Though I think they've been taking their 'revenge' for the best part of three decades.....
Their revenge will be to make us win, so not only do we have to put up with some tone-deaf imbecile strutting around the country being introduced as Eurovision champion prior to making a noise slightly less musical than a plate of beans going through a cow's digestive system, but we have to pay to host the blasted thing next time.
Which is pretty ingenious revenge, in all fairness.
Not sure if discussed earlier but surely Corbyn has made an error saying he won't take part in any TV debates without May.
If Corbyn agreed to take part, it would keep pressure on May - ITV has already said it would have a debate - May would at least potentially be under pressure to take part in some way to some degree - especially if BBC also went ahead and held an event.
But Corbyn has now given May a completely free pass - May can say "No" knowing she will face no pressure or embarrassment as Corbyn won't take part in her absence.
And without May or Corbyn, a TV debate is completely out of the question.
So the issue is now dead and the biggest chance of May stumbling is out of the way.
Brezhnev hasn't seen his dear old mum in ages, so has her flown from her village by private jet to his dacha outside Moscow. She's non committal. So a Zil cavalcade escorts her through cleared streets to his palatial office in the Kremlin. She's unmoved. Finally he flies with her to his summer palace on the Black Sea. She doesn't bat an eyelid. In desperation Brezhnev says 'well, mum, what do you think - haven't I done well?'
'It's all very good Leonid. But what happens if the Reds come back?'
First!!!! (using the Corbyn Labour meaning of "first" so actually about 150th)
What's the difference between a Labour pessimist and a Labour optimist?
A Labour pessimist says, 'Things are so terrible right now it can't possibly get any worse.'
The optimist replies, 'it will, it really will.'
(Shamelessly and adoringly ripped off from a similar joke about the Soviet system.)
The one I recall about Soviet workers was "As long as they pretend to pay us, we will pretend to work"
Another one 'The future is certain! It's the past which keeps changing.'
Brezhnev, Stalin and Khrushchev are aboard a train which slowly comes to a stop. The three leaders then debate the best way to make the train move again;
Stalin: We shoot the driver and the fireman, as an example to the others.
Khrushchev: We should increase their pay and improve their conditions, incentives are the only way to help the workers.
Brezhnev: We should pull the curtains and pretend we are moving, no one will notice the difference.
'Massive' tax cut for businesses Business rate to go from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.
Cohn says it was 34 per cent when Ronald Reagan left office and it "hasn't changed much since".
He said: "Other countries have been aggressively cutting to attract businesses.
"We are stuck with a 1988 corporate tax and are one of the least attractive countries in the developed world.
"We are going to cut taxes to make businesses competitive and cut them for low and middle class families."
I wonder how that impacts the Irish.
Probably less than it will impact the Amercian Revenue service when 2/3rd of their business revenue disappears.
What a stunningly great plan for a country with a staggeringly huge deficit. Stop collecting taxes. Duh!
As you head further and further to the left don't forget that the Laffer curve doesn't just apply to nations like Ireland.
There are companies like Apple sitting on mountains of cash that they're not doing anything with because if they send the money home back to America then it will cause a mammoth corporation tax liability. They've been lobbying to get a lower tax rate and then they'll bring the money home.
Better for America to take 15% of Apple's cash than none of it.
Between Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Oracle these five leading tech companies sit on half a trillion US dollars in cash. The US starting to collect tax on it will help their deficit not hurt it.
Or they could continue to sit on their cash pile and pay 0% of it to the US. They do not have to repatriate.
Not only will it not touch the SNP but your split fantasy is not even true and to base it on a report in the thoroughly embarrassing Scotsperson is somewhat inadequate.
I actually listened to the show from a London cab - the West Indian driver was a big Salmond fan.
Salmond patiently explained to a caller that the General Election would not decide independence but that it would back the Scottish Parliament's right to decide on an independence referendum. He went on to say that the election was about many issues not least of whch was that Scotland was the last citadel of opposition to a hard right Tory Government.
None of which Nicola would disagree with in the slightest.
If I were you or the Tory press office I would be more concerned at Channel 4 revelations on the ongoing Tory expenses scandal which is set to break during the campaign.
Not sure if discussed earlier but surely Corbyn has made an error saying he won't take part in any TV debates without May.
If Corbyn agreed to take part, it would keep pressure on May - ITV has already said it would have a debate - May would at least potentially be under pressure to take part in some way to some degree - especially if BBC also went ahead and held an event.
