Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
@SouthamObserver - are you still in the Labour party? So many have resigned from both parties that I have lost track.
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
@SouthamObserver - are you still in the Labour party? So many have resigned from both parties that I have lost track.
Keep going - eventually you will be arguing that joining Wessex to Mercia was a grave error by Alfred and Dudley is due reparations.
Very funny. Here's what the ONS has to say about the results of the national identity question from the 2011 census:
National identity in England and Wales
The 2011 Census introduced a question on national identity for the first time. This was due to an increased interest in 'national’ consciousness and demand from people to acknowledge their national identity. National identity is multi-dimensional, so the 2011 Census respondents were allowed to tick more than one national identity. 91.0 per cent of the population identified with at least one UK national identity (English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, and British).
English identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was the most common identity respondents chose to associate with, at 37.6 million people (67.1 per cent). English as a sole identity (not combined with other identities), was chosen by 32.4 million people (57.7 per cent).
British identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was a common identity chosen by 16.3 million people (29.1 per cent). 10.7 million people (19.1 per cent) associated themselves with a British identity only.
Welsh identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was chosen by 2.4 million people (4.3 per cent). 2 million people (3.7 per cent) associated themselves with a Welsh only identity.
I've not looked at the equivalent publication for Scotland, but I would imagine that people who still identify as British are probably a smaller minority up there than down South. Nor does it seem at all plausible that the underlying decline in the embrace of British identity will have swung dramatically into reverse in the last eight years.
I don't actively want Great Britain to end as a political unit, but one has to acknowledge the facts of the situation. It's a process that's taking place, and it's probably irreversible.
I just don't see the UK as being the weak, powerless, helpless victim the Brexit loons believe it to be.
As long as we remain within the EU we are.
Yep, I just don't see it. I guess people like me and you look at the world in completely different ways. We have to work out a way to get along despite that!
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
@SouthamObserver - are you still in the Labour party? So many have resigned from both parties that I have lost track.
No, I am long gone.
I thought so. I guess your inside knowledge is keeping you well informed about what the inmates are doing in the asylum
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
@SouthamObserver - are you still in the Labour party? So many have resigned from both parties that I have lost track.
No, I am long gone.
I thought so. I guess your inside knowledge is keeping you well informed about what the inmates are doing in the asylum
I just don't see the UK as being the weak, powerless, helpless victim the Brexit loons believe it to be.
As long as we remain within the EU we are.
Yep, I just don't see it. I guess people like me and you look at the world in completely different ways. We have to work out a way to get along despite that!
To be honest I think you and I get along pretty well. We kind of understand and respect the other's views even if we don't agree with them and, excepting the fact that this is a binary in/out decision, we have both shown a willingness to compromise. I would buy you a drink without fear you would pour it over me
Have we stopped having posts about strawberry availability in the Tesco Metro near the M1 outside Luton? Because it looks like the fruit rotting in the fields story is carrying on.
The supermarkets are still full of British fruit, rather more raspberries than strawberries currently, and plenty with yellow stickers on them by the end of the day.
So if you want to be a cheerleader for exploitative farmers who wont pay the going rate or invest in new equipment please go ahead.
Nonetheless when it was predicted that fruit would be rotting in the fields it was dismissed as project fear. And now it is happening.
Food has ALWAYS rotted in the fields.
Anyone who has been to a PYO or looked at an apple tree or walked across a potato field knows that.
And that's before we get to the food which rots in the supermarket or rots in the home.
Are you some sort of 'no strawberry must be left behind' lunatic as well as being a useful idiot for exploitative farmers ?
Is all British fruit only intended for the UK market? Is it possible that farmers who are not able to harvest their crops and then sell them are actually going to be less likely to pay decent wages in the future?
If British farmers are producing for export they should be able to afford higher wages because of the currency changes.
But this is straight supply and demand - employers who don't offer fair pay and conditions struggle to get a workforce.
That happens in all sectors and at all times.
And I have zero sympathy for such businesses.
The p prices.
That's a fair point.
Customers want food cheap and plentiful and are willing to accept exploited workers and environmental damage to get it.
I doubt its sustainable in the long term but there aren't many votes in higher food prices or, in much of the country, from turning farms into housing estates.
