"The more Jeremy...hold rallies, the more people will warm to him". Oh, good, 31 days of Sheffields.
Is it normal for leaders to hold rallies during election campaigns? I can't remember any except Sheffield (which went well) think Corbyn did it 2 days running last week and the sight of him preaching to a sea of Labour banners shows how feeble the attack line on May that she avoids the public is. To Jezza, politics is rallies; that is why he missed his chance to bugger things up over the FTPA - parliamentary shenanigans are of no interest, and campaigning is what he lives for.
"Is it normal for leaders to hold rallies during election campaigns?" It was for Trump.
Yes, and for Hillary and that's how they do things there. But in the UK?
I see you're opening Cannes this year. That's an elegant way to avoid the election.
Going after Farron? Leave the poor man alone, his party have enough problems holding onto their current seats and getting above 10 without taking out their leader. Stop being so greedy TMay - finish your meal of labour first, then you can have dessert.
Watson isn't a Blairite. Nor is Miliband or indeed Cooper. But I suppose in the strange parallel universe inhabited by the Jezaster's followers Brownites and Blairites were the equivalent of two follically challenged men squabbling over a comb.
As an aside, how bloody awful are things getting when putting a rude, lazy, stupid, dishonest bully like Watson on the airwaves could conceivably improve them?
Cooper is not a big hitter. She is a failed ex minister for HIPS (a disaster) who gets a bit shouty from time to time.
If she is to be described as a "big hitter", then Labour really are in deep shit.
Cooper or anyone else only has to be a match for the opposition. When you look at the deep mediocrity - at best - of the current cabinet it's clear that Labour would have no problem on that front if there was a full team to choose from.
So what is going wrong that both Labour and the Conservatives fail to attract the best and brightest into politics at that level? Were they really so much better in the days of our youth, or are we (and I do agree with you on this) wearing rose tinted spectacles for the past?
Politics is too managed and too adversarial. It's also full-time way before you get to be an MP and there are an awful lot of folk to brown-nose along the way. Once elected, your chances of making much difference to anything are close to zero. That's not a great package to put in front of people.
And the pay is pathetic compared to what really bright people can earn (says the teacher!) and the job security is non-existent. Plus you have to live in two different places, which may be 800 miles apart.
Lol, unlike how there have been four answers to the question and they are all broadly the same (poorly paid, too much arse kissing). I'm not sure if that's funny or lamentable.
My mother grew up in a political family. The media intrusion then was bad, in my uncle's day it was worse; today it is untenable. I wouldn't put my wife and daughter through that.
News from the election hot spot of East Ham where Stephen Timms and a group of Labour Councillors and activists had a table near Sainsburys and were attracting a decent sized crowd.
Timms is a very tall man and stands out in the crowd but it was certainly a busy and bustling occasion. Further up the High Street (outside Primark, no symbolism) you had the Socialist Workers' Party table which was rather less busy. The SWP line seems to be vote for Corbyn but not Labour with which I'm still struggling.
The triumphalism of the Conservatives on here seems to know no bounds this morning - perhaps they dream of achieving what even Thatcher and WSC couldn't and wipe the Liberals out of Parliament completely. Could that happen ? Even if it did, the Party wouldn't die.
Nor do I believe we are entering a prolonged period of Conservative rule. The May tent will get so big and then collapse in on itself via its own contradictions and events. It is impossible to conjure a Brexit agreement which will please everyone and as even Thatcher found out in time, people will get tired of listening to and watching the same old faces and the Opposition parties will inevitably regain credibility and cohesion.
Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times reckons after a straw poll that the Conservatives will hoover up ex-UKIP votes in the south, where they don't need them, but only 20% of them in the north, where they do. Reckons Mrs May will end up no better than she is now.
I can see the piling up votes in safe seats thing being part of what is happening, which might argue against a massive landslide, but there seemsvtoo much going on in places they havevstruggled in the past for that to solely be it.
Watson isn't a Blairite. Nor is Miliband or indeed Cooper. But I suppose in the strange parallel universe inhabited by the Jezaster's followers Brownites and Blairites were the equivalent of two follically challenged men squabbling over a comb.
As an aside, how bloody awful are things getting when putting a rude, lazy, stupid, dishonest bully like Watson on the airwaves could conceivably improve them?
Cooper is not a big hitter. She is a failed ex minister for HIPS (a disaster) who gets a bit shouty from time to time.
If she is to be described as a "big hitter", then Labour really are in deep shit.
Cooper or anyone else only has to be a match for the opposition. When you look at the deep mediocrity - at best - of the current cabinet it's clear that Labour would have no problem on that front if there was a full team to choose from.
So what is going wrong that both Labour and the Conservatives fail to attract the best and brightest into politics at that level? Were they really so much better in the days of our youth, or are we (and I do agree with you on this) wearing rose tinted spectacles for the past?
Politics is too managed and too adversarial. It's also full-time way before you get to be an MP and there are an awful lot of folk to brown-nose along the way. Once elected, your chances of making much difference to anything are close to zero. That's not a great package to put in front of people.
Be better to try to make it as leader of a unitary authority or something, they have mire sway than most MPs and it's easier than becoming a minister. It's also slightly less adversarial than national politics, though not free of it.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Whoever was leading Labour would be facing an annihilation, because the Party has no coherent position on the main issue, Brexit. Labour have been caught up in a firestorm.
Yvette would have been as unequal to the task as Jeremy. In fact, I suspect Yvette might be worse as she has a very clear-cut position on freedom of movement and the EU, whereas Corbyn's is more ambiguous.
