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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The David Cameron paradox: His “little black book” could form both the CON and LD manifestos

“..The coalition is still strong and radical, he says, ‘but because of what I see as the problems facing Britain — and what I want to do next as Prime Minister — I feel very passionately that I want single party government’. It’s strange, I say, he doesn’t come across as a man held captive by the perfidious Liberal Democrats.

Read the full story here

Sunil_Prasannan

First!

Is Dave a TINO? Tory in name only?

Scrapheap_as_was

but what about his weight?

TheScreamingEagles

Perfidious Lib Dems?

Where have I heard that line before?

::Innocent Face::

Scrapheap_as_was

Coalition at work - a Lib Dem MP in the last question called at PMQs, gave Cammo the cue for his selfie-pun about a photo with a Kinnock clan member...

NickPalmer

Welcome back Mike - hope the funeral was not too distressing, and thanks for getting back to pb so swiftly.

Scrapheap_as_was

To revive one of my memes, IHT, if the little book included some aspiration on this once again - say only once the UK was in a budget surplus (guessed to towards the end of the next Parliament) would that be a disaster or a vote winner for the blues?

Open question.

isam

NickPalmer said:

Welcome back Mike - hope the funeral was not too distressing, and thanks for getting back to pb so swiftly.

Seconded

SouthCoastKevin

Bah! I'm dipping my toe in the PB waters and it seems every time I post, a new thread goes up. Anyway, running the risk of showing fearful vanity, here's what I posted a little while ago in response to tim saying PMQs was dull:


I got the chance to listen to PMQs for the first time in a while, and dull isn't the word I'd use. I'd go for 'catastrophic' - for Labour, in that IMO they didn't lay a glove on the PM specifically or the Government in general.

There is a risk in Cameron still, after more than 3 years of being in power, going for the 'We're clearing up the mess that lot left' line, but I think it's effective because he can say, with credibility, the previous government left such a mess that it can't be cleared up quickly.

Even the 'cost of living crisis' line can, I think, be rebutted by Cameron saying it takes a long time and difficult decisions to clear up the mess left by Labour. I like how he didn't try to duck questions about the living costs and disposable incomes, but instead basically said 'Bring it on if you really want to talk about the economy'. A stance that's backed up by the polls showing the Govt is still more trusted to run the economy than Labour are...

TheScreamingEagles

Scrapheap_as_was said:

To revive one of my memes, IHT, if the little book included some aspiration on this once again - say only once the UK was in a budget surplus (guessed to towards the end of the next Parliament) would that be a disaster or a vote winner for the blues?

Open question.

Remember in the good times, when George announced his IHT policy, it stopped the election that never was and Darling copied most of that policy within weeks.

So probably a vote winner in the next Parliament.

john_zims

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

edmundintokyo

On topic, Mike's mostly right, but there are also things that a populist opposition might put in a manifesto but don't work well in practice, because they're either impossible or won't have the effects the voters think they will. Ed Miliband's price fix is a classic example of the genre, but normally governments can't really do the same, because people will just ask why they haven't done it already. Since there's now a coalition partner to blame things on, the governing parties have a bit more leeway to pander.

The complication is that if they announce them too soon the LibDems will say, "No, we support free self-cleaning mobility ponies for pensioners as well, we won't stop you". That means the Tories won't be able to tell people what's in the little black book until we get quite close to the election.

FrankBooth

So the Lib Dem manifesto will be - we stopped the most right wing government since Thatcher being even more right wing. What's more worrying is that the Lib Dem manifesto might be entirely shot of vision about what a Britain under the Lib Dems would be like and merely be about 'what we stopped the the Tories doing' and a few policies of their own.

Sunil_Prasannan

Mike, hope you and your family are coping with your loss.

isam

john_zims said:

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

Labour ran London education, in the guise of the GLC and ILEA, for most of the Thatcher Years

Millsy

So everyone's a winner from the outpourings of Cameron's little black book??

richardDodd

I have no way of finding out but my gut feeling is that most pensioners are not wealthy...

