What's the difference between Ed Miliband and Ryan Giggs? One's a fading left winger who did the dirty on his brother, the other is a footballer.
Why does nobody ever talk about David Miliband doing the dirty on his brother. DM had his chances in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and didn't have the bottle to go through with it. He wanted the leadership on a plate. His failure showed why he would have been a poor leader like Brown who also wanted the job on a plate.
Well tough shite.
I've never been impressed by either brother.
Bananaman was forever damaged, I was a James Purnell man.
Purnell, of course, was never damaged goods - oh, how soon we forget. Hutton, was the chap, honest, intelligent, patriotic in the best sense of the word and therefore one of Brown's targets who had to go. A great shame, Hutton would have been a great leader of Labour and the Country.
Brown saw the bigger picture, Alexander & it appears Miliband do not.
Yeah, you've not really made any case whatsoever for why bashing Tories is a bad idea in the context of the Scottish Independence debate. What's it going to do - turn Tories into 'yes' voters?
Brown saw the Independence question as 'bigger' than 'Labour vs Tories'. If you frame it as 'Labour vs Tories' you are vulnerable to 'Tory rule from London' (something you spent over a decade and a half going on about) - and opinion polls in the run up to SIndyref - we've seen the first draw today......can a crossover be far behind?
Most voters take the polls at face value - the guy with the bigger number wins - they don't know the real challenge the Tories face. By framing the hugely important independence question in terms of 'Labour vs Tories', the current Labour leadership run the risk of losing the Union over the (essentially trivial in the context of a 300 year old Union) forecast outcome of the 2015 GE.
"First draw today" - where, please?
Be still your beating heart!
I was referring to the Populus Poll showing a draw between Lab & Con for the 2015 GE!
Mphm, given recent polling on indyref voter's attitudes to the prospect of a Tory government that is promising something very close to crossover in the indyref too.
If its repeated more widely and sticks, it certainly won't do 'Yes' any harm....
Labour kicking the Tories where it hurts most........
Let's take the Populus poll as a starter (just for a bit of fun!)
UNS would give us labour 3 short, effectively in govt with no SF and SDLP support.
Now, it is suggested even Red Libs will kick the Tories. If 2% return to the Lib Dems from Labour and we apply UNS (seems fair to balance tacticals against encumbency), we have Lab 16 short and just able to govern with Lib support.
That leaves Dave needing to pull say 1.5% back from UKIP (not impossible). That would leave the Tories 20 short with Libs on 19, no coalition possible, minority government, back to the polls May 16 after independence?
In short, from 35, Ed can't afford the Red Libs to peel away . Ed better hope YouGov or Survation have it right
It's an interesting view, although I tend to agree with the comment by 'Phil H' about low interest rates being the dominant factor behind the discrepancy.
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
You are the old shepherd in the Specsavers ad and I claim five woolly jumpers.
I'm not aware of any lady posters who post regularly. Hence all the talk of getting your kids to cut your hair or doing it with razor blades. Without straying into sexism, this is not normal womanly behaviour.
Incidentally, since you've avoided telling us in what industry you work, are you a hairdresser?
Interesting convo from the pub last night (anecdote alert!) Building is booming, but 'it's all farmers with subsidies'. However associated trades round here starting to pick up
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
Mr. Fett, not round here. Tons of nettles, but almost as many dock leaves. We also have tons of bluebells, which are apparently endangered.
Mr. CD13, amongst other things the Labour Party PEB, which managed to not mention Europe once, also managed never to show Ed Miliband or use his voice.
As discussed last night it is really quite common for PEBs no feature no politicians at all...
For the Labour Party PEB for the EU Parliament elections to not mention the EU is a rather big omission.
Is there a director's cut version that includes their EU policy?
That was weird
They didn't mention the EU or the EU elections at all did they?
Think it means a referendum under Labour not out of the question.. theyre keeping their powder dry
Was a GE 2015 advert a year early
The LAB high command can read the polls. 95% don't give a monkeys about Europe and why, anyway would they want to close down an issue that's been so poisonous to the Tories for 3 decades.