The only advice to give to those facing electoral annihilation is ... remember McGovern.
Nixon annihilated McGovern in the most devastating 49-1 defeat. A year later, it all looked very different. And Nixon was dragged from office.
The name of Nixon still gives off a malodorous smell, but McGovern is now thought of as a principled politician.
If it were only Brexit, time would cure. But it isn't, is it?
On almost every issue, the chasm in views amongst Labour's core base is reflected in a divided party that can't make its mind up on anything. On the economy they range from ignore-the-market socialism through to austerity-lite. They are divided on immigration, Trident, you name it...even on peripheral issues such as whether Heathrow needs a new runway or whether we need a new voting system, whether to nationalise the railways, the party just cannot make up its mind. Whenever Labour is asked a question, its press office takes an age to respond - because they have to craft an on-the-fence nuanced response that doesn't upset anyone inside the party, but satisfies no-one outside it.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
It's in the Express, so handle with extreme care ... but the recent Unite elections saw the far left lose a large number of executive seats to moderates, so Champagne Len may have his hands tied a lot more than he has up to now:
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
And yet we heard a couple of days ago that only 15% of the public had heard the slogan about "Strong and Stable Leadership" so it seems you really do have to say it several times a minute through every interview for weeks before your message cuts through, even if it is ball aching for us political geeks.
I cannot help but point in the direction of Jon Ashworth, who I first didn't like*. He has some proper organising skills, and has recently become a lot more comfortable in his media appearances. He has a reasonable backstory, and is fairly Brownite, yet willing to serve in the shadow cabinet. He will get a lot of Union support too.
* While backing him at long odds (still good on BF) helps, he has particularly campaigned on a few issues concerning alcoholism and addiction. He has grown on me, and he is a fresh face rather than a New Labour retread.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
Thinking the IRA to be evil, murdering scum is not jingoistic. A friend of mine lost his son when the IRA blew up the barracks in Deal in the 80s. Corbyn and his sycophants have a romantic notion of Republicans fighting for a united Ireland, Adams, McGuinness etc are filth who will justify anything to achieve their ai
Yes but the plain fact is that the peace process was built on the fiction that both sides won, so Gerry Adams can talk about the IRA having fought the British Army to a standstill. Do we want to rake all that up again?
And for what? Away from Northern Ireland itself, how many votes will be shifted? Was anyone on pb going to vote for Corbyn until they discovered his position on Ireland? Really? Corbyn's position, whatever it may really have been, is easily fudged as being a precursor to talks with the IRA.
Lynton Crosby has a tin ear for this sort of thing. It won' t work on the mainland, and is dangerous in the province.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
I accept we are seeing Theresa May popularity hitting highs and it much reminds me of Tony Blair in 1997 - that lasted a long time but of course nothing goes on forever.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
Replace her with John Doe and become the John Doe party. It's called politics.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Now you know how Conservattives felt in 1997 when The Cult Of Tony was in the ascendancy!
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
I would have thought .... ironically enough ... that Jeremy Corbyn can easily point to Ed Miliband's disastrous decision to resign on election night as a reason not to go !
The cult of May is starting to get on my nerves, but much less so than the meme's about how the Tories want to kill the disabled etc and Corbyn is the only one that can stop them. They are everywhere now, it is the principle method of attack and it is weak as heck.
Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times reckons after a straw poll that the Conservatives will hoover up ex-UKIP votes in the south, where they don't need them, but only 20% of them in the north, where they do. Reckons Mrs May will end up no better than she is now.
I can see the piling up votes in safe seats thing being part of what is happening, which might argue against a massive landslide, but there seemsvtoo much going on in places they havevstruggled in the past for that to solely be it.
Liddle's analysis is superficial and wasn't borne out by events last Thursday.
In LEAVE areas, the UKIP vote went straight to the Conservatives but that wasn't solely what did the damage for the Opposition parties - there was a swing away either from pro-REMAIN parties. This was either down to increased turnout or where the pro-REMAIN elements have lost support.
In REMAIN areas - the reality was different. The UKIP vote stayed at home or even returned to non-Conservative parties. Many REMAIN areas were already strongly Conservative but saw the Conservative vote only hold at 2013 levels or even fall back.
We now operate with two fundamentally different political societies at work and this has worked to the Conservatives' advantage for now since most REMAIN areas were already Conservative. The big chance has been the Conservative advance, bolstered by the UKIP collapse, into LEAVE areas where their strength was previously less and were strongly challenged by Labour or the LDs.
It won't be a landslide as much as a LEAVESLIDE (copyright, Stodge, 7/5/17 - you saw it here first).
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
Well, yes, but if people are trying to argue that the Tories shouldn't use their biggest asset to the full extent, that's just not conceivable. It is clear that, at the moment, she is a big positive for the Tories with voters and of course they're going to play on that. I know there's a strand of opinion that suggests she's rubbish and she'll get found out, but that ignores the fact that a lot of people view her favourably at the moment.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Not really the most rib-tickling gag of all time, though, is it? It's not like the thing is actually a stable.
Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times reckons after a straw poll that the Conservatives will hoover up ex-UKIP votes in the south, where they don't need them, but only 20% of them in the north, where they do. Reckons Mrs May will end up no better than she is now.
I can see the piling up votes in safe seats thing being part of what is happening, which might argue against a massive landslide, but there seemsvtoo much going on in places they havevstruggled in the past for that to solely be it.
And has the polling to date not indicated the exact opposite, namely that the Tories are doing much better in Labour held seats than they are in their own?
