I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
If you're going to have debates they should be between those who can reasonably considered to have a chance of being PM. The rest are just a complete waste of time.
Not for the first time, I am impressed by Leanne Wood. She could get a transfer to one of the Premier League sides, couldn't she?
Living west of Offa's Dyke I get subjected to Leanne Wood far too much on the news. Borrowing a great phrase from our more northerly Celtic cousins, she's as thick as mince.
Surely you could just join the rest of us and enjoy her wonderful accent?
Doesn't do it for me, either. Bit like an excessively oversweetened drink.
As a point of principal I will not pay for a TV licence* But I don't like bracing rules so don't have a TV. this is my chose I don't what to miss all the TV, but I understand it is a consequence of being consistent with my choses. normally its not that big a sacrifice, I can watch most things on YouTube or similar. but I don't think I can legally watch the debates, at least not live! I have the technical ability, I.e. a computer and a fast enough connection and its an ITV program so no input form the BBC, so why am I bared from legally watching it.
* The license fee is forced speech which is the start of the end of free speech
This is like the opposition debate in 2015. The only winner will be the Tories.
The biggest loser will be Corbyn. He needed this debate more than anyone and it would have had the benefit of isolating May. He's being very badly advised
He seems to be doing alright in the campaign so far (albeit against catastrophic expectations), although I agree he should have done it.
Not for the first time, I am impressed by Leanne Wood. She could get a transfer to one of the Premier League sides, couldn't she?
Last time around she talked complete rubbish but in one of the most pleasant accents I have ever heard. Quite forgave the content.
The only moment I can remember from that debate is when she turned to Nigel Farage and said with an apparently genuine sense of perplexity 'Nigel, you talk as if immigration control were the solution to everything.' You could almost see him deflate like a punctured balloon.
Lucas just said it to Nuttall.. but the problem with that line is that immigration controls are the solution to most of our problems, or more to the point, the lack of them in the past, is the cause of all most our problems
Given up on the debate now. Farron is really irritating especially with the "my grandfather" shtick
Is he channelling Andrea Leadsom on the whole family thing?
"Speaking as a grandson..."
Also, question: did nobody at ITV think to invite any of the Northern Irish parties? They've surely as much right to turn up to the snorefest as Sturgeon and Wood, and the DUP have more Parliamentary seats than three of the five leaders present put together.
It's succeeded in making Corbyn and May's decision look rather shallow. The contrast between the five remaining leaders is very sharp. I'm now going to vote Green. The two Macbeths is a very good analogy. Corbyn a semi tragic hero and May an ambitious ruthless woman in the single minded pursuit of power
No! Roger! Stick with Labour (your spiritual home). Please don't vote for that awful Lucas person!
I don't really understand why individuals not aspiring to be represented in Parliament should be prominent at all. I think it is one of the underlying problems that non-Scottish voters have with the suggestion of the SNP having influence in Govt - that the individual calling the shots would be somebody not in Parliament.
This is like the opposition debate in 2015. The only winner will be the Tories.
The biggest loser will be Corbyn. He needed this debate more than anyone and it would have had the benefit of isolating May. He's being very badly advised
Quite, if he'd got involved he would have been unlikely to do himself too much damage and it would have made Dear Leader look like she was hiding.
I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
Given up on the debate now. Farron is really irritating especially with the "my grandfather" shtick
Is he channelling Andrea Leadsom on the whole family thing?
"Speaking as a grandson..."
Also, question: did nobody at ITV think to invite any of the Northern Irish parties? They've surely as much right to turn up to the snorefest as Sturgeon and Wood, and the DUP have more Parliamentary seats than three of the five leaders present put together.
I assume its on the basis that the NI parties are not competing against any of the others who were invited, outside of a few NI Conservative candidates and possibly some Greens(?), so there's no point including any of them in a debate except against each other.
FPT - that truly is terrific snobbery by Hugh Grant.
Being disliked by Hugh Grant will be a massive plus for May. People don't like posh boys much any more...
I'm shocked to learn that Hugh Grant read English Literature at New College, Oxford.
Don't you lot have standards over there?
Cambridge admitted Neil Hamilton. End. Of. Argument.
I see your Neil Hamilton and raise you a Jeffrey Archer.
Jeffrey Archer's cv is an elaborate version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Ok, I raise you Reverend Underpants, Chris Bryant.
I went to a real university, but can I point out that Cambridge also gave a doctorate to Tristram 'I'm too thick to use Google' Hunt?