But Corbyn has now given May a completely free pass - May can say "No" knowing she will face no pressure or embarrassment as Corbyn won't take part in her absence.
And without May or Corbyn, a TV debate is completely out of the question.
So the issue is now dead and the biggest chance of May stumbling is out of the way.
I must have missed this one.
What's Corbyn's thinking on this one? He would face some level of challenge from the others in a Mayless debate, but still, he's not terrible as a performer. May, in addition to so far marking a lot of right moves, politically, is turning out pretty lucky too.
2 polls today. 22% and 23% lead. So far so dull. But both had Labour down 4%, albeit from a higher level than they are getting in more recent polls and still at the 26% level.
I find the resilience of the Labour vote almost as astonishing as the size of the Tory vote. Why isn't Labour sliding? Its really strange.
Though I think they've been taking their 'revenge' for the best part of three decades.....
And who won the Eurovision public televote last year - Russia. Being anti the EU didn't stop them winning the Europe wide public vote - although the handpicked juries overrode their vote and gave the win to Ukraine.
Nearly half the nations who compete and vote aren't EU members anyway!
I expect we will finish poorly again because we send weak songs and don't put any effort in - a bit like Cameron and his negotiating tactics on his pre referendum deal!
Firstly much love and sympathy to @Sunil and @murali_s at politically turbulent times we must always remember that there is much more that unites us in this country than divides.
FPT re-Exeter my old stomping ground. Much depends on how well Ben Bradshaw can withstand a Tory surge but I would caution against believing UNS here. Exeter, demographically, has changed a lot. There are much more middle-class lefties from the University and the Met Office moreover Tory Topsham was transferred to East Devon from 2010. Moreover Mr Bradshaw is very highly regarded locally. He is a good constituency MP always willing to stop and talk to his constituents either on the footbridge at St Davids station, along the quay or in his favourite curry house on Fore Street (all from personal or friends anecdotes.) Moreover he also played a key role in keeping the mighty Grecians aka Exeter City FC afloat when it seemed we might disappear. I'm vacillating between voting for Theresa May - who I think has done a good job and UKIP in order to put pressure on her to ensure a proper Brexit. Were I still in Exeter I would probably vote Labour for Ben Bradshaw for the reasons given above - nothing is more important than Brexit - except perhaps Exeter City FC..*
*Unless the election was tight then I would vote him out but since its not..
On another topic - feel sorry for Sarah Hayward missing out on the Hull West Labour PPC. I disagree with her politics but knowing her at Hull Uni (indeed sharing a house with her) she would make an excellent MP and is exactly what Labour need right now.
Exeter will be a very tough nut for the Conservatives. A pity, as it's my university.
That's an odd one. Did the local party move without authorization or something? If they felt on principle that, notwithstanding convention (which has not been universally applied anyway) that the people of Buckinghamshire deserve more of a choice, odd that they've changed tack. A shame, it's one convention I don't think adds much.
'Massive' tax cut for businesses Business rate to go from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.
Cohn says it was 34 per cent when Ronald Reagan left office and it "hasn't changed much since".
He said: "Other countries have been aggressively cutting to attract businesses.
"We are stuck with a 1988 corporate tax and are one of the least attractive countries in the developed world.
"We are going to cut taxes to make businesses competitive and cut them for low and middle class families."
I wonder how that impacts the Irish.
Probably less than it will impact the Amercian Revenue service when 2/3rd of their business revenue disappears.
What a stunningly great plan for a country with a staggeringly huge deficit. Stop collecting taxes. Duh!
As you head further and further to the left don't forget that the Laffer curve doesn't just apply to nations like Ireland.
There are companies like Apple sitting on mountains of cash that they're not doing anything with because if they send the money home back to America then it will cause a mammoth corporation tax liability. They've been lobbying to get a lower tax rate and then they'll bring the money home.
Better for America to take 15% of Apple's cash than none of it.
Between Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Oracle these five leading tech companies sit on half a trillion US dollars in cash. The US starting to collect tax on it will help their deficit not hurt it.
Or they could continue to sit on their cash pile and pay 0% of it to the US. They do not have to repatriate.
You're right they don't have to, but if they can repatriate at a 15% tax rate rather than 35% tax rate then they can either reinvest that 85% they keep or distribute that 85% in dividends.
