typical negative view of the monarchy intertwined with it though.
I recall the death of George VI. I was at school; the news filtered through as those of us who could go home to lunch straggled back. At about 2 (IIRC) we were all called into the Hall for an emergency Assembly. “Boys” the Head announced ‘I Have to tell you that the King is dead’ He paused “As this is a sad occasion there will be no half holiday.”
TBH I don’t recall shops closing either on the day of the death or of the funeral. I’m sure we went to school as usual. I remember there beimng SFA on the radio that I wanted to listen to, though, between the death itself and the funeral.
Gin returned to the consumer prices basket after a 13-year absence amid soaring popularity of small-batch producers and festivals dedicated to the spirit formerly known as Mother’s Ruin. Once considered a “favorite of the middle-aged suburban couple, gin has become the staple of the younger drinker,” the ONS said.
Can you believe some Scots want to leave that single market - its biggest gin export market - in favour of, well, its not entirely clear....
Och, I know you ultra Yoons are in favour of embargoing every single export from an independent Scotland, but I think normal folk are a bit more sensible.
Yet more good positive news on overseas investment. It's almost as if large non-EU companies see Britain as a successful nation in the future.
And it's also interesting that the only company which is questioning future investment in Britain has a French CEO. Companies with no ties to the EU seem very happy in investing here. The phrase "playing politics" comes to mind.
Technical question, sort of - life is busy and I'm awlays happy to read PB headers and skim the comments elow the line, but I almost never have time to sit down and listen to a podcast, so the admirable effort in making them completely passes me by, even when it sounds interesting, as it often does. Is that unusual, and most of you are keenly listening?
I listen to them when I swim. (Waterproof MP3 players rock.)
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
They are very interesting podcasts. I recently cancelled my apple music subscription and have basically switched full time from listening to music on the go to listening to podcasts.
Wasn't there a webseries version of this podcast at some point?
I listen to a lot of Podcast these days, mostly movie/gaming ones, but politics as well.
I watch a lot of YouTube discussion/opinion progs and SoundCloud political podcasts. Some fascinating and well informed stuff. Much better than 90% of MSM talking points content.
Gin returned to the consumer prices basket after a 13-year absence amid soaring popularity of small-batch producers and festivals dedicated to the spirit formerly known as Mother’s Ruin. Once considered a “favorite of the middle-aged suburban couple, gin has become the staple of the younger drinker,” the ONS said.
Can you believe some Scots want to leave that single market - its biggest gin export market - in favour of, well, its not entirely clear....
Och, I know you ultra Yoons are in favour of embargoing every single export from an independent Scotland, but I think normal folk are a bit more sensible.
No - that'll be your Nicola wanting to join the EUEEAEFTA that rUK is not a member of......
Wilders and the PVV gained 5 seats to get to 20, comfortable progress from 2012, but still some way behind where they were in 2010 (24 seats).
D66, who are pro-business LibDems, gained 7 seats to reach 19. The CDA, who are Cameroonian Conservatives, gained 6 seats to also so reach 19. The Greens were the biggest single gainer on the night, going from 4 to 14.
So, who lost? The ruling VVD dropped 8 seats to 33. The real carnage, though, was on the traditional left. The PvdA (Labour Party) lost 29 seats, falling to just 9, while the Socialists shed 1 to 14.
Your "understanding" of the Dutch parties and their comparison to British parties is very different from mine, Robert.
CDA aren't "Cameroon Conservatives" - they are more traditional Christian Democrats, quite socially conservative. VVD are the Cameroons combined with the Orange Bookers, pro-EU and both socially and economically liberal. D66 are the Liberal Democrats - they sit with the VVD in ALDE and in the Liberal International while the CDA sits with the EPP grouping in the EU Parliament.
Strange how you don't see the Greens as a party of the "Left" in order to have a dig at the "Left" parties. Many would argue the Greens are of the Left in many respects.
What we've seen in the Netherlands is a re-ordering within the traditional blocs but I join with those pleased to see Wilders failing to progress.
So, VVD and D66 are both in ALDE group in the EU parliament and both in Liberal International, Between them they have 52 seats to Wilders 20, but they would need 76 to have a majority. Is it safe to presume that they would form the basis of a new coalition? In which case who is most likely to join them?
CDA ?
There simply aren't the numbers for much else.
Intriguingly the Animal Rights party gets the VVD-D66 (I assume coalition) - perhaps with CDA support to 75. So that might be a very good thing.
