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The Daily Mirror, which seems to be more comfortable with itself now Labour’s in opposition, makes the news about the MBE to the man who cuts Cameron’s hair it’s main story.

Read the full story here

fitalass

Yesterday was all about the economy, and it was dominated by some optimistic economic news while both Osborne and Clegg gave speeches and all parties showed some ankle when it came to future manifesto policies. But today the thread article on PB is about Cameron having the temerity to give an MBE to a barber instead of a big Conservative donor or political crony. How soon we forget the cash for honours scandal that blighted Tony Blair's final years in Office. And as for the cost of Cameron's haircuts, check out what the average woman will pay for a good cut, colour or perm at popular hairdressers these days, and this despite the austerity cuts.

Not being funny Mike, do you realise just how big a business hair salons/products are in the UK? I have three teenage boys, and they have more hair products between them at cost that more than matches what my friends and I used to have or spend back in the eighties! You and the Daily Mirror have called this one wrong because you are letting your own prejudices about Cameron blind you to the fact that like most normal people, our PM takes a bit of time and effort with his personal grooming. I mean, its not like he is not expected to be turned out in a reasonable manner in public in the job he does. Just think back to some of the absolute PR disasters that have afflicted party leaders over the years, Michael Foot and that duffel coat at the Cenotaph or Gordon Brown with too many gaffes to mention.

edmundintokyo

OT Brian Schweitzer interview:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/01/brian_schweitzer_interview_the_former_montana_governor_is_the_most_likely.html

Running against Hillary from the left on corporate money and the NSA, and a cheeky bit of triangulation on ObamaCare.

MikeSmithson

@fitalass

What you hope to be the "news" and what is making "the news" can be very different things. Check out the response on this on Twitter. Cameron, because of his background, has a massive image problem on relating to "ordinary people" and this just reinforces it.

Plato

Well quite.

Today, being frugal - I spent £75 on make-up and hair dye in Superdrug. Not exactly the Waitrose end of the market. However, not resembling a bag lady is quite important to me - so that's a trade-off I make.

If I can invest that sort of money on my church mouse grooming - why anyone thinks a haircut for the PM is excessive is letting their personal animus show. The press would be the first to jump all over him if he didn't look the part.

fitalass said:

Yesterday was all about the economy, and it was dominated by some optimistic economic news while both Osborne and Clegg gave speeches and all parties showed some ankle when it came to future manifesto policies. But today the thread article on PB is about Cameron having the temerity to give an MBE to a barber instead of a big Conservative donor or political crony. How soon we forget the cash for honours scandal that blighted Tony Blair's final years in Office. And as for the cost of Cameron's haircuts, check out what the average woman will pay for a good cut, colour or perm at popular hairdressers these days, and this despite the austerity cuts.

Not being funny Mike, do you realise just how big a business hair salons/products are in the UK? I have three teenage boys, and they have more hair products between them at cost that more than matches what my friends and I used to have or spend back in the eighties! You and the Daily Mirror have called this one wrong because you are letting your own prejudices about Cameron blind you to the fact that like most normal people, our PM takes a bit of time and effort with his personal grooming. I mean, its not like he is not expected to be turned out in a reasonable manner in public in the job he does. Just think back to some of the absolute PR disasters that have afflicted party leaders over the years, Michael Foot and that duffel coat at the Cenotaph or Gordon Brown with too many gaffes to mention.

fitalass

No, all this kind of silly story does is reinforce the already entrenched prejudices of partisan opponents such as the Daily Mirror. I must have missed the outrage on twitter and elsewhere in the media over the last week like most people. Lets be honest, it wasn't the story of a barber getting an MBE that has been making the news this last week, it was the weather.

MikeSmithson said:

@fitalass

What you hope to be the "news" and what is making "the news" can be very different things. Check out the response on this on Twitter. Cameron, because of his background, has a massive image problem on relating to "ordinary people" and this just reinforces it.

edmundintokyo

It must be hard to nail down everything the media could get hold of to prevent stories like this, but the government have cocked up the mood music for austerity horribly badly. They had to do basically two things during this parliament: Cut spending and maintain a grave expression. They've only done a little bit of the first one, and they've been an epic failure at the second.

fitalass

Yeah, that will be why the Government are now consistently leading the only main Opposition on economy in the polls despite the unpopular austerity measures that they have imposed. But still, unemployment is down and mortgage rates are affordable, so mustn't grumble when we compare our lot to some of our neighbours in the Eurozone!

edmundintokyo said:

It must be hard to nail down everything the media could get hold of to prevent stories like this, but the government have cocked up the mood music for austerity horribly badly. They had to do basically two things during this parliament: Cut spending and maintain a grave expression. They've only done a little bit of the first one, and they've been an epic failure at the second.

MikeSmithson

edmundintokyo said:

It must be hard to nail down everything the media could get hold of to prevent stories like this, but the government have cocked up the mood music for austerity horribly badly. They had to do basically two things during this parliament: Cut spending and maintain a grave expression. They've only done a little bit of the first one, and they've been an epic failure at the second.

Spot on Edmund. There are even splits in the party. The main story in the Times today is about Tories rounding on the leadership about the handling of the cuts

Plato

I barely noticed anything about this on Twitter - I have a pop-up screen via TweetDeck - I'd never remember it unless mentioned here.

It's like the Mirror's expose about chocolate bars. Pathetic partisan stuff - we'd dismiss it if it appeared in the Express.

fitalass said:

No, all this kind of silly story does is reinforce the already entrenched prejudices of partisan opponents such as the Daily Mirror. I must have missed the outrage on twitter and elsewhere in the media over the last week like most people. Lets be honest, it wasn't the story of a barber getting an MBE that has been making the news this last week, it was the weather.

