politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Meanwhile a slight increase in approval for the handling of Br

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

That said, George Osborne rates him.

https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/950462748827308032

williamglenn said:

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Hunt/status/950461803997384704

Why even both to explain it Mr Hunt? I'm reminded of the media chap from Yes Minister talking about stats, about how most won't take them in and of those who do many won't understand them, and if they do many won't believe them - most won't have noticed you did it, and of those who did plenty won't believe the denial of its apparent meaning.

https://twitter.com/lionelbarber/status/950455872827904001

TheWhiteRabbit said:

It is conceptually quite difficult to do. There are some luxury developments, in particular, where leasehold service charges make sense for houses.

Which raises the question: is it the leasehold we have a problem with? Or was it a novel investment product - the ground rent escalator - that the housebuilders invented, then flogged?

If the ground rent had been a flat £100/year, I doubt anyone would have cared.

If it was £100/year increasing 5% or less a year, I doubt anyone would have cared. £10000 a year increasing 5% a year might be different though.

I agree that it is excessive escalator that is the problem that should be addressed. How to address it is more a problem than deciding the escalator is the problem. Perhaps if the rate is any higher than 1.5* higher of (inflation, available interest rate on savings) then it should get caught as an unfair contract term unless the parties explicitly sign to say they understand the implications of the escalator and don't want unfair contract terms act to apply?

Not sure I see the problem with luxury developments: If it is a new house, sell freehold to the land the house is on but perhaps not the communal grounds and sale contract makes clear no use of services is allowed (perhaps not even right of way to property) unless you enter a contract which will then require a service charge to be paid.

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

That makes JohnO and myself very happy.

williamglenn said:

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Hunt/status/950461803997384704

https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/950462748827308032

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

That makes JohnO and myself very happy.

And me if true

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

McVile? She was adored as Minister of State. Tories couldnt pick anyone with more warmth and empathy for the job...

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

Anazina said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

That would be sensational

You have to feel for McVey – DWP is a disaster zone thanks to IDS's horrific handling of universal credit

And for the atrocious abuse she received from John McDonnell

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/950464696536137728

crandles said:

TheWhiteRabbit said:

crandles said:

TheWhiteRabbit said:

Yorkcity said:

Be good if the housing minister took a serious look at UK housebuilders selling new houses on a leasehold basis.Seems to me just a scam to make more money .Also it leaves the buyers in a leasehold property trap.

It's going to be banned, the government has announced.

Interestingly they are seeking to bean leasehold "houses" (i.e. not flats) rather than just escalating ground rents. I do wonder how that is supposed to work.

Thats cos you can't ban leasehold flats, the flats belong to whoever owns the land so to do flats on different floors belonging to different people there is no other way than having leasehold flats. Think they are just banning new leasehold houses.

I meant, how it is they can ban leasehold houses and more than flats.

There is no legal thing as a flat. If anything its leaseholds status is a giveaway.

Did you mean "how it is they can ban leasehold houses any more than flats?"
Note I said it was *new* leasehold houses they are banning. So if it is existing house or flat it can continue, but if you try to do it with a newly built house, presumably 'leasehold sale' will be voidable as illegal.

I wonder if enterprising developers will stop building semi-detached houses side-by-side and build them instead as two flats, one above the other?

RochdalePioneers said:

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

McVile? She was adored as Minister of State. Tories couldnt pick anyone with more warmth and empathy for the job...

As I forecast at 7:10pm:

"Give it to Esther. She oozes empathy."

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

Go down that route and we can all claim not to have done so, since we only voted for own own MPs (or their opponents), and unless they happen to be one of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet its not out fault. But the public's vote returned the numbers we have, and we all knew who the leaderships were and how well they can deal with things, so yes we got and get what we deserve.

DavidL said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scott_P said:

@tnewtondunn: It appears Esther McVey is about to be made the new DWP Secretary. That's quite a leap.

That makes JohnO and myself very happy.

And me if true

And me. Having forecast it earlier in the thread

Odds on next pm should be interesting

@paulwaugh: It's taken nearly nine hours but May has just appointed her first new woman Cabinet minister of the day. No.10: The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Esther McVey as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

She's rubbish at politics, okay at administration.

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

TSE is a Wee Free at heart.

