politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Has Clegg told Cameron when he’ll stand down?

Firsr!

Any reason why it could not be the other way around?

OT. Just seen from the BBC that Tony Benn is in hospital. He may be on the other side of the political spectrum from my position but I have developed a huge admiration for him over the last couple of decades. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

CarlottaVance said:

Firsr!

Someone had a good Friday night .... Hic ....

While many have an issue with Cameron one thing that cannot be denied is that he said he did not favour frequent reshuffles as it was just a merry go round with ministers never getting on top of their brief and civil servants then effectively being in charge of policy. It's one promise he's stuck to and I think government is probably run better because of it.

A big contrast to the last government where reshuffles happened almost as often as mobile phones were being thrown...

I suspect the reshuffle is being held until the LDs leave the coalition and government; July 2014? That leaves a chance to get the election cabinet in place and on top of their brief over the summer, get rid of the dead wood and then make speeches in the autumn

JackW said:

CarlottaVance said:

Firsr!

Someone had a good Friday night .... Hic ....

I resemble that remark!

Clegg acting like Nipper the HMV dog.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/plasticbags_en.htm

What a surprise Lib Dems follow their leader like good Euro lap dogs. Plastic bag levy one of Brussels great ideas. And the EU is a non issue on opinion polls.

Interesting idea. Why do we assume that Clegg is somehow intrinsically bound to the coalition in a way that Cameron isn't.

Surely they're in exactly the same boat, there is either life after coalition for both of them or neither.

Actually I'm not sure the LDs want to move on as much as the Tories. They seem quite happy where they are.

@CarlottaVance - a bit more openness about the role of Brussels in UK domestic law making would help.

By all means consider the policy, but can't the LDs do something which isn't born in Brussels for once. I don't see many measures which reduce the power of the state coming from the LDs.

CarlottaVance said:

Boo hoo......
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/14/rachel-reeves-boring-newsnight

Not exactly "rising above it" or "laughing it off".... C

Hgh Hgh! Boring woman reacts to being called boring, in a boring way. Nation sniggers.

EiT is right that although the *prospect* of a reshuffle is a good way to maintain Government discipline, actually having one does the opposite for obvious reasons.

I tend to believe Clegg when he says he doesn't intend the LibDems to leave government before the election (let's call it the Lexit option). A new leader might do it, but there are no signs of a serious insurrection, so it requires Clegg to go voluntarily. We should get a clearer picture this week of whether that's credible - he's had IMO a somewhat detached air lately, which he may or may not confirm in his speech.

Consternation on Merseyside

@IsabelOakeshott: I can't wait for @DPMcBride memoir. Tantalising teasers p25 Mail. Alistair Darling described as "absolutely clueless". Attack dog returns

@robindbrant: McBride building up for an interesting contribution to lab's gathering in Brighton this year. http://t.co/CJLONZ90Gc

Serious Haka from the All Blacks. This is gonna be some game against the Saffers.

Good morning, everyone.

Mr. Gilmore, welcome to pb.com. Whilst I can see that happening, I think Cameron would be bloody stupid to do that. He'd remove an electoral cost from a rival party in the most pain-free way possible. If the Lib Dems want to axe Clegg, let them do it themselves.

I'm for the bag levy. Though I'd prefer them to do something about packaging. Why do 5 mini cherry bakewells need 4 layers of packaging? And don't get me on to crisp bags being 3x too big for the contents.

Overgenerous crisp bags. These are the things that matter to the electorate, Nick!

tim said:

Why is the 5p carrier bag thing delayed beyond the election, is it seriously going to lose any votes?
It doesn't need legislation
Making it a central announcement then delaying it is just daft.

I've got no problem about the introduction of such a charge; it's something I've been wanting for some time, so I'm happy. We use bags-for-life when we go shopping, and most of the plastic bags we get are from service stations when out driving, or from shops when I'm out walking. Solution: put a couple of plastic bags in my car and my rucksack.

One thing I'd love to see introduced is the death penalty for dog-owners who place their pet's sh*t into a plastic bag, and then leave that plastic bag on the ground to fester. The seawall at Teignmouth was lined with them a few years ago, and occasionally you see piles of the cr*p-bags on footpaths leading into villages. It's as if they don't want to sully their home village with their pet's feculence.

Fu**ers.

I guess the delay's probably just coalition politics. I'd prefer it was introduced earlier, but at least they're heading in (for me) the right direction.