Yep - I agree. As Brexit shows, cake and eat it is not a sustainable policy. There are always difficult trade-offs and choices people would prefer not to make. In all circumstances, those at the top will be the ones who are least affected.
I just don't see the UK as being the weak, powerless, helpless victim the Brexit loons believe it to be.
As long as we remain within the EU we are.
Yep, I just don't see it. I guess people like me and you look at the world in completely different ways. We have to work out a way to get along despite that!
To be honest I think you and I get along pretty well. We kind of understand and respect the other's views even if we don't agree with them and, excepting the fact that this is a binary in/out decision, we have both shown a willingness to compromise. I would buy you a drink without fear you would pour it over me
Ha, ha. I think we would have a very interesitng conversaiotn and find out we agree about quite a bit. I woud probably drink more than you though, as is my way ;-)
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
Keep going - eventually you will be arguing that joining Wessex to Mercia was a grave error by Alfred and Dudley is due reparations.
Very funny. Here's what the ONS has to say about the results of the national identity question from the 2011 census:
National identity in England and Wales
The 2011 Census introduced a question on national identity for the first time. This was due to an increased interest in 'national’ consciousness and demand from people to acknowledge their national identity. National identity is multi-dimensional, so the 2011 Census respondents were allowed to tick more than one national identity. 91.0 per cent of the population identified with at least one UK national identity (English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, and British).
English identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was the most common identity respondents chose to associate with, at 37.6 million people (67.1 per cent). English as a sole identity (not combined with other identities), was chosen by 32.4 million people (57.7 per cent).
British identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was a common identity chosen by 16.3 million people (29.1 per cent). 10.7 million people (19.1 per cent) associated themselves with a British identity only.
Welsh identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was chosen by 2.4 million people (4.3 per cent). 2 million people (3.7 per cent) associated themselves with a Welsh only identity.
I've not looked at the equivalent publication for Scotland, but I would imagine that people who still identify as British are probably a smaller minority up there than down South. Nor does it seem at all plausible that the underlying decline in the embrace of British identity will have swung dramatically into reverse in the last eight years.
I don't actively want Great Britain to end as a political unit, but one has to acknowledge the facts of the situation. It's a process that's taking place, and it's probably irreversible.
You propose that there is an irreversible process, but your justification is opinion polling based on a snapshot of people's feelings. It's silly.
Furthermore, it can only be a distinct boon that the UK is leaving an organisation that operated a deliberate strategy of using its influence and funding over decades (with our money), to emphasise regional differences in aid of the eventual federation of the regions of the UK under the EU. Which is the main reason the nationalists have been fighting so hard against Brexit, despite claiming it will aid their cause in some way.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
All imply very Hung Parliaments - a far cry from the 100 seat majority of 1987.
Mr. HYUFD, ironically, the SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and EU in 2014. Now they're aghast at leaving the EU.
That position at least makes sense. Leaving the EU and then the UK are progressive steps towards independence. The dream of leaving the UK but remaining within the EU simply sets Scotland and its putative leaders up as a decorative toy state with zero influence whatsoever. It is a situation that anybody genuinely interested in independence would be horrified by.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
All imply very Hung Parliaments - a far cry from the 100 seat majority of 1987.
Opinium and Kantar would imply the 100 seat majority of 1987, so take your pick of the polls
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
The classic combination of factionalism and chaos that sadly characterises the Left of the Labour party. Hopefully the centrist dad tendency will reassert itself in time.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
My intuition says that if the Brexit Party collapse and Labour fall consistently below the Lib Dems, the gap between the Tories and Lib Dems will tend to narrow, so instead of ending up at 40-25-20, something like 35-32-18 is more plausible.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
All imply very Hung Parliaments - a far cry from the 100 seat majority of 1987.
Opinium and Kantar would imply the 100 seat majority of 1987, so take your pick of the polls
Certainly not true on a UNS basis - much more like a 2015 result because of higher LD vote.
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
Don't blame the voters - they are stuck with the donkey with a rosette that is offered to them. Blame the local party members; they are the ones with the time and inclination to assess the suitability of potential candidates.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
All imply very Hung Parliaments - a far cry from the 100 seat majority of 1987.
