Excellent news - for the Marxist turned Tory who couldn't get a job in the State sector because she wasn't the right sort of staff room political opinion.
RT @margotjamesmp: Very pleased to hear Katherine Birbalsingh has approval to open a free school in Brent, good news for children from deprived parts of Brent
Well, the first/earliest use I've found is "so-called 'flat cap' reshuffle" in a Mail piece, then the same jornalist criticising the Tories for using the phrase. So either he got it from someone close to the reshuffle, in which case I can't complain, or he's causing mischief.
The Conservatives need a much more sophisticated message than "vote UKIP, get Miliband". They must recognise that a sizeable proportion of UKIP's current "support" comprises people who are at best frustrated, but more often somewhere between intensely annoyed and outright hostile to the three main parties. These people feel that the main parties have taken them for granted for years, they are sceptical that any of the main parties have their interests at heart and they will rile against a lazy assumption that they will "hold their nose" and vote Conservative when push comes to shove. Polly's "hold your nose" prescription for 2001/2005 Labour voters was roundly ignored in 2010, and a similar entreaty towards the 2010 Conservative voters will be given similarly short shrift. I don't expect UKIP to poll much above 6% in the next GE, but I think a large proportion of their present supporters will simply not vote, rather than endorse another party.
The Conservatives need to find a new way to engage with the UKIP tendency that involves treating them like grown ups, avoiding the "R" word, actually listening to their concerns and explaining to people how they are addressing them. If "vote UKIP, get Miliband" is actually CCHQ strategy rather than the lazy assumptions of online cheerleaders, Cameron has a serious problem.
Well, the first/earliest use I've found is "so-called 'flat cap' reshuffle" in a Mail piece, then the same jornalist criticising the Tories for using the phrase. So either he got it from someone close to the reshuffle, in which case I can't complain, or he's causing mischief.
"So-called" is quite a telling use of words.
Yeah, I came to the same conclusion: first wave of tweets mentioning it all link to the DM story on Randall's resignation published about 3.20am. It's plausible that the journalist just coined the phrase but seems rather more likely to have been "party sources" as that's how the resignation story would have arrived at the Mail. Probably careless phrasing by someone not particularly senior who either didn't intend it for publication or didn't think about how it sounded.
Nice as the conspiracy theory is (that Labour somehow managed to plant it in the Mail, what with all their good relations at the minute) it doesn't look the most likely.
My view is that UKIP will do better away from the main battlegrounds where the CON and LAB campaigns will be far less intensive.
The UKIP vote will undoubtedly be squeezed in Tory marginals. Unfortunately for the Conservatives in marginals, by definition you only need a small percentage of UKIP votes to tip the balance. The important figure is the percentage of voters in Conservative marginals who will go for UKIP come what may. Say that figure is 5% ( half the median overall polling figure) - that means any Conservative MP is vulnerable if he sits on a less than a 5% margin. That accounts for 40 MPs and accumulates with the Lib to Labour vote trend.
--- My view is that UKIP will do better away from the main battlegrounds where the CON and LAB campaigns will be far less intensive. ---
The UKIP vote will undoubtedly be squeezed in Tory marginals. Unfortunately for the Conservatives in marginals, by definition you only need a small percentage of UKIP votes to tip the balance. The important figure is the percentage of voters in Conservative marginals who will go for UKIP come what may. Say that figure is 5% ( half the median overall polling figure) - that means any Conservative MP is vulnerable if he sits on a less than a 5% margin. That accounts for 40 MPs and accumulates with the Lib to Labour vote trend.
The Tories winning the popular vote and being booted out would be a fitting end to Camerons career, losing the boundary changes, decimating the Tory membership and splitting the right, magnificent
The Tories have certainly played a very poor strategic game since 2010. When the coalition was formed not a few people on the Labour side were afraid that the Tories would effectively take over the Lib Dems, as they did with the National Liberals in the 1930s. It was quite easy to imagine the Tories agreeing not to stand against Lib Dems in Scotland and a few seats in England, in return for which the Lib Dems would drop out in crucial Tory-Labour marginals. Probably a few Lib Dems (Cable & Co) would have split off and either joined Labour or tried to set up another grouping but the bulk of what remains of the Lib Dem MPs and membership would have gone along with such a pact as the best way to safeguard their seats. The Tories should have seen this as a golden opportunity to put the "nasty party" finally behind them and recreate a presence in Scotland and the North and again become a truly national party. If they had also got the boundary changes we would now be looking at a Tory-Lib Dem hegemony for the next decade or two.
