Odd that so many people are concerned with Rev Flowers' unsuitability for office now, the lack of questions from press, politicians, Co-Op members when the guy was proposed for the job at the time is damning.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
I can't see 'Lesson 1 - Snorting crystal meth off the backs of rent boys' on the syllabus of the world's leading business schools any time soon.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
I can't see 'Lesson 1 - Snorting crystal meth off the backs of rent boys' on the syllabus of the world's leading business schools any time soon.
It should. The course would be hugely oversubscribed.
well he is only out by two miles, Marshall Meadows bay is further north in this country. He was talking about England unless you happen to think he was actually in Scotland or Wales....
If so, probably better that Tories stop referring to the UK as a country (sing.).
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
I can't see 'Lesson 1 - Snorting crystal meth off the backs of rent boys' on the syllabus of the world's leading business schools any time soon.
It should. The course would be hugely oversubscribed.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
Not if they don't learn from their mistakes.....
I'm sure he'll learn in time for his next job.
Column in the Guardian, no doubt, unless McShane gets there first.....
That was pretty uncomfortable for Ed but tbh given recent events it could have been worse. It will be interesting to see what if any makes the main bulletins.
The glory days of the energy surge seem a fairly distant memory already, don't they?
Too many tweets - Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 7m Public desperate for PM in waiting who speaks for them - not Leader of Opposition indulging in partisan Westminster Village knockabout.
Cameron got wind of it pdq - knocked stuffing out of Labour.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
Not if they don't learn from their mistakes.....
I'm sure he'll learn in time for his next job.
Column in the Guardian, no doubt, unless McShane gets there first.....
I was thinking he'd make for a great Archbishop of Canterbury.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 42s Cameron pathetic if he thinks quoting me talking about EdM's pmq performance is a serious attack on EdM - really weak and vacuous attack
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
Most people, under those circumstances, would delete it. Rev Flowers apparently handed the machine in for service with material still on it.
1) Not everyone is IT literate,
2) Far too many delete things, but don't empty their recycle bin
3) One of my old work laptop, automatically stored all files and pictures to the part of the hard drive, you could delete it in one place, and it was stored elsewhere.
With respect, you are making the same mistake as the Rev. Delete, and delete + empty trash, emphatically do not do what it says on the tin. You tell your computer to delete, it thinks "I can't be arsed, but I will make a note that the information at this address is no longer needed and I am allowed to overwrite it next time I run out of space". Until that happens the information is still there, you just can't officially access it via the OS. Our prisons are full of people who don't know this.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 42s Cameron pathetic if he thinks quoting me talking about EdM's pmq performance is a serious attack on EdM - really weak and vacuous attack
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
Not if they don't learn from their mistakes.....
I'm sure he'll learn in time for his next job.
Column in the Guardian, no doubt, unless McShane gets there first.....
I was thinking he'd make for a great Archbishop of Canterbury.
I'd like to see the end of Prime Ministers Questions completely. I never thought I'd say that but it is just awful and is part of the reason the public has such a low opinion of politicians. The PM (of any party) never answers the questions, the backbenchers all bray their way through it and the leader of the opposition tries to get a few 10-second soundbites in.
I think the whole spectacle is absolutely appalling.
The executive must be held to account but it is no longer fit for purpose.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
I discussed this morning, the incident in the toilets, he could explain away by saying it was in an era when homosexuality and homosexuals were under fire and targeted.
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
The rest, he could get away with charm, wit and good looks.
What he gets up to in his own time is his own business (illegality aside) - but having to move three times because of reckless behaviour does suggest he was not suitable board material - let alone chairman....
Some of the best executives and board members are reckless, that's how their businesses became successful.
Not if they don't learn from their mistakes.....
I'm sure he'll learn in time for his next job.
Column in the Guardian, no doubt, unless McShane gets there first.....
I was thinking he'd make for a great Archbishop of Canterbury.
I'm not sure that Methodists are eligible.