So Esther gets the poisoned chalice. She’s now got the fight of her life to turn DWP around...

So what have we had?
Wrong Chair announced then unannounced.
Vice Chair for women opposes women's rights
Hunt refuses to move
Clarke (EDIT, not Hands...) refuses to move
Greening refuses DWP disaster job and goes off to lead remain rebels
McVile reappointed to DWP after previous stint got her hated so much she lost her seat

Quality piece of work

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

He believes in Sky Fairy Magic and not science and evidence ... and we're making him responsible for Education?

Feel free to switch that with some other religion if you wish.

Sean_F said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

She's rubbish at politics, okay at administration.

She's generally dire at both. She might be okay at clipping letters together with paperclips. I am willing to concede that much.

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

But you only have one vote like the rest of us

I know. And given how I feel at the moment about what's on offer, I am likely to be joining the Meeks party: turning up to abstain - in disgust - in person.

Shame really for someone who contributes so well to this forum

RochdalePioneers said:

So what have we had?
Wrong Chair announced then unannounced.
Vice Chair for women opposes women's rights
Hunt refuses to move
Hands refuses to move
Greening refuses DWP disaster job and goes off to lead remain rebels
McVile reappointed to DWP after previous stint got her hated so much she lost her seat

Quality piece of work

Greening will not lead the rebels. Grieve does that

Philip_Thompson said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

He believes in Sky Fairy Magic and not science and evidence ... and we're making him responsible for Education?

Feel free to switch that with some other religion if you wish.

You're making a wholly unsubstantiated assumption that if you are religious you do not believe in science or evidence. Try telling that to all the doctors and scientists and teachers and lawyers and judges who are practising Jews or Muslims or Christians or Hindus or Sikhs or Quakers.

Not everyone who is religious is some sort of creationist.

Delurking for second...

I reckon May would promote J. Corbyn ahead of the likes of Rory the Tory, Kwasi Kwarteng and Johnny Mercer....

Greening is not someone I would have on the back benches, give it a few months and she'll be the 12th traitor.

Philip_Thompson said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

He believes in Sky Fairy Magic and not science and evidence ... and we're making him responsible for Education?

.

Umm, you're only allowed to be in charge of Education if you are an atheist?!

I am an atheist and that seems...an extreme view.

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Some Catholics only have a loyalty to the Pope/Rome and not the UK.

Cf - Jacob Rees-Mogg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/04/tory-mp-rees-mogg-i-take-my-whip-from-the-roman-catholic-church/

I appear to have been transported back to the seventeenth century.

Catholics are not loyal to the UK - Okaaay. We'd better have the vote removed then. Maybe expulsion is in order.

Honestly: if someone said that of Muslims you'd be - rightly - all over them. When some attack Jews for being part of some global Jewish conspiracy with no loyalty to the nation where they live you attack them for channelling classic anti-semitic tropes.

But when one MP explains his views on religious issues you extrapolate that to Catholics - only some mind (though on what basis it's not clear). Perhaps Catholics should be forced to sign up to some form of loyalty test. I believe someone in UKIP suggested something similar a while back.

Pfft.....

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Some Catholics only have a loyalty to the Pope/Rome and not the UK.

Cf - Jacob Rees-Mogg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/04/tory-mp-rees-mogg-i-take-my-whip-from-the-roman-catholic-church/

And that is a barrier once again to holding public office? I feel like that explanation is more just hoping someone will make a 'Like having loyalty to the EU over the UK' remark, given we relaxed the rules on Catholics some while ago.

Good evening all.

When I called Mrs May 'Calamity Jane' the other day, it was meant to be an epithet not an instruction.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

But you only have one vote like the rest of us

I know. And given how I feel at the moment about what's on offer, I am likely to be joining the Meeks party: turning up to abstain - in disgust - in person.

Shame really for someone who contributes so well to this forum

Well, the election is some time away. I have never abstained so far. But what is on offer is so utterly awful it makes my eyes bleed.

And my constituency is now a safe Labour seat. It has been a marginal until now. So my vote will make the square root of sod all difference.

Scott_P said:

@simondhodges: @Alison_McGovern In a reshuffle that's been trailed for weeks, so far the PM has managed to sack no-one.

Paddy McLoughlin got sacked I believe?