Well, the first/earliest use I've found is "so-called 'flat cap' reshuffle" in a Mail piece, then the same jornalist criticising the Tories for using the phrase. So either he got it from someone close to the reshuffle, in which case I can't complain, or he's causing mischief.
"So-called" is quite a telling use of words.
Yeah, I came to the same conclusion: first wave of tweets mentioning it all link to the DM story on Randall's resignation published about 3.20am. It's plausible that the journalist just coined the phrase but seems rather more likely to have been "party sources" as that's how the resignation story would have arrived at the Mail. Probably careless phrasing by someone not particularly senior who either didn't intend it for publication or didn't think about how it sounded.
Nice as the conspiracy theory is (that Labour somehow managed to plant it in the Mail, what with all their good relations at the minute) it doesn't look the most likely.
Most likely the former explanation, but expect it to be repeated ad nauseam by the usual suspects across the web.
Well, the first/earliest use I've found is "so-called 'flat cap' reshuffle" in a Mail piece, then the same jornalist criticising the Tories for using the phrase. So either he got it from someone close to the reshuffle, in which case I can't complain, or he's causing mischief.
"So-called" is quite a telling use of words.
Yeah, I came to the same conclusion: first wave of tweets mentioning it all link to the DM story on Randall's resignation published about 3.20am. It's plausible that the journalist just coined the phrase but seems rather more likely to have been "party sources" as that's how the resignation story would have arrived at the Mail. Probably careless phrasing by someone not particularly senior who either didn't intend it for publication or didn't think about how it sounded.
Nice as the conspiracy theory is (that Labour somehow managed to plant it in the Mail, what with all their good relations at the minute) it doesn't look the most likely.
I think the "journalist causing mischief" angle is not, in itself, unlikely.
But broadly, yes, someone used it unthinkingly and away we go ...
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
There was a degree of hesitation about the Tories last week. For some reason, they were not sure how to respond to Labour. They don't appear to know where they really want to go next.
At best it seems that their offer for 2015 is "more of the same". It's the sort of strategy you employ when you have a comfortable lead and a 100+ majority.
If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed. The Tories need to make progress and come up with a vision that will win them seats like Eastleigh. It just isn't there at the moment. It's all a bit beige.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
OT I was chatting to my Tesco home delivery lady this morning and we discussed books in the 3 mins she was here and she liked stuff similar to yours - so I recommended you. I think that's a staff discounted paperback worth 1p to you there :^ )
The Tories winning the popular vote and being booted out would be a fitting end to Camerons career, losing the boundary changes, decimating the Tory membership and splitting the right, magnificent
The Tories have certainly played a very poor strategic game since 2010. When the coalition was formed not a few people on the Labour side were afraid that the Tories would effectively take over the Lib Dems, as they did with the National Liberals in the 1930s. It was quite easy to imagine the Tories agreeing not to stand against Lib Dems in Scotland and a few seats in England, in return for which the Lib Dems would drop out in crucial Tory-Labour marginals. Probably a few Lib Dems (Cable & Co) would have split off and either joined Labour or tried to set up another grouping but the bulk of what remains of the Lib Dem MPs and membership would have gone along with such a pact as the best way to safeguard their seats. The Tories should have seen this as a golden opportunity to put the "nasty party" finally behind them and recreate a presence in Scotland and the North and again become a truly national party. If they had also got the boundary changes we would now be looking at a Tory-Lib Dem hegemony for the next decade or two.
Nah: Europe.
The EU is a fundamental dividing line between the Tories and the LDs. At some point the Tories would/will have to offer an EU referendum, and the LDs detest this idea (though they lie and pretend they want one when it suits them). A proper, long term alliance between the parties is therefore untenable.
I agree. The Tories extraordinarily destructive obsession with Europe continues to defy all political logic.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
I agree.