RichardNabavi

tim said:

The Tories wrecked govt in London deliberately and left it's schools the worst in the country.

LOL!

Were you living, as I was, in London when Red Ken was at the GLC? The idea that the GLC (and the bizarre duplication with the responsibilities of local councils) was some kind of model of good governance is one of your funniest suggestions ever.

dr_spyn

Whirl click Thatcher destroyed London Schools, whirl Click Tories burnt books whirl click, click, cut school meals forced hard working London to accept Dean Swift's Modest Proposals...whirl Click...free school our idea stolen by that thief Gove...whirl Click, click...PISA tests GIGO...no basis for international comparision...squawk, squawk, squawk....

Scrapheap_as_was

I have a problem with hitting pensioners in this regard - your working life is, in part also about accumulating enough benefits to see you through ok when you cease to work, ie in retirement and the decumulation stage.

When someone retires they are hoping their accumulated wealth plus the state benefits they have paid towards during their working lives are then honoured for as long as they live.

You hit pensioners now, you are altering the contract of the 40-50 years before when they were the working population.

That seems wrong to me - yes there are wealthy pensioners for sure and if they are that wealthy, they too pay income tax and indeed the Govt's equalising of the personal allowance for those under 65 soon catching up with those 65+ (the mis-represented Granny Tax) is very fair from that angle too.

isam

RichardNabavi said:

tim said:

The Tories wrecked govt in London deliberately and left it's schools the worst in the country.

LOL!

Were you living, as I was, in London when Red Ken was at the GLC? The idea that the GLC (and the bizarre duplication with the resonsibilities of local councils) was some kind of model of good governance is one your funniest suggestions ever.

My father worked for both the GLC and the ILEA, not that you'd need to be employed by them to know that a very left wing brand of Labour politics,ran London education for the majority of Thatcher's time as PM

Education in Inner London in the 80s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COt65HZCJaA

Millsy

Interesting article from Andrew Hawkins of ComRes, basically saying that Tory 2010 voters have recently started switching more to Ukip rather than Labour and therefore depressing Labour's share of the vote - but also reducing the potential extent of a straight Labour-Tory swingback.

http://comresupdates.eu.com/DCJ-21MAH-B9DPBHYPEE/cr.aspx

dr_spyn

Al BEEB -

BREAKING NEWS:Archbishop Desmond Tutu's house burgled while he attended Nelson Mandela memorial on Tuesday, reports say.

RichardNabavi

tim said:

I the past you've criticised the wrecking of Londons govt by the 1979-1997 tories, and I realise the BBC or someone else will be to blame for the state of Londons schools in the 90's but the population carried on electing Labour councils, something changed and schools imporved out of all proportion.

Credit where credit is due: What changed was some good Blairite reforms, introduced by Blair and Adonis against the wishes of his own party and local councils, which Michael Gove recognises, has learnt from and is rolling out nationwide. In that sense, Gove is just doing on a much larger scale what Blair wanted to do.

Life_ina_market_town

Good to see that Mr Justice Sweeney is once again on top of case management...

Mark White @skymarkwhite 1h
Jury in Lee Rigby murder trial being sent home today without hearing any evidence - they were told a point of law has arisen #woolwich

edmundintokyo

Millsy said:

So everyone's a winner from the outpourings of Cameron's little black book??

I guess the idea is that everyone's a winner except UKIP. Although if it ends up raising the salience of their issues it could end up being good for them, too, in which case it's good for everyone except Con...

DavidL

Differentiation is not something that can just be left to the Lib Dems. The tories need to do it too but they both need to do it in a way which does not diminish their considerable achievements as a Coalition.

I would expect the major areas of difference between the two at the next election to be

(a) the balance between tax increases and spending cuts needed to continue to reduce the deficit and above all the underlying structural deficit. The tories will argue that there is still too much waste in government spending. The Lib Dems that the vulnerable are getting hurt by the cuts. Both are right of course.