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Some Catholics only have a loyalty to the Pope/Rome and not the UK.

Cf - Jacob Rees-Mogg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/04/tory-mp-rees-mogg-i-take-my-whip-from-the-roman-catholic-church/

I appear to have been transported back to the seventeenth century.

Catholics are not loyal to the UK - Okaaay. We'd better have the vote removed then. Maybe expulsion is in order.

Honestly: if someone said that of Muslims you'd be - rightly - all over them. When some attack Jews for being part of some global Jewish conspiracy with no loyalty to the nation where they live you attack them for channelling classic anti-semitic tropes.

But when one MP explains his views on religious issues you extrapolate that to Catholics - only some mind (though on what basis it's not clear). Perhaps Catholics should be forced to sign up to some form of loyalty test. I believe someone in UKIP suggested something similar a while back.

Pfft.....

It is a joke.

Someone on here said they had qualms about a Muslim Mayor of London but had no qualms about JRM as PM.

We've had some shameful anti-Catholic laws in this country, some only repealed quite recently

Yes, most of them involved the monarchy – a bastion of reactionary thinking that has long past its sell-by date.

Beverley_C said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

Perhaps by keeping her head down and looking busy? Personally, I suspect that she is more of a foot-soldier than a General. She simply does not seem to be up to the job of developing policy and strategy.

Like Gordon Brown, she appears to be a living embodiment of the Peter Principle.

Just an observation that Cameron, Osborne, Leadsom, Johnson, Grove all failed to keep her from no 10.

Cyclefree said:

Anazina said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

He believes in Sky Fairy Magic and not science and evidence ... and we're making him responsible for Education?

Feel free to switch that with some other religion if you wish.

Indeed it would be best if superstitious unicorn botherers of all ilks kept their distance from the great levers of state.

Oh hello. You must be one of those liberals people keep referring to.

Well in fairness, they did say 'it would be best if' rather than 'they must not be allowed', which is something - there are plenty of opinions many think should automatically disqualify a great many people, far more than is reasonable.

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Some Catholics only have a loyalty to the Pope/Rome and not the UK.

Cf - Jacob Rees-Mogg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/04/tory-mp-rees-mogg-i-take-my-whip-from-the-roman-catholic-church/

I appear to have been transported back to the seventeenth century.

Catholics are not loyal to the UK - Okaaay. We'd better have the vote removed then. Maybe expulsion is in order.

Honestly: if someone said that of Muslims you'd be - rightly - all over them. When some attack Jews for being part of some global Jewish conspiracy with no loyalty to the nation where they live you attack them for channelling classic anti-semitic tropes.

But when one MP explains his views on religious issues you extrapolate that to Catholics - only some mind (though on what basis it's not clear). Perhaps Catholics should be forced to sign up to some form of loyalty test. I believe someone in UKIP suggested something similar a while back.

Pfft.....

It is a joke.

Someone on here said they had qualms about a Muslim Mayor of London but had no qualms about JRM as PM.

We've had some shameful anti-Catholic laws in this country, some only repealed quite recently

A joke to you. But not others on this forum, sadly.

Do me a favour though. Put one of those smiley wotsits on such posts. SeanF's "joke" about Priti Patel being Justice Secretary ruined my lunch.

Thank you.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Anazina said:

Sean_F said:

Cyclefree said:

Sean_F said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

She's rubbish at politics, okay at administration.

And by administration you mean what, exactly? Because she appears to be utterly useless at developing and managing a team. Is she fantastically good at filing? Is that it?

In terms of doing Brexit and economic management, she's okay. Not great, but okay.

Again, you are suffering from delusions of mediocrity. She is bloody awful on the first point, and largely uninvolved on the latter one.

You only say that because she is taking us out of Europe against your wishes, but in accordance with tbe result of a democratic vote

No. I say that because she has proved utterly hopeless at finding a way forward that commands broad support across the country. Tin-eared, stubborn and unable to find compromise, three personal traits that should rule one out of leading a whelk stall, let alone a country.

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

But you only have one vote like the rest of us

I know. And given how I feel at the moment about what's on offer, I am likely to be joining the Meeks party: turning up to abstain - in disgust - in person.