End 'Greenery' and blame the Champagne socialist (RedEd) for imposing it in the first place and successive LD ministers for continuing with this Canute-esque nonsense, costing us investment, jobs - and making us all poorer.
Result - permanent cut in domestic energy cost of 10% or so - not unlike ending Darling's mad-house 'fuel price escalator' on road fuels.
Problem: a) EU rules - so make it a central condition of the EU renegotiations b) Cameron's 'hug-a-husky' past - so say that we now have new science/data and he's now grown up 'once I thought like a child' (etc) and changed his PoV: a nation contributing <0.2% of annual global CO2 output is not going to change anything - no matter what we do and no matter which group of scientists you believe.
There was a degree of hesitation about the Tories last week. For some reason, they were not sure how to respond to Labour. They don't appear to know where they really want to go next.
Didnt Osborne pretty much set out where they were going to go in 2015? Try to frame the debate about who you can trust on the economy (will Labour match the fiscal surplus by 2020 aim?) and throw in further welfare reform and other well-tested policies to appeal to various segments of the electorate.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
There was a degree of hesitation about the Tories last week. For some reason, they were not sure how to respond to Labour. They don't appear to know where they really want to go next.
At best it seems that their offer for 2015 is "more of the same". It's the sort of strategy you employ when you have a comfortable lead and a 100+ majority.
If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed. The Tories need to make progress and come up with a vision that will win them seats like Eastleigh. It just isn't there at the moment. It's all a bit beige.
Disagree. It was the conference of a party in power that has constructed, clumsily, a recovery and has avoided an easy spooking of the markets which would have made any recovery 1,000x more difficult.
You are right, they are struggling with an adequate and egalitarian response to the cost of living problem (and not quite getting it right) but that is a long way from not knowing there is a problem.
And wrt "more of the same" if it relates to fiscal responsibility, I, and I suspect millions of others in the UK, would take that right now.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
Indeed. Though the Tories need to address the cost of living stuff either way. Economic recovery will do them no good electorallly if people aren't feeling it.
And it's not a left / right issue. People across the spectrum are very grumpy with stuff like rip off energy bills at the moment.
Btw I owe you thanks for a fantastic tip I read on here the other day. Not betting, but worcester sauce on poached eggs. Where has it been all my life!? Yum.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
There was a degree of hesitation about the Tories last week. For some reason, they were not sure how to respond to Labour. They don't appear to know where they really want to go next.
At best it seems that their offer for 2015 is "more of the same". It's the sort of strategy you employ when you have a comfortable lead and a 100+ majority.
If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed. The Tories need to make progress and come up with a vision that will win them seats like Eastleigh. It just isn't there at the moment. It's all a bit beige.
What will Ed's line be when the Autumn Statement has tax cuts on energy worth more than the average 18 month price increase, removing costs on consumers that Ed personally put in place?
''If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed.''
Agreed. Which is why Boris today called for tax relief for regular public transport users, and Osborne plans to use fracking taxes to slash green subsidies.
Ed was right in his analysis of what the coalition is doing wrong (hence the polls?) but he may have pointed it out a little too early.
The Tories winning the popular vote and being booted out would be a fitting end to Camerons career, losing the boundary changes, decimating the Tory membership and splitting the right, magnificent
The Tories have certainly played a very poor strategic game since 2010. When the coalition was formed not a few people on the Labour side were afraid that the Tories would effectively take over the Lib Dems, as they did with the National Liberals in the 1930s. It was quite easy to imagine the Tories agreeing not to stand against Lib Dems in Scotland and a few seats in England, in return for which the Lib Dems would drop out in crucial Tory-Labour marginals. Probably a few Lib Dems (Cable & Co) would have split off and either joined Labour or tried to set up another grouping but the bulk of what remains of the Lib Dem MPs and membership would have gone along with such a pact as the best way to safeguard their seats. The Tories should have seen this as a golden opportunity to put the "nasty party" finally behind them and recreate a presence in Scotland and the North and again become a truly national party. If they had also got the boundary changes we would now be looking at a Tory-Lib Dem hegemony for the next decade or two.
Nah: Europe.