Opinium and Kantar would imply the 100 seat majority of 1987, so take your pick of the polls
Certainly not true on a UNS basis - much more like a 2015 result because of higher LD vote.
Opinium has a 12% Tory lead over Labour and Kantar a 14% Tory lead ie the same as or more than 1987 but the LDs are on 20% with both ie less than the 22% the Alliance got in 1987
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
Lib Dems will not be ahead of Labour, that is a dream
In voteshare the LDs already are ahead of Labour with Yougov
As was the Alliance with Gallup at the start of the 1987 campaign.
And the Tories won a majority over 100.
On the other hand, there were no polls showing the main parties neck and neck in early May 1987.
Only with Comres which has the Brexit Party still on 17% and higher than other pollsters and the LDs on 20% and lower than most pollsters and there was no Brexit Party in 1987
ICM, BMG, Delta and Survation have also shown small leads.
All have Tory leads and Tory leads over Labour still bigger than the 2% Tory lead over Labour in 2017 and thus a Labour to Tory swing
All imply very Hung Parliaments - a far cry from the 100 seat majority of 1987.
Opinium and Kantar would imply the 100 seat majority of 1987, so take your pick of the polls
Certainly not true on a UNS basis - much more like a 2015 result because of higher LD vote.
Opinium and Kantar both have 12% Tory leads over Labour ie the same as 1987 but the LDs on 20% ie less than the 22% the Alliance got in 1987
Nevertheless in terms of Parliamentary seats , the Tories would only have a small majority - the Tory lead over LDs is smaller than 1987.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
Which is being challenged in the courts as the equivalent of frustrating the benn act. If it holds up then bunging hungry for example a few billion would be perceived as frustrating the act. The rebel alliance may, in the event, the court rules against Maugham, have to pass a specific act to outlaw it or no confidence the government.
Not really time to get that through parliament before the EuCo. And the obvious HMG defences to that are that (1) Parliament has just had a chance to legislate specifically for that and hasn't, and (2) the obligation to seek extension doesn't bite until close of play on 19/10, and they are okay up until then to encourage Hungary to give the pressdram v arkell response.
@malcolmg you’ve been had - this one is absolute crap
(disclosure: Duncan is a buddy and I had coffee with him couple of weeks ago)
Transparency International U.K. is a charity/lobbying organisation. It’s role is to produce research and lobby for legislation to eliminate corruption in both the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally.
Part of this is funded by government organisations (he mentioned Dfid and the Dutch foreign ministry) and partly by foundations such as Joseph Rowntree. Not sure if the “3.5m grant” is the Dutch (probably) or a separate EU one
I’d assume (haven’t checked) that it is a company limited by guarantee which is a very common legal structure for charities.
In no way is this a “family company” as the article calls it
Charles, nice to defend your buddy , but does not make me any more comfortable. It looks like a duck and walks like a duck to me, these politicians , ex politicians and Lib Dems in particular hoover up money from all sorts of places, interested parties , dodgy stuff , etc etc . Just another example that these people are only looking after themselves and spouting whatever position they think will benefit them , whilst their other personas are dealing with the other side , interested parties who gain , etc etc. Politics in Westminster is rotten to the core with chancers filling their boots. One thing is for sure your chum and Swinson will be millionaires and well looked after, unlike the poor etc who she voted constantly to have their pittances cut. You have to wonder how these people sleep at night.
There’s a fair concern about the “revolving door” and the interconnections between the third sector and the public sector (as there is between the private and public sector).
But it’s very different to what the article suggests which - in my view - is libellous
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
An independent England would of course never rejoin the EU but become more like a European Singapore.
England had a Tory majority of 60 at the last general election
@malcolmg you’ve been had - this one is absolute crap
(disclosure: Duncan is a buddy and I had coffee with him couple of weeks ago)
Transparency International U.K. is a charity/lobbying organisation. It’s role is to produce research and lobby for legislation to eliminate corruption in both the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally.
Part of this is funded by government organisations (he mentioned Dfid and the Dutch foreign ministry) and partly by foundations such as Joseph Rowntree. Not sure if the “3.5m grant” is the Dutch (probably) or a separate EU one
I’d assume (haven’t checked) that it is a company limited by guarantee which is a very common legal structure for charities.