MikeSmithson said:

@fitalass

What you hope to be the "news" and what is making "the news" can be very different things. Check out the response on this on Twitter. Cameron, because of his background, has a massive image problem on relating to "ordinary people" and this just reinforces it.

fitalass

Bazinga! I immediately thought of the Daily Mirror chocolate bars front page when I saw this one tonight on PB.

Plato said:

I barely noticed anything about this on Twitter - I have a pop-up screen via TweetDeck - I'd never remember it unless mentioned here.

It's like the Mirror's expose about chocolate bars. Pathetic partisan stuff - we'd dismiss it if it appeared in the Express.

fitalass said:

No, all this kind of silly story does is reinforce the already entrenched prejudices of partisan opponents such as the Daily Mirror. I must have missed the outrage on twitter and elsewhere in the media over the last week like most people. Lets be honest, it wasn't the story of a barber getting an MBE that has been making the news this last week, it was the weather.

MikeSmithson said:

@fitalass

What you hope to be the "news" and what is making "the news" can be very different things. Check out the response on this on Twitter. Cameron, because of his background, has a massive image problem on relating to "ordinary people" and this just reinforces it.

dugarbandier

Plato said:

Today, being frugal - I spent £75 on make-up and hair dye in Superdrug.

Did you also give the till operator a medal?

AveryLP

This thread is as silly as a single strand of hair in a comb over. Whiggish snobbery at its worst. The product of a follically challenged supporter of receding fringe party.

Politicians don't thrust greatness on a hairdresser. They patronise crimpers who have achieved greatness.

Lino Carbosiero works in what is claimed to be the largest hair salon in Europe. Over his thirty year career at the top of his trade, Lino's clients have included Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Philip Schofield, Ant and Dec, Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rachel Weisz, Sharon Stone, Adele, Hillary Clinton, Anna Friel, and Dustin Hoffman.

He has worked prominently in the Film, Theatre, TV and Fashion industries, being, for example, "Style Director" for the first three series of The X Factor and hairdresser to the Rolling Stones.

He has been active in promoting his industry as global spokesman for Avon's hair care product range, as Style Director for Brylcreem and - note well Mr Smithson - ambassador for Laross hair extensions. He writes a weekly column for The Sun and contributes regularly to Hilary Alexander's 'make over' columns in the Daily Telegraph.

As a leading member of his industry he has also promoted many charitable causes, including raising £25,000 personally by running the London marathon in 2005.

He fully deserves the honour bestowed upon him by Her Majesty based solely upon the advice of independent honours committees.

The Guardian, twitter and Lib Dem froth can only be explained by Lino's greatest career achievement: to move David Cameron's natural hair parting from the left to the right.

AveryLP

For most girls and some boys:

http://bit.ly/19Ycluk

This MBE has it all!

Charles

As an aside, has anyone given a moment's thought to the guy who got the award?

I know when my Dad got his OBE it was one of the proudest moments of his life. I'm sure that the same will be the case for this guy. And he will have got it for legitimate reasons. And yet, for a cheap and meaningless attempt at point-scoring, the Mirror chooses to tarnish his achievement in the eyes of the public and in doubt, many of his friends and acquaintences.

This guy didn't ask to be dragged through the mud and has done nothing to deserve it..

Mike: you should be ashamed of yourself for perpetuating this kind of nonsense. I know you have a difficult job to do keeping such a good blog active, but sometimes you should think through what you post.

Scott_P

The polls are fine. Labour’s rating is holding firm in the high thirties, it will stay there because Lib Dem defectors will boost Labour’s core vote from 2010 and UKIP will squeeze the Tories’ vote.

This is the litany of the Milibelievers. A group that is distinctly under-represented in the PLP but more vocal in the media community and believes Ed Miliband’s gameplan is working.

It was neatly summarised by George Eaton before Christmas and represents one the greatest threats to Labour success in 2015. Because unless Labour radically changes course and accepts the current gameplan is failing, defeat is increasingly likely.

http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2014/01/06/the-milibelievers-are-destroying-labours-chances-for-victory-in-2015/

dr_spyn

So tell me Ed, NIck, just how much did you spend on your haircut, suit, tie, shoes?

Apply that to Kevin Mac at the Mirror etc. Perhaps the Costa Cameron is holed, but is this going to sink it for good?

If the Tweeters think £90 results in a bad haircut, then have they checked over Mr Ed Balls' latest style.
http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2012/mar/22/a-week-in-mens-fashion

How much did Mrs Thatcher's hair styling cost?

The cost of fuel crisis theme might have hit home, but then how many Labour MPs were claiming for the costs of their heating on expenses?

john_zims

@Mike Smithson

'The danger for the PM is that this could resonate because it touches on what’s perhaps his biggest negative in terms of the he’s perceived, that he doesn’t relate “to people like us”'.

Any piece of trivia could resonate,whereas the economy will.

Maybe if there was a pauper instead of a multi millionaire leading the Labour party it might be a big deal.How many ''people like us''have £400,000 mortgages?

david_herdson

Scott_P said:

The polls are fine. Labour’s rating is holding firm in the high thirties, it will stay there because Lib Dem defectors will boost Labour’s core vote from 2010 and UKIP will squeeze the Tories’ vote.

This is the litany of the Milibelievers. A group that is distinctly under-represented in the PLP but more vocal in the media community and believes Ed Miliband’s gameplan is working.

It was neatly summarised by George Eaton before Christmas and represents one the greatest threats to Labour success in 2015. Because unless Labour radically changes course and accepts the current gameplan is failing, defeat is increasingly likely.

http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2014/01/06/the-milibelievers-are-destroying-labours-chances-for-victory-in-2015/

To put that in context, if the LD-Lab switchers did go home (as they would be were the yellows still in opposition), it would leave Labour on about 31%. That, in the midst of the cuts, both financial and follical.

Roger

A Knighthood for delivering the Royal baby and an OBE for cutting the Prime Ministers hair.....