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
The problem is more likely to be, like Cameron, that everyone else realises she's no longer a big popularity plus but she is still stuck believing the party needs her to win votes.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
I accept we are seeing Theresa May popularity hitting highs and it much reminds me of Tony Blair in 1997 - that lasted a long time but of course nothing goes on forever.
I shouldn't have asked the question because I know the answer - when May becomes as popular as a lump of cold sick, the MPs will overthrow her just as they did Margaret Thatcher.
Once you've committed regicide, it becomes so much easier the second time.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
I would have thought .... ironically enough ... that Jeremy Corbyn can easily point to Ed Miliband's disastrous decision to resign on election night as a reason not to go !
Certainly it would be good to see a period of debate, analysis and introspection, before being pitched straight into the personality contest. Even if he goes he would be sensible to sit out the summer.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Not really the most rib-tickling gag of all time, though, is it? It's not like the thing is actually a stable.
At £25,000 it's probably not your average shed either.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
I accept we are seeing Theresa May popularity hitting highs and it much reminds me of Tony Blair in 1997 - that lasted a long time but of course nothing goes on forever.
Might help if she doesn't gratuitously invade some middle eastern country that is no threat to us...
As was said about Tsar Nicholas II, he’s not fit to run a village post office – just imagine Diane Abbott doing the figures.
I think that is very unfair.
Nicholas may have been a dreadful Tsar who was as Witte said unfit to run a post office, but he was a good husband and devoted father.
You can't even say that about Jeremy Corbyn.
How do you know ? There is no need for personal comments like that. You do not like him politically, fair enough. He has not personally harmed you as far as we are aware.
That's not personal, just a statement of fact. I realise that speaking the truth about Corbyn will not make me popular with Labour diehards such as yourself.
I am not sure about his third son, but It does seem that he is a reasonably good father.
My understanding was that that.
Jezzas relationship with the boys seems genuinely good. I think most divorces have a period of frostiness if not actual hostility immediately post break up, but many seem to become more civil with time. Brexit will be the same.
I don't particularly object to Jezzas politics, and I rather like his slightly other worldy hobbies of his allorment, jam making and manhole cover photography.
What I do object to is his ineffectual leadership, particularly over Brexit, and his tolerance of some very nasty acolytes, particularly Trots and Islamists. I am not bothered by the IRA, that is now history.
I object to some of his politics, but mostly it's his inflexibility and incompetence I have issue with. And while he personally seems a pleasant and agreeable man who it'd be very easy to get along with, some of his politics are anything but, and additionally he has shown himself to be petty, spinning and a petulant whinger at times as leader too (the last lot are not major concerns, many politicians are, but it does the lie that because he seems soft spoken and pleasant that he is entirely different to other leaders).
He should have stayed on the backbenches where his less pleasant politics rarely detract from his pleasant, affable demeanour.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
And yet we heard a couple of days ago that only 15% of the public had heard the slogan about "Strong and Stable Leadership" so it seems you really do have to say it several times a minute through every interview for weeks before your message cuts through, even if it is ball aching for us political geeks.
And an equally small number had heard about the many unsavoury 'friends' of Corbyn and McDonnell. It's going to be a relentless campaign of these same messages for the next month.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
so you don't like politics Roger?. It must be that the focus groups are telling the Tories that "Saint" Theresa is a winner. .. and who can argue with that. Labour were selling "Saint " Tony in 1997.
Problems for my girlfriend today trying to vote. Many train lines are closed going from Paris to suburbs for long weekend engineering works. Difficult to get to your suburb polling booth to vote. Luckily my girlfriends mother was going to vote 'blanc' (NDA supporter in R1) but will vote Macron in her place. She seems to know a lot of people who will vote blanc or abstain (in France voting blanc is counted separately to a 'spoiled' ballot) - even amongst her younger friends. wonder if high abstention may depress the Macron vote share slightly
A friend of ours (London based French national) is having to go to Wembley to vote - which seems a bit odd. South Kensington would be the obvious place.
The overseas polling booths are few and far between I think - I had seen that in Montreal, French people are having to wait up to 3 hours in line to vote. I honestly don't think I would do it, I'm used to not having any line at all!
No idea why France doesn't allow postal voting, which would make it all much simpler. On the other hand they are much better to their expats than us on this, not only do the expats vote for life, they actually get their own MPs for the region (i.e. MP for North America and Caribbean expats)
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
Of course when people get fed up of Theresa May and realise she isn't the greatest political leader in history and/or something better comes along, what will the Theresa May Party do then ?
I accept we are seeing Theresa May popularity hitting highs and it much reminds me of Tony Blair in 1997 - that lasted a long time but of course nothing goes on forever.
I shouldn't have asked the question because I know the answer - when May becomes as popular as a lump of cold sick, the MPs will overthrow her just as they did Margaret Thatcher.
Once you've committed regicide, it becomes so much easier the second time.
Thinking the IRA to be evil, murdering scum is not jingoistic. A friend of mine lost his son when the IRA blew up the barracks in Deal in the 80s. Corbyn and his sycophants have a romantic notion of Republicans fighting for a united Ireland, Adams, McGuinness etc are filth who will justify anything to achieve their ai
Yes but the plain fact is that the peace process was built on the fiction that both sides won, so Gerry Adams can talk about the IRA having fought the British Army to a standstill. Do we want to rake all that up again?
And for what? Away from Northern Ireland itself, how many votes will be shifted? Was anyone on pb going to vote for Corbyn until they discovered his position on Ireland? Really? Corbyn's position, whatever it may really have been, is easily fudged as being a precursor to talks with the IRA.