To give you some idea of his personal and professional standing, the Universities and Colleges Union is informally called the Useless Tristrams Union by its members (after he ignored their picket lines to lecture on Marxism).
Feck, Tristram didn’t just get a Ph D at Cambridge.
He was a Fellow in History at King’s College. He was able to teach and research without knowing how to use Google.
I didn't know that! I thought he went straight to QMUL.
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
If you're going to have debates they should be between those who can reasonably considered to have a chance of being PM. The rest are just a complete waste of time.
Agreed. And in the US the candidates really have to turn up no matter how far they are ahead in the polls. It should be the same here. She is getting off too lightly with this.
Sturgeon is head and shoulders above the others. Which helps May and Corbyn - most people tempted to switch from the two main parties by the programme will realise they can't vote for the "winner" of this debate and stay where they are. Notwithstanding 3/4 of the programme's audience are currently watching whilst commenting on PB.
This programme will have practically zero impact upon VI. The losers (if there are any) are Nuttal and Farron.
Sturgeon is head and shoulders above the others. Which helps May and Corbyn - most people tempted to switch from the two main parties by the programme will realise they can't vote for the "winner" of this debate and stay where they are. Notwithstanding 3/4 of the programme's audience are currently watching whilst commenting on PB.
This programme will have practically zero impact upon VI. The losers (if there are any) are Nuttal and Farron.
Not sure either can go much farther backwards, but then the LDs keep forcing us to question how little progress they can make time and again.
This is like the opposition debate in 2015. The only winner will be the Tories.
The biggest loser will be Corbyn. He needed this debate more than anyone and it would have had the benefit of isolating May. He's being very badly advised
He seems to be doing alright in the campaign so far (albeit against catastrophic expectations), although I agree he should have done it.
I'm not sure. If Labour's improvement in the polls is actually genuine I think it is really the result of polarisation in the electorate and the need for anti-Tories to coalesce around a single point of opposition. As long as the Tories stay in the stratosphere it will have little practical effect, but it will help protect his position post election. As such he has far more to lose from participation in a debate like this. Don't forget Cameron ducked a leaders debate last time, and it didn't do him much harm.
I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
If you're going to have debates they should be between those who can reasonably considered to have a chance of being PM. The rest are just a complete waste of time.
Agreed. And in the US the candidates really have to turn up no matter how far they are ahead in the polls. It should be the same here. She is getting off too lightly with this.
They could have trained a parrot to say 'Strong and Stable' and perched it on one of the podiums.
This is like the opposition debate in 2015. The only winner will be the Tories.
The biggest loser will be Corbyn. He needed this debate more than anyone and it would have had the benefit of isolating May. He's being very badly advised
He seems to be doing alright in the campaign so far (albeit against catastrophic expectations), although I agree he should have done it.
I'm not sure. If Labour's improvement in the polls is actually genuine I think it is really the result of polarisation in the electorate and the need for anti-Tories to coalesce around a single point of opposition. As long as the Tories stay in the stratosphere it will have little practical effect, but it will help protect his position post election. As such he has far more to lose from participation in a debate like this. Don't forget Cameron ducked a leaders debate last time, and it didn't do him much harm.
I think it is worth doing irrespective on whether they can duck out without harming themselves though.
1. Caroline Lucas (by a whisker) 2. Nicola Sturgeon 3. Leanne Wood 4. Tim Farron (big mistake to keep talking about himself) 5. Paul Nuttall (last by a distance)
I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
I would agree that none of them are doing particularly well here, except Nicola Sturgeon (and even she is not really saying much about "standing up for Scotland" specifically, so not sure how much electoral benefit even she'll get from this). I thought Caroline Lucas might be quite good, but her debating points have been a bit unfocussed.
May and Corbyn dodged a bullet here, don't see any of these 5 having done anything to take some support.
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Welcome! Good that you're here as Tories are terribly under-represented on PB.
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Welcome! Good that you're here as Tories are terribly under-represented on PB.
But I also bump up the Isn't-Varoufakis-dashing-for-a-crazy-Marxist demographic, so I've got cross-party appeal.
FPT - that truly is terrific snobbery by Hugh Grant.
Being disliked by Hugh Grant will be a massive plus for May. People don't like posh boys much any more...
I'm shocked to learn that Hugh Grant read English Literature at New College, Oxford.
Don't you lot have standards over there?
Cambridge admitted Neil Hamilton. End. Of. Argument.
I see your Neil Hamilton and raise you a Jeffrey Archer.