That's religious discrimination, and he should sue.
The glory days of the energy surge seem a fairly distant memory already, don't they?
It's not as if it was Ed who was caught with the meth and the rent boys!
Yes that is true. It wasn't him who said his shadow chancellor was a nightmare either (at least not in public). It wasn't him who was found to have submitted £13K of false invoices this week. It wasn't him who refused the Stafford inquiry which led to the reforms proposed by Mr Hunt this week. it wasn't him that sought to break the party rules in Falkirk. It just all kinda limited his room for manouvre. Add in the remarkable figures on unemployment and the OECD stating the UK is the fastest growing developed country (if only for a few months) and it was a bit of a tricky wicket.
Personally I would have gone on the defence cuts. It would have at least made Cameron a bit more uncomfortable. And whatever Lansley is doing now. Always good for a laugh.
I wonder what percentage of the population even knows two perfectly good coal power stations were closed on the orders of the EU and the plan to meet the shortfall depends on 1000s of diesel generators.
In what universe does the BBC come even remotely close to its charter obligations.
Paul Flowers has quite the track reord. It does beg the question how he managed to brush off all these escapades until now.
It was a political failure. Labour did not ask enough questions, perhaps because he was so involved not just with them, but also organisations closely linked to, and funding, them.
It was all rather incestuous.
It was a media failure. Whilst the events in Hampshire were long in the past, I wonder why a bigger thing was not made of the fact he was forced to resign as a councillor in 2011. You would have thought that would have been a big story since he was the Co-pp bank chairman at the time.
The Council only confirmed this week the real reason for his resignation. Back in 2011, it was put down to 'pressure of time', which given his then-recent appointment as Co-op bank chairman was plausible. I recall vague rumours locally at the time that there was more to it than that but there are often such rumours when a previously successful individual resigns suddenly and they're not always true by any means.
EdM completely wrong to go on Tory donors and Boles - after good opener on Sure Start and children centres. PM in waiting not backbencher!
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 29m Who advised EdM to go on Tory donors and 'party of the rich' comment? Real shame. Two wasted questions then back to cost of living.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 18m Cameron pathetic if he thinks quoting me talking about EdM's pmq performance is a serious attack on EdM - really weak and vacuous attack
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 18m Peter Hain completely and utterly wrong in his question on Northern Ireland and the NI Attorney General comments - completely.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 42s @PaulioB No I don't. I support EdM completely - just thought Boles/donors stuff detracted from strong attack on surestart/children centres.
Labour demanded a point of order over the "mind altering" comment. Er...
@BethRigby: Extraordinary #PMQs @edballsmp furious over Cam 'mind-altering' dig at Meacher 'Have you taken cocaine? he kept asking PM over dispatch box
@BethRigby: 'Have you taken cocaine? asked Balls again and again and again, 'I've not'. Em Miliband clearly wanted him to shut up #pmqs
@Tim Recreational drug use and politicians, when have they ever been truthful about past and present habits? It would have debarred JFK from office in the States had it been made public, and perhaps even Eden in GB.
"Drugs" are only part of the Flowers story though. There's also "rent-boys" "religion" and a bank being run into the ground - While Flowers fiddled the bank burned....
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 53s @sorchacantwell But it was a pathetic putdown to avoid answering a question. I do think before I tweet, but am not a robot.
"Drugs" are only part of the Flowers story though. There's also "rent-boys" "religion" and a bank being run into the ground - While Flowers fiddled the bank burned....
... , bankrolled the Labour Party's overdraft, and bunged Ed Balls £50K.
Cameron reply to Julian Lewis is hilarious "I'm not sure even if I gave the Hon Member a nuclear submarine to park off his constituency... - I hope that gets tweeted
Bradby on the point of order: "Now Meacher is going for Cam re a Point of Order. Cam apologises. Labour, I would say, overdoing it. Skinner has said far worse."
