There is no doubt in my mind that they interfered in both Scottish Independence and Brexit referenda. Unsuccessfully in the first instance...
I think this might be a stretch. If there's an opportunity to stir up a bit of trouble I'm sure that Russia does take advantage. But there is only opportunity for this when there is a clear wedge already opening up the space.
So in Brexit terms, Russia might have desired the result, but any interference could only have effect if they were pushing at an open door, and therefore it is very difficult to judge how much influence that interference might have had.
I believe you're right. Russian spooks are likely the same self-serving, pointless-target-driven make-works that you see in the west. I think Russia did "win it" for Trump in the sense that Clinton probably would have won if it weren't for Russian interference and the Trump team's collusion with it. I don't think the Russians tipped the Brexit vote, although it would be better if they were not involved.
Edit. The other interesting point now is that Brexit very much aligns with Russia's goals of destroying the EU, weakening the Western Alliance and undermining liberal democracy.
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
Both she and Stewart, who was once imprisoned by the Taliban, decline to comment. However, a mutual friend insists that their romantic relationship did not begin until she had separated from her husband.
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
Starmer gets impact reports published. Whips up storm about the negative impact. Calls for another referendum. Numbers in Parliament back it.
Then we either stay acrimoniously or leave acrimoniously.
Or, Starmer may simply try and get Parliament to overrule the referendum result. The succeeding General Election then becomes dominated by the EU. (And we either stay or leave acrimoniously).
It was the Coalition that rather fossilised the cabinet and stopped new talent coming through.
That Coalition does increasingly look like a golden era of good government.
In other news NZ is planning to tackle its housing and infrastructure challenge via importing British construction workers. Not sure how this fits with clamping down on migration. I expect a similar drive here would be the same but an order of magnitude bigger.
Haven't we been told that British construction workers are expensive, unskilled, lazy and in insufficient numbers ?
As to the coalition - hundreds of billions of extra borrowing, stagnant productivity and wages, continuous trade deficits, Middle Eastern warmongering, uncontrolled immigration, triple lock pensions, unafforadable housing, student debts, EU humiliations, Scottish nationalism rampant, vanity projects and plenty more I've temporarily forgotten.
There's not much good government there.
Construction has been the real star of the economy since 2013, with output up 27%.
I think the government's economic record has been better than you describe. The budget deficit has gone from 11% of GDP to 2%, while unemployment has halved.
You wouldn’t think there was a problem with construction of new homes round here. Colchester, Chelmsford have enormous new estates, and more are planned.
It is baffling.
Everyone says there are lots of new houses being built near them and the ONS data says that new house building is the highest on records dating back to 1997.
Yet we're told that house construction is low and in much of the country housing is completely unaffordable on local wages.
I just heard on radio that Priti Patel was a likely replacement. Her credentials being that she's a SHE and unlikely to have brushed anyone's knee with her hand.
Having a pro hanging defence secretary who believes the odd mistake isn't a problem should add to the gaiety of this government.
Time for Mrs Corbyn to get her Littlewoods catalogue out.
A majority of the country supports the death penalty for murder
A majority of the country also supports renationalising the railways.
Doesn’t mean they are right.
No it does not but Corbyn clearly won votes on renationalising the railways and there is no necessary reason why Patel supporting the death penalty should lose her votes, indeed she may even gain some.
I think it’s an issue unlikely to be decisive in many people’s decision, not least since there are no plans to reintroduce the death penalty. Now if she became leader and advocated a change, we’d find out if it’d help or hinder - as you point out, most say they support it.
I expect there would be significant support for a policy supporting the death penalty for terrorists and serial killers.
Starmer gets impact reports published. Whips up storm about the negative impact. Calls for another referendum. Numbers in Parliament back it.
Then we either stay acrimoniously or leave acrimoniously.
Or, Starmer may simply try and get Parliament to overrule the referendum result. The succeeding General Election then becomes dominated by the EU. (And we either stay or leave acrimoniously).
Corbyn won't reverse Brexit though he would back a longer transition period than the Tories.
It was the Coalition that rather fossilised the cabinet and stopped new talent coming through.
That Coalition does increasingly look like a golden era of good government.