Well a party that bangs on about Europe constantly are polling 14-20%
Maybe they know being pro EU is unpopular, and think by not mentioning it they might get enough votes to squeak a win next month
You mean the party that has LOST every single council by-election it has defended in the past year; the party that has only twice got more than 20% vote share in any Westminster seat and the party which is led by someone whose idea of campaigning was to fly above the constituency on general election day and who got beaten into 3rd place a a pro-EU Tory.
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
There was a lady 'Poster of the Year'.
No, that was "Paster of the Year".
And that sort of low-level and gratuitous nastiness is one of the reasons she doesn't post any more.
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
There was a lady 'Poster of the Year'.
There used to be several lady posters on this site, but there was also a serious degree of harassment (mainly from one person), which for reasons I can't understand OGH allowed. Now we just have Mrs. Fitalass, who posts, not as often as she used to, in the late evening early hours and very occasional contributions from Ms Cyclefree. Of Beverly, Mrs B, Miss Plato and the young lady from the Midlands who was a Lib Dem supporter but whose name I am ashamed to say I have forgotten (but I shall not forget her face), well, they are gone and the site is poorer as a result.
Mr. Fett, not round here. Tons of nettles, but almost as many dock leaves. We also have tons of bluebells, which are apparently endangered.
Mr. CD13, amongst other things the Labour Party PEB, which managed to not mention Europe once, also managed never to show Ed Miliband or use his voice.
As discussed last night it is really quite common for PEBs no feature no politicians at all...
For the Labour Party PEB for the EU Parliament elections to not mention the EU is a rather big omission.
Is there a director's cut version that includes their EU policy?
That was weird
They didn't mention the EU or the EU elections at all did they?
Think it means a referendum under Labour not out of the question.. theyre keeping their powder dry
Was a GE 2015 advert a year early
The LAB high command can read the polls. 95% don't give a monkeys about Europe and why, anyway would they want to close down an issue that's been so poisonous to the Tories for 3 decades.
Well a party that bangs on about Europe constantly are polling 14-20%
Maybe they know being pro EU is unpopular, and think by not mentioning it they might get enough votes to squeak a win next month
You mean the party that has LOST every single council by-election it has defended in the past year; the party that has only twice got more than 20% vote share in any Westminster seat and the party which is led by someone whose idea of campaigning was to fly above the constituency on general election day and who got beaten into 3rd place a a pro-EU Tory.
That's them, the ones that are a clear 3rd in the opinion polls
The ones that you wont bet against to beat the LDs vote share next year at Even money
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
There was a lady 'Poster of the Year'.
No, that was "Paster of the Year".
And who could possibly forget the fragrant "Nuala" ?
And of course, since the operation at least half a vote to "Peter the Punter".
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
There was a lady 'Poster of the Year'.
There used to be several lady posters on this site, but there was also a serious degree of harassment (mainly from one person), which for reasons I can't understand OGH allowed. Now we just have Mrs. Fitalass, who posts, not as often as she used to, in the late evening early hours and very occasional contributions from Ms Cyclefree. Of Beverly, Mrs B, Miss Plato and the young lady from the Midlands who was a Lib Dem supporter but whose name I am ashamed to say I have forgotten (but I shall not forget her face), well, they are gone and the site is poorer as a result.
And there was that nice student from South Wales [TessyC?] who still posts very very occasionally
Quote from JJ(?) Hate is such a destructive emotion. Perhaps people who 'hate' their political opponents should look at their own lives first?
I'm on record on here as not liking Miliband. I don't think he's any good, and that he's massively hypocritical. But do I hate him? Nah. I'd have a drink with him if the opportunity came around.
Especially when the hate is based on stories about the evil people, long retired, who implemented policy many decades ago. Policies that many of those who purport to hate will not have experienced.
It is very sad element of political activity that hate is encouraged by some political activists. It is an entirely negative emotion that clouds clear thinking, it is a form of indoctrination and sublimation of the those that are coerced to believe that to hate those of different political leaning is either acceptable or sensible.
Hutton would have been a great leader of Labour and the Country.
You just like him because he was a Tory!
Hutton was Tory? Sorry, I seem to remember he was a Labour MP and a member of a Labour cabinet. Perhaps you are thinking of someone else, or alternatively talking b0llocks.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
There's been an issue in my local area, with a Conservative councillor who was representing a village in this part of Cambridgeshire. He moved to Norfolk, and allegedly he's not been to a meeting for a few years. He's not standing again this time, and I think it'll be a Labour win.