Agree about the really interesting piece on 'London Bridge'. When the time comes, I hope that HMQ passes at Balmoral so that the train will pass through Potters Bar on its way back to London.
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Totally O/T but on the subject of gin, my wife & I went on Saturday to a local food festival, and were struck with number of ‘artisan’ gin stalls. Normally there are a few alcohol stalls, mostly wine, but this time there must have been four of five small-scale gin producers. My wife is currently working her way through the product of one of them. Slowly, I should add!
And this lunch-time we’re going out to lunch at a local pub which makes a feature of the different varieties of gin it has on offer. Sadly I shall be driving.
Yet more good positive news on overseas investment. It's almost as if large non-EU companies see Britain as a successful nation in the future.
Good news for South Derbyshire. Although any more staff will make the A50/A38 rouundabout even busier at shift changes, damn them.
An anecdote: in the late 1980s the wife of one of my dad's workmen started an evening course in spoken Japanese, on a whim. Shortly after she finished the course the Burnaston plant was announced by Toyota, and she applied for a job. She was one of the first employees to be employed there (I think they wanted locals for PR purposes), and went from being a receptionist/secretary to management before she retired.
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
I wouldn't go that far, but I am baffled how May stamping down Hammond in this is supposed to show something positive about her - am I to believe she didn't know about the NIC proposal, or that she knew and liked it and has backed off now due to the media and backbenchers, or that she knew, didn't like it, but somehow couldn't convince Hammond not to do it? None of those speak well to competency, and some not well about leadership.
Who can forget the Tory electoral campaign of 2015, which essentially revolved around telling English voters that if they were not careful appalling Scots would be ruling over them.
The SNP is not Scotland.
Absolutely not. But between them the SNP and Labour got just under 75% of the vote at the last general election. The Tory message to English voters about Scottish voters was very clear.
Understandably, English voters weren't keen on the prospect. The SNP is not popular, South of the Border.
I had labour voters begging me on the doorstep to stop her in the week run up to the GE. Under no circumstance was she to be part of any coalition. And this is in a constituency that is little more than a few miles away from the Scottish border.
Those posters of Salmond and Sturgeon with Miliband in their top pocket were as powerful as anything produced in the 80s by the Conservatives.
The message was that people who think the country shouldn't exist have no part in its government.
Labour showed that they have learnt this lesson by choosing Corbyn and McDonnell...
Yet more good positive news on overseas investment. It's almost as if large non-EU companies see Britain as a successful nation in the future.
Good news for South Derbyshire. Although any more staff will make the A50/A38 rouundabout even busier at shift changes, damn them.
An anecdote: in the late 1980s the wife of one of my dad's workmen started an evening course in spoken Japanese, on a whim. Shortly after she finished the course the Burnaston plant was announced by Toyota, and she applied for a job. She was one of the first employees to be employed there (I think they wanted locals for PR purposes), and went from being a receptionist/secretary to management before she retired.
Not bad for a housewife!
Obviously congratulations are (?were) due to the lady, but bearing in mind Liam Fox’ recent remarks about doing away with workers rights, do these large organsations think it worthwhile to come here and pay a small-ish tariff because they will be operating in a worker-unfriendly country.
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
I draw the red line at Sweeney Todd's (and Auchentennach) fine pies.
There is nothing "fine" about Messr S Todd's inferior product, whereas without any false modesty one can confidently state that Auchentennach Fine Pies (Est 1745) have an enviable world wide reputation, unmatched in culinary history.
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
So your'e confirming the supposition that Hammond didn’t tell her about it first?
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
He must have consulted May at least. She signed off on him doing it. If she had misgivings, she's the boss, what would he do, resign?
Totally O/T but on the subject of gin, my wife & I went on Saturday to a local food festival, and were struck with number of ‘artisan’ gin stalls. Normally there are a few alcohol stalls, mostly wine, but this time there must have been four of five small-scale gin producers. My wife is currently working her way through the product of one of them. Slowly, I should add!
And this lunch-time we’re going out to lunch at a local pub which makes a feature of the different varieties of gin it has on offer. Sadly I shall be driving.
If she hasn't tried it yet, then she might like the local Devon Salcombe Gin "Start Point". It comes highly recommended.
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Roasted or fried ?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and coming from you, Sir, I am honoured as well as flattered. (see 9.30am)
You two are barbarians. Does no one else steam things?