The EU is a fundamental dividing line between the Tories and the LDs. At some point the Tories would/will have to offer an EU referendum, and the LDs detest this idea (though they lie and pretend they want one when it suits them). A proper, long term alliance between the parties is therefore untenable.
I agree. The Tories extraordinarily destructive obsession with Europe continues to defy all political logic.
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
OT I was chatting to my Tesco home delivery lady this morning and we discussed books in the 3 mins she was here and she liked stuff similar to yours - so I recommended you. I think that's a staff discounted paperback worth 1p to you there :^ )
May be SeanT can send you a stuffed kitten from his daughter bazaar in return?
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Maybe, but my point is that they are obsessed by it. It has become a talismanic issue to them and they are unable to place it in the same context as the voters.
Tim Reid @TimReidBBC 3m Scot Secretary Michael Moore has been sacked in a libDem reshuffle. He is to be replaced by the LibDem chief whip Alistair Carmichael.
No Jo Swinson? I guess Carmichael has a much safer seat
LD's getting lined up for the expected slaughtering in Scotland.
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Maybe, but my point is that they are obsessed by it. It has become a talismanic issue to them and they are unable to place it in the same context as the voters.
I think that's maybe an out of date view. Essentially most of the EU obsessed have left the Tories and moved to UKIP. The Tories obsession is not with Europe per se, but getting single issue voters back on board to win an election. I'd suspect most Tories would rather the issue crawled into an ditch and died a lonely death rather than have to deal with it's consequences every 6 months.
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
OT I was chatting to my Tesco home delivery lady this morning and we discussed books in the 3 mins she was here and she liked stuff similar to yours - so I recommended you. I think that's a staff discounted paperback worth 1p to you there :^ )
May be SeanT can send you a stuffed kitten from his daughter bazaar in return?
A stuffed kitten? My mother once had a stuffed cat - it looked like this - I've some very good examples of stuffed animals at my house inc a mountain goat that recently fell off the wall after being scaled by cats chasing a bird...
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
There was a degree of hesitation about the Tories last week. For some reason, they were not sure how to respond to Labour. They don't appear to know where they really want to go next.
At best it seems that their offer for 2015 is "more of the same". It's the sort of strategy you employ when you have a comfortable lead and a 100+ majority.
If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed. The Tories need to make progress and come up with a vision that will win them seats like Eastleigh. It just isn't there at the moment. It's all a bit beige.
What will Ed's line be when the Autumn Statement has tax cuts on energy worth more than the average 18 month price increase, removing costs on consumers that Ed personally put in place?
Tim Reid @TimReidBBC 3m Scot Secretary Michael Moore has been sacked in a libDem reshuffle. He is to be replaced by the LibDem chief whip Alistair Carmichael.
No Jo Swinson? I guess Carmichael has a much safer seat
LD's getting lined up for the expected slaughtering in Scotland.
Slaughtering the SNP presumably malc :-) cough cough
Morning all and as a Highlander, I am delighted to learn local MP Alistair Carmichael has been promoted to role of Secretary of State for Scotland. Alistair is a very popular, hard-working local MP and frankly wouldn't lose his seat even if he stood for UKIP or MRLP instead of LibDems.
On the other hand I wonder if Michael Moore is in fact standing down rather than being sacked so he can spend more time trying to hold on to his seat at #GE2015? I like Michael but would rather see a Tory MP sitting in his place.
So, 2 out 0f 22 cabinet places goes to the H&I. Fair proportion ?
Cabinet is supposed to be on merit not on postcode , what a stupid question
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
OT I was chatting to my Tesco home delivery lady this morning and we discussed books in the 3 mins she was here and she liked stuff similar to yours - so I recommended you. I think that's a staff discounted paperback worth 1p to you there :^ )
May be SeanT can send you a stuffed kitten from his daughter bazaar in return?
A stuffed kitten? My mother once had a stuffed cat - it looked like this - I've some very good examples of stuffed animals at my house inc a mountain goat that recently fell off the wall after being scaled by cats chasing a bird...
A scheme they initially backed for short-term political reasons.
Labour: willing to support or oppose a particular infrastructure project depending on the way the wind happens to be blowing.
How cynical - here is Ed Balls talking about the importance of cross-party unity on large infrastructure projects - surely you believe him?
