William Hill have a market up on whether John Bercow will be Speaker until 2018. Ordinarily I’m not in favour of backing 1/6 shots, but given that the much hyped attempt by Tory MP James Dudderidge to topple Speaker Bercow turned out to be a Spursy* as only five MPs sign motion of no confidence in John Bercow.
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Unlikw Bercow's enemies, Spurs left it too late.
Unfortunately, I can now imagine managers walking into their changing room and saying "lads, it's Arsenal."
Speaking of value, my post-race ramble is up here. It has two exciting graphs, and many words:
http://enormo-haddock.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/bahrain-post-race-analysis-2017.html
Was it? After the safety car they all spread out and the result never looked in doubt. If you want excitement from start to finish I highly recommend watching the Indianapolis 500.
I certainly wasn't relaxed about my bet, and there were many incidents from start to finish.
The good/bad thing with Indy 500 is that it's all about being in the right place at the right time. It's all about staying out of trouble and hoping you pit just before a caution which can make it a bit of a lottery. But the last 30 laps are usually box office.
https://www.ncpolitics.uk/2017/04/is-the-conservative-lead-21-points-or-9-points.html/
Thanks. Wasn't quite as tense as Spain 2016, but still a bit.
Fortnight until Russia, alas. Whilst not the best circuit, might still be scope for a nice race and some good betting.
When the robots have taken over, at least the first issue won't be a problem as they don't take holidays...
https://www.ft.com/content/25c1e244-2291-11e7-a34a-538b4cb30025
FT: The EU needs to avoid a multi-speed Europe
https://www.ft.com/content/e0051162-1ee0-11e7-b7d3-163f5a7f229c
Anyway, I must be off.
e.g.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/easter-getaway-busy-roads-and-mild-weather-forecast
Traffic experts predicted a quieter Easter than last year, but roads were still expected to be considerably busier than usual. Traffic is likely to peak on Thursday night and after lunchtime on Monday.
At least in this country when we have a referendum the result is clear cut, no one argues about, or moans, or tries to go to Court to get it overturned, or asks for it to be re-run, or says that it was won on the back of lies, or anything like that.
I didn't get the chance to comment on the last thread as I was enjoying Easter Day with the clan Stodge (excellent lunch by the way).
Defining political identity solely on the basis of how one voted on 23/6/16 is foolish in extremis. There are LEAVE and REMAIN supporters in the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties.
The ability of each party to hold these seemingly divergent positions together is perhaps more reflective of the notion it's not the defining issue some think.
To assume therefore the only source of potential support for the LDs is among REMAIN voters is also folly. It is tradition the first port of call for the disaffected Conservative isn't Labour but the Liberal Democrats. Though A50 dominates the political conversation, the day-to-day world of governance goes on and the truth is it's not the big things but a cumulation of the little things which drag down Governments.
The huge advantage the incumbent Government has is the incumbent Opposition but that's a double edge sword in some ways. The total lack of a credible alternative (or danger) makes protesting easier as there is no consequence so the possibility of disaffected Conservatives voting LD in local contests is stronger even though most (if not all) will return to the blue camp for the GE.
The real electoral danger for a Government comes when its supporters move directly to the Opposition - that won't happen while Corbyn is in charge obviously. That doesn't close down avenues of protest by any means but provides the LDs with a chance to pick up both disaffected Conservative and Labour supporters.
The paradox for the Party, as in the 1980s, is that electoral strength in local contests between elections is a chimera when it comes to the GE. Losing the Conservative Council to NOC or LD control is one thing but for many electors, the only vote that matters is the GE and the Conservatives remain in a dominant position for now.
The private prosecution seeks the trial of former prime minister Tony Blair, the foreign secretary Jack Straw, and Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general at the time.
However the current attorney general claims the case - based on the damning findings of last year's Chilcot report - is 'hopeless' because it seeks their conviction for the crime of 'aggression' - a crime which does not exist in British law.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4416852/Attorney-General-court-block-Tony-Blair-prosecution.html
Spent the day at Monkey World in Dorset
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39612562
Dictatorship...
Eerily familiar looking figures.
(Leavers = Losers)
REMAIN 48.1%
LEAVE 52%
REMAIN 48%
when the military hanged the Prime Minister
and, one of the AK Party's predecessor was banned.
But the 52 / 48 divide has been with Turkey for decades. The European west and the south against the rest of Turkey. Kurds vote against for different reasons.
None of that bodes well for free and fair elections should it look like his power is slipping away over the course of the next 10+ years.
Good evening, everyone.
Edited for spelling.
Proponents of the reform argue that it would end the current 'two-headed system' in which both the president and parliament are directly elected, a situation they argue could lead to deadlock
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Erdogans_Turkey
The Turkish Military Generals are still western , secular minded. Except, they cannot now decide who will be President or Prime Minister as they used to.
The Turkish Military are still Ataturk's children.
Latest figures show the number of unsuccessful refugees booted out of the country has plunged by two-thirds since 2010, when the Tories came to power.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4416972/Row-number-failed-asylum-seekers-removed.html
Mrs May...tough on illegal immigration, tough on the causes of illegal immigration....
THe most incompetent Home Secretary in recent times.
Epic sad face
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2017/04/16/aaron-finch-dropped-ipl-match-losing-kit/
They should have made him play in his pants.
Asylum seeker numbers have dropped from over 80k a year back in 2002 to about a third of that now.
So the need for removals will fall, surely?
https://twitter.com/MattSingh_/status/853722174921871361
Oh no wait, is that a new new poll?
ToriesLefty Luvvies on their ski holidays...Now that Labour are exclusively a party for well off Londoners I think we can safely assume they're all abroad on their aetheist easter hols.
Those not abroad were probably all too busy on their non-religious egg hunts to answer the phone or emails.