As you should know gentlemen don't discuss these things Carlotta but let's just say that with the collapse of Jute, Jam and Journalism the City is exploring other options.
How is Dundee getting on in the league?
I am not a Dundee fan being a Dundee United man but I understand that Dundee are very sportingly giving the rest of the league a head start to make it more interesting, just like Man U.
As you should know gentlemen don't discuss these things Carlotta but let's just say that with the collapse of Jute, Jam and Journalism the City is exploring other options.
How is Dundee getting on in the league?
I am not a Dundee fan being a Dundee United man but I understand that Dundee are very sportingly giving the rest of the league a head start to make it more interesting, just like Man U.
As you should know gentlemen don't discuss these things Carlotta but let's just say that with the collapse of Jute, Jam and Journalism the City is exploring other options.
How is Dundee getting on in the league?
I am not a Dundee fan being a Dundee United man but I understand that Dundee are very sportingly giving the rest of the league a head start to make it more interesting, just like Man U.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Inept and lacking in vision are surely the required qualities for a Brexit PM? A mediocrity delivering the mediocre. I for one don't blame Theresa May for Brexit to date turning out the way I expected it to turn out.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
At the moment the likeliest candidates to win the Democratic nomination in 2020 to face Trump in polling are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders but if Sanders does not run Elizabeth Warren has a good chance too
It's tricky though. I can see that teachers in other subjects might be a bit put out by their colleagues suddenly getting a pay bump? Is it common already for teachers of different subjects to get less or more...?
Not formally, though there are recruitment and retention allowances available which some schools use. I was given a management point on the old scale early in my career which was essentially one of these; the school then had to scrabble around trying to come up with something for me to do to justify it.
Ah okay. I know a few young science teachers socially and they are pretty much all very bright and passionate about their work. I don't know that you can get people like that just be offering a bit more money. My suspicion would be that providing prestige/career incentives might be more successful.
It's tricky though. I can see that teachers in other subjects might be a bit put out by their colleagues suddenly getting a pay bump? Is it common already for teachers of different subjects to get less or more...?
STEM teachers certainly used to get bigger bursaries in training and also more attractive starting packages as there were in shorter supply than arts and humanities teachers
At the moment the likeliest candidates to win the Democratic nomination in 2020 to face Trump in polling are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders but if Sanders does not run Elizabeth Warren has a good chance too
The likelihood of either of those running, never mind winning, is the same as the probability of TSE ordering a 20-inch Hawaiian with extra pineapple.
Yes, you will think I'm wrong. Please don't bother to say so. On the next leader markets for both the Tories and the Dems your posts are becoming very tedious and they offer no insight.
Accusations that the former first minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader sexually harassed two women during his time in office have highlighted a potential split in the party that could change the course of the independence movement.
If unchecked, it could result in two distinct strands of Scottish nationalism: a hardcore of Salmond supporters (the Salmondites) aggressively pushing for independence and a more moderate strain led by his friend and successor Nicola Sturgeon (the Sturgeonites)....
Andrew Collier is a writer, broadcaster, author and commentator, and a former communications adviser and speechwriter to both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Inept and lacking in vision are surely the required qualities for a Brexit PM? A mediocrity delivering the mediocre. I for one don't blame Theresa May for Brexit to date turning out the way I expected it to turn out.
Mrs May was ‘there’ when Cameron resigned and the opposition candidates fell into pits of their own making. She doesn’t believe in Brexit, she said, but ‘it’s the will of country’ so as a good technician, as opposed to ideas person she’s implementing it. After all it’s the duty of a Conservative to ensure their side is in power, not to take ideological positions.
It's tricky though. I can see that teachers in other subjects might be a bit put out by their colleagues suddenly getting a pay bump? Is it common already for teachers of different subjects to get less or more...?
STEM teachers certainly used to get bigger bursaries in training and also more attractive starting packages as there were in shorter supply than arts and humanities teachers
Yes you're right. That feels slightly more defensible, as it's basically paying a premium to get you into the profession. But then once you're there, you earn the same as an english teacher at the same level...