If we're going for Kremlinology, Nick Clegg as Stalin and he's going to be succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev/Tim Farron who will apologise and repudiate Stalinism/Cleggism?

If David is right, this may explain why apart from Lord Oakeshott and to some extent Sarah Teather, no other Lib Dem MPs and Lords haven't been saying to Nick Clegg, in the name of God, go.

tim said:

Carola said:

I'm for the bag levy. Though I'd prefer them to do something about packaging. Why do 5 mini cherry bakewells need 4 layers of packaging? And don't get me on to crisp bags being 3x too big for the contents.

Overgenerous crisp bags. These are the things that matter to the electorate, Nick!

That's what happens when you move south, if you'd stayed up north you wouldn't have any need for mini cherry bakewells.

Everyone eats them all in one go anyway.
And don't mention mini scotch eggs

Actually I don't bother any more. 'Coeliac pastry' is as disappointing as opening a crisp bag to play 'hunt the crisp'. In fact I have to avoid most crisps now as they're often coated with gluten gunk. Attending 'nibbles' gatherings can be a minefield.

CarlottaVance said:

Boo hoo......

"Rachel Reeves tells of humiliation at 'boring, snoring' Newsnight jibe
Reeves gives first interview since Twitter gaffe by Ian Katz, saying 'he should just have some common decency'

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/14/rachel-reeves-boring-newsnight

Not exactly "rising above it" or "laughing it off".... C

You would have thought a better response would be along the lines:

"I'm sorry he finds it boring, but I believe in telling the British people the truth about the state that the economy is in... [insert latest Labour lie]

SMukesh said:

From thread
`Clegg’s going at the right time could help both parties and both leaders, if managed well`

How does Clegg going help himself?

Does Herdson means he has more time to relax?

It means the Lib Dems are likely to perform much better at the 2015 elections (IMO) if they've regained an air of equidistance from both parties. They can still claim credit for those bits of government policy they like from 2010 to (say) Jan 2015, but a new leader wouldn't be toxic to the LD-Lab switchers in the way Clegg is. Clegg staying LD leader would see them lose more seats at a single election than any since the 1920s.

In addition, it would assure him of a life and a role after 2015 in a way that fighting the GE very probably wouldn't. Besides, what's his future if he does stay as leader? Isn't the probability that he'll go afterwards one way or the other anyhow?

tim said:

JosiasJessop said:

tim said:

Why is the 5p carrier bag thing delayed beyond the election, is it seriously going to lose any votes?
It doesn't need legislation
Making it a central announcement then delaying it is just daft.

I've got no problem about the introduction of such a charge; it's something I've been wanting for some time, so I'm happy. We use bags-for-life when we go shopping, and most of the plastic bags we get are from service stations when out driving, or from shops when I'm out walking. Solution: put a couple of plastic bags in my car and my rucksack.

One thing I'd love to see introduced is the death penalty for dog-owners who place their pet's sh*t into a plastic bag, and then leave that plastic bag on the ground to fester. The seawall at Teignmouth was lined with them a few years ago, and occasionally you see piles of the cr*p-bags on footpaths leading into villages. It's as if they don't want to sully their home village with their pet's feculence.

Fu**ers.

I guess the delay's probably just coalition politics. I'd prefer it was introduced earlier, but at least they're heading in (for me) the right direction.

Hear hear.

But you know that pet owners sense of entitlement and grievance, plus their capacity for whining and victimhood is only rivalled by speeding motorists.
The noise as you led them to the scaffold would be unbearable, have you ever met one who's prepared to accept it is their fault.

"But there's no red bin"
"Yes there is there's one over there"
"But it's too far away"


One dog owner one bullet (except guide dog owners)
One kitten one bullet.


PS, why do morons think carrier bags are free, they're factored into the cost of their shop, and people like you subsidise them.

As subsidies go, it's hardly onerous.

I'm actually seeing more and more people in my local supermarket (Morrisons) carrying bags-for-life of various descriptions. If I go further afield to Waitrose, they're very common.

I really don't see what people's problem with this legislation is.

As an aside, when I was a kid the split plastic-carrier bag was a common occurrence. And once a split started, it would spread until the bag was ripped asunder. Nowadays they hardly ever seem to rip, and if they do it doesn't seem to spread. I wonder if they've changed the design or type of plastic used?

tpfkar said:

Second thread in 24hours which is way off about the Lib Dems. Icarus has called this right. The Lib Dems current support is those who can at least tolerate coalition and believe the party have been responsible for staying the course. The campaign messages are all 'winning inGo erent' and what's been achieved or at least blocked. So welching from the coalition makes no sense; LDs still hated by the people who've deserted them already, and the people who've stuck with them then have a reason to go. The LibDems have made their bed and have to lie in it. In my view the only time leaving was an option was the tuition fees vote. A hostile leadership challenge to Clegg is.the only way I can see this changing, and I can't see anyone doing it this side of the election.