(b) Europe, although the differences might be less than might have been thought with both committed to some form of re-negotiation and some sort of a referendum with at least the leadership of both committed to a yes vote. Cameron may hedge his bets depending on the outcome of the negotiations but I doubt it.

(c) Green taxes. The tories will be opposed to any new green taxes that increase the cost of energy to the public or business. The Lib Dems are likely to be more equivocal.

(d) Tax rates although again the differences are likely to be fairly marginal rather than anything fundemental.

(e) possibly the West Lothian Question and implementation of the McKay report.

(f) ehhh... (edit) I should have mentioned boundary reform and a reduction in the number of MPs. Anyone think of anything else substantial?

Unless we are going to get a whole lot of surprises that may be a very small little black book.

john_zims

@isam

'Labour ran London education, in the guise of the GLC and ILEA, for most of the Thatcher Years'

True,but that won't stop Tim trying to re-write history.

Anyone that lived in London when Livingstone was running the GLC experienced the circus at first hand.

Next

tim said:

@Zims

The Tories wrecked govt in London deliberately and left it's schools the worst in the country.
Labour left with its schools having improved beyond all comparison, and left a capital to be proud of.

Do you actually believe this stuff?

macisback

john_zims said:

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

He's Scouse is he that explains it all. I can now reconcile all the **** he writes in the proper context.

SimonStClare

“there’s a good list of things I have put in my little black book that I haven’t been able to do which will form the next Tory manifesto.“”

Could these be the same 16 policies Clegg claimed to have thwarted at party conference earlier this year? - Assuming the ‘perfidious Liberal Democrat’ was being honest - or something entirely new!

Plato

I LOL at this http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100250177/my-cunning-plan-for-crashing-ed-milibands-christmas-party/

"Then I had a brainwave. “The reason you never get invited to Ed’s parties is because you write nasty things about him”, I said to myself, perceptively. So the solution’s simple. Write something nice. I wouldn’t necessarily have to mean it. I could write some glowing tribute this week, then go back to eviscerating him the next. A bit like Polly Toynbee did with Gordon Brown.

So I sat down and started to type. “It’s time for people, myself included, to hold up our hands and say 'I was wrong about Ed Miliband." But then I looked down at the screen. The words “Sorry. But Ed Miliband still doesn’t get it” were staring back at me.

I hastily hit delete, and started again. “This year Ed Miliband has finally shown he has what it takes to be Prime Minister”. And it happened again. “This was the year Ed Miliband’s chances of becoming Prime Minister crumbled to dust”.

I turned autocorrect on and off, fiddled with spellcheck, and tried a third time. “Like it nor not, Ed Miliband appears to be moving closer towards his date with political destiny”. I closed my eyes and opened them. And there it was: “Ed Miliband? Are you having a laugh?”

Next

tim said:

Next said:

tim said:

@Zims

The Tories wrecked govt in London deliberately and left it's schools the worst in the country.
Labour left with its schools having improved beyond all comparison, and left a capital to be proud of.

Do you actually believe this stuff?

Which bit is incorrect, that the Tories wrecked London govt or left it's schools the worst in the country in 1997?

Or you don't believe the current situation where the schools are the best in the country and London is a capital to be proud of?

Let's start with "The Tories wrecked govt in London deliberately".

Next

tim said:

Credit to the Lib Dems, they've siezed on Camerons own goal quickly and adroitly

https://amillionjobs-libdems.nationbuilder.com/little_black_book_help_us?recruiter_id=30438

"Liberal Democrats think these policies are unfair. Do you want schools to be run for profit? Or a records of all your emails and texts to be kept? Or do you want your boss to be allowed to fire you at will?"

Memo to LibDems: you are not in opposition, so stop with the criticism of the government and tells us what you will positively do.