Lynton Crosby has a tin ear for this sort of thing. It won' t work on the mainland, and is dangerous in the province.
It's not Ireland as such which is the question. It's security, trust and values. There are other terrorist threats out there.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Where a leader is seen as an asset they will be pushed hard, it's inevitable and normal.
Thinking the IRA to be evil, murdering scum is not jingoistic. A friend of mine lost his son when the IRA blew up the barracks in Deal in the 80s. Corbyn and his sycophants have a romantic notion of Republicans fighting for a united Ireland, Adams, McGuinness etc are filth who will justify anything to achieve their ai
Yes but the plain fact is that the peace process was built on the fiction that both sides won, so Gerry Adams can talk about the IRA having fought the British Army to a standstill. Do we want to rake all that up again?
And for what? Away from Northern Ireland itself, how many votes will be shifted? Was anyone on pb going to vote for Corbyn until they discovered his position on Ireland? Really? Corbyn's position, whatever it may really have been, is easily fudged as being a precursor to talks with the IRA.
Lynton Crosby has a tin ear for this sort of thing. It won' t work on the mainland, and is dangerous in the province.
Labour will perform so badly that it will be hard to tell what impact it has.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Not really the most rib-tickling gag of all time, though, is it? It's not like the thing is actually a stable.
At £25,000 it's probably not your average shed either.
I saw one at Badminton on Wednesday; I'd say it was £8,000 of shed and £17,000 of magical marketing fairy dust. For starters, I know what it costs to exhibit at Badminton, and that needs recouping.
There is a non-zero possibility that DC paid well under the list price, of course.
@owenjbennett: Peston: "How much will you raise from this?" Thornberry: "I don't know" Peston: "Fantastic." #peston
Rule 1, don't have a hilarious gaffe. You can mess up, but dont make it funny. I don't even watch the political morning shows, I like to lay in and I'm an anorak, and most other people don't see them as they aren't anoraks. But if a clip is funny it'll spread and be seen.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Not really the most rib-tickling gag of all time, though, is it? It's not like the thing is actually a stable.
This shed is a pretty stablesque she'd, believe me,
'how much will you raise by taxing the £80,000 earners more'
'I don't know'
At least she’s honest about it, unlike Abbott. However, neither inspire any great confidence..!
Their object is to try and reassure everyone below that salary that they won't be taxed more, not to fully cost their programme - which is probably impossible (and pointless, given their reputation) anyway
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Was McDonnell pressed on his out and out lie about not seeing communist flags when giving a speech. It's rare politicians flat out lie like that, but one of the places you'd expect communist flags is a trade union rally on May Day, and he'd know that better than most.
Whoever was leading Labour would be facing an annihilation, because the Party has no coherent position on the main issue, Brexit. Labour have been caught up in a firestorm.
Yvette would have been as unequal to the task as Jeremy. In fact, I suspect Yvette might be worse as she has a very clear-cut position on freedom of movement and the EU, whereas Corbyn's is more ambiguous.
The only advice to give to those facing electoral annihilation is ... remember McGovern.
Nixon annihilated McGovern in the most devastating 49-1 defeat. A year later, it all looked very different. And Nixon was dragged from office.
The name of Nixon still gives off a malodorous smell, but McGovern is now thought of as a principled politician.
A more effective pre-Roman leader would have won the referendum. In that case:
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
Have we an update on this mysterious marginals poll or is it now accepted as fake news ?
' In addition to that we have had news of the private Crosby Textor constituency polling for the Tories suggesting that the party is set to win back a the bulk of the seats lost in the South West and Greater London that were lost to the Tories at GE2015.
That information is, of course, private, but PB sources have it that all but three or four of the seats could be back in LD hands at the next election and we know that it is Tory MPs who made gains last time who are most opposed to an early general election. '
' The latest local by elections with an LD gain from UKIP on a whopping 26% swing top off what has been a good week for the LDs. Firstly there have been the Rallings/Thrasher and Lord Robert Hayward May elections’ projection suggesting that the yellows are in for a substantial number of gains on May 4th. '
Whoever was leading Labour would be facing an annihilation, because the Party has no coherent position on the main issue, Brexit. Labour have been caught up in a firestorm.
Yvette would have been as unequal to the task as Jeremy. In fact, I suspect Yvette might be worse as she has a very clear-cut position on freedom of movement and the EU, whereas Corbyn's is more ambiguous.
The only advice to give to those facing electoral annihilation is ... remember McGovern.
Nixon annihilated McGovern in the most devastating 49-1 defeat. A year later, it all looked very different. And Nixon was dragged from office.
The name of Nixon still gives off a malodorous smell, but McGovern is now thought of as a principled politician.
A more effective pre-Roman leader would have won the referendum. In that case:
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
Cameron's still got the knack: "David Cameron showed his face at the Oval last week for a fundraising dinner for a new cricket stadium in Rwanda. With guests still reeling from the news that he spent £25,000 on a garden shed, the forgotten man of Tory politics thanked them for “getting me out of my shepherd hut”. Cameron risked the wrath of his successor by explaining the purchase thus: “I know Theresa talks about strong and stable leadership but I only heard the first part about getting a strong stable.”" S.T.
He seems like a pretty fun chap. The idea even as a joke that TMay would get wrathful over that is silly I hope, and I love the overblown 'guests still reeling'. Dear gods, rich man overspends on garden shed, what horror. Good over the top tone.
Not really the most rib-tickling gag of all time, though, is it? It's not like the thing is actually a stable.
At £25,000 it's probably not your average shed either.