It's not welching if it's not going to bring the government down (subject to a stupid 2015 Budget) and is amicably agreed by both sides. Both parties can play the line that what needed to be done has been but now the time is to look forward to the next parliament and provide the public with the distinctive choice only possible outside of coalition.

Life imprisonment for those who leave dog crap in a bag on a branch. Death for those who leave the crap where it drops. As a kid growing up in London it was everywhere; now when I'm down there it's almost always cleaned up by owners. Up here, by contrast, there are turds everywhere on the walking paths. Conclusion? Lefty metropolitan Guardianistas are more community minded than right-wing, semi-rural Express readers.

david_herdson said:

BillGilmore said:

Morning Dave, Extending your deep speculation, my personal theory is that the 30 pieces of silver Clegg was promised was EU Commissioner. Now whether either (the other) Dave and Nick would be so brazen as to execute this now is another matter. But NC quitting soonish would leave him free for 2014 EU Commissioner reshuffle, (partly) remove the stench of Liberal Democrat betrayal and as you say give the coalition a second wind.

Morning, Bill. I thought early on the coalition that Clegg would be the next UK EU commissioner as the fit is indeed good - but I can't see it now. It'll be a Tory. The Con backbenchers and the EP election results will see to that. There are other international organisation jobs that come up though.

Isn't there a rule that Commissioners have to demonstrate pro-EU credentials? A Euro-sceptic Tory would find it hard to get through the selection process, especially as the European Parliament has to give final sign off.

tim said:

Philippe Legrain ‏@plegrain
JeremyBrowne: Romanians/Bulgarians coming 2UK comply w same rules as Brits living in Spain/w holiday homes in France/working in Germany TRUE

The Times OUTRAGE at this is a sign of it's sad decline into Con Home.

It's a shame what's become of The Times since the editor changed. It's just another partisan, agenda-driven rag now, when previously it was much more detached from the fray.

Labour longlist for Dunfermline by-election

Cara Hilton (local Cllr)
Lesley Laird (Fife Cllr)
Fiona Yates (daughter of Cowdenbeath MSP)
Tom McInally (police inspector from Lothians)
Ewan Aitken (former Edinburgh Council Leader)

Shortlisting today.

Charles said:

You would have thought a better response would be along the lines:

"I'm sorry he finds it boring, but I believe in telling the British people the truth about the state that the economy is in... [insert latest Labour lie]

I watched the Rachel Reeves interview live on Newsnight. It was indeed dull, as she plodded on not answering any questions and trying to spoon feed Paxman her pre-cooked meals whilst he, in his best Terrible Twos mode, was more inclined to throw it all over the wall.

However, I was struck by just how much she sounds like Ed Miliband. And then I was struck by just how much she LOOKS like Ed Miliband. Put a fright wig on Ed Miliband and lo and behold, Rachel appears before you.

Looking and sounding like the leader of your party might be a good way for a very underwhelming painfully-ambitious political wannabe to get ahead. But when the Labour Party rejects Ed after the country rejects Ed in 2015, I wonder who she will morph into next?

TGOHF said:

SMukesh said:

Regarding plastic bags from 2015,the two parties can agree to slash housing benefit for thousands,split the NHS and create an artificial housing boom by tax-payer guaranteed mortgages.But they can`t agree to introduce a 5 p cost for plastic bags till the next election.

Moral:Anything the Conservatives support will be implemented now
Anything the Conservatives oppose will be introduced in 2015.

And therein lies the failure of Clegg.He has been good for coalition by being a Yes-man but has got very little in return.

Hes only got 50 odd MPs - hardly an equal partner.

So you say the Lib-Dems have only 1/7th and Conservatives 6/7th of coalition MP`s.

Does that mean Cameron can get his legislation through 6 out of 7 times without Lib-Dem support?

foxinsoxuk said:

Apart from stabilizing the economy and taking millions of low paid out of tax?

After all, what have the Romans done for us?

(cue for long discussion on generalship in yhe Punic wars)

SMukesh said:

Regarding plastic bags from 2015,the two parties can agree to slash housing benefit for thousands,split the NHS and create an artificial housing boom by tax-payer guaranteed mortgages.But they can`t agree to introduce a 5 p cost for plastic bags till the next election.