In no way is this a “family company” as the article calls it
Charles, nice to defend your buddy , but does not make me any more comfortable. It looks like a duck and walks like a duck to me, these politicians , ex politicians and Lib Dems in particular hoover up money from all sorts of places, interested parties , dodgy stuff , etc etc . Just another example that these people are only looking after themselves and spouting whatever position they think will benefit them , whilst their other personas are dealing with the other side , interested parties who gain , etc etc. Politics in Westminster is rotten to the core with chancers filling their boots. One thing is for sure your chum and Swinson will be millionaires and well looked after, unlike the poor etc who she voted constantly to have their pittances cut. You have to wonder how these people sleep at night.
There’s a fair concern about the “revolving door” and the interconnections between the third sector and the public sector (as there is between the private and public sector).
But it’s very different to what the article suggests which - in my view - is libellous
Malc spends a hell of a lot of time posting about a person he described the other day as an “irrelevance”
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
My intuition says that if the Brexit Party collapse and Labour fall consistently below the Lib Dems, the gap between the Tories and Lib Dems will tend to narrow, so instead of ending up at 40-25-20, something like 35-32-18 is more plausible.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
An independent England would of course never rejoin the EU but become more like a European Singapore.
England had a Tory majority of 60 at the last general election
More like an English South Africa if the nationalists are in charge.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
An independent England would of course never rejoin the EU but become more like a European Singapore.
England had a Tory majority of 60 at the last general election
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
Don't blame the voters - they are stuck with the donkey with a rosette that is offered to them. Blame the local party members; they are the ones with the time and inclination to assess the suitability of potential candidates.
And, of courses, the nutters and zealots are the ones motivated to turn up. The saner ones have families and friends they like to spend time with.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
An independent England would of course never rejoin the EU but become more like a European Singapore.
England had a Tory majority of 60 at the last general election
That was then this is now
The Tory lead in England is now even bigger under FPTP if anything
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
This is a rather silly post, along with even sillier contributions from Tyson. We can point to huge numbers of second raters (to be generous) on the remainer side, not to mention those not blessed with physical beauty. Surely the idea of the ranks of remainers being packed with administrative flair has been exploded by the TIG flop.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
My intuition says that if the Brexit Party collapse and Labour fall consistently below the Lib Dems, the gap between the Tories and Lib Dems will tend to narrow, so instead of ending up at 40-25-20, something like 35-32-18 is more plausible.
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
Oddly we know what Reagan was like in informal correspondence (he had a penfriend, Lorraine Wagner) and he was gracious in his words. Carter pulled off one of the best anecdotes - he was told that they could get Marine One on the lawn in X minutes, and deadpan he said "OK, go on then" (I paraphrase) and they actually had to do it.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
My intuition says that if the Brexit Party collapse and Labour fall consistently below the Lib Dems, the gap between the Tories and Lib Dems will tend to narrow, so instead of ending up at 40-25-20, something like 35-32-18 is more plausible.
The wish is father to the thought.....
That sums up his entire oeuvre.
This was my prediction for the 2016 US election posted on here before the vote.
Surely the answer to Mr Herdson's query as to why the Brexit dogs did not bark is a fairly simple one - they did not put the effort in to understand what Mrs May was offering.
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
Partly that, and partly that the ERG wing is built on emotion rather than reason or logic. Being acceptable in 2017 doesnt make it acceptable in 2019 by logic if senior clerics have declared it heresy. And clerics like Raab & Francois saw an obvious path of self promotion by being as extreme as possible, once they have made their case, others most follow or look like weak quislings.
I do find it hard to understand why anyone rates Raab. He seems to be utterly vacuous. I can see no redeeming qualities in him, nor any form of ability other than being able to speak complete nonsense.
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
This is a rather silly post, along with even sillier contributions from Tyson. We can point to huge numbers of second raters (to be generous) on the remainer side, not to mention those not blessed with physical beauty. Surely the idea of the ranks of remainers being packed with administrative flair has been exploded by the TIG flop.
I never said the Remainer's ranks were filled with gorgeous geniuses. They have problems too, but the ranks of HMG / ERG are currently filled by tin-earred people who seem to lack any talent other than spouting nonsense.