I saw one at Badminton on Wednesday; I'd say it was £8,000 of shed and £17,000 of magical marketing fairy dust. For starters, I know what it costs to exhibit at Badminton, and that needs recouping.
There is a non-zero possibility that DC paid well under the list price, of course.
It's pretty close to zero, really, isn't it? The Great Negotiator? A man who paid list price for a used car. This is that man on whose shoulders the establishment decided to place the UK's relationship with the EU. The worst haggler since Esau.
'how much will you raise by taxing the £80,000 earners more'
'I don't know'
At least she’s honest about it, unlike Abbott. However, neither inspire any great confidence..!
Their object is to try and reassure everyone below that salary that they won't be taxed more, not to fully cost their programme - which is probably impossible (and pointless, given their reputation) anyway
I'd still be interested to know what it would raise - the Tories have a habit of stealing labour policies down the line, if it is a good one I should learn more about it now. More the point, as others have said the question was going to come up, a little preparation would not go amiss, just not answering the point because you think it won't matter is just lazy.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Was McDonnell pressed on his out and out lie about not seeing communist flags when giving a speech. It's rare politicians flat out lie like that, but one of the places you'd expect communist flags is a trade union rally on May Day, and he'd know that better than most.
Depressingly, it seems quite common for politicians to bend the truth. Like David Cameron's pasty, the flags question does not seem very important in the grand scheme of things.
Whoever was leading Labour would be facing an annihilation, because the Party has no coherent position on the main issue, Brexit. Labour have been caught up in a firestorm.
Yvette would have been as unequal to the task as Jeremy. In fact, I suspect Yvette might be worse as she has a very clear-cut position on freedom of movement and the EU, whereas Corbyn's is more ambiguous.
The only advice to give to those facing electoral annihilation is ... remember McGovern.
Nixon annihilated McGovern in the most devastating 49-1 defeat. A year later, it all looked very different. And Nixon was dragged from office.
The name of Nixon still gives off a malodorous smell, but McGovern is now thought of as a principled politician.
A more effective pre-Roman leader would have won the referendum. In that case:
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
Far-fetched though it sounds, I think that's probably right, and further reinforces what a catastrophic choice Corbyn was. I know that the anger towards him that I sense in London comes particularly from the view that he was responsible for losing the referendum.
A more effective pre-Roman leader would have won the referendum. In that case:
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
As someone who has had a go at counterfactual history, David, I'm not convinced.
In the alternate universe where REMAIN won 52-48, where would we be now ?
Cameron would have been triumphant but the discussion would be turning to his successor. With Johnson, Gove and other LEAVE supporters sacked or demoted from the Cabinet, Osborne's only serious opponent would be Theresa May who was been spotted "lunching" with Gove, Leadsom and some of the other LEAVE dissidents.
The relationship between Cameron and the other European leaders would continue to frustrate though Cameron sees a kindred spirit in the form of the likely new French President, Emmanuel Macron.
Labour also struggle under Corbyn whose lukewarm support for REMAIN convinced no one and he remains an electoral millstone round the party's neck.
Tim Farron's Liberal Democrats also continue to under perform though they made a small net gain in the recent local elections.
UKIP under Nigel Farage seethes in the background and on 20% in some polls. Farage's initial gracious concession on the morning of June 24th 2016 has been followed by a more aggressive riposte. Four Conservative MPs have crossed the floor to join UKIP and while Cameron, Osborne and May have all ruled out a second referendum, Farage has made it clear a precondition for UKIP's support after a 2020 GE producing a Hung Parliament would be a second referendum. UKIP made gains in pro-LEAVE areas at the local election but fell back in pro-REMAIN areas.
Poll show Cameron's Conservatives still enjoying a healthy 7-10 point over Labour with UKIP a strong third and the LDs a moderate fourth. The last YouGov had CON 37%, LAB 29%, UKIP 18%, LD 11%
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Was McDonnell pressed on his out and out lie about not seeing communist flags when giving a speech. It's rare politicians flat out lie like that, but one of the places you'd expect communist flags is a trade union rally on May Day, and he'd know that better than most.
Depressingly, it seems quite common for politicians to bend the truth. Like David Cameron's pasty, the flags question does not seem very important in the grand scheme of things.
Bending and obfuscating the truth, not telling the whole truth, these are common. Outright bald faced lying is rarer, because it's riskier. And I never said it was important in the grand scheme. McDonnell is worse than corbyn because is better at appearing plausible, and has issues well beyond whether he stood under a communist flag and knew it. But he obviously is lying about it.
Mr. Root, in some ways, but Corbyn as the alternative PM is deeply depressing, and the Conservatives wibbling (following Rudd's idiotic comments on a similar theme) about backdoors to encryption are alarming.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
If Labour didn't want the Tories playing up their leader, they shouldn't have picked Corbyn.
'how much will you raise by taxing the £80,000 earners more'
'I don't know'
At least she’s honest about it, unlike Abbott. However, neither inspire any great confidence..!
Their object is to try and reassure everyone below that salary that they won't be taxed more, not to fully cost their programme - which is probably impossible (and pointless, given their reputation) anyway
I'd still be interested to know what it would raise - the Tories have a habit of stealing labour policies down the line, if it is a good one I should learn more about it now. More the point, as others have said the question was going to come up, a little preparation would not go amiss, just not answering the point because you think it won't matter is just lazy.
They've not said how much they'll raise income tax on those earning more than their MP, only that they will - and by inference that anyone earning less than their MP won't have heir income tax raised.