Jeffrey Archer's cv is an elaborate version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Ok, I raise you Reverend Underpants, Chris Bryant.
I went to a real university, but can I point out that Cambridge also gave a doctorate to Tristram 'I'm too thick to use Google' Hunt?
To give you some idea of his personal and professional standing, the Universities and Colleges Union is informally called the Useless Tristrams Union by its members (after he ignored their picket lines to lecture on Marxism).
Feck, Tristram didn’t just get a Ph D at Cambridge.
He was a Fellow in History at King’s College. He was able to teach and research without knowing how to use Google.
I didn't know that! I thought he went straight to QMUL.
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
Fraid so.
The timeline is:
Independent School (SeanT’s if I recall right) --> Trinity College --> JRF at Kings College --> Lecturer at QMUL --> People’s Party MP at Stoke-on-Trent --> Director of the V&A.
Living proof that in the UK, the son of a humble Labour peer can make good.
He is certainly someone who has benefitted hugely from Brexit. The vacancy at the V&A only arose because Martin Roth went back to Germany, after Brexit.
So, he didn’t help his constituents much in Brexit Central, Stoke-on-Trent, but his constituents helped him enormously by opening up his next career jump.
Got a leaflet from my Labour candidate today. "I am standing in Dundee West because I believe in Jeremy Corbyn and as a trade unionist I share his vision."
Finishes with another reference to Corbyn too. Not a mention of Kezia anywhere. Curious.
We received our first leaflet today - from the Greens. I expected to be bombarded with Tory litter and nothing from anyone else.
Current score in EN&L is Tories 2 - 0 Everyone Else.
Labour and SNP outleafletted the Tories for the local elections, but then they will have had longer to plan that campaign. Today's effort from the Tories was a multi-page affair. No expense spared.
I do think May and Corbyn should have taken part in debates. Its disappointing that someone who aspires to rule our country doesn't think she can defend the policies she intends to pursue from the level of challenge such a debate throws up. I can understand the tactics but its really not right.
If you're going to have debates they should be between those who can reasonably considered to have a chance of being PM. The rest are just a complete waste of time.
Agreed. And in the US the candidates really have to turn up no matter how far they are ahead in the polls. It should be the same here. She is getting off too lightly with this.
They could have trained a parrot to say 'Strong and Stable' and perched it on one of the podiums.
FPT - that truly is terrific snobbery by Hugh Grant.
Being disliked by Hugh Grant will be a massive plus for May. People don't like posh boys much any more...
I'm shocked to learn that Hugh Grant read English Literature at New College, Oxford.
Don't you lot have standards over there?
Cambridge admitted Neil Hamilton. End. Of. Argument.
I see your Neil Hamilton and raise you a Jeffrey Archer.
Jeffrey Archer's cv is an elaborate version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Ok, I raise you Reverend Underpants, Chris Bryant.
I went to a real university, but can I point out that Cambridge also gave a doctorate to Tristram 'I'm too thick to use Google' Hunt?
To give you some idea of his personal and professional standing, the Universities and Colleges Union is informally called the Useless Tristrams Union by its members (after he ignored their picket lines to lecture on Marxism).
Feck, Tristram didn’t just get a Ph D at Cambridge.
He was a Fellow in History at King’s College. He was able to teach and research without knowing how to use Google.
I didn't know that! I thought he went straight to QMUL.
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
Fraid so.
The timeline is:
Independent School (SeanT’s if I recall right) --> Trinity College --> JRF at Kings College --> Lecturer at QMUL --> People’s Party MP at Stoke-on-Trent --> Director of the V&A.
Living proof that in the UK, the son of a humble Labour peer can make good.
He is certainly someone who has benefitted from hugely Brexit. The vacancy at the V&A only arose because Martin Roth went back to Germany, after Brexit.
So, he didn’t help his constituents much in Stoke-on-Trent, but his constituents helped him enormously by opening up his next career jump.
You could of course have added the TV documentaries on the Civil War, which were of course because he's a world renowned expert in the history of urban planning in the nineteenth century and therefore especially good on the events of the seventeenth cen..ah, hold on.
Got a leaflet from my Labour candidate today. "I am standing in Dundee West because I believe in Jeremy Corbyn and as a trade unionist I share his vision."
Finishes with another reference to Corbyn too. Not a mention of Kezia anywhere. Curious.
We received our first leaflet today - from the Greens. I expected to be bombarded with Tory litter and nothing from anyone else.