We seem to share the same charming eccentricity as North Korea

foxinsoxuk

A stout defence. Hear! Hear!

Unless you believe that gongs should be reserved for time expired politicians and diplomats it sounds entirely justified.

I only wish that I had enough hair that I could spend £90 on getting it cut! :-(

AveryLP said:

This thread is as silly as a single strand of hair in a comb over. Whiggish snobbery at its worst. The product of a follically challenged supporter of receding fringe party.

Politicians don't thrust greatness on a hairdresser. They patronise crimpers who have achieved greatness.

Lino Carbosiero works in what is claimed to be the largest hair salon in Europe. Over his thirty year career at the top of his trade, Lino's clients have included Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Philip Schofield, Ant and Dec, Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rachel Weisz, Sharon Stone, Adele, Hillary Clinton, Anna Friel, and Dustin Hoffman.

He has worked prominently in the Film, Theatre, TV and Fashion industries, being, for example, "Style Director" for the first three series of The X Factor and hairdresser to the Rolling Stones.

He has been active in promoting his industry as global spokesman for Avon's hair care product range, as Style Director for Brylcreem and - note well Mr Smithson - ambassador for Laross hair extensions. He writes a weekly column for The Sun and contributes regularly to Hilary Alexander's 'make over' columns in the Daily Telegraph.

As a leading member of his industry he has also promoted many charitable causes, including raising £25,000 personally by running the London marathon in 2005.

He fully deserves the honour bestowed upon him by Her Majesty based solely upon the advice of independent honours committees.

The Guardian, twitter and Lib Dem froth can only be explained by Lino's greatest career achievement: to move David Cameron's natural hair parting from the left to the right.

Mick_Pork

The same comical out of touch spinners and twits who totally failed to spot the omnishambles and the pasty debacle will obviously not get this. The PB Romneys are always wrong. The PB Romneys never learn.

Is it another omnishambles? Clearly not. Is it yet another incompetent PR blunder that reinforces an already very strong and damaging perception of an out of touch chumocracy? Absolutely, and no amount of after the fact whining bullsh*t about it from inept Cameroonian cheerleaders will change that.

You don't like it? Then tell CCHQ to get their act together and stop wasting everyone's time since we all know perfectly well you would be shrieking about it for weeks if it was little Ed or Farage or anyone else but Cammie.

JackW

New 2015 ARSE General Election Projection Countdown :

2 hours 2 minutes

dr_spyn

So Eck how much did the matching trews and baseball cap cost?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10359238/Alex-Salmonds-secrecy-battle-over-250-tartan-trews.html

Out of touch Alex Salmond models his tasteful tartan trews for Hello.

PR Spiv boy Cameron scores another own goal, whereas Eck, promotes finest Scottish tailoring.

SouthamObserver

I am guessing there will be a strong correlation on here between those screaming non-story about this and those who spent a great deal of time dissecting the Labour story on gym memberships.

Mick_Pork

dr_spyn said:

So Eck how much did the matching trews and baseball cap cost?.

Precisely. From last october and it totally failed to get any traction because Cammie is self-evidently the one with the massive out of touch problem not Salmond. So a bit less of the whining since you and the tory press are obviously fine with the same tactics being used on other politicians.

The PB Romneys are always wrong. The PB Romneys never learn.

foxinsoxuk

It seems as if the women understand Daves respect for good grooming more than the more follicularly challenged. Part of winning over the female support that we are told that he needs?

Rather like the Daily Mail on Ralph Milliband or The Sun on Gordon Browns letters to soldiers families I think this will back fire on the paper.

Meanwhile the Chancellor gave a major speech on welfare, that sets out both clear blue water and the respective parties manifestos, but no thread.

fitalass said:

Yesterday was all about the economy, and it was dominated by some optimistic economic news while both Osborne and Clegg gave speeches and all parties showed some ankle when it came to future manifesto policies. But today the thread article on PB is about Cameron having the temerity to give an MBE to a barber instead of a big Conservative donor or political crony. How soon we forget the cash for honours scandal that blighted Tony Blair's final years in Office. And as for the cost of Cameron's haircuts, check out what the average woman will pay for a good cut, colour or perm at popular hairdressers these days, and this despite the austerity cuts.

Not being funny Mike, do you realise just how big a business hair salons/products are in the UK? I have three teenage boys, and they have more hair products between them at cost that more than matches what my friends and I used to have or spend back in the eighties! You and the Daily Mirror have called this one wrong because you are letting your own prejudices about Cameron blind you to the fact that like most normal people, our PM takes a bit of time and effort with his personal grooming. I mean, its not like he is not expected to be turned out in a reasonable manner in public in the job he does. Just think back to some of the absolute PR disasters that have afflicted party leaders over the years, Michael Foot and that duffel coat at the Cenotaph or Gordon Brown with too many gaffes to mention.

dr_spyn

Eck always right, has he become deified? £250 for a pair of trews, not trousers.

Salmond never out of touch in the minds of the GNats. Such a rare politician, faultless to a t.

Mick_Pork

There is of course another ticking time bomb along the same lines for MPs.

Millie ‏@Millie_77 11h

@retireenjoy @suey2y they solve 30% fraud by MPs with an 11% pay rise & 0.7% welfare fraud with destitution for millions. Sick & twisted.

Telegraph News ‏@TelegraphNews

There is 'no evidence' that MPs' £66,000 salary deters people from standing for Parliament, pay watchdog admits http://fw.to/KPN5otb


Alex Kavanagh ‏@ajkavanagh

Petition | David Cameron: Stop the 11% pay rise for MPs' salaries | http://Change.org http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-stop-the-11-pay-rise-for-mps-salaries?share_id=KscGFnAjAR&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition …

That petition currently has about 325,000 signatures.

Innocent_Abroad

I can get a perfectly good haircut for £8. In London W2.