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
We are a very good school, but we lose good young teachers both to the independent sector, where better pay is one of the attractions, and out of teaching because they cannot afford to buy a house round here on a teacher’s salary. We are also very unusual in that normally the entire Physics department have Physics degrees, although the current hod only has a degree in Natural Science. The main problem is getting Physics graduates to even think about teaching.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
That rather depends on whether Hell is expanding faster than souls are being added to it:
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
Have you read Dante’s Inferno? I draw your attention to the ninth circle...
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
hows that news ?
If the party was headed by Graham Norton on a treble lawyers salaries and free houses for people born in Norfolk platform you'd still vote for someone else
At the moment the likeliest candidates to win the Democratic nomination in 2020 to face Trump in polling are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders but if Sanders does not run Elizabeth Warren has a good chance too
The likelihood of either of those running, never mind winning, is the same as the probability of TSE ordering a 20-inch Hawaiian with extra pineapple.
Yes, you will think I'm wrong. Please don't bother to say so. On the next leader markets for both the Tories and the Dems your posts are becoming very tedious and they offer no insight.
Well think that if you wish but aides to both Biden and Sanders are clear they are looking to run in 2020 and most be considered the early favourites. Indeed of the last 4 candidates nominated by parties to face incumbent Presidents after only one term out of the White House, Romney, Kerry, Dole and Mondale all were over 60 bar Mondale who was still over 50 or over 70 in Dole's case and experienced Senators or a former Governor or Vice President much like Sanders and Biden
We are a very good school, but we lose good young teachers both to the independent sector, where better pay is one of the attractions, and out of teaching because they cannot afford to buy a house round here on a teacher’s salary. We are also very unusual in that normally the entire Physics department have Physics degrees, although the current hod only has a degree in Natural Science. The main problem is getting Physics graduates to even think about teaching.
What we really need is a good rescission...
Teaching is like any public sector job. Great in cheap areas, where your pay is on average likely to be higher than the surrounding average work, but not so good in expensive areas.
We are a very good school, but we lose good young teachers both to the independent sector, where better pay is one of the attractions, and out of teaching because they cannot afford to buy a house round here on a teacher’s salary. We are also very unusual in that normally the entire Physics department have Physics degrees, although the current hod only has a degree in Natural Science. The main problem is getting Physics graduates to even think about teaching.
What we really need is a good rescission...
Teaching is like any public sector job. Great in cheap areas, where your pay is on average likely to be higher than the surrounding average work, but not so good in expensive areas.
True. But if you get a teaching job in an area with cheap housing that may bring its own challenges.
At the moment the likeliest candidates to win the Democratic nomination in 2020 to face Trump in polling are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders but if Sanders does not run Elizabeth Warren has a good chance too
The likelihood of either of those running, never mind winning, is the same as the probability of TSE ordering a 20-inch Hawaiian with extra pineapple.
Yes, you will think I'm wrong. Please don't bother to say so. On the next leader markets for both the Tories and the Dems your posts are becoming very tedious and they offer no insight.
Well think that if you wish but aides to both Biden and Sanders are clear they are looking to run in 2020 and most be considered the early favourites. Indeed of the last 4 candidates nominated by parties to face incumbent Presidents after only one term out of the White House, Romney, Kerry, Dole and Mondale all were over 60, or over 70 in Dole's case and experienced Senators or a former Governor or Vice President much like Sanders and Biden
It is reather strange how, if the dems are looking to attract the young millenials, they're going for two old white men as the front runners.
This is the kind of thing that gives me a bit of sympathy for her, lumbered with Brexit and doggedly trying to reconcile the voters' impossibly contradictory expectations, dancing like no-one is watching.
The Maybot Dance is to TM what antisemitism is to JC. Idiotic, revolting and should be the death of any political career but they double down and own it instead.