FrankBooth

macisback said:

john_zims said:

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

He's Scouse is he that explains it all. I can now reconcile all the **** he writes in the proper context.

What is it about Tories and Liverpool? Given your northern problem I don't expect things to change too soon.

Conservatives. Failing to win a majority since 1992.

isam

Labour ran Education in London in the 80s, and gave the children maths questions that asked them to work out the difference in arms spending between the USA & the USSR in order to create support for communism, and History lessons that linked the treatment of prisoners in Auschwitz to contemporary British Police treatment of Trade Union protestors

TheWatcher

Was education in 80's GLC London as poor as that under Labour in 2013 Wales?

Next

Pope Francis named Time Magazine's Person of the Year

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was runner-up.

FrankBooth

Next said:

tim said:

Credit to the Lib Dems, they've siezed on Camerons own goal quickly and adroitly

https://amillionjobs-libdems.nationbuilder.com/little_black_book_help_us?recruiter_id=30438

"Liberal Democrats think these policies are unfair. Do you want schools to be run for profit? Or a records of all your emails and texts to be kept? Or do you want your boss to be allowed to fire you at will?"

Memo to LibDems: you are not in opposition, so stop with the criticism of the government and tells us what you will positively do.

Er....... they're criticising things the government hasn't done as I understand it. It's Cameron who is criticising the government - for not being right wing enough.

Sean_F

john_zims said:

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

I lived in London during the 80s, and I don't recall the Capital or its government being wrecked. Rather the reverse. The economy boomed, the last of the bombsites were built over, the rejuvenation of the Isle of Dogs started, and much of the city was gentrified.

Sean_F

To be honest, I don't think a Cameron-led government in which the Conservatives had a working majority would do much that is different to the current government.

rcs1000

tim said:

all the polling shows the Tory brand is still utterly toxic and people regard the Lib Dems as a restraining influence on the nasty party of the rich that they quite like.

Which explains why the LibDems are soaring in the polls... oh... wait...

SouthamObserver

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

OblitusSumMe

Plato said:

I LOL at this http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100250177/my-cunning-plan-for-crashing-ed-milibands-christmas-party/

Normal Hodges stuff.

I hope that Dan has been saving most of his Telegraph fees, because one way or another he has less than 18 months to cash in on his routine.

Sean_F

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

richardDodd

Another PMQ's where Milliband was slapped down again, the Leftie panic on here today is palpable, they suddenly realise they have bought a very early Turkey.

isam

OblitusSumMe said:

Plato said:

I LOL at this http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100250177/my-cunning-plan-for-crashing-ed-milibands-christmas-party/

Normal Hodges stuff.

I hope that Dan has been saving most of his Telegraph fees, because one way or another he has less than 18 months to cash in on his routine.

No real view on Hodges output.. but I can understand someone not tiring of writing the same thing over and over again!!!

Neil

I've been away for a little while, did Dan Hodges ever explain the background to the internal Tory polling from the marginals he was going on about?

TheWatcher

OblitusSumMe said:

Plato said:

I LOL at this http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100250177/my-cunning-plan-for-crashing-ed-milibands-christmas-party/

Normal Hodges stuff.

I hope that Dan has been saving most of his Telegraph fees, because one way or another he has less than 18 months to cash in on his routine.

Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be capable of adapting his comedy lines to fit the next Labour leader.

anothernick

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

FrankBooth

Sean_F said:

To be honest, I don't think a Cameron-led government in which the Conservatives had a working majority would do much that is different to the current government.

Please point this out to as many Lib Dims as possible.

SouthamObserver

On topic - Confirming that the Tories would have been a lot more right wing if the LDs had not been there to constrain them is not necessarily the best idea.

Neil

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

SouthamObserver

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

TGOHF

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Here comes the nudge nudge brigade - too yellow to post.

"Ooh Cam can't go there on Flowers" --- until he does...

"Oooh Boris - the bodies are buried " --- until he becomes mayor - twice.