If I were Lynton Crosby I'd ask each constituency Tory association to detail off one member to post hourly partisan comments on this blog.

Oh. I see he already has.

Mick_Pork

dr_spyn said:

Eck always right, has he become deified? £250 for a pair of trews, not trousers.

Salmond never out of touch in the minds of the GNats. Such a rare politician, faultless to a t.

Calm down dear, you'll get spittle all over your monitor. Maybe this will remind you why Cammie is repeatedly an out of touch laughing stock and so hilariously awful at PR.

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

dr_spyn

@Mick_Pork Did you sign that petition?

dr_spyn

@Innocent_Abroad ROFLMAO.

SouthamObserver

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

JohnLoony

The last time I paid for a haircut was in 2002

SouthamObserver

Innocent_Abroad said:

I can get a perfectly good haircut for £8. In London W2.

If I were Lynton Crosby I'd ask each constituency Tory association to detail off one member to post hourly partisan comments on this blog.

Oh. I see he already has.

Fear not - no doubt there will soon be snaps released of Dave getting his hair done at one of the barbers most blokes go to: number three at the back and on the sides, an inch off the top.

Roger

A stout defence. Hear! Hear!

A ludicrous defence! i have worked with several of Daniel Galvin's 'crimpers' (as Avery trendily calls them) and many have worked with celebs and run marathons and some have even managed it using their own name! 'Lino Carbosiero's' only distinguishing frature is that he cuts the Prime Minister's hair.

i now look forward the long overdue honour for Samantha Cameron's waxer 'Gina (the tweezer) Girondi' from Sloane Square's well known salon 'Ouch!'


(PS By chance the girl being filmed by me in the photo was going out with DG's son)

DavidL

Seriously?

Does anyone other than the most rabid Labour supporter believe for a minute that this man got an MBE for cutting the PM's hair? How absurd.

The contrast between the cuts Osborne was contemplating yesterday and the MPs giving themselves an 11% wage increase is frankly disgusting. MPs really must think again about that.

To describe this honour story as trivia really demeans the word.

foxinsoxuk

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

JohnLoony

SeanT said:

BTW I heard some delicious Nigella gossip today. I cannot relay it, obv, but it puts the Saatchi "wife throttling" restaurant photos in a very new light - and if you are on Team Nigella you might want to reconsider your allegiance.

Does that she's even more of a booliak than we thought already?

Scrapheap_as_was

Yet more 2010 Lib Dems will surely move as limpets to Labour as a result of this story....

Mick_Pork

MikeSmithson said:

edmundintokyo said:

It must be hard to nail down everything the media could get hold of to prevent stories like this, but the government have cocked up the mood music for austerity horribly badly. They had to do basically two things during this parliament: Cut spending and maintain a grave expression. They've only done a little bit of the first one, and they've been an epic failure at the second.

Spot on Edmund. There are even splits in the party. The main story in the Times today is about Tories rounding on the leadership about the handling of the cuts

The reason? You already nailed it.

"Methinks a mistake with UKIP, which is becoming the default choice of the disgruntled working class, being the main beneficiary"

Bit stupid to create yet more disaffected voters in the run up to the EU elections. Then again posturing on the kippers core issues isn't any smarter.

Mick_Pork

SouthamObserver said:

Innocent_Abroad said:

I can get a perfectly good haircut for £8. In London W2.

If I were Lynton Crosby I'd ask each constituency Tory association to detail off one member to post hourly partisan comments on this blog.

Oh. I see he already has.

Fear not - no doubt there will soon be snaps released of Dave getting his hair done at one of the barbers most blokes go to: number three at the back and on the sides, an inch off the top.

While eating a pasty and getting a tattoo no doubt.

JackW

JohnLoony said:

The last time I paid for a haircut was in 2002

You poor chap .... age catching up with you as you begin the decline to Smithson Syndrome !!

foxinsoxuk

Is there any behaviour by a woman that makes a hand around the throat acceptable?

I think not.

JohnLoony said:

SeanT said:

BTW I heard some delicious Nigella gossip today. I cannot relay it, obv, but it puts the Saatchi "wife throttling" restaurant photos in a very new light - and if you are on Team Nigella you might want to reconsider your allegiance.

Does that she's even more of a booliak than we thought already?

OldKingCole

The trouble with Osborne talking about welfare cuts is that he looks as though he's enjoying do it. Burning a £20 note in front of a beggar stuff!

SouthamObserver

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

Mike is absolutely right to point out Dave's "understands people like us" deficit. The MBE is obviously neither here nor there. I'd argue that the £90 haircut may strike a chord though. I can understand why it is uncomfortable reading for those sympathetic to Cameron, but whether they like it or not the clear disconnect that many voters see between the elite in the Conservative Party and ordinary voters is an important issue and one that could play a part in determining the outcome in 2015.

MikeK

FTP:

Cammo: Hiya Lino, I need a smooth cut this morning.
Lino Carbosiero: Sure Boss, non problemo, I fix a you up.
Cammo: Thats great Lino, that was a great haircut, but i got one problem. I forgot to bring any money with me; you know how it is.
Lino Carbosiero: No, I don't know how it is
Cammo: Tell you what, Lino, I'll give you an MBE instead. You know, a nice shiny medal from the Queen.
Lino Carbosiero: Do I get a tip, too?

DavidL

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

NickPalmer

I've never spent more than £20 on a haircut (more usually £12) and the idea of even having a regular barber seems quaint in London - if I need a cut I pop in somewhere from a choice of hundreds and get done by whoever is available. But I'd accept that the PM needs to look well-coiffed since he represents us, and presumably it's his money being spent, so that part is none of our business anyway. The bit that's unwise is the honour, as Mike suggests, and it's by no means just a Mirror story (unlike plato I was snowed under in references to it yesterday, e.g. from Lord Ashcroft RTing "When George Osborne announced more cuts today, I didn't know it was at £90 a throw" - we obviously follow different sources).