In other news NZ is planning to tackle its housing and infrastructure challenge via importing British construction workers. Not sure how this fits with clamping down on migration. I expect a similar drive here would be the same but an order of magnitude bigger...
Except Hammond/May are apparently very hesitant about a large house building program as they don't want to mess up the borrowing figures.
Which is crazy, as it would be one form of government investment almost guaranteed to generate a long term real return at current interest rates.
(edit - and would leave less borrowing headroom for any future Corbyn administration to borrow for less productive forms pf spending...)
It has been the unshakable tenet of all governments since Thatcher's that rising property prices are good, politically and for the immediate term boost in the economy, if not for a stable and balanced one. If the government undertakes a big housebuilding programme just as property prices turn and we start seeing long term negative equity, that will drive a coach and horses through that tenet.
It was the Coalition that rather fossilised the cabinet and stopped new talent coming through.
That Coalition does increasingly look like a golden era of good government.
In other news NZ is planning to tackle its housing and infrastructure challenge via importing British construction workers. Not sure how this fits with clamping down on migration. I expect a similar drive here would be the same but an order of magnitude bigger.
Haven't we been told that British construction workers are expensive, unskilled, lazy and in insufficient numbers ?
As to the coalition - hundreds of billions of extra borrowing, stagnant productivity and wages, continuous trade deficits, Middle Eastern warmongering, uncontrolled immigration, triple lock pensions, unafforadable housing, student debts, EU humiliations, Scottish nationalism rampant, vanity projects and plenty more I've temporarily forgotten.
There's not much good government there.
Construction has been the real star of the economy since 2013, with output up 27%.
I think the government's economic record has been better than you describe. The budget deficit has gone from 11% of GDP to 2%, while unemployment has halved.
You wouldn’t think there was a problem with construction of new homes round here. Colchester, Chelmsford have enormous new estates, and more are planned.
It is baffling.
Everyone says there are lots of new houses being built near them and the ONS data says that new house building is the highest on records dating back to 1997.
Yet we're told that house construction is low and in much of the country housing is completely unaffordable on local wages.
House prices rocketed from 1997-2007, but haven't risen by all that much since then, London excepted.
It was the Coalition that rather fossilised the cabinet and stopped new talent coming through.
That Coalition does increasingly look like a golden era of good government.
In other news NZ is planning to tackle its housing and infrastructure challenge via importing British construction workers. Not sure how this fits with clamping down on migration. I expect a similar drive here would be the same but an order of magnitude bigger...
Except Hammond/May are apparently very hesitant about a large house building program as they don't want to mess up the borrowing figures.
Which is crazy, as it would be one form of government investment almost guaranteed to generate a long term real return at current interest rates.
(edit - and would leave less borrowing headroom for any future Corbyn administration to borrow for less productive forms pf spending...)
£25 billion a year being effectively thrown away on housing benefit should be the reason we do the borrowing - because in the long term it should cut the HB bill. Otherwise that is just going to go up and up as more people rent - particularly in the future in retirement which is another ticking time bomb. And of course those renting in retirement will have no assets to fund their social care either.
Of course Hammond made his money in property and buy to let - so maybe from a purely personal perspective he doesn't want more supply?
Plus assets to pass onto their children and grandchildren
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
I wonder if the Boris 'Minister to Watch' was a little barbed:
Speccie Awards: Speech of the Year – Kemi Badenoch Backbencher of the Year – Stella Creasy Comeback of the Year – Sir Vince Cable Peer of the Year – Lord Adonis Minister to watch – Boris Johnson Rising Star – Angela Rayner Insurgent of the Year – Jacob Rees-Mogg Negotiator of the Year – Nigel Dodds Politician of the Year – Jeremy Corbyn Parliamentarian of the Year – Ruth Davidson
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
Both she and Stewart, who was once imprisoned by the Taliban, decline to comment. However, a mutual friend insists that their romantic relationship did not begin until she had separated from her husband.
And they married five years ago, and have a child together. This wasn't apparently a drunken one-night stand style of affair.