"The Olympics showed that Britain can decide on, and then deliver major building projects when there is cross-party consensus and a sense of national purpose. But that isn’t always the case when it comes to big infrastructure projects.
For decades, successive governments have all too often ducked and delayed the vital decisions we need to take for the long term. That’s why last autumn I asked the man who led the successful delivery of the Olympic venues and infrastructure to come up with a plan to help end this dither and drift."
Good poll for Labour. Will they sustain their Conference bounce?
Tories need to address the cost of living stuff, if they can.
OT I was chatting to my Tesco home delivery lady this morning and we discussed books in the 3 mins she was here and she liked stuff similar to yours - so I recommended you. I think that's a staff discounted paperback worth 1p to you there :^ )
May be SeanT can send you a stuffed kitten from his daughter bazaar in return?
A stuffed kitten? My mother once had a stuffed cat - it looked like this - I've some very good examples of stuffed animals at my house inc a mountain goat that recently fell off the wall after being scaled by cats chasing a bird...
Tim Reid @TimReidBBC 3m Scot Secretary Michael Moore has been sacked in a libDem reshuffle. He is to be replaced by the LibDem chief whip Alistair Carmichael.
No Jo Swinson? I guess Carmichael has a much safer seat
LD's getting lined up for the expected slaughtering in Scotland.
Slaughtering the SNP presumably malc :-) cough cough
Only 20% of UKIP voters mention it, while 70% of them mention immigration/race
(of course you can argue that Europe is linked, but immigration still overshadows it and Dave believes in free movement of labour, no matter how many token policies he drags out)
Not surprised to see you spouting that same stupid 'nobody gives a toss' line as Mike does Tim.
As always one has to conclude that the public also don't give a toss about Public Services, the Environment, transport, local government and privitisation.
Is the EU level of concern the dividing line between 'gives a toss' and 'don't give a toss' by the way? Or can we assume that people also don't give a toss about taxation and care for the elderly since they only scored 1 and 2 percent more respectively? Perhaps also people 'don't give a toss' about low pay and the minimum wage since that only scored 3 percent more than the EU?
You display all the analytical skills of a 4 year old.
Tim Shipman (Mail) @ShippersUnbound 3m Why was Southern millionaire Richard Benyon sacked? Cameron asked if he owned a flat cap and Benyon replied: 'It's tweed.' #flatcapreshuffle
ie. Ignoring the fact that it's Cameron,Osborne and their chums who are central to the problem.
Tim Shipman (Mail) @ShippersUnbound 3m Why was Southern millionaire Richard Benyon sacked? Cameron asked if he owned a flat cap and Benyon replied: 'It's tweed.' #flatcapreshuffle
ie. Ignoring the fact that it's Cameron,Osborne and their chums who are central to the problem.
Good to see you in full-blown toe-rag mode.
Caerful southern male, your job as valet may be going to a Northern woman.
Well, I did say you were Miss O'Brien. Have you had the call yet?
Incidentally, Mr. T, I forget if you were on when I finished reading it, but By Sword And Fire was a very interesting read, and precisely what I was after in terms of getting a good feel for the right level of brutality and mercy in an approximately medieval world, so cheers for that recommendation.
Oh really? I don't find them creepy at all - good examples are really impressive - I've goats, foxes, rabbits, butterflies/moths and others. And a few mounted skulls from explorer's collections.
Most of mine are vintage bar the mountain goat which I thought was vintage until the chappy delivered him 48hrs later fresh from his German farm.
My mum's experience trying to get her cat stuffed cured me of any desire to preserve a loved housemate. He was called Pretty Paws = White Turkish Angora and came back looking like the one I posted. We were all appalled but still laughed.
May be SeanT can send you a stuffed kitten from his daughter bazaar in return?
A stuffed kitten? My mother once had a stuffed cat - it looked like this - I've some very good examples of stuffed animals at my house inc a mountain goat that recently fell off the wall after being scaled by cats chasing a bird...
''Central core of senior fops remains, wealthy southern males expected to lay down their careers so Dave can make below stairs more female and Northern.''
Good to see after Ed's breast beating, that backgrounds are now off limits in discourse on pb.