I'm prepared to believe that the chap has done lots of good things and might deserve it, and take Charles' point that the media coverage is rough on him, but really there are a lot of people who deserve honours and Cameron's common sense should have told him not to give it to someone who gives him personal grooming, for both their sakes. It's the sort of thing best reserved for resignation honours, when a fair amount of leeway for personal thanks is usually given (Harold Wilson being the case that springs to mind - he got slagged off too but didn't really care).

Alanbrooke

Roger said:

A stout defence. Hear! Hear!

A ludicrous defence! i have worked with several of Daniel Galvin's 'crimpers' (as Avery trendily calls them) and many have worked with celebs and run marathons and some have even managed it using their own name! 'Lino Carbosiero's' only distinguishing frature is that he cuts the Prime Minister's hair.

i now look forward the long overdue honour for Samantha Cameron's waxer 'Gina (the tweezer) Girondi' from Sloane Square's well known salon 'Ouch!'


(PS By chance the girl being filmed by me in the photo was going out with DG's son)

Happy New year Roger old chap.

SouthamObserver

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Alanbrooke

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

JackW

New 2015 ARSE General Election Projection Countdown :

1 hour 11 minutes 11 seconds

JohnLoony

JackW said:

JohnLoony said:

The last time I paid for a haircut was in 2002

You poor chap .... age catching up with you as you begin the decline to Smithson Syndrome !!

Age? It's got nothing to do with age. It's got everything to do with the fact that I cut my own hair myself.

CarlottaVance

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Yesterday Ed Balls claimed on SKY that he never said there was a "double dip recession" - glad he cleared that up as I was under the distinct impression he had!

Of course no one will have tape of him claiming that......will they?

SouthamObserver

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Quite possibly. But Osborne is also going to have to spell out where he will find the savings. £12 billion from welfare apparently, but a triple lock for pensioners; so just where are the cuts going to fall? Abolishing housing benefit for under 25s without children may bring in a few hundred million, but where do you go from there? By basing policy on seeking to make life tricky for Labour George may well end up exposing his own lack of ideas. People just won't believe him.

SouthamObserver

CarlottaVance said:

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Yesterday Ed Balls claimed on SKY that he never said there was a "double dip recession" - glad he cleared that up as I was under the distinct impression he had!

Of course no one will have tape of him claiming that......will they?

So if no tape is produced you'll accept Balls is right?

JackW

JohnLoony said:

JackW said:

JohnLoony said:

The last time I paid for a haircut was in 2002

You poor chap .... age catching up with you as you begin the decline to Smithson Syndrome !!

Age? It's got nothing to do with age. It's got everything to do with the fact that I cut my own hair myself.

Good lord, folk still do this sort of thing do they ? .... have you a range of graduated basins for different styling or have you opted for a simple austerity cut ?

Millsy

Here's a reminder of how the "benefits" bill is made up:

Htps://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdXJ_EoCUAAkAmt.png

JohnLoony

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Alanbrooke

SouthamObserver said:

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was e desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Quite possibly. But Osborne is also going to have to spell out where he will find the savings. £12 billion from welfare apparently, but a triple lock for pensioners; so just where are the cuts going to fall? Abolishing housing benefit for under 25s without children may bring in a few hundred million, but where do you go from there? By basing policy on seeking to make life tricky for Labour George may well end up exposing his own lack of ideas. People just won't believe him.

Why won't they believe him ? Polling evidence on the cuts showed most people hadn't noticed any difference to services. You can quite happily cut another chunk of spending because Labour ran public services so badly that it never bothered about value for money, hence the drop in public sector productivity during their time in govt..

Instead of having knee-jerk reactions to any change in spending Labour might be better rethinking what they want from public services since tight budgets will be with us for the foreseeable future. Contrary to what you appear to think there is no value for anyone in running public services which don't have an efficiency ethos.

HillmanMinx

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

foxinsoxuk

Abolishing housing benefit for under 25's unless they have children sets up some awfully bad incentives.

There
is scope for restrictions on benefits by either capping benefits or by ending the universal ones such as CB

SouthamObserver said:

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Quite possibly. But Osborne is also going to have to spell out where he will find the savings. £12 billion from welfare apparently, but a triple lock for pensioners; so just where are the cuts going to fall? Abolishing housing benefit for under 25s without children may bring in a few hundred million, but where do you go from there? By basing policy on seeking to make life tricky for Labour George may well end up exposing his own lack of ideas. People just won't believe him.

AveryLP

Mick_Pork said:

The same comical out of touch spinners and twits who totally failed to spot the omnishambles and the pasty debacle will obviously not get this. The PB Romneys are always wrong. The PB Romneys never learn.

Is it another omnishambles? Clearly not. Is it yet another incompetent PR blunder that reinforces an already very strong and damaging perception of an out of touch chumocracy? Absolutely, and no amount of after the fact whining bullsh*t about it from inept Cameroonian cheerleaders will change that.

You don't like it? Then tell CCHQ to get their act together and stop wasting everyone's time since we all know perfectly well you would be shrieking about it for weeks if it was little Ed or Farage or anyone else but Cammie.

Time for your tail to be curled by a man of honour, Pork.

All PBers should club together to raise the £90 needed and now Roger is back from his seasonal sojourn in Villeneuve-sur-Mer, we might even get the snapper to capture for posterity a photo of the crimper at work. You will need to invent the name of a celebrity squeeze before publication though.

Add £20 to the total for Roger's services.

Pulpstar

Millsy said:

Here's a reminder of how the "benefits" bill is made up:

Basically 'pensons'.

Roger

Alanbrooke

And a Happy New Year to you and all the residents of Ludlow and may you build many new Conservative clubs in the not too distant future.