The bit of PMQs to note is David Cameron quoting a tweet from minutes earlier to good effect. First, it shows that the Tory operation is capable of moving quickly and effectively. Secondly, it shows that politicians of all stripes are going to have to be very careful how they express disagreement with their leaders.
Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff & off goes the Flowers story in a v awkward direction MT@paulwaugh: PM spks just asked if past drug use a bar to holding important office
Just say no. The issue with drugs in the Flowers case is tangential to the main point anyway. His reckless behaviour in office is rather more relevant (including drug use), though his inexperience is even more pertinent.
Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff & off goes the Flowers story in a v awkward direction MT@paulwaugh: PM spks just asked if past drug use a bar to holding important office
Allegedly, in the case of the Rev, it wasn't past drug use, though, was it?
Hideaway looked like a frightened schoolboy .. can anyone imagine him being in the bearpit of International politics...He would be laughed at.... He has not made it out of the sixth form
Er, Does he mean that we will actually have 2 Tory MP's in Scotland? Now let's see, after the panda breeding season, we should still have more of them than Tory MP's in 2015 ;^)
Re the email, who hasn't been sent and opened an inappropriate email/picture to their work email address/on a work laptop from their private email account.
Most people, under those circumstances, would delete it. Rev Flowers apparently handed the machine in for service with material still on it.
1) Not everyone is IT literate,
2) Far too many delete things, but don't empty their recycle bin
3) One of my old work laptop, automatically stored all files and pictures to the part of the hard drive, you could delete it in one place, and it was stored elsewhere.
With respect, you are making the same mistake as the Rev. Delete, and delete + empty trash, emphatically do not do what it says on the tin. You tell your computer to delete, it thinks "I can't be arsed, but I will make a note that the information at this address is no longer needed and I am allowed to overwrite it next time I run out of space". Until that happens the information is still there, you just can't officially access it via the OS. Our prisons are full of people who don't know this.
Yes, it normally removes the file from the index without overwriting the data. However it is hard to stumble across any file if you've removed it from the index, especially as files can be split up around a device.
Believe me, I know that to my cost. Never develop code on a machine that is using a bleeding edge and untested version of a filing system ...
Modern OSs and file systems can complicate matters as well. Add in the cloud and automatic backups, and you would be silly to have any embarrassing information on a work computer.
Even if the sectors containing a file are overwritten, it *may* be possible to retrieve them, depending on the type of device (hard drive, flash memory etc)
@antifrank Today's string of tweets from McNulty's might reinforce importance of discretion, unless he was determined to stick the boot in, once, twice, three, four times. Worth a quick look.
Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff & off goes the Flowers story in a v awkward direction MT@paulwaugh: PM spks just asked if past drug use a bar to holding important office
Just say no. The issue with drugs in the Flowers case is tangential to the main point anyway. His reckless behaviour in office is rather more relevant (including drug use), though his inexperience is even more pertinent.
WATO has led with "PM linking Flowers and COOP to Miliband" and why those who knew he was unsuitable said nothing - and announcing the inquiry.....I expect Ed is pleased - he likes inquiries, doesn't he?
Wee Eck would rip Hideaway a new one..even Von Rumpoy would give him a good savaging..Merkel would give him a sweetie and tell him to be quiet while the grown ups talk...Not PM material ..sorry..
Hence the questions for Cameron about his behaviour when advising at the Treasury and the Home Office.
He didn't want to bring this up Richard.
Whilst I don't like mud-slinging by either side (and to be honest I think trying to pin blame for the antics of the Rev on to Labour is a bit of a stretch), you can't just let the other side do it. Creating diversions and chaff makes tactical sense.
I think, incidentally, that there is a serious point about the Coop which is in danger of getting lost in the mud-slinging, which is that 'Mutual good, for-profit bad' doesn't stand up.
Re earlier discussion - even more frighteningly the City Editor of one of the main National newspapers wrote an article a few months ago about how people started paying higher rate tax at £32k. He didn't understand the tax system either.