I'm bemused by how people apparently want MPs to be 'more like them', whilst simultaneously wanting them to be 'better than them'; i.e. not having affairs, never doing wrong, etc, etc.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Sky reporting replacement for Fallon expected to be announced by 11.00 am
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Tom Tugendhat is 33/1 generally for next Tory leader and 50/1 with Betfred and 60/1 with Betfair as next Prime Minister.
It was the Coalition that rather fossilised the cabinet and stopped new talent coming through.
That Coalition does increasingly look like a golden era of good government.
In other news NZ is planning to tackle its housing and infrastructure challenge via importing British construction workers. Not sure how this fits with clamping down on migration. I expect a similar drive here would be the same but an order of magnitude bigger.
Haven't we been told that British construction workers are expensive, unskilled, lazy and in insufficient numbers ?
As to the coalition - hundreds of billions of extra borrowing, stagnant productivity and wages, continuous trade deficits, Middle Eastern warmongering, uncontrolled immigration, triple lock pensions, unafforadable housing, student debts, EU humiliations, Scottish nationalism rampant, vanity projects and plenty more I've temporarily forgotten.
There's not much good government there.
Construction has been the real star of the economy since 2013, with output up 27%.
I think the government's economic record has been better than you describe. The budget deficit has gone from 11% of GDP to 2%, while unemployment has halved.
You wouldn’t think there was a problem with construction of new homes round here. Colchester, Chelmsford have enormous new estates, and more are planned.
It is baffling.
Everyone says there are lots of new houses being built near them and the ONS data says that new house building is the highest on records dating back to 1997.
Yet we're told that house construction is low and in much of the country housing is completely unaffordable on local wages.
House prices rocketed from 1997-2007, but haven't risen by all that much since then, London excepted.
I suspect there is a pretty close connection between change in housing affordability and electoral swing since 2010.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
Both she and Stewart, who was once imprisoned by the Taliban, decline to comment. However, a mutual friend insists that their romantic relationship did not begin until she had separated from her husband.
And they married five years ago, and have a child together. This wasn't apparently a drunken one-night stand style of affair.
I'm bemused by how people apparently want MPs to be 'more like them', whilst simultaneously wanting them to be 'better than them'; i.e. not having affairs, never doing wrong, etc, etc.
There's an article on Con Home calling for the sacking of any MP who's ever had an affair or visited a prostitute.
Exactly. It could be a blessing in disguise. Get rid of all the old wood, bring into the cabinet some young talent, people who stand a good chance of succeeding her.
The question is: who is drawing up false accusations against some of those younger people?
Several names discussed on here to replace Fallon. Suspect any of them would be better than him - so really this could be a blessing in disguise for TM. Really it makes you wonder what he was doing in the job in the first place.
This has been around for a while (I think I may have hinted at it previously). I was told that Martin Gilbert was still involved in the financial side; if so that would be at least as significant as the other names mentioned.
I’m sure this story will get an airing if Rory gets Defence.
When Prof Noah Coburn volunteered to work in war-torn Afghanistan for the charity established by Rory Stewart and the Prince of Wales, his wife, Shoshana, agreed to go with him.
She promised her parents that she would stay for no more than nine months. Little did Prof Coburn know, however, that the couple’s marriage would founder and that his wife would end up being charmed by Stewart, who is now a prominent Tory MP.
“Noah was absolutely devastated when his marriage broke down,” a friend of the eminent American anthropologist tells Mandrake. “He loved Shoshana very dearly.”
Both she and Stewart, who was once imprisoned by the Taliban, decline to comment. However, a mutual friend insists that their romantic relationship did not begin until she had separated from her husband.
And they married five years ago, and have a child together. This wasn't apparently a drunken one-night stand style of affair.
I'm bemused by how people apparently want MPs to be 'more like them', whilst simultaneously wanting them to be 'better than them'; i.e. not having affairs, never doing wrong, etc, etc.
There's an article on Con Home calling for the sacking of any MP who's ever had an affair or visited a prostitute.
Wouldn't need to renovate Parliament if that were the case, could use a small village hall as a chamber. This does bring to mind the scene in the last Yes Minster where Sir Humphrey shows Hacker the MI5 files showing the Chancellor was a pervert and the Foreign Secretary was a swindler.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Remainers will be happy to see him advance
This is what he said on the recent closure of Southern Salads, previously a significant employer in his Tonbridge constituency.