Pulpstar

JackW said:

New 2015 ARSE General Election Projection Countdown :

2 hours 2 minutes

I'll dig mine up when you do it

CarlottaVance

SouthamObserver said:

CarlottaVance said:

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Yesterday Ed Balls claimed on SKY that he never said there was a "double dip recession" - glad he cleared that up as I was under the distinct impression he had!

Of course no one will have tape of him claiming that......will they?

So if no tape is produced you'll accept Balls is right?

“Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to today’s revised GDP figures, said: Our complacent and out of touch Prime Minister and Chancellor have spent the last week claiming their plan is on track, but these figures show that Britain’s double-dip recession is even deeper than first thought."

https://www.labour.org.uk/britains-double-dip-recession-deeper-than-first-thought,2012-05-24

The future is certain comrade! It's the past that keeps changing!

And if you want tape.....Guido has some.....

Blue_rog

Millsy said:

Here's a reminder of how the "benefits" bill is made up:

My goodness I never realised how much was spent on the state pension. Thank goodness that it's funded via the NI contributions or we'd be in big trouble.

Alanbrooke

Roger said:

Alanbrooke

And a Happy New Year to you and all the residents of Ludlow and may you build many new Conservative clubs in the not too distant future.

When we've finished the eleventh one we'll invite you to open it, then we can have a river trip down the Wye and you can holler like a pig to our 6 toed banjo player orchestra.

JosiasJessop

SouthamObserver said:

CarlottaVance said:

Alanbrooke said:

SouthamObserver said:

DavidL said:

foxinsoxuk said:

SouthamObserver said:

@Foxinsox - this thread is all about the cuts: Osborne's and Cameron's.

But noticeably free of intelligent comment on either Osbornes speech or Cleggs response, which shows to a degree the way the coalition will end. It looks as if Clegg has his sights on encouraging 2010 LD returners.

I agree completely. No one sensible can dispute that the additional £25bn Osborne was talking about needs to be found. In fact it is probably on the low side. Osborne has done a substantial part of his deficit cutting by tax increases such as the various additional taxes on the wealthy and VAT. Now he wants to cut spending in a much more direct way.

The Lib Dems, specifically Danny Alexander, have been fully on board with spending restraint in this Parliament and the odd cut such as the benefit cap but Clegg has calculated that this is a step too far. One might wonder how such a view is compatible with the desire to have the majority of us not paying tax on the first £10K of our income but he is opting for higher taxes rather than more cuts.

How will Labour fill the hole?

Your final sentence nails it: more cuts for the working age poor - and the youngest among them most if all - in order to make things tricky for Labour. As Old King Cole states below: Osborne's trouble is he cannot quite hide the fact he is enjoying himself.

Well if your opposition is the clueless Eds who have called just about everything on the economy wrong why wouldn't you have a chuckle ?

Osborne has had a fairly easy ride all this Parliament as Labour haven't bothered to set an alternative path and have just signed up to what he said. I mean you're getting laughed at by Osborne, the Tories weakest link - sums up how low Labour have sunk.

Yesterday Ed Balls claimed on SKY that he never said there was a "double dip recession" - glad he cleared that up as I was under the distinct impression he had!

Of course no one will have tape of him claiming that......will they?

So if no tape is produced you'll accept Balls is right?

No tape of it, but from Labour's own website:

Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to today’s revised GDP figures, said:

“Our complacent and out of touch Prime Minister and Chancellor have spent the last week claiming their plan is on track, but these figures show that Britain’s double-dip recession is even deeper than first thought.

https://www.labour.org.uk/britains-double-dip-recession-deeper-than-first-thought,2012-05-24

(Edit: Carlotta beat me to it!)

JackW

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

BTW the old Hillman Minx from the late 50's and early 60's was a family favourite run-around car. Sadly they tended to be something of a rust bucket.

malcolmg

fitalass said:

Yesterday was all about the economy, and it was dominated by some optimistic economic news while both Osborne and Clegg gave speeches and all parties showed some ankle when it came to future manifesto policies. But today the thread article on PB is about Cameron having the temerity to give an MBE to a barber instead of a big Conservative donor or political crony. How soon we forget the cash for honours scandal that blighted Tony Blair's final years in Office. And as for the cost of Cameron's haircuts, check out what the average woman will pay for a good cut, colour or perm at popular hairdressers these days, and this despite the austerity cuts.

Not being funny Mike, do you realise just how big a business hair salons/products are in the UK? I have three teenage boys, and they have more hair products between them at cost that more than matches what my friends and I used to have or spend back in the eighties! You and the Daily Mirror have called this one wrong because you are letting your own prejudices about Cameron blind you to the fact that like most normal people, our PM takes a bit of time and effort with his personal grooming. I mean, its not like he is not expected to be turned out in a reasonable manner in public in the job he does. Just think back to some of the absolute PR disasters that have afflicted party leaders over the years, Michael Foot and that duffel coat at the Cenotaph or Gordon Brown with too many gaffes to mention.

How like you to blindly support the absurdity of Cameron giving pathetic baubles to his barber, no matter how pathetic it is as long as Labour have had something just as pathetic in the past it is justified. No wonder Tories are almost extinct in Scotland and classed below bankers in teh evolution chain.

SimonStClare

AveryLP said:

Lino Carbosiero works in what is claimed to be the largest hair salon in Europe. Over his thirty year career at the top of his trade, Lino's clients have included Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Philip Schofield, Ant and Dec, Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rachel Weisz, Sharon Stone, Adele, Hillary Clinton, Anna Friel, and Dustin Hoffman.

He has worked prominently in the Film, Theatre, TV and Fashion industries, being, for example, "Style Director" for the first three series of The X Factor and hairdresser to the Rolling Stones.