I nearly wrote to the Editor to inform him and recommend that the City Editor was sacked on the spot for total incompetence.
Now some will say that's over the top but is it?
What would you say if you found out that your Football Correspondent had never heard of Wayne Rooney? Or maybe your Political Editor hadn't heard of David Cameron?
Sorry but it is a 100% credibility destroyer. If someone does not know the most elementary aspect of how the tax system works then they are not qualified to comment in any way on any financial matter. Period.
Wow, Ed Balls got really rattled about the Labour emails nightmare tag and the Flowers/Co-op scandal.
Twitter Paul Waugh @paulwaugh 1m EdM spksmn re PM hint at CoOp inquiry:"I'm not sure this is anything more than a political distraction". May hv to change that line soon
Re earlier discussion - even more frighteningly the City Editor of one of the main National newspapers wrote an article a few months ago about how people started paying higher rate tax at £32k. He didn't understand the tax system either.
I nearly wrote to the Editor to inform him and recommend that the City Editor was sacked on the spot for total incompetence.
Now some will say that's over the top but is it?
What would you say if you found out that your Football Correspondent had never heard of Wayne Rooney? Or maybe your Political Editor hadn't heard of David Cameron?
Sorry but it is a 100% credibility destroyer. If someone does not know the most elementary aspect of how the tax system works then they are not qualified to comment in any way on any financial matter. Period.
Glad someone has cleared this up - when I saw the OP this morning (Pulpstar?) I thought "hang on a second, you don't pay higher rate at that salary, I'm sure". Without trawling through the thread it's 32k ish + the PA is it not - the higher rate starts so where in the £40ks I think.
Twitter Robert Peston @Peston 2m Pressure on Co-op & Flowers ratcheted up by Treasury decision to order PRA to set up independent enquiry into events at Co-op Bank
@paulwaugh: Lab spksman re CoOp:"I'm not saying there should be an inquiry." When asked if he's saying and there shdnt be one, ducks Q.
Independent, judge-led inquiry; that's what Ed Miliband considers to be the Gold Standard of inquiries isn't it?
If the hypothetical 'Posh Bank', chaired by Archbishop Toff, bankers to the Tory Party had gone tits up in similar circumstances, the two Ed's and outriders, would be on every show from Daybreak to Newsnight demanding exactly that.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Re earlier discussion - even more frighteningly the City Editor of one of the main National newspapers wrote an article a few months ago about how people started paying higher rate tax at £32k. He didn't understand the tax system either.
I nearly wrote to the Editor to inform him and recommend that the City Editor was sacked on the spot for total incompetence.
Now some will say that's over the top but is it?
What would you say if you found out that your Football Correspondent had never heard of Wayne Rooney? Or maybe your Political Editor hadn't heard of David Cameron?
Sorry but it is a 100% credibility destroyer. If someone does not know the most elementary aspect of how the tax system works then they are not qualified to comment in any way on any financial matter. Period.
I take your point, and don't really disagree - just to point out that there is a difference between City Editor, and Personal Finance Editor (or whatever it is). In footballing terms, I would say it was more equivalent to your specific Newcastle correspondent not knowing anything about one of the Man United players - technically not in the brief, but such clear overlap that questions should be asked...
Peston on WATO saying the FCA inquiry into the COOP bank may give the investors in its restructure pause for thought and anyone working at the COOP bank will be very rattled.....
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
I've never done drugs.
Over the years I've used antibiotics for "research" purposes - to select for bacterial resistance when overexpressing proteins "recombinantly"
@paulwaugh: Lab spksman re CoOp:"I'm not saying there should be an inquiry." When asked if he's saying and there shdnt be one, ducks Q.
Independent, judge-led inquiry; that's what Ed Miliband considers to be the Gold Standard of inquiries isn't it?
If the hypothetical 'Posh Bank', chaired by Archbishop Toff, bankers to the Tory Party had gone tits up in similar circumstances, the two Ed's and outriders, would be on every show from Daybreak to Newsnight demanding exactly that.
