Anyone have alist of DTI head honchos 1993- 2007, I'm trying to work out the full list for this shambles.
Anyway I note the 2 most recent ministers for energy were Huhne andEd Miliband... to be fair to Davey hes only just in the job and the fracking and stuff in the budget sounded popular, but hes basically got the hospital pass that Osborne and Darling both had with Brown being the outgoing Chancellor.
@Morris_Dancer - I've never encountered Ms Walker before but she writes interestingly.
Not sure I go along with her reasoning for McLaren's decline and i still expect them to improve a good deal as the F1 season progresses but i doubt they'll finish in the Constructors' top 3 or 4.
I've only read one piece by her before, Mr. Putney. It was about Australia as an F1 destination, and the lack (in some quarters) of approval for the sport there. Divided the comments pretty sharply.
@MikeSmithson - Well at least he was sufficiently lacking in pomposity to admit that he wasn't up to the job of ever becoming PM - along with a snide comment aimed at David Dimbleby about him never getting to be the BBC's D-G.
I find that interpretation rather odd to be quite frank. Pompous, perhaps, but he doesn't strike me as a twit, and Thornberry certainly didn't 'sort him out'- she had a good QT, I found her quite impressive, but Gove dealt with her points well; his flippant remark on its own would have been pitiful, but he immediately followed up with a quickfire and convincing (sounding) series of points, to frame her reaction in his own terms effectively. At worst, he came away entirely unbloodied by her remarks, and at best he put her in her place (though I think the paroxysms of joy about that being the case from some Tory commentators is probably overdone)
To be perfectly honest, I don't even see his pomposity being any more egregious than the usual level you see from many other public figures.
Gove comes over as a pompous twit. It was good to see Emily Thornberry sort him out on QT.
Blimey Mike, first you think Ed's childish rant after the budget was brilliant, now you are claiming Thornberry sorted out Gove? You must be the only person in the country that thinks so.
You obviously hate the Tories so much you have lost all semblance of rational thought, why do you hate them so much that you are prepared to make yourself look ridiculous?
I'm related to Ms Thornberry by marriage. I thought her faux outrage was unappealing and I thought she was monstered by Horowitz. I don't believe she got the better of Gove, despite some Steve Walsh type refereeing from Dimbleby.
"Well at least [Gove] was sufficiently lacking in pomposity to admit that he wasn't up to the job of ever becoming PM"
Now that I would dispute. There are various tactics to take when confronted about such an ambition, and denying one's own ability to be up to the job, is just the one he has decided to take I would bet good money (if I had any).
If Gove had the chance to become PM, does anyone seriously believe that he wouldn't take it? If a leading pol denies too strongly that they would like to be PM, you really ought to keep an eye on them.
Horowitz was great, he had some good lines, which is all I really want from the non-politician guests. Littlewood was the surprise for me, he also had some good lines, but also made me think a little more deeply.
Thornberry should be a more well known figure, however, - I'd forgotten I'd even seen her before, and she seems to have some high quality, even if the former would seem to contradict the latter point.
Whatever one's views on this week's QT and Anthony Horowitz, Foyle's War, one of the greatest TV shows of recent times, returns to our screen this Sunday.
I've voted LD multiple times and think Gove has significant abilities, so let's not force it into a 'PBTories are blind' thing. I've no doubt that by and large he is hated outside Tory ranks, and his reforms are not at all popular that's clear enough, so I don't even think he would be an asset electorally, but that's not the same as meaning one cannot think he has significant qualities even while not being a PBTory.
If this country has to start rationing its energy supply, we truly will know the place is a busted flush. I think I'm going to emigrate in the next couple of years. There doesn't seem much to offer for ambitious under-35s here any more.
@TimGattITV: Ed Miliband to The Times about Hacked Off: "I know people are neuralgic about Hugh Grant, but forget the celebrities" http://thetim.es/10u04IZ
So we do still have some ambitious under 35s in this country? Totally excellent result!
One day I hope to be one of them. For the moment the treasury is lucky I detest travelling and am poor with languages, so emigration remains low on my list of options.
I thought Gove was on form on QT. I disagree with some of his ideas, but his mastery of his brief and articularcy are impressive. He has the competence factor that is lacking in some of his colleagues.
England deserve to lose the series IMO as a result of their pathetic attitude in the final session yesterday when they couldn't be bothered to return to the field of play on time.
Why is pomposity a negative thing? We need a bit more pomposity in British politics IMO. Tony Blair spent his whole career trying not to be pompous and it didn't exactly make him one the best PMs we've ever had.
How did Cypriot banks become so insolvent? One aspect is that they were major victims of the Greek bailout some time back. The terms of that were that some holders of Greek govt debt were forced to take a haircut.
@Blofelds_Cat It is more a stupidly big stadium for a Test in NZ. There were over 8,000 in yesterday and it looked empty. It was the venue for the Rugby World Cup Final. Daft choice of a ground.