They sure as Hell haven't had anyone run actual numbers, mainly because someone called George had the Treasury and OBR do a load of modelling on income tax rates for high earners half a dozen years ago - before settling on 45% as the top rate that maximised revenue and minimised avoidance.
Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times reckons after a straw poll that the Conservatives will hoover up ex-UKIP votes in the south, where they don't need them, but only 20% of them in the north, where they do. Reckons Mrs May will end up no better than she is now.
I can see the piling up votes in safe seats thing being part of what is happening, which might argue against a massive landslide, but there seemsvtoo much going on in places they havevstruggled in the past for that to solely be it.
And has the polling to date not indicated the exact opposite, namely that the Tories are doing much better in Labour held seats than they are in their own?
Their percent vote seems at 1983 levels. But with Lib.Dems weak their England and Wales 'voting efficiency' may be more like 1979, when they constrained Thatcher's majority.
In 2015 a lot of constituency betting odds were way off. I don't see so many this time.
OTOH in Scotland they're f****d which loses them a few tens of seats vs. 1979.
The 1,500,000 taxpayers earning over £80k already pay 50% of income tax receipts. If all else remains balanced (highly unlikely with McDonnell at the helm) every extra billion spent will cost those higher earners an average of £666 each, or on average half a percent added to taxrate for each billion spent (wasted, more likely) by Corbyn and McDonnell.
I thought it would be hard to beat Lucy Powell’s Ed campaign gaffs, but Milne wins by a mile.
Have to disagree. “I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the fact that he’s carved them in stone [on the Edstone] means he’s absolutely not going to break them or anything like that.” (Lucy Powell). It may be possible to top that, but Milne has yet to manage it
The comment drew agreement from two former MPs, Paul Holmes and Adrian Sanders.
Certainly think it's time to move on - more people probably know the LDs are pro-Remain now than have so far heard 'strong and stable'. Launch of the 1% tax for NHS policy was welcome, and puts the other parties on the spot, particularly the Tories.
A more effective pre-Roman leader would have won the referendum. In that case:
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
As someone who has had a go at counterfactual history, David, I'm not convinced.
In the alternate universe where REMAIN won 52-48, where would we be now ?
Cameron would have been triumphant but the discussion would be turning to his successor. With Johnson, Gove and other LEAVE supporters sacked or demoted from the Cabinet, Osborne's only serious opponent would be Theresa May who was been spotted "lunching" with Gove, Leadsom and some of the other LEAVE dissidents.
The relationship between Cameron and the other European leaders would continue to frustrate though Cameron sees a kindred spirit in the form of the likely new French President, Emmanuel Macron.
Labour also struggle under Corbyn whose lukewarm support for REMAIN convinced no one and he remains an electoral millstone round the party's neck.
Tim Farron's Liberal Democrats also continue to under perform though they made a small net gain in the recent local elections.
UKIP under Nigel Farage seethes in the background and on 20% in some polls. Farage's initial gracious concession on the morning of June 24th 2016 has been followed by a more aggressive riposte. Four Conservative MPs have crossed the floor to join UKIP and while Cameron, Osborne and May have all ruled out a second referendum, Farage has made it clear a precondition for UKIP's support after a 2020 GE producing a Hung Parliament would be a second referendum. UKIP made gains in pro-LEAVE areas at the local election but fell back in pro-REMAIN areas.
Poll show Cameron's Conservatives still enjoying a healthy 7-10 point over Labour with UKIP a strong third and the LDs a moderate fourth. The last YouGov had CON 37%, LAB 29%, UKIP 18%, LD 11%
I think David's counter-factual was predicated on Cooper or Kendall winning the leadership rather than Corbyn.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Was McDonnell pressed on his out and out lie about not seeing communist flags when giving a speech. It's rare politicians flat out lie like that, but one of the places you'd expect communist flags is a trade union rally on May Day, and he'd know that better than most.
Depressingly, it seems quite common for politicians to bend the truth. Like David Cameron's pasty, the flags question does not seem very important in the grand scheme of things.
Bending and obfuscating the truth, not telling the whole truth, these are common. Outright bald faced lying is rarer, because it's riskier. And I never said it was important in the grand scheme. McDonnell is worse than corbyn because is better at appearing plausible, and has issues well beyond whether he stood under a communist flag and knew it. But he obviously is lying about it.
I've no idea about the flags question but standing under a communist flag can have a metaphorical meaning as well as a literal one, so it might depend on the wording. I'm a punter not a political hack so I do not watch Marr or Peston.
But I doubt McDonnell lying about flags is any more significant than Cameron lying about pasties.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
If Labour didn't want the Tories playing up their leader, they shouldn't have picked Corbyn.
Or Ed Miliband or Gordon Brown or Tony Blair. Ad hominem attacks are standard operating procedure for CCHQ.
Wow, a real set back - I really thought they'd do well there, especially with Mark senior, albeit a ramper of LD chances, saying a number of former Tories were standing as indys.
The comment drew agreement from two former MPs, Paul Holmes and Adrian Sanders.
The media are also obsessed by leave vs remain for each seat and then were very confused when locals didn't go that way. Perhaps just perhaps people are voting on something slightly wider range of issues.
The comment drew agreement from two former MPs, Paul Holmes and Adrian Sanders.
Certainly think it's time to move on - more people probably know the LDs are pro-Remain now than have so far heard 'strong and stable'. Launch of the 1% tax for NHS policy was welcome, and puts the other parties on the spot, particularly the Tories.
Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times reckons after a straw poll that the Conservatives will hoover up ex-UKIP votes in the south, where they don't need them, but only 20% of them in the north, where they do. Reckons Mrs May will end up no better than she is now.