"I campaigned very actively for Remain because this is exactly what I expected, and I'm very sorry that it has happened.
Unfortunately it turned out the company had been poorly managed for a number of years and like other struggling businesses were using the excuse of Brexit as a cover for their own failings.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Tugenhat is too new a face for Def Secretary, perhaps a junior post. Also the MOD would probably prefer a Minister who was less hands on - Tugendhat was too recently in uniform. Rory Stewart at DFID is more of an indication of his sort of trajectory.
T May is known for her caution so I dont expect any big surprises (esp after the last walking trip in Wales where she plumped for an election)
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
It was more about presentation than policy.
But the SNP have done well out of having a moralising mum as their leader - seems a bit Cameron to Nicla's Blair though.
So any problem with EU nurses seems to be rather specific.
There's a lag while people decide what they are going to do, check out the options and go through applications. It explains the apparent contradiction between a trend to leave and a (probably short term) actual increase in numbers immediately following the vote.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Sky reporting replacement for Fallon expected to be announced by 11.00 am
As a PB exclusive I can reveal that the new Defence Secretary will not be me
In his resignation letter Fallon said "I have fallen below the standard expected of the Armed Forces". So - if he had been Cabinet Minister of a different department - does it imply that he would not have felt the need to resign ?
In his resignation letter Fallon said "I have fallen below the standard expected of the Armed Forces". So - if he had been Cabinet Minister of a different department - does it imply that he would not have felt the need to resign ?
Diplomats in the Foreign Office must be held to a lower standard clearly.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Remainers will be happy to see him advance
This is what he said on the recent closure of Southern Salads, previously a significant employer in his Tonbridge constituency.
"I campaigned very actively for Remain because this is exactly what I expected, and I'm very sorry that it has happened.
Unfortunately it turned out the company had been poorly managed for a number of years and like other struggling businesses were using the excuse of Brexit as a cover for their own failings.
The proximate cause of death, I believe, was the sudden drop in the value of sterling. The company was buying produce in euros from the EU and selling it in pounds to the supermarkets.
Edit. Whether you blame Brexit or not for the bankruptcy of Southern Salads with the loss of many jobs, coincidentally it did fail and it won't be the only one.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Sky reporting replacement for Fallon expected to be announced by 11.00 am
As a PB exclusive I can reveal that the new Defence Secretary will not be me
In these crazy times we can take nothing for certain.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
If true, your second point would be a killer. At the present time nothing is enraging true blue home counties voters more than proposed new towns / garden villages. In east Surrey there are posters opposing the proposals there on virtually every street corner.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
If true, your second point would be a killer. At the present time nothing is enraging true blue home counties voters more than proposed new towns / garden villages. In east Surrey there are posters opposing the proposals there on virtually every street corner.
NIMBYism is very powerful. The chinese have it right.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
If true, your second point would be a killer. At the present time nothing is enraging true blue home counties voters more than proposed new towns / garden villages. In east Surrey there are posters opposing the proposals there on virtually every street corner.
I'm in West Surrey. The same things true there. Pressure on roads and traffic really enrages people.
I used to think I probably wasn't deviant enough to be a Tory, not enough "odd sexual ponchants". Now I realise that I am definitely not deviant enough...
I do feel sorry for MPs though. As I wandered round the palace of Westminster yesterday the distinct impression I got was of an institution and people utterly disconnected from reality. They all (mostly) come from normal, they represent normal people in normal places.
Then they go to Westminster and spend most of the week away from family in a place populated by men in white bow ties with as many rules as there are rooms and corridors to get lost in and so many people to remember not as people but titles. Its no wonder that so many of them end up on the kinky side of bonkers. They're institutionalised by a mad house,
"Buckingham Palace is understood to be “not happy” after Labour MPs tried to drag the Queen into a row about Brexit yesterday, The Telegraph can disclose."
Rory an obvious choice when you think it through !
Yes, you would think so but my spies are whispering the name of Tom Tugenhat. Not sure how much they know but naturally I have taken the usual precautions.