Oh and you might want to check your maths, even without Laffer curve effects cutting from 35% to 15% would not reduce the tax take by two thirds.
'Massive' tax cut for businesses Business rate to go from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.
Cohn says it was 34 per cent when Ronald Reagan left office and it "hasn't changed much since".
He said: "Other countries have been aggressively cutting to attract businesses.
"We are stuck with a 1988 corporate tax and are one of the least attractive countries in the developed world.
"We are going to cut taxes to make businesses competitive and cut them for low and middle class families."
I wonder how that impacts the Irish.
Probably less than it will impact the Amercian Revenue service when 2/3rd of their business revenue disappears.
What a stunningly great plan for a country with a staggeringly huge deficit. Stop collecting taxes. Duh!
As you head further and further to the left don't forget that the Laffer curve doesn't just apply to nations like Ireland.
There are companies like Apple sitting on mountains of cash that they're not doing anything with because if they send the money home back to America then it will cause a mammoth corporation tax liability. They've been lobbying to get a lower tax rate and then they'll bring the money home.
Better for America to take 15% of Apple's cash than none of it.
Between Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Oracle these five leading tech companies sit on half a trillion US dollars in cash. The US starting to collect tax on it will help their deficit not hurt it.
Or they could continue to sit on their cash pile and pay 0% of it to the US. They do not have to repatriate.
I would be very surprised if Trump had not picked up the phone to some of the biggest players here such as Apple and got assurances that there would be a significant quid pro quo here. After all the US doesn't absolutely have to play nice about this. They could make that money held by subsidiaries abroad taxable. This is a win win deal for Silicon Valley and they will play along to avoid something worse.
Tories 1/2 favourites to take deputy speaker's seat in Chorley. Lab 11/8.
I'm paying attention to the Conservative selection there, I have a friend on the shortlist.
Someone posted a comment somewhere the other day saying that the Tories had apparently been told to go easy on the Deputy Speaker. Don't know if there was any truth to it.
The Tory supporters now can be compared to Trump supporters.
Not true, Tories lead with graduates and Hillary won graduates in the US (Romney won them in 2012). Trump's coalition was closer to that of the Leave vote, though he did win the richest voters unlike Leave his biggest lead was with middle income voters
2 polls today. 22% and 23% lead. So far so dull. But both had Labour down 4%, albeit from a higher level than they are getting in more recent polls and still at the 26% level.
I find the resilience of the Labour vote almost as astonishing as the size of the Tory vote. Why isn't Labour sliding? Its really strange.
Suggests that Labour could be getting down towards its floor. Even in its current pitiful state, Labour appeals to a large residual group of voters, it's ahead of the Tories with the young, and I imagine that it still has a good proportion of the brand loyalty vote onboard (though don't ask me to quantify how much!)
Given that the pollsters have a strong tendency to overcount Labour and undercount the Tories it is, of course, possible that this floor is a little lower than the headline VI figures suggest. But we're not going to know the truth of that until June 9th of course.
Big UKIP vote to squeeze, slightly more leave than the Northeast average (60 vs 58%), 12.3% swing needed
Paddy Power 4-1.
Context: Blyth Valley is Number 124 on the Conservative target list, and the party finished 3rd behind Ukip there in 2015. The difference in vote share between Lab and Con is 24.61%. 22.32% of the vote went to Ukip last time.
I would be very surprised if Trump had not picked up the phone to some of the biggest players here such as Apple and got assurances that there would be a significant quid pro quo here. After all the US doesn't absolutely have to play nice about this. They could make that money held by subsidiaries abroad taxable. This is a win win deal for Silicon Valley and they will play along to avoid something worse.
Indeed I seem to recall Trump suggesting that there might be bloody great import taxes for US companies that manufacture overseas. It's a cut rate corporation tax versus 30%* on an iPhone in the US.
* I think that's what he suggested for cars, so presumably similar levels would apply to consumer electronics.
That's an odd one. Did the local party move without authorization or something? If they felt on principle that, notwithstanding convention (which has not been universally applied anyway) that the people of Buckinghamshire deserve more of a choice, odd that they've changed tack. A shame, it's one convention I don't think adds much.
If the Speaker sticks to convention and acts non-partisanly, then it is a convention that adds a lot.
Otherwise if you make the Speaker fight for his seat then the Speaker will have to become a partisan himself in order to fight his opponents and win his seat.