Neil

tim said:

Neil said:

I've been away for a little while, did Dan Hodges ever explain the background to the internal Tory polling from the marginals he was going on about?

The poll didn't exist, the only interesting point there is why charlatan Dan claimed it existed.

You mean whether he was stupid or dishonest?

Couldnt he be both?

AveryLP

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

Sunil_Prasannan

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Little Black Book - an abridged version of the movie about the Dutch Resistance starring Carice van Houten?

SouthamObserver

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

Very droll ...

Sean_F

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

Remarkably, the Conservatives actually gained the Lambeth Norwood division, in the 1981 GLC elections, at a time when they lost to Labour, thanks to the behaviour of Lambeth council.

MikeK

This is Nigel Farage's last speech of the year in Strasbourg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kV93cc4tik

[note, edited by rcs1000 to give correct link]

Sunil_Prasannan

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

[Deleted User]

We all need to be careful or at least detailed when talking aboutn London in the 80s.

The HUGE thing that made the difference was the Big Bang and the overall direction of the Thatcher government. It was the explosion of financial services and the avalanche of money from this that set London on its path to glory. (Plus buy your council house)

At the same time at the local government level there was the Ken/GLC/Militant/lefty bullshit squalor. 'Today Brent East, tomorrow Soweto'. (FFS!)

I lived in London then and the disconnect between the two mindsets was amazing.

SouthamObserver

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

Remarkably, the Conservatives actually gained the Lambeth Norwood division, in the 1981 GLC elections, at a time when they lost to Labour, thanks to the behaviour of Lambeth council.

Everywhere that Militant and their fellow travellers went was left much worse off than it had been. Their creed was utterly destructive. I spent most of the 80s wanting to do physical harm to each and every one of them. Hate is a very negative emotion, but I never hated anyone like I hated the scumbags that almost brought Labour to its knees. The day that Kinnock delivered his Militant speech at the Labour conference and the fight back started was among the best of my life up to then. At last something was happening and there was hope. He may have morphed into something I do not like very much these days, but for that speech and what he did following it Kinnock has my eternal gratitude.

Neil

@ Sean Fear

I came across both Ted Knight and Linda Bellos at separate times well after their association with Lambeth Council (which I dont remember firsthand) ended. It was difficult to believe either of them had ever been in a position of real power!

isam

tim said:

@SeanT

You're not denying Londons schools were the worst in the country by 1997 are you?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/from-fail-to-worlds-best-a-lesson-from-the-east-end-8996454.html?origin=internalSearch

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2013/dec/11/tower-hamlets-transforming-failing-schools-ofsted

Probably something to do with IQ or Muslims or something

You're not denying Labour ran education in 80s London are you?

TheWatcher

tim said:

@SeanT

You're not denying Londons schools were the worst in the country by 1997 are you?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/from-fail-to-worlds-best-a-lesson-from-the-east-end-8996454.html?origin=internalSearch

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2013/dec/11/tower-hamlets-transforming-failing-schools-ofsted

Probably something to do with IQ or Muslims or something

Funny. Your Guardian link fails to mention that immigration caused the improvement in education standards in Tower Hamlets.

They put it down to better teaching, teachers, assessment and competition.

Did you write in and ask for a correction?

anothernick

Neil said:

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

1 Suggests the Tories have a hidden agenda
2 Provides support for Clegg's claims to have prevented the Tories from being "extreme"
3 Use of "black" in that context will upset the PC brigade and many BAME voters and further undermines Cameron's already shaky claims to be a moderniser
4 Is a gift to the other parties - they can now indulge in endless speculation about what is in the little black book - abolish the NHS, bring back grammar schools, tax cuts for the rich, eat babies for breakfast etc etc
5 As OGH points out, the Lib Dems need to encourage tactical anti-Tory voting as much as they can - this will help them in that task

Neil

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

Sunil_Prasannan

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

Er, um, Just seeing how long my fellow PBers would take to notice, Neil!