Current score in EN&L is Tories 2 - 0 Everyone Else.
Labour and SNP outleafletted the Tories for the local elections, but then they will have had longer to plan that campaign. Today's effort from the Tories was a multi-page affair. No expense spared.
Two Nil in Derbyshire North East to the Tories too
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Welcome! Good that you're here as Tories are terribly under-represented on PB.
But I also bump up the Isn't-Varoufakis-dashing-for-a-crazy-Marxist demographic, so I've got cross-party appeal.
Any fan of Varoufakis is definitely an asset to the site!
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Welcome! Good that you're here as Tories are terribly under-represented on PB.
But I also bump up the Isn't-Varoufakis-dashing-for-a-crazy-Marxist demographic, so I've got cross-party appeal.
Any fan of Varoufakis is definitely an asset to the site!
I've always rather liked Varafoukis. Even though I don't agree with his politics, any enemy of that utter prat Juncker has to have something in his favour.
FPT - that truly is terrific snobbery by Hugh Grant.
Being disliked by Hugh Grant will be a massive plus for May. People don't like posh boys much any more...
I'm shocked to learn that Hugh Grant read English Literature at New College, Oxford.
Don't you lot have standards over there?
Cambridge admitted Neil Hamilton. End. Of. Argument.
I see your Neil Hamilton and raise you a Jeffrey Archer.
Jeffrey Archer's cv is an elaborate version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Ok, I raise you Reverend Underpants, Chris Bryant.
I went to a real university, but can I point out that Cambridge also gave a doctorate to Tristram 'I'm too thick to use Google' Hunt?
To give you some idea of his personal and professional standing, the Universities and Colleges Union is informally called the Useless Tristrams Union by its members (after he ignored their picket lines to lecture on Marxism).
Feck, Tristram didn’t just get a Ph D at Cambridge.
He was a Fellow in History at King’s College. He was able to teach and research without knowing how to use Google.
I didn't know that! I thought he went straight to QMUL.
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
Fraid so.
The timeline is:
Independent School (SeanT’s if I recall right) --> Trinity College --> JRF at Kings College --> Lecturer at QMUL --> People’s Party MP at Stoke-on-Trent --> Director of the V&A.
Living proof that in the UK, the son of a humble Labour peer can make good.
He is certainly someone who has benefitted from hugely Brexit. The vacancy at the V&A only arose because Martin Roth went back to Germany, after Brexit.
So, he didn’t help his constituents much in Stoke-on-Trent, but his constituents helped him enormously by opening up his next career jump.
You could of course have added the TV documentaries on the Civil War, which were of course because he's a world renowned expert in the history of urban planning in the nineteenth century and therefore especially good on the events of the seventeenth cen..ah, hold on.
Well, I missed them, but I recall a TV documentary on Isaac Newton, a subject he knows feck-all about.
I've spent the last few hours greening out my substantial Con seats position.
Just after the election was announced, I went;
350-399 = -£££££££££ 400-449 = +££££££££££££
Now;
0-650 = +£££
I'm basically positionless right now.
Other than in individual seat bets, there must be some value somewhere, right?
Labour are still almost 2/1 on Betfair to get 30-35% of the vote. If their polling stays at 30-31%, and especially if it keeps growing, this should be a good trading bet or just a keeper.
Bit surprised Farron is STILL putting all his eggs in the "Remain/Single Market" basket.
It's all he's got.
Meanwhile, on the Conservative Twitter feed...
Corbyn is crap Corbyn's coalition of chaos Corbyn will bring a crappy coalition of crappy chaos Nicola: get on with the day job! Nicola and Jeremy's coalition of chaos Corbyn's coalition of chaos Corbyn's coalition of chaos Corbyn doesn't know what he's doing Tim would join Corbyn's coalition of chaos Caroline would join Corbyn's coalition of chaos Tim, Nicola and Jeremy would create a coalition of chaos Nicola: get on with the day job! Corbyn is crap Corbyn's coalition of chaos
No interest in Natalie or Paul whatsoever. Poor Natalie. Poor Paul.
Well, I missed them, but I recall a TV documentary on Isaac Newton, a subject he knows feck-all about.
If anything he's even worse on his supposed area of expertise. I always winced on the numerous occasions he talked of his great political hero being Joseph Chamberlain for his gas and water socialism in Birmingham - apparently unaware that Chamberlain's last role in politics after an extraodinary double defection was as acting leader of the Conservative party!