Does milk curdle when you look at it? It seems that there’s no subject on which you’re anything but sour.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
We are a very good school, but we lose good young teachers both to the independent sector, where better pay is one of the attractions, and out of teaching because they cannot afford to buy a house round here on a teacher’s salary. We are also very unusual in that normally the entire Physics department have Physics degrees, although the current hod only has a degree in Natural Science. The main problem is getting Physics graduates to even think about teaching.
What we really need is a good rescission...
Teaching is like any public sector job. Great in cheap areas, where your pay is on average likely to be higher than the surrounding average work, but not so good in expensive areas.
True. But if you get a teaching job in an area with cheap housing that may bring its own challenges.
Yes. It's nice living in an area where a three bed semi including garage and front and back gardens changes hands for £123,000, but I wouldn't want to teach at Staffordshire University Academy.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
Well, of all the answers I was expecting I freely admit I wasn't expecting that!
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
Well, of all the answers I was expecting I freely admit I wasn't expecting that!
I have only ever voted for two winning candidates. Boris Johnson was the first. The second was Sadiq Khan.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
Well, of all the answers I was expecting I freely admit I wasn't expecting that!
I have only ever voted for two winning candidates. Boris Johnson was the first. The second was Sadiq Khan.
You haven’t lived until you’re one of just 754 people who voted for a candidate in a Westminster election.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
Well, of all the answers I was expecting I freely admit I wasn't expecting that!
I have only ever voted for two winning candidates. Boris Johnson was the first. The second was Sadiq Khan.
Given who Boris’s opponent was, I can see why you voted for him.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Finally got round to watching that Newsnight Clip. Williamson with a straight face says there is no intimidation in the Labour Party. Has he ever looked in a mirror...?
Finally got round to watching that Newsnight Clip. Williamson with a straight face says there is no intimidation in the Labour Party. Has he ever looked in a mirror...?
Haven't seen it. But is Williamson saying Field made it all up?
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
Finally got round to watching that Newsnight Clip. Williamson with a straight face says there is no intimidation in the Labour Party. Has he ever looked in a mirror...?
You chose the A-levels I now wish I had; I did Chemistry instead of History. As it turned out an essay based subject would have been very useful and I loved History at O-level.
On the other hand, I can study History now on an informal basis while the sort of equipment and supplies needed to study Chemistry at home would probably get the attention of some very serious people with lots of questions.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
You chose the A-levels I now wish I had; I did Chemistry instead of History. As it turned out an essay based subject would have been very useful and I loved History at O-level.
On the other hand, I can study History now on an informal basis while the sort of equipment and supplies needed to study Chemistry at home would probably get the attention of some very serious people with lots of questions.
I would have loved to have had the chance to study for the Baccalaureate - but not an option in my Northampton comprehensive. So I fought the system and was allowed to do Maths, Physics, French and English at A Level. Meant I had the fullest timetable in 6th Form and had to be sent to a different school for half my French teaching - but at least I got what I wanted!
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
Why do you have an obsession on how individual poster vote and effectively tell them how they voted. Strange
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
Mr. Stodge, I'm also opposed to the concept of charging people for belonging to a demographic, whether that's age, race, or gender (or something else).
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
It has to be some long term insurance policy as part of the resolution to an enormous problem
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
This is damning:
"In England, despite two government consultations, two official commissions, five green or white papers and one Act of Parliament, the system has remained largely unchanged, the report showed."
Politicians in this country have failed us on this issue.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
Now if it offered you a peoples vote Alastair
I'm not in favour of a fresh referendum at present.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
Now if it offered you a peoples vote Alastair
I'm not in favour of a fresh referendum at present.
In honesty what is your best solution
I am off to cut the grass now so it gives you some time to respond. It is not a trick question. I really am interested your view
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
This is damning:
"In England, despite two government consultations, two official commissions, five green or white papers and one Act of Parliament, the system has remained largely unchanged, the report showed."
Politicians in this country have failed us on this issue.
"The supplementary vote, like the alternative vote system, allows for tactical voting against a particular candidate in the first round. It will be very easy for the Tories to portray themselves as the stop Farage side."