BTW - if physical looks are important, it seems to be Priti Patel who gets the Tories on here rubbing themselves against the furniture.
A far better criticism would have been you arent from london and have spent most of your life living elsewhere, what makes you the best candidate to understand the problems of londoners.
I expect if there was a plebiscite on English independence, there would still be a clear majority in favour of continuation of the union. Remainers would, I think, overwhelmingly vote for England to remain part of the UK, and enough middle class leavers would too. However, I do very much suspect that in traditional labour areas which voted leave, there's been an increasing Unionscepticism as well as Euroscepticism. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there's majorities in places like Stoke, Barnsley, Wigan, and so on, for secession. I think it shows if the BXP want any future post-Brexit, they should pretty much come out openly for the dissolution of the UK. Spending the Barnett Formula on the NHS would probably be a popular policy in working class, leavey areas.
The fact that many Remainers see the UK union as a palliative against English nationalism is one of the big barriers to the kind of reforms that would address the root causes of the 2016 Brexit vote. England should regain its political identity as a sovereign state, and then we would be able to perceive our place in 21st century Europe much more clearly.
An independent England would of course never rejoin the EU but become more like a European Singapore...
In what way ? A 40% immigrant population ? A one party state ? The highest living costs in the world ?
I can see you might be attracted by the second of those.
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
I briefly met GWB at NAS Oceana when AF1 landed there for reasons that were Category 1 Yankee White clearance only. He seemed chill af and all he wanted to talk about was baseball or mountain bikes. He had a surprisingly good knowledge of both topics.
A far better criticism would have been you arent from london and have spent most of your life living elsewhere, what makes you the best candidate to understand the problems of londoners.
"No, I have spent some time in London. I worked near Vauxhall" "Tell me about that" "No."
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
I briefly met GWB at NAS Oceana when AF1 landed there for reasons that were Category 1 Yankee White clearance only. He seemed chill af and all he wanted to talk about was baseball or mountain bikes. He had a surprisingly good knowledge of both topics.
Yes, that seems pretty representative of his post-presidential career. A man at ease in his own skin, I think.
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
The classic combination of factionalism and chaos that sadly characterises the Left of the Labour party. Hopefully the centrist dad tendency will reassert itself in time.
I would have expected Jas to get this, but his weakness is his close association with Streeting and the anti-Corbyn faction of the party. It will be interesting to see what dirt someone has dug up on him and whether there is any substance to it. The “woman from St Albans” is the Muslim candidate in the mix, who will have a strong pitch given the nature of the seat. And Tarry was part of Corbyn’s leadership campaign team. So it will be interesting....
I am sure Mike Gapes is rooting for Tarry, although I don’t reckon his personal vote is anything like as big as he thinks it is.
And an insight into how MPs are all-to-often really chosen in practice, under our flawed voting system.
I am starting to wonder what happens if the election is 40-25-20 with the Lib Dems ahead of Labour. Could a landslide for Bozza.
My intuition says that if the Brexit Party collapse and Labour fall consistently below the Lib Dems, the gap between the Tories and Lib Dems will tend to narrow, so instead of ending up at 40-25-20, something like 35-32-18 is more plausible.
The wish is father to the thought.....
That sums up his entire oeuvre.
He has an egg?[1]
[1] This joke copyright Terry Pratchett, who used it in "Sourcery"...
Background: 4 shortlisted. 1 withdrew last week 3 left standing: Sam Tarry backed by Momentum. With 5 branch nominations. Jas Athwal, Redbridge council leader. With 4 branch nominations. A woman from St Albans
Last night: Athwal is suspended by the party for some allegations we don't know. Party sources claim the process was invesitigated by an external "investigator".
This morning CLP selection committee suspends the selection. Note that postal vote was allowed and so some have voted for a candidate now barred from standing. Regional office over-rule the selection committee and order the selection to go ahead. Now apparently leader office stepped in and suspended the selection
Maybe more u-turns and chaos to follow...stay tuned.
Jas Athwal made the very serious mistake of being a local, BAME, Labour moderate daring to run against white, Momentum-backed, Sam Tarry who is very closely linked to the Labour leadership and has spent much of his recent life living in Brighton.