Shouldn't have been that hard to work out given both his sons went on to lead it as well.
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Hello BlueBlue, and welcome
It would be wrong to say that the 350 was promised to the NHS, but considering it was widely expected, announcing it would go to the NHS would have been very popular and to some extent healed the divisions of the referendum.
In actual fact 350 a week is only about 3 years inflation increase anyway. not that it would make much defence on its own, The risk is that it would just be wasted, but it would possibly give the Tories metaphoric permission to make some 'market forces' reforms that could over the long term have let to big efficiency improvements.
Are any of these clowns in touch with reality at all, teachers are great give them more money fantastic. Yet the fact is that 35% of kids fail at 16 to reach the less than onerous 5 GCSE's. Something slightly hidden there.
Timmy looking tough with his bit of bum fluff hovering above his top lip.
Are any of these clowns in touch with reality at all, teachers are great give them more money fantastic. Yet the fact is that 35% of kids fail at 16 to reach the less than onerous 5 GCSE's. Something slightly hidden there.
Timmy looking tough with his bit of bum fluff hovering above his top lip.
With the changes to maths expect that figure to plummet this year.
The first sentence is naturally a plain statement of fact and may not be questioned
Does the IpsosMORI poll include Wales? Looking at the data tables, they don't have Wales as a section in the regional breakdown, and out of the 1000 people they spoke to, 2 people said they would vote PC. Looks odd.
Hi all - very long term lurker here who's finally been prompted to sign up by this election. The manifesto seems not to have been a total car crash, but prodding your core vote with three weeks to go seems a bit unnecessary. The thing that gets me is the wasted opportunity to do something really spectacular, e.g. actually providing £350 million a week extra for the NHS, two-thirds of could be achieved by scrapping foreign aid. Result: catnip for Kippers, Labour voters, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average alike. Sigh.
Welcome.
The '£350m' is going into a UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Foreign aid is being 'redefined'.
There are three weeks to go so some of these themes will presumably develop and be pushed centre stage as we go on. The potentially unpopular bits seem to be getting their airing three weeks out while Corbyn shoots his load.
Does the IpsosMORI poll include Wales? Looking at the data tables, they don't have Wales as a section in the regional breakdown, and out of the 1000 people they spoke to, 2 people said they would vote PC. Looks odd.
FPT - that truly is terrific snobbery by Hugh Grant.
Being disliked by Hugh Grant will be a massive plus for May. People don't like posh boys much any more...
I'm shocked to learn that Hugh Grant read English Literature at New College, Oxford.
Don't you lot have standards over there?
Cambridge admitted Neil Hamilton. End. Of. Argument.
I see your Neil Hamilton and raise you a Jeffrey Archer.
Jeffrey Archer's cv is an elaborate version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Ok, I raise you Reverend Underpants, Chris Bryant.
I went to a real university, but can I point out that Cambridge also gave a doctorate to Tristram 'I'm too thick to use Google' Hunt?
To give you some idea of his personal and professional standing, the Universities and Colleges Union is informally called the Useless Tristrams Union by its members (after he ignored their picket lines to lecture on Marxism).
Feck, Tristram didn’t just get a Ph D at Cambridge.
He was a Fellow in History at King’s College. He was able to teach and research without knowing how to use Google.
I didn't know that! I thought he went straight to QMUL.
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
Fraid so.
The timeline is:
Independent School (SeanT’s if I recall right) --> Trinity College --> JRF at Kings College --> Lecturer at QMUL --> People’s Party MP at Stoke-on-Trent --> Director of the V&A.
Living proof that in the UK, the son of a humble Labour peer can make good.
He is certainly someone who has benefitted from hugely Brexit. The vacancy at the V&A only arose because Martin Roth went back to Germany, after Brexit.
So, he didn’t help his constituents much in Stoke-on-Trent, but his constituents helped him enormously by opening up his next career jump.
You could of course have added the TV documentaries on the Civil War, which were of course because he's a world renowned expert in the history of urban planning in the nineteenth century and therefore especially good on the events of the seventeenth cen..ah, hold on.
Well, I missed them, but I recall a TV documentary on Isaac Newton, a subject he knows feck-all about.
I've spent the last few hours greening out my substantial Con seats position.
Just after the election was announced, I went;
350-399 = -£££££££££ 400-449 = +££££££££££££
Now;
0-650 = +£££
I'm basically positionless right now.
Other than in individual seat bets, there must be some value somewhere, right?