Shame really for someone who contributes so well to this forum

Well, the election is some time away. I have never abstained so far. But what is on offer is so utterly awful it makes my eyes bleed.

And my constituency is now a safe Labour seat. It has been a marginal until now. So my vote will make the square root of sod all difference.

You should still use it you know

TheScreamingEagles said:

kle4 said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

But you only have one vote like the rest of us

I know. And given how I feel at the moment about what's on offer, I am likely to be joining the Meeks party: turning up to abstain - in disgust - in person.

Are you going to be one of those who writes on the ballot paper next to each candidate

'They are a [insert rude word]'

Because I love counting those ballot papers.

It passes the time. The good thing is writing does not automatically invalidate your vote of course. But the best was from someone who obviously wasn't willing to take that risk, so they had stuck a post-it note to the ballot paper, with at least 100 words written on it.

My favourite was the ballot paper was the one with a penis drawn against one candidate.

Candidate said it showed a clear preference for him.

The returning officer said no, it would only be a clear preference if the drawn penis was erect.

Hmm, sounds like a tough returning officer. The story on the same thing happening in Montgomeryshire, but the vote being accepted, doesn't mention to tumescence of the member in question.

I've said before though I do disagree with the decision to accept one where the candidates name was crossed out and replaced with 'Anuerin Bevan'. That to me is ambiguous, in that they might be saying they would only vote for that party if the candidate were Bevan, which they were not.

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

Some Catholics only have a loyalty to the Pope/Rome and not the UK.

Cf - Jacob Rees-Mogg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/04/tory-mp-rees-mogg-i-take-my-whip-from-the-roman-catholic-church/

I appear to have been transported back to the seventeenth century.

Catholics are not loyal to the UK - Okaaay. We'd better have the vote removed then. Maybe expulsion is in order.

Honestly: if someone said that of Muslims you'd be - rightly - all over them. When some attack Jews for being part of some global Jewish conspiracy with no loyalty to the nation where they live you attack them for channelling classic anti-semitic tropes.

But when one MP explains his views on religious issues you extrapolate that to Catholics - only some mind (though on what basis it's not clear). Perhaps Catholics should be forced to sign up to some form of loyalty test. I believe someone in UKIP suggested something similar a while back.

Pfft.....

It is a joke.

Someone on here said they had qualms about a Muslim Mayor of London but had no qualms about JRM as PM.

We've had some shameful anti-Catholic laws in this country, some only repealed quite recently

A joke to you. But not others on this forum, sadly.

Do me a favour though. Put one of those smiley wotsits on such posts. SeanF's "joke" about Priti Patel being Justice Secretary ruined my lunch.

Thank you.

Understood.

williamglenn said:

https://twitter.com/elliotttimes/status/950471296378433536

What do we want? Leadsom for leader!!... of the Commons.

Oh, hang on, we don’t...

Mortimer said:

Beginnng to think Lidington is the most likely Remainers to become next leader.

After Hunt's Greening gaffe and non promotion quite possible, though I still think it will be a Leaver

Anazina said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Anazina said:

Sean_F said:

Cyclefree said:

Sean_F said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

She's rubbish at politics, okay at administration.

And by administration you mean what, exactly? Because she appears to be utterly useless at developing and managing a team. Is she fantastically good at filing? Is that it?

In terms of doing Brexit and economic management, she's okay. Not great, but okay.

Again, you are suffering from delusions of mediocrity. She is bloody awful on the first point, and largely uninvolved on the latter one.

You only say that because she is taking us out of Europe against your wishes, but in accordance with tbe result of a democratic vote

No. I say that because she has proved utterly hopeless at finding a way forward that commands broad support across the country. Tin-eared, stubborn and unable to find compromise, three personal traits that should rule one out of leading a whelk stall, let alone a country.

But your broad support is to retain free movement and effectively stay tied to the EU. That will not happen

Anazina said:

HYUFD

Again, you can't infer that from the vote, the ballot paper said leave the EU, nothing more. And we have already had this conversation. Once again you are projecting your own contentions and presenting them as fact.

This obsession with forcing restrictions on free movement on places that haven't asked for them is preventing sensible solutions from being found. Why not use regional visas in London as Canada does in some provinces? What is wrong with that idea exactly? Difficult times require imaginative thinking, not stubbornness.