Congrats to tim for taking a lead and concentrating on the policies....
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Maybe, but my point is that they are obsessed by it. It has become a talismanic issue to them and they are unable to place it in the same context as the voters.
I think that's maybe an out of date view. Essentially most of the EU obsessed have left the Tories and moved to UKIP. The Tories obsession is not with Europe per se, but getting single issue voters back on board to win an election. I'd suspect most Tories would rather the issue crawled into an ditch and died a lonely death rather than have to deal with it's consequences every 6 months.
If that were true they would hardly have promised a referendum in four years time and a renegotiation - both of which guarantee to keep it on the agenda ad infinitum, to the boredom and bemusement of most of the electorate.
From the BBC ticker (no article yet, just the headline): "Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer says it was "right decision" not to prosecute over claims of gender selection abortions"
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Maybe, but my point is that they are obsessed by it. It has become a talismanic issue to them and they are unable to place it in the same context as the voters.
I think that's maybe an out of date view. Essentially most of the EU obsessed have left the Tories and moved to UKIP. The Tories obsession is not with Europe per se, but getting single issue voters back on board to win an election. I'd suspect most Tories would rather the issue crawled into an ditch and died a lonely death rather than have to deal with it's consequences every 6 months.
If that were true they would hardly have promised a referendum in four years time and a renegotiation - both of which guarantee to keep it on the agenda ad infinitum, to the boredom and bemusement of most of the electorate.
That's simply their attempt to get lost eurosceptics back. Whether it succeeds remains to be seen, Cameron has a credibility issue on the matter.
For about the first time that I can remember the Tories seem remarkably united on Europe.
Maybe, but my point is that they are obsessed by it. It has become a talismanic issue to them and they are unable to place it in the same context as the voters.
I think that's maybe an out of date view. Essentially most of the EU obsessed have left the Tories and moved to UKIP. The Tories obsession is not with Europe per se, but getting single issue voters back on board to win an election. I'd suspect most Tories would rather the issue crawled into an ditch and died a lonely death rather than have to deal with it's consequences every 6 months.
If that were true they would hardly have promised a referendum in four years time and a renegotiation - both of which guarantee to keep it on the agenda ad infinitum, to the boredom and bemusement of most of the electorate.
Hardly boredom or bemusement considering a large majority of the electorate want the referendum.
"James Forsyth reports that no Tories will leave the Cabinet today:
Understand that this reshuffle won’t see any Tory in Cabinet, or who attends Cabinet, leave government. So, Ken Clarke is safe
You're delighted with the current batch of enlightened Tories in the cabinet are you Mike? I'm convinced many Lib Dems are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Although doubtless they'll be people saying the same of Tories.
''If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed.''
Agreed. Which is why Boris today called for tax relief for regular public transport users, and Osborne plans to use fracking taxes to slash green subsidies.
Ed was right in his analysis of what the coalition is doing wrong (hence the polls?) but he may have pointed it out a little too early.
Can't agree that ReD was right in his analysis of what the coalition was wrong. His analysis was spend more money, the coalition said cut the deficit and still get growth. Red has tapped into concerns about the cost of living. Living will not be affordable until growth continues and coalition tax cuts come into play. Arbitrarily freezing prices won't do the trick in the long term.
From the BBC ticker (no article yet, just the headline): "Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer says it was "right decision" not to prosecute over claims of gender selection abortions"
What I love so much is the inconsequential nature of Labour reshuffles in Opposition - we're all talking about the HMG - if EdM doesn't shift EdB - who cares what else he does?
Understandibly, Minister of State changes being announced first. Interesting part will be who from the 2010 intake become PUSSies. Perhaps Plato can help us with images.
From the BBC ticker (no article yet, just the headline): "Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer says it was "right decision" not to prosecute over claims of gender selection abortions"
So to paraphrase, it seems like this journalist showed up at a doctor's and said she'd had a test that showed her child was a girl. The doctor's defence, which nobody disproved, was that since there was no actual test in existence that could have established that at this point, the doctor figured the woman must be stark raving bonkers off her nut, and it turns out that "mother being as mad as a box of frogs" is a legitimate reason to think that the pregnancy will cause problems that justify an abortion.