Kittens should be roasted after stuffing with sage & thyme. Do not baste them as they tend to be rather greasy. As an option, pierce the meat and squeeze lemon juice over it as this assists with the breakdown of excess fats (rather like doing kleftiko)
So, VVD and D66 are both in ALDE group in the EU parliament and both in Liberal International, Between them they have 52 seats to Wilders 20, but they would need 76 to have a majority. Is it safe to presume that they would form the basis of a new coalition? In which case who is most likely to join them?
I don't think relations between VVD and D66 have always been that good to be honest. The other question is whether "serving in a coalition" means being in Government with or simply providing Parliamentary support for so to speak.
VVD will lead because of its seat number though whether Rutte finishes up as PM (given he lost 8 seats) is another question. D66 might be wary of "junior partner syndrome" as might the CDA (who have led Dutch Governments in the past) so it'll be interesting what emerges - one option might be a VVD minority with D66 and CDA support.
Of the other parties, CU might well support a VVD Government as might one or two of the minor parties - the Greens attitude will be informative. In effect, the two main Opposition groups are Wilders' party and the Greens.
Yet more good positive news on overseas investment. It's almost as if large non-EU companies see Britain as a successful nation in the future.
Good news for South Derbyshire. Although any more staff will make the A50/A38 rouundabout even busier at shift changes, damn them.
An anecdote: in the late 1980s the wife of one of my dad's workmen started an evening course in spoken Japanese, on a whim. Shortly after she finished the course the Burnaston plant was announced by Toyota, and she applied for a job. She was one of the first employees to be employed there (I think they wanted locals for PR purposes), and went from being a receptionist/secretary to management before she retired.
Not bad for a housewife!
Obviously congratulations are (?were) due to the lady, but bearing in mind Liam Fox’ recent remarks about doing away with workers rights, do these large organsations think it worthwhile to come here and pay a small-ish tariff because they will be operating in a worker-unfriendly country.
Do you have a link to Fox's remarks? I missed them. TIA.
"Nobody at Cheltenham had more pecuniary interest in Douvan being proved not the unbeatable machine we had been led to believe than the man wearing a Donald Trump-inspired cap.
It read: Make Bookmaking Great Again.
Let us introduce Ben Keith, as joyously idiosyncratically English as the undulating green racecourse over his waistcoated shoulders. He had taken a hell of a beating the day before when one big-time punter successfully heaped £400,000 on Altior to win the Arkle Novices’ Chase at 1/4.
He wants Nigel Farage to be the next Prime Minister, detests stamp duty, is a climate change denier, and venerates Margaret Thatcher as our greatest leader.
‘Please write that in the Daily Mail,’ he implored me."
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
He must have consulted May at least. She signed off on him doing it. If she had misgivings, she's the boss, what would he do, resign?
What May knew and when it unknown at the moment.
Maybe she thought she'd give him enough rope, etc. Apparently for some reason only known to him he thought he was "unsackable"... Guess he knows differently now.
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Roasted or fried ?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and coming from you, Sir, I am honoured as well as flattered. (see 9.30am)
You two are barbarians. Does no one else steam things?
Kittens should be roasted after stuffing with sage & thyme. Do not baste them as they tend to be rather greasy. As an option, pierce the meat and squeeze lemon juice over it as this assists with the breakdown of excess fats (rather like doing kleftiko)
Who can forget the Tory electoral campaign of 2015, which essentially revolved around telling English voters that if they were not careful appalling Scots would be ruling over them.
The SNP is not Scotland.
Absolutely not. But between them the SNP and Labour got just under 75% of the vote at the last general election. The Tory message to English voters about Scottish voters was very clear.
Understandably, English voters weren't keen on the prospect. The SNP is not popular, South of the Border.
I had labour voters begging me on the doorstep to stop her in the week run up to the GE. Under no circumstance was she to be part of any coalition. And this is in a constituency that is little more than a few miles away from the Scottish border.
Those posters of Salmond and Sturgeon with Miliband in their top pocket were as powerful as anything produced in the 80s by the Conservatives.
I agree. There is the small silver lining for Labour that, were Scotland to secede, the Conservatives would feel vulnerable on the issue and certainly wouldn' t be able to play the Scottish card again. It would make it harder for them to hold on to some of those English seats which they won on the strength of the issue, although without Scotland the Conservatives could afford to lose some seats and yet still increase their majority.
I draw the red line at Sweeney Todd's (and Auchentennach) fine pies.
There is nothing "fine" about Messr S Todd's inferior product, whereas without any false modesty one can confidently state that Auchentennach Fine Pies (Est 1745) have an enviable world wide reputation, unmatched in culinary history.