How is a Speaker supposed to fight opposition parties through an election campaign but not before or after it? The American Speaker is a leader of his party and one of the most partisan figures there is in American politics, is that how we want our politics to be ran?
2 polls today. 22% and 23% lead. So far so dull. But both had Labour down 4%, albeit from a higher level than they are getting in more recent polls and still at the 26% level.
I find the resilience of the Labour vote almost as astonishing as the size of the Tory vote. Why isn't Labour sliding? Its really strange.
Suggests that Labour could be getting down towards its floor. Even in its current pitiful state, Labour appeals to a large residual group of voters, it's ahead of the Tories with the young, and I imagine that it still has a good proportion of the brand loyalty vote onboard (though don't ask me to quantify how much!)
Given that the pollsters have a strong tendency to overcount Labour and undercount the Tories it is, of course, possible that this floor is a little lower than the headline VI figures suggest. But we're not going to know the truth of that until June 9th of course.
I am sure that the 26% who claim to have been affected by the cuts and the current level of Labour polling have a reasonable correlation. But so far their campaign has fully lived up to expectations. The stability of their support is a surprise (at least to me).
Tories 1/2 favourites to take deputy speaker's seat in Chorley. Lab 11/8.
Context: Chorley is Number 44 on the Conservative target list, with a Labour majority of 8.76%. 13.53% of the vote was taken by Ukip at the last GE.
Gone.
A distinct possibility. Obviously depends on product of the swings in the seat. If Ukip to Con defections are as large as the polls are currently suggesting, and the movement of voters away from Lab to Con & LD is in line with the national figures, then Chorley should fall without any difficulty. Guess it depends on whether or not local circumstances help to rescue the incumbent.
Oh and you might want to check your maths, even without Laffer curve effects cutting from 35% to 15% would not reduce the tax take by two thirds.
I was being sloppy rather than working the correct amount to 4 decimal places. I suppose I should have that it is being reduced to 42.8571% of the current level and therefore a reduction of 57.1529%
'Massive' tax cut for businesses Business rate to go from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.
Cohn says it was 34 per cent when Ronald Reagan left office and it "hasn't changed much since".
He said: "Other countries have been aggressively cutting to attract businesses.
"We are stuck with a 1988 corporate tax and are one of the least attractive countries in the developed world.
"We are going to cut taxes to make businesses competitive and cut them for low and middle class families."
I wonder how that impacts the Irish.
Probably less than it will impact the Amercian Revenue service when 2/3rd of their business revenue disappears.
What a stunningly great plan for a country with a staggeringly huge deficit. Stop collecting taxes. Duh!
As you head further and further to the left don't forget that the Laffer curve doesn't just apply to nations like Ireland.
There are companies like Apple sitting on mountains of cash that they're not doing anything with because if they send the money home back to America then it will cause a mammoth corporation tax liability. They've been lobbying to get a lower tax rate and then they'll bring the money home.
Better for America to take 15% of Apple's cash than none of it.
Between Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Oracle these five leading tech companies sit on half a trillion US dollars in cash. The US starting to collect tax on it will help their deficit not hurt it.
Or they could continue to sit on their cash pile and pay 0% of it to the US. They do not have to repatriate.
I would be very surprised if Trump had not picked up the phone to some of the biggest players here such as Apple and got assurances that there would be a significant quid pro quo here. After all the US doesn't absolutely have to play nice about this. They could make that money held by subsidiaries abroad taxable. This is a win win deal for Silicon Valley and they will play along to avoid something worse.
Also, I don't get why American Conservatives think like THIS: hts://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/856988410191523841
Evangelical conservatism more than here?
Yes, but a lot of people have personal religious beliefs that they don't necessarily believe should be imposed on others. It's like some (quite frankly too many) American Conservatives running around and being actively hostile towards homosexuality, because of religious beliefs. The odd thing is that birth control could help prevent unplanned pregnancy, and thus reduce abortions.
I despair every time I see a qualified and skilled tradesman pulling a grand a week described as 'working class' while a drone who pushes a pen or answers a telephone in an office all day long for what barely scrapes minimum wage is described as 'middle class'.
It really does need to sink in that some people aspire to vocational and technical qualifications which earn them handsome livings, while packing everyone off to university for a life in an office increasingly downgrades many graduates to working class.
Some people need to modernise their thinking.