What I love so much is the inconsequential nature of Labour reshuffles in Opposition - we're all talking about the HMG - if Ed doesn't shift EdM - who cares what else he does?
Exactly. There are names coming up that if I hadn't tripped across them on Twitter, I'd have no idea who they were. IIRC @Fitalass has as her MP someone who even Mr Fawkes had never heard of until about 3 months ago. That's quite a feat.
What I love so much is the inconsequential nature of Labour reshuffles in Opposition - we're all talking about the HMG - if Ed doesn't shift EdM - who cares what else he does?
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh 1m Joke in Westminster is this is a minorities reshuffle: "ethnic Tory MPs, women Tory MPs, northern Tory MPs...and fans of George Osborne"
If only the LDs could appoint an ethnic minority MP to a ministerial job.
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh 1m Joke in Westminster is this is a minorities reshuffle: "ethnic Tory MPs, women Tory MPs, northern Tory MPs...and fans of George Osborne"
If only the LDs could appoint an ethnic minority MP to a ministerial job.
My pleasure - I got the link to the original document via @ JackofKent - he's really good at finding the actual court documents and things that tell you what's going on.
Comments
RT @margotjamesmp: Very pleased to hear Katherine Birbalsingh has approval to open a free school in Brent, good news for children from deprived parts of Brent
Of course, you have no evidence that any tory politicians has ever referred to it as that.
Doesn;t stop you posting it countless times though.
To me, it sounds like something a metro Islington Guardian pundit would dream up.
"So-called" is quite a telling use of words.
The Conservatives need to find a new way to engage with the UKIP tendency that involves treating them like grown ups, avoiding the "R" word, actually listening to their concerns and explaining to people how they are addressing them. If "vote UKIP, get Miliband" is actually CCHQ strategy rather than the lazy assumptions of online cheerleaders, Cameron has a serious problem.
Nice as the conspiracy theory is (that Labour somehow managed to plant it in the Mail, what with all their good relations at the minute) it doesn't look the most likely.
The UKIP vote will undoubtedly be squeezed in Tory marginals. Unfortunately for the Conservatives in marginals, by definition you only need a small percentage of UKIP votes to tip the balance. The important figure is the percentage of voters in Conservative marginals who will go for UKIP come what may. Say that figure is 5% ( half the median overall polling figure) - that means any Conservative MP is vulnerable if he sits on a less than a 5% margin. That accounts for 40 MPs and accumulates with the Lib to Labour vote trend.
The UKIP vote will undoubtedly be squeezed in Tory marginals. Unfortunately for the Conservatives in marginals, by definition you only need a small percentage of UKIP votes to tip the balance. The important figure is the percentage of voters in Conservative marginals who will go for UKIP come what may. Say that figure is 5% ( half the median overall polling figure) - that means any Conservative MP is vulnerable if he sits on a less than a 5% margin. That accounts for 40 MPs and accumulates with the Lib to Labour vote trend.
But broadly, yes, someone used it unthinkingly and away we go ...
Solid poll for Labour.
Populus/ 2013-09-22 33 39 14 -6
Populus/ 2013-09-19 33 39 11 -6
Populus/ 2013-09-15 33 40 11 -7
taken directly from UK polling report.
<<<the actual final figures appear to be 40/33/10/10>>>
would appear to be very much in the realm of "nothing changed". Solid, then I guess>
At best it seems that their offer for 2015 is "more of the same". It's the sort of strategy you employ when you have a comfortable lead and a 100+ majority.
If the Tories stand still or slip back just a touch they will have failed. The Tories need to make progress and come up with a vision that will win them seats like Eastleigh. It just isn't there at the moment. It's all a bit beige.
This reshuffle is setting everyone on fire I see.
End 'Greenery' and blame the Champagne socialist (RedEd) for imposing it in the first place and successive LD ministers for continuing with this Canute-esque nonsense, costing us investment, jobs - and making us all poorer.
Result - permanent cut in domestic energy cost of 10% or so - not unlike ending Darling's mad-house 'fuel price escalator' on road fuels.