Moral:Anything the Conservatives support will be implemented now
Anything the Conservatives oppose will be introduced in 2015.

And therein lies the failure of Clegg.He has been good for coalition by being a Yes-man but has got very little in return.

What else of the Lib-Dem agenda has gone through apart from raising the income-tax threshold?

Tipping a growing economy back into several quarters of negative growth is called stabilisation these days I suppose.

Totally agree. We quickly learnt to remember to take shopping bags along to the supermarket last time we were in France on our hols, and its a habit we could quickly get used to over here in the UK if we had too.

SimonStClare said:

edmundintokyo said:

dr_spyn said:

@CarlottaVance - a bit more openness about the role of Brussels in UK domestic law making would help.

By all means consider the policy, but can't the LDs do something which isn't born in Brussels for once. I don't see many measures which reduce the power of the state coming from the LDs.

It wasn't born in Brussels. Brussels are way behind some of the member states on this one. If anything they're getting in the way.

Morning All.

I have no idea if ‘Brussels’ is getting in the way, but I certainly agree this proposal is years behind some member states. Charging for plastic bags, as well as plastic bottles etc, was common practice in Germany twenty years ago when I was based there. – Most supermarkets at the time sold cotton shopping bags that were cheap, tough and bio degradable. – We would never dream of leaving the house for the weekend shop, without a selection of these carrier bags. -The UK has come a long way in ‘recycling’ over the past decade, but still has a lot of catching up to do.
This is just one such proposal – and I agree with it.

Yuck! Don't the local councils provide specific bins for exactly this purpose in popular areas where people walk their dogs, they do in our area?

Morris_Dancer said:

Mr. Jessop, we have similar issues here, except that the bags are often left to hang on branches (happily they're relatively few in number, but it's still vile).

I can see why a lazy or forgetful person might not bag their dog's leavings, and I can see how someone more prepared/civil would... but who the hell thinks "I shall bag this, and then leave it to very, very slowly degrade over years and decades."?

I can stand boring politicians. Indeed I quite like rule by thoughtful introverts who plan strategically and are good with nuts and bolts logistics. All parties seem to have strong elements of leadership by charismatic extroverts who govern with off the cuff ill thought through policies in the style of Tony Blairs sofa government.

I did see Rachel Reeves interview, and she was undeniably boring, but also did not demonstrate any deep strategic thought or real sense of understanding of the nations continuing financial problems. It is hard to work from a blank sheet of paper and the combination of lack of charisma and lack of thought is not a good one.

The Arctic Monkeys were good though, but not as good as Drenge.

MarqueeMark said:

Charles said:

You would have thought a better response would be along the lines:

"I'm sorry he finds it boring, but I believe in telling the British people the truth about the state that the economy is in... [insert latest Labour lie]

I watched the Rachel Reeves interview live on Newsnight. It was indeed dull, as she plodded on not answering any questions and trying to spoon feed Paxman her pre-cooked meals whilst he, in his best Terrible Twos mode, was more inclined to throw it all over the wall.

However, I was struck by just how much she sounds like Ed Miliband. And then I was struck by just how much she LOOKS like Ed Miliband. Put a fright wig on Ed Miliband and lo and behold, Rachel appears before you.

Looking and sounding like the leader of your party might be a good way for a very underwhelming painfully-ambitious political wannabe to get ahead. But when the Labour Party rejects Ed after the country rejects Ed in 2015, I wonder who she will morph into next?

Charles said:

SouthamObserver said:

Life imprisonment for those who leave dog crap in a bag on a branch. Death for those who leave the crap where it drops. As a kid growing up in London it was everywhere; now when I'm down there it's almost always cleaned up by owners. Up here, by contrast, there are turds everywhere on the walking paths. Conclusion? Lefty metropolitan Guardianistas are more community minded than right-wing, semi-rural Express readers.

Counterpoint: that semi-rural inhabitants accept turds as part of the natural order of life, and know that it will be recycled by nature as soon as it rains. Example: in the country I am quite happy to throw an apple core into the bushes because I know it will be well used. I would not dream of doing so in town.

Hmmm. Steaming turds in parks and fields where other humans frequently wander do not get recycled by rain, they end up on clothes, shoes and children's hands.

Lorraine Fullbrook, MP for South Ribble, has announced her retirement. She was elected in 2010 for the first time. Personal reasons cited as her reasons.