Class these days is as much about who owns what and who earns what, rather than who works with their hands and where and when people left education.
Nail on head I am a Surveyor in a small town practise. Suited and booted-therefore i am "middle class" or even a "toff" is some eyes
My wife is a band 6 nurse (practise nurse)
She earns 20% more than i do-if you take into account pension etc about 30% more
Tories 1/2 favourites to take deputy speaker's seat in Chorley. Lab 11/8.
Context: Chorley is Number 44 on the Conservative target list, with a Labour majority of 8.76%. 13.53% of the vote was taken by Ukip at the last GE.
Gone.
A distinct possibility. Obviously depends on product of the swings in the seat. If Ukip to Con defections are as large as the polls are currently suggesting, and the movement of voters away from Lab to Con & LD is in line with the national figures, then Chorley should fall without any difficulty. Guess it depends on whether or not local circumstances help to rescue the incumbent.
He would have been a good Speaker but he needed the incumbent to move on before the election and there is no sign of that.
I would be very surprised if Trump had not picked up the phone to some of the biggest players here such as Apple and got assurances that there would be a significant quid pro quo here. After all the US doesn't absolutely have to play nice about this. They could make that money held by subsidiaries abroad taxable. This is a win win deal for Silicon Valley and they will play along to avoid something worse.
Your reasoning is fair enough, but given the success rate of Trump's "Cunning Plans" to date....
Oh and you might want to check your maths, even without Laffer curve effects cutting from 35% to 15% would not reduce the tax take by two thirds.
I was being sloppy rather than working the correct amount to 4 decimal places. I suppose I should have that it is being reduced to 42.8571% of the current level and therefore a reduction of 57.1529%
(Rolls eyes)
Two thirds is a 67% reduction not a 57% reduction. You're not correct to zero decimal places. You're not even accurate to one significant figure.
And that is before we take into account the fact that changing tax rates changes behaviour.
Blaenau Gwent - Con 25/1. A bit of a longshot but 2 factors why I think this is worth a punt
1) - It had the heaviest vote to leave in Wales (62%) 2) - In 2005 Lab lost 40% points as an independent took the seat due to the imposition of an all women shortlist. This suggests it may not be as tribally Lab as it looks.
Pontypridd - Con 6/1 - This seat was about 50/50 in the referendum. Owen Smith voted against triggering article 50 which could anger the leave voters.
That's an odd one. Did the local party move without authorization or something? If they felt on principle that, notwithstanding convention (which has not been universally applied anyway) that the people of Buckinghamshire deserve more of a choice, odd that they've changed tack. A shame, it's one convention I don't think adds much.
If the Speaker sticks to convention and acts non-partisanly, then it is a convention that adds a lot.
Otherwise if you make the Speaker fight for his seat then the Speaker will have to become a partisan himself in order to fight his opponents and win his seat.
How is a Speaker supposed to fight opposition parties through an election campaign but not before or after it? The American Speaker is a leader of his party and one of the most partisan figures there is in American politics, is that how we want our politics to be ran?
It feels like it limits part of the role of an MP that someone may have wanted from them, and means they have no way of expressing their preferential politics, can that be balanced against the benefits of a non-partisan Speaker. The first comment on LDV about it suggests 'He/she should be chosen at the end of a Parliament to serve in the next Parliament without a geographical constituency', which is intriguing if not without issue, but I think more thought needs to go into it. For one thing 'little' parties still stand, so they still have to fight a campaign, just not as hard as they would have had to otherwise.(The SNP stood against Martin and are now a big party in the area)
More to the point, even big parties have stood against Speakers before, so despite your scenario apparently they have managed it before, therefore we know it can be done again. (Labour and the Liberals stood against Selwyn Lloyd in 74, twice, and against Hylton-Foster in 64)
The Tory supporters now can be compared to Trump supporters.
Not true, Tories lead with graduates and Hillary won graduates in the US (Romney won them in 2012). Trump's coalition was closer to that of the Leave vote, though he did win the richest voters unlike Leave his biggest lead was with middle income voters
Did the USA have a dramatic expansion of university attendance in a similar way to our own?
Has anything bad happened to her? I apologise unreservedly if it has.
I think she's master of an Oxbridge college now. I could be wrong.
I thought she worked for JPMorgan.
Works for JP Morgan and a visiting Fellow at Nuffield Oxford
Anyway a lady with completely awful judgement in (now ex) boyfriends.