This doesn't work. That doesn't mean that the Tories wouldn't portray themselves as the stop Farage candidate, nor that they wouldn't be successful. But it's FPTP tactical voting, not AV.
If the consideration is stopping Farage, and a left-of-Tory voter wants to vote Tory to stop Farage from making the final two, then their vote stays with the Tories - against Labour, presumably - in the second round. it would only transfer if the Tory went out (and if the transfer-recipient went through). Much more effective would be to vote Labour to begin with, or LD-Lab or Grn-Lab.
Finally got round to watching that Newsnight Clip. Williamson with a straight face says there is no intimidation in the Labour Party. Has he ever looked in a mirror...?
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
This is damning:
"In England, despite two government consultations, two official commissions, five green or white papers and one Act of Parliament, the system has remained largely unchanged, the report showed."
Politicians in this country have failed us on this issue.
I think you are right to blame politicians.
They (Tory or Labour or LibDem) have consistently tried to seek political advantage ("Death Tax", "Dementia Tax", "Mansion Tax") whenever a possible solution is proposed.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
Now if it offered you a peoples vote Alastair
I'm not in favour of a fresh referendum at present.
In honesty what is your best solution
I am off to cut the grass now so it gives you some time to respond. It is not a trick question. I really am interested your view
I don't think there is a best solution. It's a complete disaster from here.
Britain is now a country where a large part of the country is comfortable seeing the economy seriously damaged or the country dismembered in order to retreat from the complexities of the 21st century. Until that changes, the country is destined to decline further, cannoning from one unrealistic populist solution to another, each time seeing yet more damage to the country.
The long term solution is for public figures to make the case for deeper engagement with our closest neighbours, focusing on the dull but important longterm solutions of investing in infrastructure and education, and arguing for the benefits of immigration to society. A lot of damage is going to be done before that message seeps through. In the meantime, Britain is becoming a dull and surly backwater.
The "issue" should be about how we treat the elderly - ideally with respect, care and dignity and frankly the cost be damned. We will all (hopefully) grow old and whether we need care or not, I would like to think we would all want to be treated with dignity and as continuing members of society.
In addition, those who do the caring (whether family members or not) deserve proper remuneration and support and that means giving carers a break and allowing them to work and allowing them to have a life and make a contribution beyond the provision of care.
I have to admit I quite like Tezza now . Clearly she's helped by being around at the same time as JRM, Corbyn and Trump, but still....
She’s dismally inept and lacking in any charisma or vision, but she evidently has a strong sense of duty and is not intentionally actively malign. I wouldn’t go as far as “like” but as you say she benefits from comparison with alternatives.
Put you down as a maybe?
Hell will freeze over before I vote for the current incarnation of the Conservative party.
As a matter of interest when was the last time you voted Conservative?
Boris Johnson for Mayor in 2012.
So you did not vote Tory in 2015 or 2017 when the Tories won a majority and most seats?
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
In the past I have voted for Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Conservatives and spoiled my ballot paper. My vote is very much up for grabs. But a party that has as its main plank the incompetent implementation of the most profoundly damaging policy since the Second World War is not going to be given any consideration.
Now if it offered you a peoples vote Alastair
"People's Vote"... could it be any more patronising? What was the first vote then? Was anyone unaware that the people would be voting on whether to Leave or Remain, then passing the baton back to politicians?
Comments
When talking about crime stats she said that murders are up but that less bicycles were being stolen.
FEWER FFS!
Douglas Hurd (3rd)
Impossible not to warm to her, and you can tell that foreign aid, and helping children and women are frankly what she wholly believes in and enjoys.
Tory social media should be working overtime with mash ups of the dancing clips.
Well, depending on how India bat.
Is this a way of showing that you were above such things?
Yes, you will think I'm wrong. Please don't bother to say so. On the next leader markets for both the Tories and the Dems your posts are becoming very tedious and they offer no insight.
Accusations that the former first minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader sexually harassed two women during his time in office have highlighted a potential split in the party that could change the course of the independence movement.