Next

anothernick said:

Neil said:

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

4 Is a gift to the other parties - they can now indulge in endless speculation about what is in the little black book - abolish the NHS, bring back grammar schools, tax cuts for the rich, eat babies for breakfast etc etc

Yes, the other parties never indulged in that before...

SouthamObserver

Neil said:

@ Sean Fear

I came across both Ted Knight and Linda Bellos at separate times well after their association with Lambeth Council (which I dont remember firsthand) ended. It was difficult to believe either of them had ever been in a position of real power!

Linda Bellos. Lord help us. Just the name brings me out in a sweat. And there was Frances Morrell at ILEA too ...

TGOHF

anothernick said:

Neil said:

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

3 Use of "black" in that context will upset the PC brigade and many BAME voters and further undermines Cameron's already shaky claims to be a moderniser

"Black Friday" seems to have done ok - despite being howwwibly wacist.

TheScreamingEagles

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

People keep on telling me to avoid Clapham Common, something to do with it being frequented by Labour Cabinet Ministers.

::Innocent Face::

AveryLP

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

There was a a geiger counter on the roof of the GLC pointed at Waterloo Station. Every day it's reading was painted onto a banner hung on the facade of the building facing the Thames.

This number was widely misunderstood as its decimal point was often misplaced.

Neil

SouthamObserver said:

Everywhere that Militant and their fellow travellers went was left much worse off than it had been.

They've contented themselves lately with ruining a major national public sector trade union and the far-left in Scotland.

OblitusSumMe

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

The trains through Clapham Junction from Victoria, pass through Lambeth to the south, whereas the trains through Clapham Junction from Waterloo pass through Lambeth to the north, but why you would want to take nuclear material to Victoria or Waterloo is beyond me. It would surely go around London to the West, via Reading and Birmingham.

rcs1000

MikeK said:

This is Nigel Farage's last speech of the year in Strasbourg.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/142e209cc388e778

Mike - are you sure it's wise to allow everyone on PB access to your inbox.

Don't worry, I've signed you out, so nobody will be able to read your emails

MikeK

rcs1000 said:

MikeK said:

This is Nigel Farage's last speech of the year in Strasbourg.


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/142e209cc388e778

Mike - are you sure it's wise to allow everyone on PB access to your inbox.

Don't worry, I've signed you out, so nobody will be able to read your emails

Thanks a lot. Stupid of me.

macisback

SeanT said:

Sean_F said:

john_zims said:

@Tim

FPT

'People forget just what a dump much of London turned into under the Tories, who had also wrecked local govt in the city.

They vandalised the capital and it's schools.'

What a stupid comment,even by your standards.

Have you actually ever lived in London or anywhere other than the Sociailist Republic of Scouseland?

I lived in London during the 80s, and I don't recall the Capital or its government being wrecked. Rather the reverse. The economy boomed, the last of the bombsites were built over, the rejuvenation of the Isle of Dogs started, and much of the city was gentrified.

Quite. London surged and boomed in the 80s - you could feel it. Restaurants proliferated, property prices spiralled, new cars appeared, it was a transformation - the beginning of the transformation that took London from dowdy ex-imperial capital to the glittering global metropolis it is today.

Need proof? London's population, which had been shrinking since the 1930s, stopped shrinking in the mid 80s, and began growing again. It hasn't stopped since.


http://www.geocases2.co.uk/printable/images/London process and change_img_3.jpg

Not for the first time, tim is talking total, and provable, bollocks.

Expect no better he is Scouse, incidentally he repeatedly attacks IDS presumably for his war on professional benefit claiming. He should be grateful in parts of Liverpool 40% of working age people rely totally on benefit, IDS is doing his bit to cut this cancer which has over time reduced his City to the cesspit it has become.