It genuinely is an obsession – this stopping the foreigners coming in – both of brexiteers and neobrexiteers like yourself who suffer from the zeal of the convert.

80% voted for end free movement parties in June as Corbyn also backs ending it. Though much of the blame lies with Blair for failing to impose transition controls on free movement from the new accession countries in 2004

SandyRentool said:

williamglenn said:

https://twitter.com/elliotttimes/status/950471296378433536

Oh, FFS.

So Greening has quit of her own accord and Brokenshire has left due to ill health (best wishes to him for a speedy recovery by the way). The shrill Esther McVey has landed the top job in the same department she cocked up last time.

Dan Hodges is right – this day has rapidly progressed from minor Westminster Village blunder (Grayling, the Chairman That Never Was) to unmitigated shambles.

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Cyclefree said:

TOPPING said:

Cyclefree said:

Honestly, how could May have survived so long in politics and been so utterly rubbish at it?

How?

We the British public.

I didn't vote for this shower of shits.

But you only have one vote like the rest of us

I know. And given how I feel at the moment about what's on offer, I am likely to be joining the Meeks party: turning up to abstain - in disgust - in person.

Shame really for someone who contributes so well to this forum

Well, the election is some time away. I have never abstained so far. But what is on offer is so utterly awful it makes my eyes bleed.

And my constituency is now a safe Labour seat. It has been a marginal until now. So my vote will make the square root of sod all difference.

You should still use it you know

I know. But how then does one signal one's utter contempt for the dismal fare on offer? It's not as if the bastards come round canvassing and listen to your views. So how the hell do you get across that having the choice between two malevolent and incompetent ideologies and a party that gives the impression of a corpse is not any sort of choice in a mature democracy?

Who knows where we will be at the next GE but being perplexed at the current state of politics is very understandable

OchEye said:

HYUFD said:

OchEye said:

HYUFD said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Reports that Chuka Umanna has flounced out of a PLP meeting because Corbyn has reiterated Labour's policy of leaving the Single Market and Customs Union:

18:55

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2018/jan/08/cabinet-reshuffle-theresa-may-tory-government-pm-to-start-shifting-ministers-politics-live

The battle between Umunna and Corbyn's view of the Labour Party will dominate Labour for the next decade, Umunna clearly wants to be Macron to Corbyn's Hollande

Except Umunna and Ian Murray still believe that they are Blair's successors, along with Kinnock and Smith, and that all they have to do is just wait until the membership sees the errors of their ways and return to the true New Labour path... Ain't gonna happen. Murray is a very good constituency MP, just a very lousy tactical Westminster one, but like Kinnock and Smith, if the new constituency alignments come in, then they will lose their seats, and with their records, they will have difficulty in getting new ones as the new CLP's will be able to decide who the candidates will be, and the new executive committees will not be made up from the friends of the previous MP's.

Macron only got elected after Hollande faced heavy defeat, Hollande still narrowly beat Sarkozy first

Umunna has, I understand few supporters in the PLP, certainly very few in the general membership, and unless he starts a new party, ala Macron, with similar aims and members to become MP's, councillors and officials, although the would be able to gain substantial financial support from the usual suspects, he will be wandering the halls, passages and cellars of Westminster, as the once and no longer, potential great leader who never was....

A pre general election Labour leadership poll last year to succeed Corbyn had Umunna tied with Starmer for third behind McDonnell and Cooper. If a PM Corbyn faced a big poll deficit who knows what would happen

Cyclefree said:

Anazina said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Cyclefree said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Damian Hinds gets worse.

1) He's a Papist

2) He went to Oxford

3) He read PPE

Hello - what's wrong with your number (1)? Substitute some other religion, preferably using a vaguely derogatory term, if that helps.

He believes in Sky Fairy Magic and not science and evidence ... and we're making him responsible for Education?

Feel free to switch that with some other religion if you wish.

Indeed it would be best if superstitious unicorn botherers of all ilks kept their distance from the great levers of state.

Oh hello. You must be one of those liberals people keep referring to.

I am very liberal – I would not seek to block them. I just have a preference that superstitions are not bases for policy (see homeopathy). Equally, I don't care if religious people lead Education and Health as long as they don't allow their religious views to influence their policy making.