He has been active in promoting his industry as global spokesman for Avon's hair care product range, as Style Director for Brylcreem and - note well Mr Smithson - ambassador for Laross hair extensions. He writes a weekly column for The Sun and contributes regularly to Hilary Alexander's 'make over' columns in the Daily Telegraph.

As a leading member of his industry he has also promoted many charitable causes, including raising £25,000 personally by running the London marathon in 2005.

He fully deserves the honour bestowed upon him by Her Majesty based solely upon the advice of independent honours committees.

Cheers Mr AveryLP, all now becomes clear. Lino Carbosiero is a worthy recipient of a gong, by the sounds of things. – the Mirror story is just partisan tosh and so is this thread.

malcolmg

NickPalmer said:

I've never spent more than £20 on a haircut (more usually £12) and the idea of even having a regular barber seems quaint in London - if I need a cut I pop in somewhere from a choice of hundreds and get done by whoever is available. But I'd accept that the PM needs to look well-coiffed since he represents us, and presumably it's his money being spent, so that part is none of our business anyway. The bit that's unwise is the honour, as Mike suggests, and it's by no means just a Mirror story (unlike plato I was snowed under in references to it yesterday, e.g. from Lord Ashcroft RTing "When George Osborne announced more cuts today, I didn't know it was at £90 a throw" - we obviously follow different sources).

I'm prepared to believe that the chap has done lots of good things and might deserve it, and take Charles' point that the media coverage is rough on him, but really there are a lot of people who deserve honours and Cameron's common sense should have told him not to give it to someone who gives him personal grooming, for both their sakes. It's the sort of thing best reserved for resignation honours, when a fair amount of leeway for personal thanks is usually given (Harold Wilson being the case that springs to mind - he got slagged off too but didn't really care).

Problem is Nick that Cameron is oblivious to reality, and does not have the nous to understand why the plebs would be upset.

foxinsoxuk

Welfare, pensions and the NHS make up so much of govt expenditure that they will be squeezed in time by demographic and medical changes.

Of these, there is some scope for privatising both pensions and NHS, but the political fallout would be great. There would also be little benefit in privatising the NHS to cut taxes if I just wound up paying more in health insurance than I did in tax (Obamacare is an interesting example of how difficult compulsory insurance is). Ditto pensions.

Welfare is the only realistic target for cuts, so the divide will be between the welfare cutters and the tax raisers. Labour tax increases will have to affect a lot of Hard Working People struggling with The Cost of Living Crisis. Lines are being drawn...

Blue_rog said:

Millsy said:

Here's a reminder of how the "benefits" bill is made up:

My goodness I never realised how much was spent on the state pension. Thank goodness that it's funded via the NI contributions or we'd be in big trouble.

malcolmg

Charles said:

As an aside, has anyone given a moment's thought to the guy who got the award?

I know when my Dad got his OBE it was one of the proudest moments of his life. I'm sure that the same will be the case for this guy. And he will have got it for legitimate reasons. And yet, for a cheap and meaningless attempt at point-scoring, the Mirror chooses to tarnish his achievement in the eyes of the public and in doubt, many of his friends and acquaintences.

This guy didn't ask to be dragged through the mud and has done nothing to deserve it..

Mike: you should be ashamed of yourself for perpetuating this kind of nonsense. I know you have a difficult job to do keeping such a good blog active, but sometimes you should think through what you post.

What achievement , he is a barber and cuts people's hair , big wow they are ten a penny. Anybody who seriously thinks it is great to get one of these stupid baubles is off their rocker in the first place. Pathetic , childish crap.

SouthamObserver

@Carlota - it looks like Ed is bang to rights, but do you have a direct quote of what he said yesterday just to make sure?

Mick_Pork

AveryLP said:

Mick_Pork said:

The same comical out of touch spinners and twits who totally failed to spot the omnishambles and the pasty debacle will obviously not get this. The PB Romneys are always wrong. The PB Romneys never learn.

Is it another omnishambles? Clearly not. Is it yet another incompetent PR blunder that reinforces an already very strong and damaging perception of an out of touch chumocracy? Absolutely, and no amount of after the fact whining bullsh*t about it from inept Cameroonian cheerleaders will change that.

You don't like it? Then tell CCHQ to get their act together and stop wasting everyone's time since we all know perfectly well you would be shrieking about it for weeks if it was little Ed or Farage or anyone else but Cammie.

Time for your tail to be curled by a man of honour, Pork.

Time for you to finally realise that the out of touch twit your project with your endless incompetent spinning is about as helpful to the tory party as an image of Osbrowne or Cammie kicking a homeless person, Seth O Logue

HillmanMinx

Have you noticed how @AveryLP always manages to get the official Tory spin line on anything as fast as possible. He should be banned for not being a bona fide poster.

TwistedFireStopper

Gym membership and haircuts? Is that what our bloody politicians and newspapers think is important?
These cowboys are getting an 11% payrise, and that's what they think they should be bickering about?

malcolmg

dr_spyn said:

So Eck how much did the matching trews and baseball cap cost?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10359238/Alex-Salmonds-secrecy-battle-over-250-tartan-trews.html

Out of touch Alex Salmond models his tasteful tartan trews for Hello.

PR Spiv boy Cameron scores another own goal, whereas Eck, promotes finest Scottish tailoring.

Says it all when the best you can come up with is a pair of trousers which he eventually paid for himself after the trip. Not quite in the Westminster robbers league, they do not like doing less than 5 figures minimum.

Mick_Pork

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

Hard to say. Are you basing it on internal polling from the tory party or are you fine with pretending you pulled the numbers out of your own arse?

TwistedFireStopper

HillmanMinx said:

Have you noticed how @AveryLP always manages to get the official Tory spin line on anything as fast as possible. He should be banned for not being a bona fide poster.

You need banning for calling for a ban on another poster.

Edited to add, does that mean that Nick Palmer, as a Labour candidate should be banned?