TheScreamingEagles

OblitusSumMe said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

The trains through Clapham Junction from Victoria, pass through Lambeth to the south, whereas the trains through Clapham Junction from Waterloo pass through Lambeth to the north, but why you would want to take nuclear material to Victoria or Waterloo is beyond me. It would surely go around London to the West, via Reading and Birmingham.

So a nuclear train had an accident in Birmingham, I think that's the only explanation for Birmingham New Street Station.

TheWatcher

OblitusSumMe said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

The trains through Clapham Junction from Victoria, pass through Lambeth to the south, whereas the trains through Clapham Junction from Waterloo pass through Lambeth to the north, but why you would want to take nuclear material to Victoria or Waterloo is beyond me. It would surely go around London to the West, via Reading and Birmingham.

The Dungeness waste trains go to Willesden via Lewisham and Clapham.

It would have taken a failure major accident to release enough radiation to affect a detector on the roof of the GLC. Perhaps Red Ken's chums visiting from behind the Iron Curtain were triggering the sensors with irradiated clothing?

rcs1000

MikeK said:

rcs1000 said:

MikeK said:

This is Nigel Farage's last speech of the year in Strasbourg.


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/142e209cc388e778

Mike - are you sure it's wise to allow everyone on PB access to your inbox.

Don't worry, I've signed you out, so nobody will be able to read your emails

Thanks a lot. Stupid of me.

This is the right link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kV93cc4tik

Scott_P

Ed playing catch up again. Late to the funeral, now this...

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/12/now-ed-miliband-is-on-teamnigella-too/

Scott_P

Ed Balls good week continues...

@tnewtondunn: Appears @RachelReevesMP 'mis-spoke'. Source close to @edballsmp: “The BSP is not and cannot be included in any welfare cap in the shortterm"

@Mr_Eugenides: “…with Ed Balls next to him like a South African deaf interpreter, making up hand signals as he went along” http://t.co/rIjQbILpCj

Sunil_Prasannan

OblitusSumMe said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

The trains through Clapham Junction from Victoria, pass through Lambeth to the south, whereas the trains through Clapham Junction from Waterloo pass through Lambeth to the north, but why you would want to take nuclear material to Victoria or Waterloo is beyond me. It would surely go around London to the West, via Reading and Birmingham.

Actually the Victoria to CJ line doesn't pass through Lambeth. But you can head also northwest from CJ via the West London Line, and also northeast through Clapham and Brixton, the latter route most definitely passing through Lambeth.

AveryLP

rcs1000 said:

MikeK said:

rcs1000 said:

MikeK said:

This is Nigel Farage's last speech of the year in Strasbourg.


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/142e209cc388e778

Mike - are you sure it's wise to allow everyone on PB access to your inbox.

Don't worry, I've signed you out, so nobody will be able to read your emails

Thanks a lot. Stupid of me.

This is the right link

Thanks Mike for the missing link.

Sunil_Prasannan

TGOHF said:

anothernick said:

Neil said:

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

3 Use of "black" in that context will upset the PC brigade and many BAME voters and further undermines Cameron's already shaky claims to be a moderniser

"Black Friday" seems to have done ok - despite being howwwibly wacist.

Wasn't the Black Prince an early immigrant from Africa? Or am I confusing him with the cruiser sunk at Jutland?

TGOHF

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TGOHF said:

anothernick said:

Neil said:

anothernick said:

"Little black book" - a most unfortunate phrase with deeply damaging overtones on many levels for the Tories.

Dont hold back - give us the lowdown on 2 or 3 of those levels.

3 Use of "black" in that context will upset the PC brigade and many BAME voters and further undermines Cameron's already shaky claims to be a moderniser

"Black Friday" seems to have done ok - despite being howwwibly wacist.

Wasn't the Black Prince an early immigrant from Africa? Or am I confusing him with the cruiser sunk at Jutland?

Who can ever forgive AC/DC for their seminal "Back in Black" CD - surely the most wacist wecord ever ?