I can't say who I'm voting for yet, as we've had no literature from anyone aside the Tories, and that was non-election specific.
I am not sure that is good news. Whenever I hear of retail sales increases all I see is a worsening of of balance of trade and wealth leaving these shores. I know I am in a minority these days but so much of what we buy in the shops is imported that I don't believe increasing retail sales is actually beneficial in the medium/long term.
Good news would be that households are saving more and those savings could be put to productive use by UK industry investing to make products that they can sell.
It would be very useful (if difficult) for the ONS to do a breakdown of spend on imported vs. home produced retail goods and services. What we do know is that services account for over three quarters of total GDP output and that the sub-sectors of retail spend growing fastest are in services (e.g. hotels and restaurants, entertainment).
One analysis done by the OBR about a year ago looked at the car industry, where UK sales are almost keeping the EU manufacturers alive at the moment.
Car consumption and production
In volume terms, spending on cars in the UK has grown strongly, accounting for nearly a third of household consumption growth since the third quarter of 2011. Facilitating this spending, car finance has been the main reason for the strong recent growth in unsecured credit.
...
UK car consumption is highly import intensive. [T]he share of new car registrations met by domestic production has fallen from 45 per cent two decades ago to just 14 per cent now. This limits the benefit to GDP growth of stronger car consumption. Indeed, [...] more than half the contribution to household consumption growth from car consumption was accounted for by imports.
But the UK also produces cars for export and overseas demand has also been strong. While overall net trade has made a very modest contribution to GDP in recent years, the UK car-trade balance has moved from a 0.5 per cent of GDP deficit in 2007 to a small surplus in the first three quarters of 2013 [my emphasis], helped by the strength of non-EU exports (particularly to China).
But again the impact on GDP is limited, as domestic car production uses nearly three times more imports for every pound of output than the economy as a whole. So while domestic car consumption is a good indicator of consumer confidence, and car trade in isolation has helped reduce the UK’s trade deficit, the overall effect on the economy has been less positive.
So a complex picture emerges, at least in motor manufacture. And I guess the same kind of complexity applies to other areas.
What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%). This indicates that positive rebalancing is going on even if it will be some time before we really see the results in trade figures.
There aren't any lady PBers that I know of. There may be the odd lurker but sadly this is a very male dominated site. Hence all the talk of £4 haircuts.
There was a lady 'Poster of the Year'.
There used to be several lady posters on this site, but there was also a serious degree of harassment (mainly from one person), which for reasons I can't understand OGH allowed. Now we just have Mrs. Fitalass, who posts, not as often as she used to, in the late evening early hours and very occasional contributions from Ms Cyclefree. Of Beverly, Mrs B, Miss Plato and the young lady from the Midlands who was a Lib Dem supporter but whose name I am ashamed to say I have forgotten (but I shall not forget her face), well, they are gone and the site is poorer as a result.
And there was that nice student from South Wales [TessyC?] who still posts very very occasionally
(I think you are thinking about Mrs Firefly)
Quite right Mr. Charles, Firefly was the lady's name and I had forgotten young Miss Tessy.
The site would in my view benefit from some more lady posters, but, and this is tricky to express without incurring the risk of being banned, I fear it won't get them unless the moderators' policy encourages them.
"The Tory task will be made even harder by LD stickiness in the seats its defending and LAB tactical voters returning in order to kick the Tories. Just look at this local result overnight."
The recent Eastleigh poll doesn't support that view.
Since the 2013 by-election the LDs have failed to attract support from swing voters, and lost 20% of the 2013 LD voters.
"still tickles the Labour instinct to kick the Tories where it hurts most."
This isn't a Labour instnict at all. There are very many people who hate the Tories but are not Labourites (nor LD supporters either). They often do vote Labour but when they see a chance to switch to keep the Tories out they will (provided it is not for another Right party such as UKIP). I bet that in this byelection almost all those who are Labourites still voted Labour but it was the Tory haters who made the jump from Lab or no-vote to LD.