So why did the leadership suspend the selection?
Because I actually think a lot of the crap going on in Labour is as much down to over-excited trots on the ground as to a deliberate plot by the leadership itself. If the trots over-reach the leadership will rein them in, in the interests of party unity. This is all supposition on my part, despite being a Labour party member I probably know more about the upper echelons of the Tory party.
Hannan is an Anglosphere patriot: he's perfectly content with a transfer of power, it's just he wants it transferred to different people. However, if we are going to recommend today's Sun articles, may I seriously suggest James Forsyth's? As previously mentioned, he's possibly the only good Spectator columnist and his columns in that and the Sun are worth reading. Here's the link to today:
Mr. HYUFD, ironically, the SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and EU in 2014. Now they're aghast at leaving the EU.
Fact check: The SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and remaining in the EU.
Well, yes, but the minor detail was that as they had been repeatedly told, that was not possible. An independent Scotland could have applied to rejoin the EU, but it would not have remained in it.
Where this gets murky of course is that one argument put forward for voting 'No' in 2014 was to keep Scotland in the EU. At the time I thought that was a rather disingenuous or even dishonest argument given the strength of Euroscepticism in England, but it may have been successful.
The risk for an independent Scotland now would be finding itself in neither the UK nor the EU.
I feel sure that if the French diplomat's wife were a suspect in a hit and run and had skipped the country after making promises to the contrary somebody would have posted it by now. Further evidence of the respect in which Brexiteers' favourite Anglosphere ally holds us, and the kind of classy people employed by the Trump administration...
I feel sure that if the French diplomat's wife were a suspect in a hit and run and had skipped the country after making promises to the contrary somebody would have posted it by now. Further evidence of the respect in which Brexiteers' favourite Anglosphere ally holds us, and the kind of classy people employed by the Trump administration...
I don't think it would do her much good, of course, if she were French. The EAW would come into play.
I do look forward to the day though if we get a free trade deal with the USA when we have extradition on equal terms with them too. So we just arrest Donald Trump stateside...
Mr. HYUFD, ironically, the SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and EU in 2014. Now they're aghast at leaving the EU.
Fact check: The SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and remaining in the EU.
Well, yes, but the minor detail was that as they had been repeatedly told, that was not possible. An independent Scotland could have applied to rejoin the EU, but it would not have remained in it.
Where this gets murky of course is that one argument put forward for voting 'No' in 2014 was to keep Scotland in the EU. At the time I thought that was a rather disingenuous or even dishonest argument given the strength of Euroscepticism in England, but it may have been successful.
The risk for an independent Scotland now would be finding itself in neither the UK nor the EU.
The issue of the EU helped swing the vote to no. Spain was not keen on countries splitting and the parts staying in the EU as it might encourage the Catalans to try independence.
The EU has made it clear that if the UK leaves on no deal and Scotland independently asks to rejoin it would be rapidly facilitated.
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
Oddly we know what Reagan was like in informal correspondence (he had a penfriend, Lorraine Wagner) and he was gracious in his words. Carter pulled off one of the best anecdotes - he was told that they could get Marine One on the lawn in X minutes, and deadpan he said "OK, go on then" (I paraphrase) and they actually had to do it.
The difference is those former presidents may have sworn in private but not in public. .
Well, yes, but the minor detail was that as they had been repeatedly told, that was not possible.
That's another discussion which I've been involved in in the past, and have no desire to revisit today. Suffice to say I don't think it's cut and dried.
And to be sure it's not a minor detail. The proposed direction of travel is enormously informative to voters. You can make valid arguments about consequences, but intentions matter hugely in their own right. Indeed, intentionality -- specifically acting in good or bad faith -- can actually have a huge influence on consequences. Determination can make the the unlikely likely, and half-heartedness can make the easy very difficult indeed. Brexit has provided that lesson in primary colours.
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
Oddly we know what Reagan was like in informal correspondence (he had a penfriend, Lorraine Wagner) and he was gracious in his words. Carter pulled off one of the best anecdotes - he was told that they could get Marine One on the lawn in X minutes, and deadpan he said "OK, go on then" (I paraphrase) and they actually had to do it.