Sky reporting Damien Green seen going into no 10 - later followed by Gavin Williamson
Interesting
If the PM was willing to gamble, now would be the time to get rid of Johnson using the example of Fallon. Green would have to go as well but it would offer her a chance to move some fresh faces in as well.
Rory an obvious choice when you think it through !
Yes, you would think so but my spies are whispering the name of Tom Tugenhat. Not sure how much they know but naturally I have taken the usual precautions.
I backed Ellwood, Mordaunt and Lancaster yesterday - not handing any more cash over to Ladbrokes who have just managed to mis-settle a bet...
Sky reporting Damien Green seen going into no 10 - later followed by Gavin Williamson
Interesting
Promoting Damien Green at the moment would be 'brave'.
I wasn't thinking promotion - quite the opposite
Whoever is Defence will need to have spent a good few hours being vetted by Chief Whip for even the slightest sniff of some long ago knee touching and so on.
Sky reporting Damien Green seen going into no 10 - later followed by Gavin Williamson
Interesting
Promoting Damien Green at the moment would be 'brave'.
I wasn't thinking promotion - quite the opposite
Whoever is Defence will need to have spent a good few hours being vetted by Chief Whip for even the slightest sniff of some long ago knee touching and so on.
There is a slippery slope here. We're getting to the point where we're expecting our MPs to be nigh on virgins, and only missionary position allowed at most.
Tom Tugendhat uniquely qualified to succeed Fallon - and he was scheduled to appear on Daily Politics before Fallon's resignation was announced. You might want to watch today BBC2 12-1pm (I'm on at 12.40pm). Will report to Mike first if I learn anything new. I expect he'll be asked on air point-blank, if there's no announcement of a successor before the show airs. I just read 'The Fog of War', Tugendhat's essay on the interference of lawyers in soldiers' work, which he wrote after serving in Iraq. His wife, too, is extraordinary - a judge and clear thinker. He might even be the next Tory leader ... is there a market for this? I'd bet on it now.
Remainers will be happy to see him advance
This is what he said on the recent closure of Southern Salads, previously a significant employer in his Tonbridge constituency.
"I campaigned very actively for Remain because this is exactly what I expected, and I'm very sorry that it has happened.
Unfortunately it turned out the company had been poorly managed for a number of years and like other struggling businesses were using the excuse of Brexit as a cover for their own failings.
The proximate cause of death, I believe, was the sudden drop in the value of sterling. The company was buying produce in euros from the EU and selling it in pounds to the supermarkets.
Edit. Whether you blame Brexit or not for the bankruptcy of Southern Salads with the loss of many jobs, coincidentally it did fail and it won't be the only one.
Ruth can overdo the vertically challendged puritanical Scottish wifey finger wagging schitck for me - it's all a bit Nicla-esque.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
Worry ye not about Ruth's moralising, it's precisely one skin cell deep.
It gets her a 15 second slot on national media - but it seems overplayed of late. She'll need other strings to her bow if she's going to rise to the next level.
She already has them:
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland 2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
If true, your second point would be a killer. At the present time nothing is enraging true blue home counties voters more than proposed new towns / garden villages. In east Surrey there are posters opposing the proposals there on virtually every street corner.
I'm in West Surrey. The same things true there. Pressure on roads and traffic really enrages people.
Surrey is ridiculously over-populated, I agree from my visits there. Herefordshire and most of Shropshire are almost empty. Powys is empty except for a high population density of sheep.
Guido’s got it in for Labour this morning, he reckons there’s at least *NINE* separate complaints now - including two rapes, four sexual assaults and two cases of serial harassment.
Comments
Edit. The other interesting point now is that Brexit very much aligns with Russia's goals of destroying the EU, weakening the Western Alliance and undermining liberal democracy.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-tory-toff-set-to-tie-1405678
European nurses and midwives leaving UK in droves since Brexit vote
Nursing and Midwifery Council says NHS faces staffing shortfall due to ‘double whammy’ of European and UK-trained medics leaving
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/02/european-nurses-midwives-leaving-uk-nhs-brexit-vote
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/925682313190625280
Starmer gets impact reports published. Whips up storm about the negative impact. Calls for another referendum. Numbers in Parliament back it.