I hear good things about your range of Elfin Pies (made with extra Elfin Safety Officers...)
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Roasted or fried ?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and coming from you, Sir, I am honoured as well as flattered. (see 9.30am)
You two are barbarians. Does no one else steam things?
Kittens should be roasted after stuffing with sage & thyme. Do not baste them as they tend to be rather greasy. As an option, pierce the meat and squeeze lemon juice over it as this assists with the breakdown of excess fats (rather like doing kleftiko)
175C at 30 mins per 454g weight
I am pretty sure I have had Kleftiko made with - how can I put this? - something other than the advertised ingredients!
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
He must have consulted May at least. She signed off on him doing it. If she had misgivings, she's the boss, what would he do, resign?
What May knew and when it unknown at the moment.
Maybe she thought she'd give him enough rope, etc. Apparently for some reason only known to him he thought he was "unsackable"... Guess he knows differently now.
Don't worry I'm sure Philip Davies will be made chancellor soon, then we can all rejoice.
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Roasted or fried ?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and coming from you, Sir, I am honoured as well as flattered. (see 9.30am)
You two are barbarians. Does no one else steam things?
Kittens should be roasted after stuffing with sage & thyme. Do not baste them as they tend to be rather greasy. As an option, pierce the meat and squeeze lemon juice over it as this assists with the breakdown of excess fats (rather like doing kleftiko)
Tele reporting that Phil Hammond had Theresa May's well aimed stiletto dug into him!
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
Its not a smiley moment at all. This is a decent chancellor trying to do the right thing who has been undermined, and is now being subject to the forces of hell by the rabid press and No 10. Its making me feel quite ill to be honest... Hammond seems to be the new Alistair Darling.
Hammond brought all this on himself. He broke the manifesto commitment and he failed to consult. If he had consulted he would have realized he didn't have the numbers to get this through... Quite obviously a large number of Tory MP's were going to combine with DUP MP's and the government didn't have the numbers.
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
I suspect people are overanalysing this. It slipped through/they thought they could wing it. When it started looking tricky, having learnt from the Dave & George Cornish Pastie Horror Show decided - together - a quick climb down was in order and Hammond would have another rummage down the back of the sofa by the Autumn.
Media organisations aren't keen on 'government shambles' stories being shut down....so they're trying to keep it going.
The government's opponents are running with 'disorganisation and lack of backbone augers badly for BREXIT' stories, while supporters, naturally think 'flexibility and willingness to listen' augurs well....
I draw the red line at Sweeney Todd's (and Auchentennach) fine pies.
There is nothing "fine" about Messr S Todd's inferior product, whereas without any false modesty one can confidently state that Auchentennach Fine Pies (Est 1745) have an enviable world wide reputation, unmatched in culinary history.
I hear good things about your range of Elfin Pies (made with extra Elfin Safety Officers...)
A great day to be part of the liberal elite or whatever the cat fetishing fascists call it these days.
Calling someone here a fascist, despite how thinly veiled, just isn't really cricket.
On the other hand, being called a cat fetishist is a compliment.
There is something seriously wrong with a person if they don't love kittens!
Roasted or fried ?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and coming from you, Sir, I am honoured as well as flattered. (see 9.30am)
You two are barbarians. Does no one else steam things?
Kittens should be roasted after stuffing with sage & thyme. Do not baste them as they tend to be rather greasy. As an option, pierce the meat and squeeze lemon juice over it as this assists with the breakdown of excess fats (rather like doing kleftiko)
I draw the red line at Sweeney Todd's (and Auchentennach) fine pies.
There is nothing "fine" about Messr S Todd's inferior product, whereas without any false modesty one can confidently state that Auchentennach Fine Pies (Est 1745) have an enviable world wide reputation, unmatched in culinary history.
I hear good things about your range of Elfin Pies (made with extra Elfin Safety Officers...)
Thank you.
Local government has some use after all .....
So what I thought was cabbage was actually a finely shredded hi-viz vest?
I draw the red line at Sweeney Todd's (and Auchentennach) fine pies.
There is nothing "fine" about Messr S Todd's inferior product, whereas without any false modesty one can confidently state that Auchentennach Fine Pies (Est 1745) have an enviable world wide reputation, unmatched in culinary history.
I hear good things about your range of Elfin Pies (made with extra Elfin Safety Officers...)
Thank you.
Local government has some use after all .....
So what I thought was cabbage was actually a finely shredded hi-viz vest?