I remember watching the January 1992 Auckland Test between NZ and England (it was the last overseas series shown on BBC before Sky took over) and the ground was so empty most of the time that every shot off the bat made an enormous echoing noise.
That was the match where Dipak Patel was run out on 99 after a bowled throw-in from the deep by Derek Pringle to Chris Lewis at the bowler's end. Brilliant decision by Steve Dunne IIRC.
"I know your MEP list will be decided at the Spring Conference. Do you know the exact timing of the announcement of results? So I can stay vigilant"
Alas no. If it's tomorrow I trust it will be well before 5pm, so I'm not distracted from the even greater excitement of Scotland playing in the semi-final of the world curling championship!
It is incredible, and I mean that in the exact sense of the word, not credible, hard to believe, that anyone could watch the debate between Gove and Thornberry on QT and think Thornberry came out on top
Comments
Anyway I note the 2 most recent ministers for energy were Huhne andEd Miliband... to be fair to Davey hes only just in the job and the fracking and stuff in the budget sounded popular, but hes basically got the hospital pass that Osborne and Darling both had with Brown being the outgoing Chancellor.
Not sure I go along with her reasoning for McLaren's decline and i still expect them to improve a good deal as the F1 season progresses but i doubt they'll finish in the Constructors' top 3 or 4.
Try the tail end of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Trade_and_Industry
http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/75071/the_daily_mail_friday_22nd_march_2013.html
I find that interpretation rather odd to be quite frank. Pompous, perhaps, but he doesn't strike me as a twit, and Thornberry certainly didn't 'sort him out'- she had a good QT, I found her quite impressive, but Gove dealt with her points well; his flippant remark on its own would have been pitiful, but he immediately followed up with a quickfire and convincing (sounding) series of points, to frame her reaction in his own terms effectively. At worst, he came away entirely unbloodied by her remarks, and at best he put her in her place (though I think the paroxysms of joy about that being the case from some Tory commentators is probably overdone)
To be perfectly honest, I don't even see his pomposity being any more egregious than the usual level you see from many other public figures.
Blimey Mike, first you think Ed's childish rant after the budget was brilliant, now you are claiming Thornberry sorted out Gove? You must be the only person in the country that thinks so.
You obviously hate the Tories so much you have lost all semblance of rational thought, why do you hate them so much that you are prepared to make yourself look ridiculous?
"Well at least [Gove] was sufficiently lacking in pomposity to admit that he wasn't up to the job of ever becoming PM"
Now that I would dispute. There are various tactics to take when confronted about such an ambition, and denying one's own ability to be up to the job, is just the one he has decided to take I would bet good money (if I had any).
https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/315221882716692480/photo/1
" The bowl decision looks better and better. NZ 271/2..."
Eh???
The old "I have no ambitions in that direction" dodge.
Horowitz was great, he had some good lines, which is all I really want from the non-politician guests. Littlewood was the surprise for me, he also had some good lines, but also made me think a little more deeply.
Thornberry should be a more well known figure, however, - I'd forgotten I'd even seen her before, and she seems to have some high quality, even if the former would seem to contradict the latter point.
I've voted LD multiple times and think Gove has significant abilities, so let's not force it into a 'PBTories are blind' thing. I've no doubt that by and large he is hated outside Tory ranks, and his reforms are not at all popular that's clear enough, so I don't even think he would be an asset electorally, but that's not the same as meaning one cannot think he has significant qualities even while not being a PBTory.
I thought Tims avatar was a self portrait. A man to buy alco-pops off when he looks up from the computer.
So we do still have some ambitious under 35s in this country? Totally excellent result!
One day I hope to be one of them. For the moment the treasury is lucky I detest travelling and am poor with languages, so emigration remains low on my list of options.
That's where my detestation of travel comes in - I never even went to the Midlands until I was 15.
Five weeks in Australia nearly killed me!
NZ ......3.8/1
Eng.... 12.5/1
Draw ..0.37/1
Neuralgic.
Ed showing his street cred, down with the kids stylee
I thought Gove was on form on QT. I disagree with some of his ideas, but his mastery of his brief and articularcy are impressive. He has the competence factor that is lacking in some of his colleagues.
Actually I thought you already spent a large part of your time in the U.S. - possibly confusing you with another PBer.
http://thecypruslawyer.com/cypriot-banks-in-the-aftermath-of-the-greek-haircut/cyprus-news/
So one bailout makes another inevitable.
Sadly not far off the typical for most places thesedays.
That was the match where Dipak Patel was run out on 99 after a bowled throw-in from the deep by Derek Pringle to Chris Lewis at the bowler's end. Brilliant decision by Steve Dunne IIRC.
Review of Steve Dunne's 2003 biography:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/story/124871.html
"I know your MEP list will be decided at the Spring Conference. Do you know the exact timing of the announcement of results? So I can stay vigilant"
Alas no. If it's tomorrow I trust it will be well before 5pm, so I'm not distracted from the even greater excitement of Scotland playing in the semi-final of the world curling championship!