Quite probably, though the question arises whether the voter on the Clapham omnibus reckons all bankers are posh Tories, including the skint Co-op ones.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
I've never done drugs.
You don't 'do' drugs, you take them, or drink them, or smoke them. You've never drunk alcohol? One of the hardest drugs there is.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Disagree on the drugs question. As long as they're illegal, then their use is relevant to someone holding a position of significant authority. Now, we can have a debate as to whether they should be legal (IMO, the vast majority should be, subject to appropriate regulation), but that's a different issue. It's particularly relevant if the individual in question has also adopted a moral position on the subject.
Does anyone else feel it might be time to put PMQs out of its misery? Once upon a time a chance to hold the PM to account and raise issues of importance, now reduced to a lame slanging match of whose mates are dodgier, together with live tweets when anyone dares to suggest it's all a bit of a waste of time?
Would regular moderated TV debates, perhaps themed in policy areas, improve things? I could certainly see Joe Public making a better audience than the current rabble
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
I've never done drugs.
Alcohol? Nicotine? Never?
I'm a Muslim.
I'm a very good Muslim, if you ignore my past drinking and constant whoring.
Pretty grim.....Labour List are normally pretty loyal!
But, knowing what was coming, Ed Miliband decided to do something that – on the surface at least – looked quite courageous. Instead of taking his kicking, he decided to list just some of the more *interesting* people Cameron and the Tories had been associated with and taken money from.......
The strategy was flawed in three ways. Firstly, because saying “well your lot are awful too” is just the kind of old politics, we’re all as bad as each other nonsense that Miliband says he wants to put behind him. Secondly, presumably because he knows that, his counter attack wasn’t that convincing. And thirdly, it meant that Cameron got to talk about the Rev Flowers again instead of Sure Start centres, or – you know – the cost of living.
Does anyone else feel it might be time to put PMQs out of its misery? Once upon a time a chance to hold the PM to account and raise issues of importance, now reduced to a lame slanging match of whose mates are dodgier, together with live tweets when anyone dares to suggest it's all a bit of a waste of time?
Would regular moderated TV debates, perhaps themed in policy areas, improve things? I could certainly see Joe Public making a better audience than the current rabble
I do agree with that, but I do like the concept that a PM has to make regular appearances in front of the Commons.
I'd hate for the PM to only make a handful of appearances at the Commons.
@BBCNormanS: Labour sources insist Ed Miliband and no one in shadow cabinet aware of internet porn claim behind Flowers resigation as Labour councillor
Let's hope there are no emails that are as hard to delete as the porn itself...
Leave Cam alone on drugs. Leave the Rev alone. Go on his record. Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed. Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
Twobobajob clearly rattled, most amusing given his rants over the last couple of weeks.
Does anyone else feel it might be time to put PMQs out of its misery? Once upon a time a chance to hold the PM to account and raise issues of importance, now reduced to a lame slanging match of whose mates are dodgier, together with live tweets when anyone dares to suggest it's all a bit of a waste of time?
Would regular moderated TV debates, perhaps themed in policy areas, improve things? I could certainly see Joe Public making a better audience than the current rabble
It depends on the questions asked. Tom Harris got a good response on bereavement leave for parents, for instance. There probably needs to be two PMQs a week; one for sensible questions and the other for punch and judy.
Does anyone else feel it might be time to put PMQs out of its misery? Once upon a time a chance to hold the PM to account and raise issues of importance, now reduced to a lame slanging match of whose mates are dodgier, together with live tweets when anyone dares to suggest it's all a bit of a waste of time?
Would regular moderated TV debates, perhaps themed in policy areas, improve things? I could certainly see Joe Public making a better audience than the current rabble
Quite agree - it is not doing the job that it was originally conceived to do (holding the PM/Government to account) - and nor is it doing any other useful job (perhaps other than providing things for journalists to put in newspapers). Perhaps part of the issue is that it is once a week rather than twice - if it was more often would there be less Westminster village focus on it and it could actually be useful again in terms of accountability of the Govt.?