Labour are still almost 2/1 on Betfair to get 30-35% of the vote. If their polling stays at 30-31%, and especially if it keeps growing, this should be a good trading bet or just a keeper.
That's not a bad punt. Should be 6/4, perhaps? The danger is a polling failure on the scale of GE2015.
Anyway, I did some scouting and found someone wanting to bet £310 @ 5.8 that the con maj would be 150-174 seats.
Comments
Nite all.
But nowhere near as irritating as Farron.
* The license fee is forced speech which is the start of the end of free speech
"Speaking as a grandson..."
Also, question: did nobody at ITV think to invite any of the Northern Irish parties? They've surely as much right to turn up to the snorefest as Sturgeon and Wood, and the DUP have more Parliamentary seats than three of the five leaders present put together.
Please don't vote for that awful Lucas person!
So there was a time when they had a truly massive historical organ, plus a large musical instrument in the chapel?
This programme will have practically zero impact upon VI. The losers (if there are any) are Nuttal and Farron.
1. Caroline Lucas (by a whisker)
2. Nicola Sturgeon
3. Leanne Wood
4. Tim Farron (big mistake to keep talking about himself)
5. Paul Nuttall (last by a distance)
(Audience reaction well worth listening to)
https://twitter.com/campbellclaret/status/865299262938247168
Just after the election was announced, I went;
350-399 = -£££££££££
400-449 = +££££££££££££
Now;
0-650 = +£££
I'm basically positionless right now.
Other than in individual seat bets, there must be some value somewhere, right?
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/a3ba0f99-e0ff-44af-ac7c-0c2fbfb61db3
Not like tonight's debate when all five are losers.
Which given what might have been possible for his party in this election is something of a tragedy.
May and Corbyn dodged a bullet here, don't see any of these 5 having done anything to take some support.
The timeline is:
Independent School (SeanT’s if I recall right) --> Trinity College --> JRF at Kings College --> Lecturer at QMUL --> People’s Party MP at Stoke-on-Trent --> Director of the V&A.
Living proof that in the UK, the son of a humble Labour peer can make good.
He is certainly someone who has benefitted hugely from Brexit. The vacancy at the V&A only arose because Martin Roth went back to Germany, after Brexit.
So, he didn’t help his constituents much in Brexit Central, Stoke-on-Trent, but his constituents helped him enormously by opening up his next career jump.
Labour and SNP outleafletted the Tories for the local elections, but then they will have had longer to plan that campaign. Today's effort from the Tories was a multi-page affair. No expense spared.
No Brexiteers will bother.
I was going to pick Kane as triple captain this week, instead I picked Diego Costa.
Greatest blunder since the Empire of Japan attacked the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor to keep the Americans OUT of the war.
Meanwhile, on the Conservative Twitter feed...
Corbyn is crap
Corbyn's coalition of chaos
Corbyn will bring a crappy coalition of crappy chaos
Nicola: get on with the day job!
Nicola and Jeremy's coalition of chaos
Corbyn's coalition of chaos
Corbyn's coalition of chaos
Corbyn doesn't know what he's doing
Tim would join Corbyn's coalition of chaos
Caroline would join Corbyn's coalition of chaos
Tim, Nicola and Jeremy would create a coalition of chaos
Nicola: get on with the day job!
Corbyn is crap
Corbyn's coalition of chaos
No interest in Natalie or Paul whatsoever. Poor Natalie. Poor Paul.
One labour canvassers visit
Shouldn't have been that hard to work out given both his sons went on to lead it as well.
It would be wrong to say that the 350 was promised to the NHS, but considering it was widely expected, announcing it would go to the NHS would have been very popular and to some extent healed the divisions of the referendum.
In actual fact 350 a week is only about 3 years inflation increase anyway. not that it would make much defence on its own, The risk is that it would just be wasted, but it would possibly give the Tories metaphoric permission to make some 'market forces' reforms that could over the long term have let to big efficiency improvements.
Timmy looking tough with his bit of bum fluff hovering above his top lip.
The first sentence is naturally a plain statement of fact and may not be questioned
The '£350m' is going into a UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Foreign aid is being 'redefined'.
There are three weeks to go so some of these themes will presumably develop and be pushed centre stage as we go on. The potentially unpopular bits seem to be getting their airing three weeks out while Corbyn shoots his load.
I think.
Anyway, I did some scouting and found someone wanting to bet £310 @ 5.8 that the con maj would be 150-174 seats.
That's too short for such a narrow band.
I've taken on a £1.5k liability, anyway.