I can see the piling up votes in safe seats thing being part of what is happening, which might argue against a massive landslide, but there seemsvtoo much going on in places they havevstruggled in the past for that to solely be it.
And has the polling to date not indicated the exact opposite, namely that the Tories are doing much better in Labour held seats than they are in their own?
And the actual results this week in Northumberland, Tees Valley, Cumbria and Derbyshire ie where the medium sized towns are.
Labour are likely to do better than average within the conurbations but we knew that already.
The comment drew agreement from two former MPs, Paul Holmes and Adrian Sanders.
Certainly think it's time to move on - more people probably know the LDs are pro-Remain now than have so far heard 'strong and stable'. Launch of the 1% tax for NHS policy was welcome, and puts the other parties on the spot, particularly the Tories.
But the LibDems want us to Remain in the EU if they won. So the LDs are actually proposing 1% on income tax to stay in the EU.
When we leave the EU, we can spend that money on the NHS instead. No extra tax needed.
McDonnell refuses to confirm that JC will resign in the event if a defeat.
That'd be normal I think. For one I presume he either skirted the issue of defeat or said they'd win, for two sometimes staying on after a defeat might be the right call, and you should keep your powder dry.
To be fair to the old Marxist-Leninist, if he said they would definitely go if Labour lost he would be ensuring Labour lost by more.
Was McDonnell pressed on his out and out lie about not seeing communist flags when giving a speech. It's rare politicians flat out lie like that, but one of the places you'd expect communist flags is a trade union rally on May Day, and he'd know that better than most.
Depressingly, it seems quite common for politicians to bend the truth. Like David Cameron's pasty, the flags question does not seem very important in the grand scheme of things.
Bending and obfuscating the truth, not telling the whole truth, these are common. Outright bald faced lying is rarer, because it's riskier. And I never said it was important in the grand scheme. McDonnell is worse than corbyn because is better at appearing plausible, and has issues well beyond whether he stood under a communist flag and knew it. But he obviously is lying about it.
I've no idea about the flags question but standing under a communist flag can have a metaphorical meaning as well as a literal one, so it might depend on the wording. I'm a punter not a political hack so I do not watch Marr or Peston.
But I doubt McDonnell lying about flags is any more significant than Cameron lying about pasties.
Who said it was? I'm bringing it up because it just happened and pastygate is in the past is all.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
If Labour didn't want the Tories playing up their leader, they shouldn't have picked Corbyn.
Or Ed Miliband or Gordon Brown or Tony Blair. Ad hominem attacks are standard operating procedure for CCHQ.
Just as they were for Labour when the Tories were led by Hague, IDS and Howard.
Watching Marr I'm starting to loathe this cult of personality that every Tory spokesman is pushing at the moment. Watching Jeremy Hunt (with an H) is embarrassing. Every sentence is 'Theresa' and 'getting the best deal' It's even turning Andrew Marrs stomache. You can tell. He seems to be trying to avoid vomiting.
Its called politics Roger
If Labour didn't want the Tories playing up their leader, they shouldn't have picked Corbyn.
Or Ed Miliband or Gordon Brown or Tony Blair. Ad hominem attacks are standard operating procedure for CCHQ.
It's a political tactic used by everyone. Ascribing political behaviours as unique to one side is never fair, the best that can be done is argue if one side is more egregious in using those behaviours and tactics.
Comments
I see you're opening Cannes this year. That's an elegant way to avoid the election.
(Sadly like Corbyn unlikely to win).
http://filmdaily.co/desplechin-hits-cannes-ishmaels-ghosts/
News from the election hot spot of East Ham where Stephen Timms and a group of Labour Councillors and activists had a table near Sainsburys and were attracting a decent sized crowd.
Timms is a very tall man and stands out in the crowd but it was certainly a busy and bustling occasion. Further up the High Street (outside Primark, no symbolism) you had the Socialist Workers' Party table which was rather less busy. The SWP line seems to be vote for Corbyn but not Labour with which I'm still struggling.
The triumphalism of the Conservatives on here seems to know no bounds this morning - perhaps they dream of achieving what even Thatcher and WSC couldn't and wipe the Liberals out of Parliament completely. Could that happen ? Even if it did, the Party wouldn't die.
Nor do I believe we are entering a prolonged period of Conservative rule. The May tent will get so big and then collapse in on itself via its own contradictions and events. It is impossible to conjure a Brexit agreement which will please everyone and as even Thatcher found out in time, people will get tired of listening to and watching the same old faces and the Opposition parties will inevitably regain credibility and cohesion.
It's happened before - it will happen again.
On almost every issue, the chasm in views amongst Labour's core base is reflected in a divided party that can't make its mind up on anything. On the economy they range from ignore-the-market socialism through to austerity-lite. They are divided on immigration, Trident, you name it...even on peripheral issues such as whether Heathrow needs a new runway or whether we need a new voting system, whether to nationalise the railways, the party just cannot make up its mind. Whenever Labour is asked a question, its press office takes an age to respond - because they have to craft an on-the-fence nuanced response that doesn't upset anyone inside the party, but satisfies no-one outside it.
And for what? Away from Northern Ireland itself, how many votes will be shifted? Was anyone on pb going to vote for Corbyn until they discovered his position on Ireland? Really? Corbyn's position, whatever it may really have been, is easily fudged as being a precursor to talks with the IRA.
Lynton Crosby has a tin ear for this sort of thing. It won' t work on the mainland, and is dangerous in the province.
They are everywhere now, it is the principle method of attack and it is weak as heck.