The difference is those former presidents may have seorn in private but not in public. .
Fair point, although if we have no records of their private speech, we can draw no conclusions.
There is also the history of swearing to consider. I think "fuck" is was rare (nonexistent) pre WWII, the absolute ban on the n-word only stated to come in during the 80's, the recent semi-rehabilitation of the c-word surprises me (I still think it's a Very Bad Word and can't use it in front of women), and I have got a horrible feeling that the popularity of "motherf***er" is down to Eddie Murphy. "Cocksucker" isn't as bad as it used to be, and "tits" is now no longer a swearword.
I feel sure that if the French diplomat's wife were a suspect in a hit and run and had skipped the country after making promises to the contrary somebody would have posted it by now. Further evidence of the respect in which Brexiteers' favourite Anglosphere ally holds us, and the kind of classy people employed by the Trump administration...
I don't think it would do her much good, of course, if she were French. The EAW would come into play.
I do look forward to the day though if we get a free trade deal with the USA when we have extradition on equal terms with them too. So we just arrest Donald Trump stateside...
Good luck with that. The whole of the NHS will have been turned into a Kentucky Chlorinated Chicken franchise before the US will allow us to extradite any of their citizens.
Oh, for pity's sake. LBJ was abusive and swore like a sailor, Nixon swore frequently, Truman used the n-word freely, Clinton got the staff to give him a blowjob, and Bush 43 was a bit of a horrible boss (happy to be contradicted by the last one, because I don't know enough).
Oddly we know what Reagan was like in informal correspondence (he had a penfriend, Lorraine Wagner) and he was gracious in his words. Carter pulled off one of the best anecdotes - he was told that they could get Marine One on the lawn in X minutes, and deadpan he said "OK, go on then" (I paraphrase) and they actually had to do it.
The difference is those former presidents may have seorn in private but not in public. .
Fair point, although if we have no records of their private speech, we can draw no conclusions.
There is also the history of swearing to consider. I think "fuck" is was rare (nonexistent) pre WWII, the absolute ban on the n-word only stated to come in during the 80's, the recent semi-rehabilitation of the c-word surprises me (I still think it's a Very Bad Word and can't use it in front of women), and I have got a horrible feeling that the popularity of "motherf***er" is down to Eddie Murphy. "Cocksucker" isn't as bad as it used to be, and "tits" is now no longer a swearword.
I thought Fuck was quite a venerable part of the English language, Cunt likewise. It would be surprising if people weren't using them before the mid-twentieth century, surely. Along with his long standing mistrust of John Bolton, Trump's swearing is one of his few admirable characteristics.
Comments
It is a complex subject and requires attention to detail. That seems to be their weak point.
National identity in England and Wales
The 2011 Census introduced a question on national identity for the first time. This was due to an increased interest in 'national’ consciousness and demand from people to acknowledge their national identity. National identity is multi-dimensional, so the 2011 Census respondents were allowed to tick more than one national identity. 91.0 per cent of the population identified with at least one UK national identity (English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, and British).
English identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was the most common identity respondents chose to associate with, at 37.6 million people (67.1 per cent). English as a sole identity (not combined with other identities), was chosen by 32.4 million people (57.7 per cent).
British identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was a common identity chosen by 16.3 million people (29.1 per cent). 10.7 million people (19.1 per cent) associated themselves with a British identity only.
Welsh identity (either on its own or combined with other identities) was chosen by 2.4 million people (4.3 per cent). 2 million people (3.7 per cent) associated themselves with a Welsh only identity.
I've not looked at the equivalent publication for Scotland, but I would imagine that people who still identify as British are probably a smaller minority up there than down South. Nor does it seem at all plausible that the underlying decline in the embrace of British identity will have swung dramatically into reverse in the last eight years.
I don't actively want Great Britain to end as a political unit, but one has to acknowledge the facts of the situation. It's a process that's taking place, and it's probably irreversible.
Furthermore, it can only be a distinct boon that the UK is leaving an organisation that operated a deliberate strategy of using its influence and funding over decades (with our money), to emphasise regional differences in aid of the eventual federation of the regions of the UK under the EU. Which is the main reason the nationalists have been fighting so hard against Brexit, despite claiming it will aid their cause in some way.