JackW said:

TGOHF said:

The LDs saved the country from 5 more years of Labour - there is no higher achievement possible.

Regardless of their situation post 2015 GE there is nothing more important that the LibDems and their forebears have done since the WWII Coalition than their participation in this present Coalition. Even if you disagree with Coalition government policies the provision of a stable government during an unprecedented economic crisis was and remains a substantial prize for the nation.

The problem is that the LDs seem hell bent on slagging off the coalition and keep emphasising the rows and differences. It sends the voters a message that coalitions are a bad thing. Which is the worst strategy a minor party should follow. But so be it.

Charles said:

Counterpoint: that semi-rural inhabitants accept turds as part of the natural order of life, and know that it will be recycled by nature as soon as it rains. Example: in the country I am quite happy to throw an apple core into the bushes because I know it will be well used. I would not dream of doing so in town.

I have oftern wondered what is wrong about allowing your dog to crap in a wooded area, say, well off the path where people aren't likely to walk in it. After all, squirrels, deer, foxes etc will all be doing their business in the area.

She's the second from 2010 intake to announce retirement. But the other one is Evans from Cardiff North who had previous stints as MP (1992-1997) and MEP (1999-2009).

On a broader point, Rachel Reeves epitomises many modern politicians - those who want to be politicians, and when they are, grope around for a political creed to justify their career choice. It seems few are those who have a political creed as a compass for their life, and seek to go into politics to persuade others of the right of their cause.

<

foxinsoxuk said:

The other influence that the LibDems have had includes the pupil premium, and attenuating the NHS changes and Tuition fees. A more positive attitude to Europe is a further one.

It is the right wing of the Tory party that most resents the LibDems, and the Labour party should not be too disparaging about the LibDem ministrrs and their policies, not least because they may be in cabinet with Labour ministers in 2015. It is rarely worth making permenant enemies.

SMukesh said:

foxinsoxuk said:

Apart from stabilizing the economy and taking millions of low paid out of tax?

After all, what have the Romans done for us?

(cue for long discussion on generalship in yhe Punic wars)

SMukesh said:

Regarding plastic bags from 2015,the two parties can agree to slash housing benefit for thousands,split the NHS and create an artificial housing boom by tax-payer guaranteed mortgages.But they can`t agree to introduce a 5 p cost for plastic bags till the next election.

Moral:Anything the Conservatives support will be implemented now
Anything the Conservatives oppose will be introduced in 2015.

And therein lies the failure of Clegg.He has been good for coalition by being a Yes-man but has got very little in return.

What else of the Lib-Dem agenda has gone through apart from raising the income-tax threshold?

Tipping a growing economy back into several quarters of negative growth is called stabilisation these days I suppose.

So what you are saying is the achievement of Lib Dems is that they have moderated the rabid right-wing of the Tory party.And you are the first person who touts their role on tuition fees and NHS changes as a success.

It`s not Labour who despises them,it`s their former voters.

TCPoliticalBetting said:

JackW said:

TGOHF said:

The LDs saved the country from 5 more years of Labour - there is no higher achievement possible.

Regardless of their situation post 2015 GE there is nothing more important that the LibDems and their forebears have done since the WWII Coalition than their participation in this present Coalition. Even if you disagree with Coalition government policies the provision of a stable government during an unprecedented economic crisis was and remains a substantial prize for the nation.

The problem is that the LDs seem hell bent on slagging off the coalition and keep emphasising the rows and differences. It sends the voters a message that coalitions are a bad thing. Which is the worst strategy a minor party should follow. But so be it.

I couldn't disagree more.

I was expecting far more division from the Coalition. It was my biggest concern as the parties came together.

However they have kept to the Coalition Agreement pretty well and the government has been far more together than during the latter years of the Blair/Brown government and the Major government of 92/97.

Even some of the potential awkward squad such as Simong Hughes (Copyright Andrea) have been remarkably onside.

foxinsoxuk said:

I agree. As a pro coalition LD supporter, I think it untenable to run a campaign that is explicitly anti coalition policy.
Indeed with Labour bogged down fighting its trade unionists, and the Torys tacking right to become more xenophobic there is an increasing gap for a fiscally sensible centrist party. That is where the LiDems belong, and it is a substantial proportion of the population. Blair won power by regaining the centre, and cameron nearly managed the same. Now both Tories and Labour are abandoning the centre. It is a good opportunity.

TCPoliticalBetting said:

JackW said:

TGOHF said:

The LDs saved the country from 5 more years of Labour - there is no higher achievement possible.