Both rose to high office in the land and were major figures on the political scene, who have accomplished and formidable partners - I'm not much a fan of either (though like many I've warmed to both since they lost), but clearly they have something going on about them.
On that subject, remember that splash page 'scoop' about Ed M's past love life? It was bizarre - 'remember that guy who's been portrayed as really geeky and weird? Here are the intelligent, accomplished and attractive women who dated him'
It'd be interesting if the Tories had been somewhere even remotely close in the last 20 years (they last won it in 1992). at the last election the libdems got 1525 votes. If it is to stop the tories winning the seat it feels like a pointless effort. The tories would need to pick up a lot of (ie most) the labour votes for it to even be close. Caroline Lucas must be popular there...
The Vote Leave argument was never that the EU was not worth the US making a deal with. It was that the EU was incapable of reaching a comprehensive agreement with the US due to the interests of French farmers etc and the need to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
I don't see anything in the link to suggest that was wrong. It doesn't matter whether we're first, second or third in the queue, if we are only capable of actually getting through the gates by ourselves then that is irrelevant.
So the Vote Leave argument is that the EU is incapable of concluding comprehensive trade agreements? A bizarre position since the feasibility of Brexit relies on it being totally wrong.
The EU has been capable of concluding comprehensive agreements with its European neighbours but has struggled with major agreements from other continents yes. Thus we can leave and seek a neighbours agreement, while capable of then seeking our own agreements for those further afield.
Presumably because as a strong, centralised state, we can tell "farmers in Wales" to get stuffed?
That much is obvious. A free trade deal with Oz, NZ or Canada is going to mean cheap imported food. Good for consumers, less good for our farmers and landscape.
Managing the landscape will be a vital source of incomes going forward for framers-every farmer i know says that CAP has hopelessly failed all but the Barely barons and their ilk. That said they have no great confidence in the NFU or the politicians to get it right going forwards.
It'd be interesting if the Tories had been somewhere even remotely close in the last 20 years (they last won it in 1992). at the last election the libdems got 1525 votes. If it is to stop the tories winning the seat it feels like a pointless effort. The tories would need to pick up a lot of (ie most) the labour votes for it to even be close. Caroline Lucas must be popular there...
Has anything bad happened to her? I apologise unreservedly if it has.
I think she's master of an Oxbridge college now. I could be wrong.
I thought she worked for JPMorgan.
Works for JP Morgan and a visiting Fellow at Nuffield Oxford
Anyway a lady with completely awful judgement in (now ex) boyfriends.
Both rose to high office in the land and were major figures on the political scene, who have accomplished and formidable partners - I'm not much a fan of either (though like many I've warmed to both since they lost), but clearly they have something going on about them.
Ok, yes they do. This has proved to be an unwise comment. First of all I feared she'd died (thanks squareroot), then I had to admit that I actually thought she was ok, and now you've forced me to admit that the Eds aren't actually all bad. Is there a category for totally backfiring post of the year?
Comments
Which is pretty ingenious revenge, in all fairness.
Good night to all.
If Corbyn agreed to take part, it would keep pressure on May - ITV has already said it would have a debate - May would at least potentially be under pressure to take part in some way to some degree - especially if BBC also went ahead and held an event.
But Corbyn has now given May a completely free pass - May can say "No" knowing she will face no pressure or embarrassment as Corbyn won't take part in her absence.
And without May or Corbyn, a TV debate is completely out of the question.
So the issue is now dead and the biggest chance of May stumbling is out of the way.
Stalin: We shoot the driver and the fireman, as an example to the others.
Khrushchev: We should increase their pay and improve their conditions, incentives are the only way to help the workers.
Brezhnev: We should pull the curtains and pretend we are moving, no one will notice the difference.
As for the wider issue - hardly surprising those who have done well out of globalisation and the EU think Brexit is a bad idea and vice versa.
Not only will it not touch the SNP but your split fantasy is not even true and to base it on a report in the thoroughly embarrassing Scotsperson is somewhat inadequate.
I actually listened to the show from a London cab - the West Indian driver was a big Salmond fan.
Salmond patiently explained to a caller that the General Election would not decide independence but that it would back the Scottish Parliament's right to decide on an independence referendum. He went on to say that the election was about many issues not least of whch was that Scotland was the last citadel of opposition to a hard right Tory Government.
None of which Nicola would disagree with in the slightest.