HillmanMinx

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

BTW the old Hillman Minx from the late 50's and early 60's was a family favourite run-around car. Sadly they tended to be something of a rust bucket.

UKIP JackW. A Hillman Minx was my first car and I loved it.

SouthamObserver

@Alanbrooke - I agree with you about Labour needing to rethink the role of the state, but that does not let Osborne off having to explain where his cuts are going to fall and why he has set the timeframe he has. If he doesn't explain, then he is basically in the same place as Labour. At that stage, things like "understands ordinary voters/people like us" may well kick in.

Roger

@Alanbrooke

"When we've finished the eleventh one we'll invite you to open it, then we can have a river trip down the Wye and you can holler like a pig to our 6 toed banjo player orchestra."

Bootle is Redish
Ludlow is Bluish
If it wasn't for Christmas
We'd all be Jewish

Mick_Pork

malcolmg said:

dr_spyn said:

So Eck how much did the matching trews and baseball cap cost?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10359238/Alex-Salmonds-secrecy-battle-over-250-tartan-trews.html

Out of touch Alex Salmond models his tasteful tartan trews for Hello.

PR Spiv boy Cameron scores another own goal, whereas Eck, promotes finest Scottish tailoring.

Says it all when the best you can come up with is a pair of trousers which he eventually paid for himself after the trip. Not quite in the Westminster robbers league, they do not like doing less than 5 figures minimum.

I could of course have responded with a litany of expenses 'blunders' from Cammie and Osbrowne that are anything but small change and of a considerably greater number. However the shrieking from CCHQ some PB tories would have been deafening.

JosiasJessop

SouthamObserver said:

@Carlota - it looks like Ed is bang to rights, but do you have a direct quote of what he said yesterday just to make sure?

http://order-order.com/2014/01/06/ed-balls-denies-he-predicted-a-double-dip-recession-except-of-course-he-did/

CarlottaVance

SouthamObserver said:

@Carlota - it looks like Ed is bang to rights, but do you have a direct quote of what he said yesterday just to make sure?

http://order-order.com/2014/01/06/ed-balls-denies-he-predicted-a-double-dip-recession-except-of-course-he-did/

If Ed is still in position by the GE that may feature......

SouthamObserver

@Foxinsox - what welfare cuts do you think we'll get that will enable tax rises to be forestalled? The state pension is off the table, so where do we go?

JackW

Mick_Pork said:

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

Hard to say. Are you basing it on internal polling from the tory party or are you fine with pretending you pulled the numbers out of your own arse?

Porky - you are sour this morning. Add a little sweetness.

Sweet and sour pork - there, much better !!

Alanbrooke

SouthamObserver said:

@Alanbrooke - I agree with you about Labour needing to rethink the role of the state, but that does not let Osborne off having to explain where his cuts are going to fall and why he has set the timeframe he has. If he doesn't explain, then he is basically in the same place as Labour. At that stage, things like "understands ordinary voters/people like us" may well kick in.

Osborne has been let off, Labour have done nothing to nail him to the floor, they have presented no credible alternative. Their current position is to sign up to what Osborne does.

The best analysis I've seen ( though forget where ) is that Labour's current economic policy is "pointing and tutting". So they'll randomly pick an item - gyms was the latest - and say " tsk have you seen the price of that ?".

With opposition like that he's not even having to sweat.

HillmanMinx

TwistedFireStopper said:

HillmanMinx said:

Have you noticed how @AveryLP always manages to get the official Tory spin line on anything as fast as possible. He should be banned for not being a bona fide poster.

You need banning for calling for a ban on another poster.

Come on. How often did posters here make the same attacks on Tim? @AveryLP is linked to the Tory spin operation and everything he writes should be judged in that light.

PBModerator

Can posters not embed images into their posts.

In future, they will be deleted

Mick_Pork

JackW said:

Mick_Pork said:

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

Hard to say. Are you basing it on internal polling from the tory party or are you fine with pretending you pulled the numbers out of your own arse?

Porky - you are sour this morning. Add a little sweetness.

Sweet and sour pork - there, much better !!

Yeah I've never heard that one before Jacky.
Sadly I couldn't help but notice you avoided answering the question.
How very telling. Thanks for that.

AveryLP

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

BTW the old Hillman Minx from the late 50's and early 60's was a family favourite run-around car. Sadly they tended to be something of a rust bucket.

Funny that, Jack.

We had one too.

It's registration number was T1 M.

JackW

New 2015 ARSE General Election Prediction Countdown :

30 minutes

TwistedFireStopper

HillmanMinx said:

TwistedFireStopper said:

HillmanMinx said:

Have you noticed how @AveryLP always manages to get the official Tory spin line on anything as fast as possible. He should be banned for not being a bona fide poster.

You need banning for calling for a ban on another poster.

Come on. How often did posters here make the same attacks on Tim? @AveryLP is linked to the Tory spin operation and everything he writes should be judged in that light.

Nick Palmer, one of the finest posters on here, is an ex MP, and may be an MP again in 2015. Should we ban him for being too close to Labour?

JackW

Mick_Pork said:

JackW said:

Mick_Pork said:

JackW said:

HillmanMinx said:

I see the sad PB Hodges are out in force this morning. They simply are unable to comprehend when their beloved Dave had made a stupid mistake.

No doubt UKIP JackW will bring them comfort with his ARSE.

No doubt it's possible but is it probable ?!?

Hard to say. Are you basing it on internal polling from the tory party or are you fine with pretending you pulled the numbers out of your own arse?

Porky - you are sour this morning. Add a little sweetness.

Sweet and sour pork - there, much better !!

Yeah I've never heard that one before Jacky.
Sadly I couldn't help but notice you avoided answering the question.
How very telling. Thanks for that.

Chinese is often better reheated.

The only feature of my ARSE you need to be familiar with is that it's invariably correct.