In LEAVE areas, the UKIP vote went straight to the Conservatives but that wasn't solely what did the damage for the Opposition parties - there was a swing away either from pro-REMAIN parties. This was either down to increased turnout or where the pro-REMAIN elements have lost support.
In REMAIN areas - the reality was different. The UKIP vote stayed at home or even returned to non-Conservative parties. Many REMAIN areas were already strongly Conservative but saw the Conservative vote only hold at 2013 levels or even fall back.
We now operate with two fundamentally different political societies at work and this has worked to the Conservatives' advantage for now since most REMAIN areas were already Conservative. The big chance has been the Conservative advance, bolstered by the UKIP collapse, into LEAVE areas where their strength was previously less and were strongly challenged by Labour or the LDs.
It won't be a landslide as much as a LEAVESLIDE (copyright, Stodge, 7/5/17 - you saw it here first).
Thornberry: "I don't know"
Peston: "Fantastic."
#peston
(Voices off-Nurse! Nurse!)
Once you've committed regicide, it becomes so much easier the second time.
'how much will you raise by taxing the £80,000 earners more'
'I don't know'
He should have stayed on the backbenches where his less pleasant politics rarely detract from his pleasant, affable demeanour.
No idea why France doesn't allow postal voting, which would make it all much simpler. On the other hand they are much better to their expats than us on this, not only do the expats vote for life, they actually get their own MPs for the region (i.e. MP for North America and Caribbean expats)
Labour are finished as we knew them
Have they got *anyone* who can actually do numbers, or are they just wanting to raise tax rates to spite the successful?
There is a non-zero possibility that DC paid well under the list price, of course.
Well that's one way to avoid the Abbott Problem; just stop answering questions.
Cameron would still be leading the Tories, who would be horribly divided in Parliament, in the membership and in the voter Base. Cameron's own leadership rating was dreadful by the end.
Ukip would be massively fired up, led by Garage and appealing to one more heave.
The Lib Dems would not have gone ultra-remain and would be charging ahead in the SW.
Labour would be at least ten points clear, possibly a good deal more.
' In addition to that we have had news of the private Crosby Textor constituency polling for the Tories suggesting that the party is set to win back a the bulk of the seats lost in the South West and Greater London that were lost to the Tories at GE2015.
That information is, of course, private, but PB sources have it that all but three or four of the seats could be back in LD hands at the next election and we know that it is Tory MPs who made gains last time who are most opposed to an early general election. '
http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2017/04/07/it-is-organisation-more-than-brexit-that-is-driving-the-lib-dem-resurgence/
Some comedy gold from Mike in that piece:
' The latest local by elections with an LD gain from UKIP on a whopping 26% swing top off what has been a good week for the LDs. Firstly there have been the Rallings/Thrasher and Lord Robert Hayward May elections’ projection suggesting that the yellows are in for a substantial number of gains on May 4th. '
In the alternate universe where REMAIN won 52-48, where would we be now ?
Cameron would have been triumphant but the discussion would be turning to his successor. With Johnson, Gove and other LEAVE supporters sacked or demoted from the Cabinet, Osborne's only serious opponent would be Theresa May who was been spotted "lunching" with Gove, Leadsom and some of the other LEAVE dissidents.
The relationship between Cameron and the other European leaders would continue to frustrate though Cameron sees a kindred spirit in the form of the likely new French President, Emmanuel Macron.
Labour also struggle under Corbyn whose lukewarm support for REMAIN convinced no one and he remains an electoral millstone round the party's neck.
Tim Farron's Liberal Democrats also continue to under perform though they made a small net gain in the recent local elections.
UKIP under Nigel Farage seethes in the background and on 20% in some polls. Farage's initial gracious concession on the morning of June 24th 2016 has been followed by a more aggressive riposte. Four Conservative MPs have crossed the floor to join UKIP and while Cameron, Osborne and May have all ruled out a second referendum, Farage has made it clear a precondition for UKIP's support after a 2020 GE producing a Hung Parliament would be a second referendum. UKIP made gains in pro-LEAVE areas at the local election but fell back in pro-REMAIN areas.
Poll show Cameron's Conservatives still enjoying a healthy 7-10 point over Labour with UKIP a strong third and the LDs a moderate fourth. The last YouGov had CON 37%, LAB 29%, UKIP 18%, LD 11%
Before last Thursday they had 44 councillors, now reduced to 37, whilst the Conservatives increased from 28 to 46.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornwall_Council_election,_2017
I just hope that bullshit isn't in the manifesto.
http://www.libdemvoice.org/some-brief-thoughts-on-todays-results-54170.html#comment-439290
The comment drew agreement from two former MPs, Paul Holmes and Adrian Sanders.
They sure as Hell haven't had anyone run actual numbers, mainly because someone called George had the Treasury and OBR do a load of modelling on income tax rates for high earners half a dozen years ago - before settling on 45% as the top rate that maximised revenue and minimised avoidance.
In 2015 a lot of constituency betting odds were way off. I don't see so many this time.
OTOH in Scotland they're f****d which loses them a few tens of seats vs. 1979.
Not that that makes the point that they didn't believe the polls last time and they were right less true, and perhaps a change of focus is needed.
But I doubt McDonnell lying about flags is any more significant than Cameron lying about pasties.
Labour are likely to do better than average within the conurbations but we knew that already.
But the LibDems want us to Remain in the EU if they won. So the LDs are actually proposing 1% on income tax to stay in the EU.
When we leave the EU, we can spend that money on the NHS instead. No extra tax needed.