If I were you or the Tory press office I would be more concerned at Channel 4 revelations on the ongoing Tory expenses scandal which is set to break during the campaign.
What's Corbyn's thinking on this one? He would face some level of challenge from the others in a Mayless debate, but still, he's not terrible as a performer. May, in addition to so far marking a lot of right moves, politically, is turning out pretty lucky too.
I find the resilience of the Labour vote almost as astonishing as the size of the Tory vote. Why isn't Labour sliding? Its really strange.
Nearly half the nations who compete and vote aren't EU members anyway!
I expect we will finish poorly again because we send weak songs and don't put any effort in - a bit like Cameron and his negotiating tactics on his pre referendum deal!
http://www.libdemvoice.org/lib-dems-wont-stand-against-speaker-54073.html
That's an odd one. Did the local party move without authorization or something? If they felt on principle that, notwithstanding convention (which has not been universally applied anyway) that the people of Buckinghamshire deserve more of a choice, odd that they've changed tack. A shame, it's one convention I don't think adds much.
Oh and you might want to check your maths, even without Laffer curve effects cutting from 35% to 15% would not reduce the tax take by two thirds.
https://twitter.com/philwebster17/status/857291663135453184
Big UKIP vote to squeeze, slightly more leave than the Northeast average (60 vs 58%), 12.3% swing needed
Paddy Power 4-1.
Will The Nat Onal and STV do?
Edit: grr this doesn't work, sorry
https://twitter.com/bbcquestiontime/status/857170755544653827
Given that the pollsters have a strong tendency to overcount Labour and undercount the Tories it is, of course, possible that this floor is a little lower than the headline VI figures suggest. But we're not going to know the truth of that until June 9th of course.
We all know he is on manoeuvres. When Nicola crashes and burns, the SNP will need a new
oldsaviourhttps://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/856988410191523841
PMQs verdict: Corbyn channels the spirit of Miliband to disrupt the robotic PM
I am intrigued to discover what the 'spirit of Miliband' is, and what happened to poor Ed that he has lost it!
* I think that's what he suggested for cars, so presumably similar levels would apply to consumer electronics.
Otherwise if you make the Speaker fight for his seat then the Speaker will have to become a partisan himself in order to fight his opponents and win his seat.
How is a Speaker supposed to fight opposition parties through an election campaign but not before or after it? The American Speaker is a leader of his party and one of the most partisan figures there is in American politics, is that how we want our politics to be ran?
(Rolls eyes)
I am a Surveyor in a small town practise. Suited and booted-therefore i am "middle class" or even a "toff" is some eyes
My wife is a band 6 nurse (practise nurse)
She earns 20% more than i do-if you take into account pension etc about 30% more
No one things she is a toff -funny old world.
Hmm will it work?
And that is before we take into account the fact that changing tax rates changes behaviour.
(Rolls eyes)
Esther for Tatton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRt3AENQtBU
Blaenau Gwent - Con 25/1. A bit of a longshot but 2 factors why I think this is worth a punt
1) - It had the heaviest vote to leave in Wales (62%)
2) - In 2005 Lab lost 40% points as an independent took the seat due to the imposition of an all women shortlist. This suggests it may not be as tribally Lab as it looks.
Pontypridd - Con 6/1 - This seat was about 50/50 in the referendum. Owen Smith voted against triggering article 50 which could anger the leave voters.
More to the point, even big parties have stood against Speakers before, so despite your scenario apparently they have managed it before, therefore we know it can be done again. (Labour and the Liberals stood against Selwyn Lloyd in 74, twice, and against Hylton-Foster in 64)
https://twitter.com/NeilFindlay_MSP/status/857235207908470785
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/413804/update-forfar-lockdown-was-due-to-politically-motivated-anthrax-threat-articleisfree/
Would any Tory actually write Tory?
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN17S1PD
On that subject, remember that splash page 'scoop' about Ed M's past love life? It was bizarre - 'remember that guy who's been portrayed as really geeky and weird? Here are the intelligent, accomplished and attractive women who dated him'
decontent the UK economy and call it progress
That said they have no great confidence in the NFU or the politicians to get it right going forwards.
More likely 'Ruth's Party'
'conservative and UNIONIST' at a push.
But not 'Tory'......
Shame about the County Hotel......
The swing was just over 3%, almost bang in line with the UNS.
It WOULD be a big shock this time.