Problem:
a) EU rules - so make it a central condition of the EU renegotiations
b) Cameron's 'hug-a-husky' past - so say that we now have new science/data and he's now grown up 'once I thought like a child' (etc) and changed his PoV: a nation contributing <0.2% of annual global CO2 output is not going to change anything - no matter what we do and no matter which group of scientists you believe.
You are right, they are struggling with an adequate and egalitarian response to the cost of living problem (and not quite getting it right) but that is a long way from not knowing there is a problem.
And wrt "more of the same" if it relates to fiscal responsibility, I, and I suspect millions of others in the UK, would take that right now.
And it's not a left / right issue. People across the spectrum are very grumpy with stuff like rip off energy bills at the moment.
Btw I owe you thanks for a fantastic tip I read on here the other day. Not betting, but worcester sauce on poached eggs. Where has it been all my life!? Yum.
Agreed. Which is why Boris today called for tax relief for regular public transport users, and Osborne plans to use fracking taxes to slash green subsidies.
Ed was right in his analysis of what the coalition is doing wrong (hence the polls?) but he may have pointed it out a little too early.
I've always found the lib dem position on Europe intriguing, given that polls on here have shown 40% of their voters to be sceptics.
A scheme they initially backed for short-term political reasons.
Labour: willing to support or oppose a particular infrastructure project depending on the way the wind happens to be blowing.
http://theitinerants.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a80ae57d970b0134873895d3970c-320wi
Bad taxidermy is extremely funny - for all the wrong reasons. Just Google "bad taxidermy" and you'll never stop laughing or cringing.
Great point, perfectly put.
My Mum just offered me two victorian cabinets (apparently worth a lot to the right people for some weird reason) full of stuffed birds
How cynical - here is Ed Balls talking about the importance of cross-party unity on large infrastructure projects - surely you believe him?
"The Olympics showed that Britain can decide on, and then deliver major building projects when there is cross-party consensus and a sense of national purpose. But that isn’t always the case when it comes to big infrastructure projects.
For decades, successive governments have all too often ducked and delayed the vital decisions we need to take for the long term. That’s why last autumn I asked the man who led the successful delivery of the Olympic venues and infrastructure to come up with a plan to help end this dither and drift."
http://www.edballs.co.uk/blog/?p=4451
@scoresandscorer cleaned up last week, were you on???
As always one has to conclude that the public also don't give a toss about Public Services, the Environment, transport, local government and privitisation.
Is the EU level of concern the dividing line between 'gives a toss' and 'don't give a toss' by the way? Or can we assume that people also don't give a toss about taxation and care for the elderly since they only scored 1 and 2 percent more respectively? Perhaps also people 'don't give a toss' about low pay and the minimum wage since that only scored 3 percent more than the EU?
You display all the analytical skills of a 4 year old.
Most of mine are vintage bar the mountain goat which I thought was vintage until the chappy delivered him 48hrs later fresh from his German farm.
My mum's experience trying to get her cat stuffed cured me of any desire to preserve a loved housemate. He was called Pretty Paws = White Turkish Angora and came back looking like the one I posted. We were all appalled but still laughed.
Good to see after Ed's breast beating, that backgrounds are now off limits in discourse on pb.
Congrats to tim for taking a lead and concentrating on the policies....
Make your mind up Mike.
Or is the truth that it's neither, or rather that both are true but not the whole truth?
Despite their being strong evidence for it?
Coconut shy ?
UK Prime Minister @Number10gov
Esther McVey has been appointed as Minister of State (Employment) at @DWPgovuk #reshuffle
Sajid = poison.
Charming.
Moves from the Treasury. Clark is a rather strange, utterly incomprehensible, cove. Hey ho.
< Yup
http://blog.cps.gov.uk/2013/10/statement-from-director-of-public-prosecutions-on-abortion-related-cases.html
So to paraphrase, it seems like this journalist showed up at a doctor's and said she'd had a test that showed her child was a girl. The doctor's defence, which nobody disproved, was that since there was no actual test in existence that could have established that at this point, the doctor figured the woman must be stark raving bonkers off her nut, and it turns out that "mother being as mad as a box of frogs" is a legitimate reason to think that the pregnancy will cause problems that justify an abortion.
Desperate stuff today tim - you need some new lines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Quau1l9JuY