If unchecked, it could result in two distinct strands of Scottish nationalism: a hardcore of Salmond supporters (the Salmondites) aggressively pushing for independence and a more moderate strain led by his friend and successor Nicola Sturgeon (the Sturgeonites)....
Andrew Collier is a writer, broadcaster, author and commentator, and a former communications adviser and speechwriter to both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
https://www.politico.eu/article/alex-salmond-sexual-harassment-allegations/
After all it’s the duty of a Conservative to ensure their side is in power, not to take ideological positions.
https://twitter.com/GuidoFawkes/status/1035276976339148800
What we really need is a good rescission...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6115547/Jeremy-Corbyn-accused-misleading-Parliament-holding-private-meeting-Holocaust-denier.html
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hell-endothermic-exothermic/
And why we should of course be paid more
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-30/google-and-mastercard-cut-a-secret-ad-deal-to-track-retail-sales
If the party was headed by Graham Norton on a treble lawyers salaries and free houses for people born in Norfolk platform you'd still vote for someone else
If it moves it’s Biology,
If it smells it’s Chemistry
And if it doesn’t work it’s Physics.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual holiday and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
https://toughnickel.com/real-estate/15-of-the-cheapest-places-in-the-UK-to-buy-a-3-bedroom-house
I'm really surprised by numbers 14 and 15, less so by the others.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1035199714101276672
Suggests you are a swing voter in London Mayoral and Assembly elections as you voted for Boris but not general elections
On the other hand, I can study History now on an informal basis while the sort of equipment and supplies needed to study Chemistry at home would probably get the attention of some very serious people with lots of questions.
https://twitter.com/BBCGaryR/status/1035413943504785408
I think we really need JRM's nanny's opinion for complete validation though.
Away from dancing Prime Ministers, Field and Farage, the real problems facing the country show no sign of going away:
https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2018/08/england-lags-behind-other-countries-social-care?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=
An interesting little nugget at the end from the LGA suggesting over 40s should pay and additional tax to fund care - I'm not convinced. The notion of saving for your post-working life (including provision for care) should begin as early as possible, shouldn't it ?
Said thread would involve me also criticising David Cameron and that’s a huge step for me.
When you chick in things like general studies, it's hard to take them that seriously. They are the gateway to university, that's all.
"In England, despite two government consultations, two official commissions, five green or white papers and one Act of Parliament, the system has remained largely unchanged, the report showed."
Politicians in this country have failed us on this issue.
I am off to cut the grass now so it gives you some time to respond. It is not a trick question. I really am interested your view
"The supplementary vote, like the alternative vote system, allows for tactical voting against a particular candidate in the first round. It will be very easy for the Tories to portray themselves as the stop Farage side."
This doesn't work. That doesn't mean that the Tories wouldn't portray themselves as the stop Farage candidate, nor that they wouldn't be successful. But it's FPTP tactical voting, not AV.
If the consideration is stopping Farage, and a left-of-Tory voter wants to vote Tory to stop Farage from making the final two, then their vote stays with the Tories - against Labour, presumably - in the second round. it would only transfer if the Tory went out (and if the transfer-recipient went through). Much more effective would be to vote Labour to begin with, or LD-Lab or Grn-Lab.
They (Tory or Labour or LibDem) have consistently tried to seek political advantage ("Death Tax", "Dementia Tax", "Mansion Tax") whenever a possible solution is proposed.
Britain is now a country where a large part of the country is comfortable seeing the economy seriously damaged or the country dismembered in order to retreat from the complexities of the 21st century. Until that changes, the country is destined to decline further, cannoning from one unrealistic populist solution to another, each time seeing yet more damage to the country.
The long term solution is for public figures to make the case for deeper engagement with our closest neighbours, focusing on the dull but important longterm solutions of investing in infrastructure and education, and arguing for the benefits of immigration to society. A lot of damage is going to be done before that message seeps through. In the meantime, Britain is becoming a dull and surly backwater.
In addition, those who do the caring (whether family members or not) deserve proper remuneration and support and that means giving carers a break and allowing them to work and allowing them to have a life and make a contribution beyond the provision of care.