Backed Wales to win the 2014 Six Nations Triple Crown at 5.5 with Ladbrokes.
The odds looks a bit mad to me. The Triple Crown is to win all home nations matches (so Wales would need to beat Scotland, Ireland and England). Wales are favourites to win the whole tournament but fourth favourite (including No Winner at 2.63) to win the Triple Crown. I don't get that.
Wales and England should easily beat Scotland and almost as easily do away with Ireland. Wales are the better team right now, and England Vs Wales is one of the final matches, I think.
England are 3.5 to win the tournament but only 3.25 to win the Triple Crown. That seems like a mismatch when Wales are 2.88 and 5.5 respectively. Home advantage *may* help England, but if I've read the rest of it right then the bet amounts to 5.5 on Wales beating England.
I actually went to check the odds on Scotland finishing last, but the Wooden Spoon market isn't up yet.
Comments
Some of Dave's jokes appeared on here in the last few days.
In what fecking universe?
The glory days of the energy surge seem a fairly distant memory already, don't they?
Public desperate for PM in waiting who speaks for them - not Leader of Opposition indulging in partisan Westminster Village knockabout.
Cameron got wind of it pdq - knocked stuffing out of Labour.
Cameron pathetic if he thinks quoting me talking about EdM's pmq performance is a serious attack on EdM - really weak and vacuous attack
Caught out....
I think the whole spectacle is absolutely appalling.
The executive must be held to account but it is no longer fit for purpose.
Tory MPs ending #PMQs in buoyant mood, first time that's happenned since the party conferences.
LOL
EdM is sounding very rattled.
@Tony_McNulty: @LucyMPowell Bit beneath you Lucy.
Personally I would have gone on the defence cuts. It would have at least made Cameron a bit more uncomfortable. And whatever Lansley is doing now. Always good for a laugh.
What with Reverend Underpants and The Crystal Methodist, what is it about Lefty Clergy?
I'm spotting a trend.
I wonder what percentage of the population even knows two perfectly good coal power stations were closed on the orders of the EU and the plan to meet the shortfall depends on 1000s of diesel generators.
In what universe does the BBC come even remotely close to its charter obligations.
Paul Heaton @PaulHeatonSolo 9m
When I took over my pub in Salford, the first people I barred were Cameron and Osborne. That ban still stands.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 29m
Who advised EdM to go on Tory donors and 'party of the rich' comment? Real shame. Two wasted questions then back to cost of living.
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 18m
Cameron pathetic if he thinks quoting me talking about EdM's pmq performance is a serious attack on EdM - really weak and vacuous attack
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 18m
Peter Hain completely and utterly wrong in his question on Northern Ireland and the NI Attorney General comments - completely.
Off message, not a fan of Ed M then.
@PaulioB No I don't. I support EdM completely - just thought Boles/donors stuff detracted from strong attack on surestart/children centres.
no infidel tanks in Baghdad stuff.
Even Dave managed to get the whole house laughing (and Bercow) too with his reply to Julian Lewis.
When Dave's good, he's very good, when Dave's bad, he's very bad.
@BethRigby: Extraordinary #PMQs @edballsmp furious over Cam 'mind-altering' dig at Meacher 'Have you taken cocaine? he kept asking PM over dispatch box
@BethRigby: 'Have you taken cocaine? asked Balls again and again and again, 'I've not'. Em Miliband clearly wanted him to shut up #pmqs
"Drugs" are only part of the Flowers story though. There's also "rent-boys" "religion" and a bank being run into the ground - While Flowers fiddled the bank burned....
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/chris-bryant/chris-bryant-ive-tried-to-be-liberal-about-drugs-but-i-just-cant-do-it-2367394.html
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty 53s
@sorchacantwell But it was a pathetic putdown to avoid answering a question. I do think before I tweet, but am not a robot.