Then we either stay acrimoniously or leave acrimoniously.
Or, Starmer may simply try and get Parliament to overrule the referendum result. The succeeding General Election then becomes dominated by the EU. (And we either stay or leave acrimoniously).
https://twitter.com/guardian/status/926014412548427777
Everyone says there are lots of new houses being built near them and the ONS data says that new house building is the highest on records dating back to 1997.
Yet we're told that house construction is low and in much of the country housing is completely unaffordable on local wages.
Plus the government is expanding training places for British nurses.
https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/kevin-spacey-seeking-treatment-after-men-tell-of-unwanted-sexual-advances-by-star-a3674351.html
Speccie Awards:
Speech of the Year – Kemi Badenoch
Backbencher of the Year – Stella Creasy
Comeback of the Year – Sir Vince Cable
Peer of the Year – Lord Adonis
Minister to watch – Boris Johnson
Rising Star – Angela Rayner
Insurgent of the Year – Jacob Rees-Mogg
Negotiator of the Year – Nigel Dodds
Politician of the Year – Jeremy Corbyn
Parliamentarian of the Year – Ruth Davidson
https://order-order.com/2017/11/01/speccie-awards-winners
I'm bemused by how people apparently want MPs to be 'more like them', whilst simultaneously wanting them to be 'better than them'; i.e. not having affairs, never doing wrong, etc, etc.
And if it was that popular - I'd visit my mother more often.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41556997
So any problem with EU nurses seems to be rather specific.
Plus the language tests for EU and overseas nurses have also had an impact it is not just Brexit.
The question is: who is drawing up false accusations against some of those younger people?
Suspect any of them would be better than him - so really this could be a blessing in disguise for TM.
Really it makes you wonder what he was doing in the job in the first place.
This is what he said on the recent closure of Southern Salads, previously a significant employer in his Tonbridge constituency.
"I campaigned very actively for Remain because this is exactly what I expected, and I'm very sorry that it has happened.
Unfortunately it turned out the company had been poorly managed for a number of years and like other struggling businesses were using the excuse of Brexit as a cover for their own failings.
1) End WFA in England and Wales but keep it in Scotland
2) Build endless new towns (financing and locations not specified)
Vote winnerzzz
Walker: 'We'll respond in due course'"
Starmer: "When?"
Walker: "As soon as we can"
T May is known for her caution so I dont expect any big surprises (esp after the last walking trip in Wales where she plumped for an election)
But the SNP have done well out of having a moralising mum as their leader - seems a bit Cameron to Nicla's Blair though.
Edit. Whether you blame Brexit or not for the bankruptcy of Southern Salads with the loss of many jobs, coincidentally it did fail and it won't be the only one.
http://enormo-haddock.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/early-thoughts-on-2018.html
I do feel sorry for MPs though. As I wandered round the palace of Westminster yesterday the distinct impression I got was of an institution and people utterly disconnected from reality. They all (mostly) come from normal, they represent normal people in normal places.
Then they go to Westminster and spend most of the week away from family in a place populated by men in white bow ties with as many rules as there are rooms and corridors to get lost in and so many people to remember not as people but titles. Its no wonder that so many of them end up on the kinky side of bonkers. They're institutionalised by a mad house,
Interesting
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/01/exclusive-queen-not-happy-dragged-labour-row-brexit-papers/
"Buckingham Palace is understood to be “not happy” after Labour MPs tried to drag the Queen into a row about Brexit yesterday, The Telegraph can disclose."
Clearing out the stables now would be very wise. But they need to get rid of all the s**t (cough cough BJ)...
https://www.shareprophets.com/views/31060/250-kent-job-losses-as-southern-salads-goes-bust-blaming-brexit-but-its-all-lies-in-the-remoaning-independent
Tugendhat jumped on the bandwagon without checking the facts.
Breaking: New Defence Secretary is Gavin Williamson - the Chief Whip! Wow.
Meh, May plays it timid and safe
Williamson new Def Sec.
Herefordshire and most of Shropshire are almost empty.
Powys is empty except for a high population density of sheep.
https://order-order.com/2017/11/02/full-litany-of-abuse-claims-being-covered-up-by-labour/