Yet more good positive news on overseas investment. It's almost as if large non-EU companies see Britain as a successful nation in the future.
Good news for South Derbyshire. Although any more staff will make the A50/A38 rouundabout even busier at shift changes, damn them.
An anecdote: in the late 1980s the wife of one of my dad's workmen started an evening course in spoken Japanese, on a whim. Shortly after she finished the course the Burnaston plant was announced by Toyota, and she applied for a job. She was one of the first employees to be employed there (I think they wanted locals for PR purposes), and went from being a receptionist/secretary to management before she retired.
Not bad for a housewife!
Obviously congratulations are (?were) due to the lady, but bearing in mind Liam Fox’ recent remarks about doing away with workers rights, do these large organsations think it worthwhile to come here and pay a small-ish tariff because they will be operating in a worker-unfriendly country.
Do you have a link to Fox's remarks? I missed them. TIA.
It was a quote ex the FT in something else, possibly the Indie. Can’t find at the moment.
Always splendid when a delivery man takes the time to deliver a note saying he was sorry he missed you (presumably because he didn't actually bother knocking on the door).
The notion a Prime Minister (or indeed an entire Cabinet) can be wholly ignorant of a Chancellor's Budget statement before he or she stands up in the Commons is absurd.
The Budget would require the political sign off of the Cabinet - the economics would be left to the Chancellor - that's their remit.
I'm inclined to the view May thought the NiC issue wouldn't get the traction it did but the way she threw Hammond under the proverbial bus was enlightening. Even more than Cameron, May wants to be liked and doesn't do unpopularity. The thought of people and especially those she sees as prospective Conservative voters (everyone except me and the mad cat lady who lives four doors down the street) not liking her is anathema.
The problem with that is you can't please (or fool) all the people all the time. There are occasions when the unpopular thing is actually the correct thing - being liked or having high poll ratings isn't the same as doing a good job.
Comments
https://twitter.com/JohnRentoul/status/842288468583677952
Un De Sceuax 11-4 Each way with Boylesports.
They are paying 1/4 for 3 places - and its a good price for a quality horse.
Full disclosure, I am on £10 E/W with Skybet paying 1/5 3 places cos I missed Boyle's superior deal. Still think its a good bet though. Eight runner race :>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcRMfRMHcFA&ncid=newsletter-uk
Politics is a strange world sometimes - a man can claim to have "won" an election even though his party lost 20% of its seats. Rutte's VVD, which I see as a recognisable amalgam of Cameroon Liberal-Conservatism and Clegg's Orange Bookism, lost 8 of its 41 seats but Rutte is striding around as though he's won a majority.
The big losers were the PVDA who suffered an LD-style eclipse dropping from 37 to 9. Once again, the curse of being the junior partner in a coalition has struck though unlike in Britain, the senior partner lost as well.
The winners - the Greens, D66 and the CDA so right across the board if you like. D66 are the Dutch LDs though they sit with the VVD in the ALDE and Liberal International. CDA are the Dutch Conservative Party up to a point - they are the old Christian Democrat party of Ruud Lubbers which dominated Dutch Government in the past.
The obvious coalition is VVD, D66 and CDA which would have 71 seats which while not a majority would probably be fine given the fragmentation and disparity of the opposition parties.
There have been close to a million downloads of the Polling Matters podcast (averages 10,000 per episode), so I think it's fair to say it's pretty successful.
CDA aren't "Cameroon Conservatives" - they are more traditional Christian Democrats, quite socially conservative. VVD are the Cameroons combined with the Orange Bookers, pro-EU and both socially and economically liberal. D66 are the Liberal Democrats - they sit with the VVD in ALDE and in the Liberal International while the CDA sits with the EPP grouping in the EU Parliament.
Strange how you don't see the Greens as a party of the "Left" in order to have a dig at the "Left" parties. Many would argue the Greens are of the Left in many respects.
What we've seen in the Netherlands is a re-ordering within the traditional blocs but I join with those pleased to see Wilders failing to progress.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/gin-sipping-hipsters-on-fixies-ride-into-u-k-inflation-metric
I'm surprised that there is enough 'small-batch' supply, or indeed 'Hipsters' to affect the overall consumer prices....
Wasn't there a webseries version of this podcast at some point?
Could have been done without the Guardian's typical negative view of the monarchy intertwined with it though.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39289269
Good news.