No wonder the latter's steaming.
Believe me, I know that to my cost. Never develop code on a machine that is using a bleeding edge and untested version of a filing system ...
Modern OSs and file systems can complicate matters as well. Add in the cloud and automatic backups, and you would be silly to have any embarrassing information on a work computer.
Even if the sectors containing a file are overwritten, it *may* be possible to retrieve them, depending on the type of device (hard drive, flash memory etc)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_remanence
I think, incidentally, that there is a serious point about the Coop which is in danger of getting lost in the mud-slinging, which is that 'Mutual good, for-profit bad' doesn't stand up.
I nearly wrote to the Editor to inform him and recommend that the City Editor was sacked on the spot for total incompetence.
Now some will say that's over the top but is it?
What would you say if you found out that your Football Correspondent had never heard of Wayne Rooney? Or maybe your Political Editor hadn't heard of David Cameron?
Sorry but it is a 100% credibility destroyer. If someone does not know the most elementary aspect of how the tax system works then they are not qualified to comment in any way on any financial matter. Period.
Twitter
Paul Waugh @paulwaugh 1m
EdM spksmn re PM hint at CoOp inquiry:"I'm not sure this is anything more than a political distraction". May hv to change that line soon
Robert Peston @Peston 2m
Pressure on Co-op & Flowers ratcheted up by Treasury decision to order PRA to set up independent enquiry into events at Co-op Bank
Drugs and sex have no place in politics - irrelevant, common, and no worse than getting pissed.
Let any PBer or hack who has never taken a drug cast the first stoned.
You've never drunk alcohol? One of the hardest drugs there is.
Would regular moderated TV debates, perhaps themed in policy areas, improve things? I could certainly see Joe Public making a better audience than the current rabble
I'm a very good Muslim, if you ignore my past drinking and constant whoring.
I've never done any illegal drugs.
But, knowing what was coming, Ed Miliband decided to do something that – on the surface at least – looked quite courageous. Instead of taking his kicking, he decided to list just some of the more *interesting* people Cameron and the Tories had been associated with and taken money from.......
The strategy was flawed in three ways. Firstly, because saying “well your lot are awful too” is just the kind of old politics, we’re all as bad as each other nonsense that Miliband says he wants to put behind him. Secondly, presumably because he knows that, his counter attack wasn’t that convincing. And thirdly, it meant that Cameron got to talk about the Rev Flowers again instead of Sure Start centres, or – you know – the cost of living.
Nightmare.
I'd hate for the PM to only make a handful of appearances at the Commons.
Sophy Ridge @SophyRidgeSky 10s
My sources tell me the eagle-eyed Conservative who spotted @Tony_McNulty tweet was Michael Gove #pmqs
Joey Jones @joeyjonessky 14s
Personally don't think sparking a big hoo-ha about drug-use will serve Labour. Took a beating today; move on.
Let's hope there are no emails that are as hard to delete as the porn itself...
It depends on the questions asked. Tom Harris got a good response on bereavement leave for parents, for instance. There probably needs to be two PMQs a week; one for sensible questions and the other for punch and judy.
Betting PostBacked Wales to win the 2014 Six Nations Triple Crown at 5.5 with Ladbrokes.
The odds looks a bit mad to me. The Triple Crown is to win all home nations matches (so Wales would need to beat Scotland, Ireland and England). Wales are favourites to win the whole tournament but fourth favourite (including No Winner at 2.63) to win the Triple Crown. I don't get that.
Wales and England should easily beat Scotland and almost as easily do away with Ireland. Wales are the better team right now, and England Vs Wales is one of the final matches, I think.
England are 3.5 to win the tournament but only 3.25 to win the Triple Crown. That seems like a mismatch when Wales are 2.88 and 5.5 respectively. Home advantage *may* help England, but if I've read the rest of it right then the bet amounts to 5.5 on Wales beating England.
I actually went to check the odds on Scotland finishing last, but the Wooden Spoon market isn't up yet.