Of these Tory haters nationally, many will be the "LD > Labour Switchers" PB always talks about. They will vote tactically and will vote LD in a LD/Con two way seat" . They are also make up a considerable chunk of the "stay at homers" in the safe Labour seats who would gladly put a cross against Labour in a marginal seat but aren't bothered enough to contribute another 0.00003% to the national vote statistic when in a safe seat.
Hate is such a destructive emotion. Perhaps people who 'hate' their political opponents should look at their own lives first?
I'm on record on here as not liking Miliband. I don't think he's any good, and that he's massively hypocritical. But do I hate him? Nah. I'd have a drink with him if the opportunity came around.
Are we sure the motivation for most tactical voters is hatred? It could primarily be fear.
Further, it seems tome that tactical voting becomes more likely when the parties generally aren't that inspiring. If there's nothing particularly compelling to vote for, then a motivation to vote against becomes more decisive.
"still tickles the Labour instinct to kick the Tories where it hurts most."
This isn't a Labour instnict at all. There are very many people who hate the Tories but are not Labourites (nor LD supporters either). They often do vote Labour but when they see a chance to switch to keep the Tories out they will (provided it is not for another Right party such as UKIP). I bet that in this byelection almost all those who are Labourites still voted Labour but it was the Tory haters who made the jump from Lab or no-vote to LD.
Of these Tory haters nationally, many will be the "LD > Labour Switchers" PB always talks about. They will vote tactically and will vote LD in a LD/Con two way seat" . They are also make up a considerable chunk of the "stay at homers" in the safe Labour seats who would gladly put a cross against Labour in a marginal seat but aren't bothered enough to contribute another 0.00003% to the national vote statistic when in a safe seat.
Hate is such a destructive emotion. Perhaps people who 'hate' their political opponents should look at their own lives first?
I'm on record on here as not liking Miliband. I don't think he's any good, and that he's massively hypocritical. But do I hate him? Nah. I'd have a drink with him if the opportunity came around.
Are we sure the motivation for most tactical voters is hatred? It could primarily be fear.
Further, it seems tome that tactical voting becomes more likely when the parties generally aren't that inspiring. If there's nothing particularly compelling to vote for, then a motivation to vote against becomes more decisive.
Just done an interesting YouGov poll, presumably for the Sunday Times.
On the first question about voting in a general election I had the option of picking the main 3 plus SNP/PC or "some other party". I wonder if this is randomised so that some get Ukip as a fourth option? Is this a recent change?
Also had questions on Euro elections, Ukip posters (with pictures asking if they are racist), whether Farage is hypocritical re his German wife, what Cameron should renegotiate re EU if given chance, whether he should resign if he loses the Euro elections or Scotland, and about the TV debates.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
There's been an issue in my local area, with a Conservative councillor who was representing a village in this part of Cambridgeshire. He moved to Norfolk, and allegedly he's not been to a meeting for a few years. He's not standing again this time, and I think it'll be a Labour win.
I can't say who I'm voting for yet, as we've had no literature from anyone aside the Tories, and that was non-election specific.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
Yes, if the voters know and/or have elected them.
I don't know any of the candidates and i'm probably being silly but in my part of Birmingham I can choose between the sitting Labour councillor who lives in the ward or one of the Tory, Lib Dem or Ukip candidates who all live about a mile outside the ward.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
There's been an issue in my local area, with a Conservative councillor who was representing a village in this part of Cambridgeshire. He moved to Norfolk, and allegedly he's not been to a meeting for a few years. He's not standing again this time, and I think it'll be a Labour win.
I can't say who I'm voting for yet, as we've had no literature from anyone aside the Tories, and that was non-election specific.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
Yes, if the voters know and/or have elected them.
I don't know any of the candidates and i'm probably being silly but in my part of Birmingham I can choose between the sitting Labour councillor who lives in the ward or one of the Tory, Lib Dem or Ukip candidates who all live about a mile outside the ward.
A mile's not too bad - it wouldn't bother me. It would only be concerning when, as in the case I detailed earlier, the distance is such that (s)he cannot reasonably be expected to attend official or unofficial meetings with any regularity.#
(Edit: although to argue with myself, I believe that candidates for MP should have lived in the constituency, or a neighbouring one, for at least three years before an election).