The EU also backed the former Spanish government when it blocked an Independence referendum in Catalonia
My opinion of Francois is much more straightforward - he is an idiot. Or perhaps a mouth on legs with no brain.
TBF to the Tories and the Brexiteers, Labour has a similar problem in The Cult.
How did these people get elected? Obviously we, the electorate, have only ourselves to blame. We put those idiots in there, but, in mitigation, maybe these idiots where the only ones prepared to stand.
But it’s very different to what the article suggests which - in my view - is libellous
England had a Tory majority of 60 at the last general election
Boris rates him. He made Raaaaab For.Sec.
https://www.highstakesdb.com/9921-betfair-make-sportsbetting-more-expensive.aspx
Oddly we know what Reagan was like in informal correspondence (he had a penfriend, Lorraine Wagner) and he was gracious in his words. Carter pulled off one of the best anecdotes - he was told that they could get Marine One on the lawn in X minutes, and deadpan he said "OK, go on then" (I paraphrase) and they actually had to do it.
https://www.270towin.com/maps/LLLby
BTW - if physical looks are important, it seems to be Priti Patel who gets the Tories on here rubbing themselves against the furniture.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7540505/Presenter-Justin-Webb-says-Rory-Stewart-not-stand-mayor-white-old-Etonian.html
A far better criticism would have been you arent from london and have spent most of your life living elsewhere, what makes you the best candidate to understand the problems of londoners.
A 40% immigrant population ? A one party state ? The highest living costs in the world ?
I can see you might be attracted by the second of those.
In the 85th minute.....
That seems very stingy to me.
Crazy.
"Tell me about that"
"No."
I am sure Mike Gapes is rooting for Tarry, although I don’t reckon his personal vote is anything like as big as he thinks it is.
And an insight into how MPs are all-to-often really chosen in practice, under our flawed voting system.
[1] This joke copyright Terry Pratchett, who used it in "Sourcery"...
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/opinion/10070381/eu-wont-engage-until-boris-election/
The SNP was in favour of leaving the UK and remaining in the EU.
Where this gets murky of course is that one argument put forward for voting 'No' in 2014 was to keep Scotland in the EU. At the time I thought that was a rather disingenuous or even dishonest argument given the strength of Euroscepticism in England, but it may have been successful.
The risk for an independent Scotland now would be finding itself in neither the UK nor the EU.
Who is he? How is he in a position to know any of this information? Why should we take any notice of him? Genuine question.
As in -
"great raconteur" - bore
"social animal" - drunk
"full of gravitas" - pompous
"loves life" - promiscuous
"charming" - shallow
"driven" - selfish
"robust" - insensitive
"unshakeable self belief" - fantasist
Still, I do like to look for the good in people.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-49945461
I do look forward to the day though if we get a free trade deal with the USA when we have extradition on equal terms with them too. So we just arrest Donald Trump stateside...
The EU has made it clear that if the UK leaves on no deal and Scotland independently asks to rejoin it would be rapidly facilitated.
And to be sure it's not a minor detail. The proposed direction of travel is enormously informative to voters. You can make valid arguments about consequences, but intentions matter hugely in their own right. Indeed, intentionality -- specifically acting in good or bad faith -- can actually have a huge influence on consequences. Determination can make the the unlikely likely, and half-heartedness can make the easy very difficult indeed. Brexit has provided that lesson in primary colours.
The Australian, who lives in Cambridge, accidentally set his sat-nav for the village of Barnsley in Gloucestershire.
However, the qualifiers were being held at the Barnsley Metrodome in the Yorkshire town - 170 miles away.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/49944958
There is also the history of swearing to consider. I think "fuck" is was rare (nonexistent) pre WWII, the absolute ban on the n-word only stated to come in during the 80's, the recent semi-rehabilitation of the c-word surprises me (I still think it's a Very Bad Word and can't use it in front of women), and I have got a horrible feeling that the popularity of "motherf***er" is down to Eddie Murphy. "Cocksucker" isn't as bad as it used to be, and "tits" is now no longer a swearword.
And yes I know George Carlin got there first....
Along with his long standing mistrust of John Bolton, Trump's swearing is one of his few admirable characteristics.