Regardless of their situation post 2015 GE there is nothing more important that the LibDems and their forebears have done since the WWII Coalition than their participation in this present Coalition. Even if you disagree with Coalition government policies the provision of a stable government during an unprecedented economic crisis was and remains a substantial prize for the nation.

The problem is that the LDs seem hell bent on slagging off the coalition and keep emphasising the rows and differences. It sends the voters a message that coalitions are a bad thing. Which is the worst strategy a minor party should follow. But so be it.

The problem fox is that there is likely to be a change in the LD Leader before the GE and that new person is not going to be a centrist, but a Labour leaning type such as Farron or Cable.

TCPoliticalBetting said:

foxinsoxuk said:

I agree. As a pro coalition LD supporter, I think it untenable to run a campaign that is explicitly anti coalition policy.
Indeed with Labour bogged down fighting its trade unionists, and the Torys tacking right to become more xenophobic there is an increasing gap for a fiscally sensible centrist party. That is where the LiDems belong, and it is a substantial proportion of the population. Blair won power by regaining the centre, and cameron nearly managed the same. Now both Tories and Labour are abandoning the centre. It is a good opportunity.

TCPoliticalBetting said:

JackW said:

TGOHF said:

The LDs saved the country from 5 more years of Labour - there is no higher achievement possible.

Regardless of their situation post 2015 GE there is nothing more important that the LibDems and their forebears have done since the WWII Coalition than their participation in this present Coalition. Even if you disagree with Coalition government policies the provision of a stable government during an unprecedented economic crisis was and remains a substantial prize for the nation.

The problem is that the LDs seem hell bent on slagging off the coalition and keep emphasising the rows and differences. It sends the voters a message that coalitions are a bad thing. Which is the worst strategy a minor party should follow. But so be it.

The problem fox is that there is likely to be a change in the LD Leader before the GE and that new person is not going to be a centrist, but a Labour leaning type such as Farron or Cable.

There is NOT likely to be a change in the LD leader before the next GE

SMukesh said:

MarkSenior said:

TCPoliticalBetting said:

foxinsoxuk said:

I agree. As a pro coalition LD supporter, I think it untenable to run a campaign that is explicitly anti coalition policy.
Indeed with Labour bogged down fighting its trade unionists, and the Torys tacking right to become more xenophobic there is an increasing gap for a fiscally sensible centrist party. That is where the LiDems belong, and it is a substantial proportion of the population. Blair won power by regaining the centre, and cameron nearly managed the same. Now both Tories and Labour are abandoning the centre. It is a good opportunity.

TCPoliticalBetting said:

JackW said:

TGOHF said:

The LDs saved the country from 5 more years of Labour - there is no higher achievement possible.

Regardless of their situation post 2015 GE there is nothing more important that the LibDems and their forebears have done since the WWII Coalition than their participation in this present Coalition. Even if you disagree with Coalition government policies the provision of a stable government during an unprecedented economic crisis was and remains a substantial prize for the nation.

The problem is that the LDs seem hell bent on slagging off the coalition and keep emphasising the rows and differences. It sends the voters a message that coalitions are a bad thing. Which is the worst strategy a minor party should follow. But so be it.

The problem fox is that there is likely to be a change in the LD Leader before the GE and that new person is not going to be a centrist, but a Labour leaning type such as Farron or Cable.

There is NOT likely to be a change in the LD leader before the next GE

I imagine that`s quite comforting to Labour.Just like a few went to the poll booths post-Iraq to vote against Blair,there`s going to be some who cast a vote just to spite Clegg.

Anyone who is going to cast their vote out of spite is not going to be swayed by a change of leader .

JosiasJessop said:

I've also seen them hanging from trees. And, perversely, I once saw such a feccu-bag hanging from a tree in Hampshire alongside a pair of blue frilly panties.

My mind boggled.

The theory is that people are going on an out-and-back walk and intend to collect the turd on their way back, rather than carry it with them. In practice, this seems not to work. The frilly knickers were presumably used as a marker so the dog owner(s) could identify their own turd. The alternative theory is presumably that the owners got bored while waiting for the dog to do its business...

FrancisUrquhart said:

A UK Labour government would abolish the spare room subsidy, the party's Scottish welfare spokeswoman has said.

Jackie Baillie told BBC Radio Scotland an announcement on the issue would be made soon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-24090772

BBC hopelessly confused in their reporting there. What Baillie is saying is that they would re-introduce the spare room subsidy, ie. end the bedroom tax.