Thanks for your reply. This was the bit I found astonishing:
"What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%)...."
Business investment grew at 8.8% in 2013? I have never seen that before and, if its true, I wonder that the Government has not made more of it.
There is a Patriotic Socialist Party candidate in the Kirkburton Ward of Kirklees. I had not heard of them before. Apparently they formally launched on Jan 1st 2014. Anybody know who or what they are?
Basically a bunch of commies that that haven't been happy since the Berlin Wall fell
10 Point Plan
Patriotic socialism is an ideology that fuses the values and beliefs of both the left and the right in order to create a cohesive set of policy objectives that are based solely on the interests and the well-being of the people.
The Party’s 10 Point Plan, which highlights the most important values and objectives of the Party and the ideology that it represents:
1. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates national and cultural identity in order to establish a national community of which anyone can belong, irrespective of someone’s ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, disability, gender or origin.
2. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates social equality, equality of opportunity and basic human rights in order to elevate the standards of living for the poorest and most vulnerable in society and work towards the betterment of mankind.
3. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates environmentalism, bio-diversity and animal welfare in order to protect the natural world and ensure our survival as a species.
4. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates the development of manufacturing, agricultural, technological and green industries in order to reduce reliance on foreign goods, create new employment opportunities, stimulate genuine economic growth and attain national self-sufficiency.
5. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates a system of immigration based on economic sustainability in order to influence population growth and maintain and enhance the standards of living for everyone that resides within the nation.
I don't know any of the candidates and i'm probably being silly but in my part of Birmingham I can choose between the sitting Labour councillor who lives in the ward or one of the Tory, Lib Dem or Ukip candidates who all live about a mile outside the ward.
Councillors are supposed to represent the interests of the whole council area, so as long as they live close enough to be able to understand local issues and have a good feel for local views, I'd have thought that was fine.
In practice, it's hard for parties to exactly match up people suitable and willing to be candidates to the wards they actually live in.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
There's been an issue in my local area, with a Conservative councillor who was representing a village in this part of Cambridgeshire. He moved to Norfolk, and allegedly he's not been to a meeting for a few years. He's not standing again this time, and I think it'll be a Labour win.
I can't say who I'm voting for yet, as we've had no literature from anyone aside the Tories, and that was non-election specific.
Is it acceptable to others on here for a local councillor (or candidate) to live outside the ward they're standing for?
Yes, if the voters know and/or have elected them.
I don't know any of the candidates and i'm probably being silly but in my part of Birmingham I can choose between the sitting Labour councillor who lives in the ward or one of the Tory, Lib Dem or Ukip candidates who all live about a mile outside the ward.
I would normally expect local councillors/candidates to live within the ward, but personally would have no problem if they lived a short distance from it – my reasoning being that here in rather soggy south Wilts we have very odd boundary lines with Hampshire where within a very short drive you can find yourself bouncing between not only wards, but constituencies as well.
Ultimately of course, as long as the voters are aware of the fact, it is entirely up to them.
Millsy. I'm no friend of UKIP, but the two questions about them appear to be a bit loaded?
Haha! Aren't you used to that by now?!
I actually think UKIP continue to get an easy ride as far as scrutiny of their policies go. Instead too much of the attack seems to be focused upon whether they are racist or not. Answer: probably not, though a few of their candidates and members do seem to fit David Cameron's infamous description of them. Instead of focusing on this kind of guff, why not interrogate their policies?
And as far as pollsters go, if they are asking those kind of leading questions, it rather devalues their findings.
"What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%)...."
Business investment grew at 8.8% in 2013? I have never seen that before and, if its true, I wonder that the Government has not made more of it.
In Q4 2013, business investment rose by an estimated £0.8 billion (2.4%) compared with the previous quarter and is 8.7% higher compared with Q4 2012.
GFCF and business investment have shown an increase, quarter on quarter, in each of the last four quarters. This is the first time four consecutive periods of growth have been reported for over six years, the last time was between Q4 2006 and Q3 2007.
Finally, after many years of searching, we have found direct and incontrovertible evidence of not just a left-wing, but a Communist bias at the BBC. And it's on their own website!