Ms Sturgeon must be wondering whether it was wise to nail her saltire quite so firmly to the EU mast.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/tom-peterkin-brexit-casts-a-long-shadow-over-sturgeon-s-indyref2-1-4393072
http://www.thenational.scot/politics/15158821.Lesley_Riddoch__We_must_keep_the_heid_to_convince_the_switherers_and_win_independence/
FWIW I think we've not yet seen peak SNP/SINDY support !
http://edinburgh.stv.tv/articles/1326335-rise-of-craft-gin-culture-as-most-of-uk-gin-is-produced-in-scotland/
Can you believe some Scots want to leave that single market - its biggest gin export market - in favour of, well, its not entirely clear....
Is it safe to presume that they would form the basis of a new coalition? In which case who is most likely to join them?
TBH I don’t recall shops closing either on the day of the death or of the funeral. I’m sure we went to school as usual. I remember there beimng SFA on the radio that I wanted to listen to, though, between the death itself and the funeral.
Sorry, there's only 3 at the moment. Austerity and all that.
What's all this about me being put back into Valerie Singletons shopping basket after a thirteen year absence?
Chinese takeaways not entirely to blame in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire it seems ....
There simply aren't the numbers for much else.
Intriguingly the Animal Rights party gets the VVD-D66 (I assume coalition) - perhaps with CDA support to 75. So that might be a very good thing.
When the time comes, I hope that HMQ passes at Balmoral so that the train will pass through Potters Bar on its way back to London.
So perhaps some potential for favourable treatment for oldies in the gov't !
Maggie's handbag Vs Theresa stiletto?
And this lunch-time we’re going out to lunch at a local pub which makes a feature of the different varieties of gin it has on offer.
Sadly I shall be driving.
An anecdote: in the late 1980s the wife of one of my dad's workmen started an evening course in spoken Japanese, on a whim. Shortly after she finished the course the Burnaston plant was announced by Toyota, and she applied for a job. She was one of the first employees to be employed there (I think they wanted locals for PR purposes), and went from being a receptionist/secretary to management before she retired.
Not bad for a housewife!
Edit: I think TUD may have got in ahead of me with that one.
Labour showed that they have learnt this lesson by choosing Corbyn and McDonnell...
May quite wisely realized this and told Hammond to buck his ideas up... If he'd lost a parliamentary vote on NIC'c that really would have been resignation time.
175C at 30 mins per 454g weight
VVD will lead because of its seat number though whether Rutte finishes up as PM (given he lost 8 seats) is another question. D66 might be wary of "junior partner syndrome" as might the CDA (who have led Dutch Governments in the past) so it'll be interesting what emerges - one option might be a VVD minority with D66 and CDA support.
Of the other parties, CU might well support a VVD Government as might one or two of the minor parties - the Greens attitude will be informative. In effect, the two main Opposition groups are Wilders' party and the Greens.
It read: Make Bookmaking Great Again.
Let us introduce Ben Keith, as joyously idiosyncratically English as the undulating green racecourse over his waistcoated shoulders. He had taken a hell of a beating the day before when one big-time punter successfully heaped £400,000 on Altior to win the Arkle Novices’ Chase at 1/4.
He wants Nigel Farage to be the next Prime Minister, detests stamp duty, is a climate change denier, and venerates Margaret Thatcher as our greatest leader.
‘Please write that in the Daily Mail,’ he implored me."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/racing/article-4318300/Ben-Keith-enjoys-great-result-375-000-punt-Douvan.html
Maybe she thought she'd give him enough rope, etc. Apparently for some reason only known to him he thought he was "unsackable"... Guess he knows differently now.
https://youtu.be/q_rTWxJepO8
Media organisations aren't keen on 'government shambles' stories being shut down....so they're trying to keep it going.
The government's opponents are running with 'disorganisation and lack of backbone augers badly for BREXIT' stories, while supporters, naturally think 'flexibility and willingness to listen' augurs well....
Local government has some use after all .....
The Budget would require the political sign off of the Cabinet - the economics would be left to the Chancellor - that's their remit.
I'm inclined to the view May thought the NiC issue wouldn't get the traction it did but the way she threw Hammond under the proverbial bus was enlightening. Even more than Cameron, May wants to be liked and doesn't do unpopularity. The thought of people and especially those she sees as prospective Conservative voters (everyone except me and the mad cat lady who lives four doors down the street) not liking her is anathema.
The problem with that is you can't please (or fool) all the people all the time. There are occasions when the unpopular thing is actually the correct thing - being liked or having high poll ratings isn't the same as doing a good job.