JohnO

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

Neil

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

TheWatcher

tim said:

Neil said:

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

I can think of at least two reasons why Linda Bellos is unlikely to get knocked up by JohnO

Is the lady not for turning?

TheScreamingEagles

Neil said:

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

The name sounds familiar

I think I've met Linda Bellos at a LGBT event

JohnO

TheScreamingEagles said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

People keep on telling me to avoid Clapham Common, something to do with it being frequented by Labour Cabinet Ministers.

::Innocent Face::

Out badger spotting (until Owen Paterson shot them all)

JohnO

Neil said:

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

Oh I don't know. Perhaps after another of those pb parties, I might end up in Norwich.

Neil

JohnO said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

People keep on telling me to avoid Clapham Common, something to do with it being frequented by Labour Cabinet Ministers.

::Innocent Face::

Out badger spotting (until Owen Paterson shot them all)

If Owen isnt careful his may be the second Cabinet career the badgers do for in recent times.

TheScreamingEagles

Neil said:

JohnO said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Neil said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

AveryLP said:

SouthamObserver said:

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ILEA was a joke. But it was not replaced with anything better. London's schools improved dramatically from 1997 onwards in both Labour and Tory boroughs, which does rather suggest that something could have been done previous to 1997 if there had been any political will.

A friend of mine who went to school in Lambeth at the time thought that ILEA was actually not as bad as the people who ran Lambeth's education department, after ILEA was abolished.

From memory Lambeth was an absolute cesspit of the worst kind of lefty bollox. Those days still send a shudder down my spine. They were utterly horrific.

At least the schools were located in a nuclear free zone.

How do you know there weren't any nucular waste trains passing through Clapham Junction back then?

Clapham Junction is in Wandsworth, Sunil. Shame on you for not knowing that!

People keep on telling me to avoid Clapham Common, something to do with it being frequented by Labour Cabinet Ministers.

::Innocent Face::

Out badger spotting (until Owen Paterson shot them all)

If Owen isnt careful his may be the second Cabinet career the badgers do for in recent times.

Don't misunderestimate Owen, have you forgotten his brilliant work in Northern Ireland uniting the Tories and Ulster Unionists to electoral success in 2010?

Neil

tim said:

Neil said:

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

I can think of at least two reasons why Linda Bellos is unlikely to get knocked up by JohnO

Improved electoral algorithms from Tory HQ and...?

TheScreamingEagles

Neil said:

tim said:

Neil said:

JohnO said:

That's Linda Bellos OBE (2006) and businesswoman.

Wonder if she now votes Conservative.

I dont think it would be a good use of time for your lot to knock her up in 2015.

I can think of at least two reasons why Linda Bellos is unlikely to get knocked up by JohnO

Improved electoral algorithms from Tory HQ and...?

She's a Lesbian.

Edit: Although with JohnO's charm, anything is possible

FrankBooth

Black book? Why didn't Cameron call it his orange book? Much nicer colour and might have appealed to the UKIP types who voted for Kilroy Silk.

Scrapheap_as_was

tim said:

Next said:

tim said:

Credit to the Lib Dems, they've siezed on Camerons own goal quickly and adroitly

https://amillionjobs-libdems.nationbuilder.com/little_black_book_help_us?recruiter_id=30438

"Liberal Democrats think these policies are unfair. Do you want schools to be run for profit? Or a records of all your emails and texts to be kept? Or do you want your boss to be allowed to fire you at will?"

Memo to LibDems: you are not in opposition, so stop with the criticism of the government and tells us what you will positively do.

You don't expect them to stop Cameron when he's in the midst of smashing the ball into the back of his own net do you, they've got marginal seats to think about.
Get yourself a competent leader or stop moaning, nobody keeps forcing TeamNigella to make an arse of himself.

Oh dear. tim digs at cammo on team nigella and then this...


Now Ed Miliband is on #TeamNigella too!

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/12/now-ed-miliband-is-on-teamnigella-too/