Our team of drink-addled Imp'sresearchers spotted the evidence on the tail of a Russian Bear aircraft that was spotted off Scotland yesterday:
"... I believe that candidates for MP should have lived in the constituency, or a neighbouring one, for at least three years before an election ...."
Whoa! Dig in, Mr. Jessup! I once suggested such a requirement on this site and from the responses I got one might have thought that I had argued for MPs should ignore the whips and always vote with their conscience.
I can tell you from the responses that I received that requiring MPs to actually know their constituency and constituents before they are elected would be the end of civilisation as we know it. Further, it would lead to a massive degradation to the talent in the House of Commons if SpAds were prevented from being parachuted into safe seats and that it was the duty of MPs to represent all their constituents in Parliament so a knowledge of a constituency was irrelevant.
"... I believe that candidates for MP should have lived in the constituency, or a neighbouring one, for at least three years before an election ...."
Whoa! Dig in, Mr. Jessup! I once suggested such a requirement on this site and from the responses I got one might have thought that I had argued for MPs should ignore the whips and always vote with their conscience.
I can tell you from the responses that I received that requiring MPs to actually know their constituency and constituents before they are elected would be the end of civilisation as we know it. Further, it would lead to a massive degradation to the talent in the House of Commons if SpAds were prevented from being parachuted into safe seats and that it was the duty of MPs to represent all their constituents in Parliament so a knowledge of a constituency was irrelevant.
I have also mentioned it before, and got a similar response. Strangely, Nick Palmer also seemed to be vehemently against it. I wonder why?
BTW, I added a 'neighbouring constituency' because of the fluid way boundaries change.
Millsy. I'm no friend of UKIP, but the two questions about them appear to be a bit loaded?
Haha! Aren't you used to that by now?!
I actually think UKIP continue to get an easy ride as far as scrutiny of their policies go. Instead too much of the attack seems to be focused upon whether they are racist or not. Answer: probably not, though a few of their candidates and members do seem to fit David Cameron's infamous description of them. Instead of focusing on this kind of guff, why not interrogate their policies?
And as far as pollsters go, if they are asking those kind of leading questions, it rather devalues their findings.
Yes, I think parties that are not in Parliament don't get their policies scrutinised until election time looms. Same goes for Labour. I wrote a piece for the site many moons ago when I was still a lefty, (and I hadn't added the annoying "i") about just that...
"Damian Lyons Lowe @DamianSurvation For the EP elections, what *we* the pollsters wrestle with is that we show Labour on 30+% in an election where in'09 Lab scored just 15.9%"
6. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates the nationalisation of key industries and institutions and the creation of a reformed and well-funded public sector in order to ensure that the interests and the well-being of the people are not placed solely in the hands of profiteers and that the standards of health, education, policing and transport, among others, are maintained and enhanced.
7. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates reforming the crime and justice system in both improving the process of rehabilitation and ensuring tougher sentences are given to both repeat offenders and those guilty of the most serious offences in order to restore long-term peace, law and order.
8. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates a revitalised armed forces in order to guarantee the safety and security of the people with both former and serving members of the armed forces being treated with a level of respect and dignity that all those who risk their lives in the service of their country deserve.
9. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates the formation of a strong central government and the introduction of direct democracy in order to safeguard the interests of people and to allow the people to express their views on specific issues more directly.
10. The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates international co-operation with the like-minded governments of other nations in order to establish worldwide peace, security and prosperity
Thanks TSE. Do you think their policies came from a focus group??
David Cameron's renegotiation aim would probably be the sensible policy if Henkel was in power. Unfortunately, he's not. Merkel is.
Yes, interesting article, thanks.
I'm not sure that the difference between Henkel and Merkel in respect of the UK's position is as different as you imply, though. In particular, many German politicians and nearly all German business leaders will be horrified at the prospect of the UK leaving the EU, and will share some at least of the concerns about bureaucracy and competitiveness - so there is some leverage there.
The atmosphere of the debate is changing by the day. Skepticism is on the march in one form or another in many EU countries. France, Denmark, Holland, Germany and of course Britain.
If he's any sense Cameron will go into the negotiations bearing UKIP posters and emphasize that the barbarians are not that far away from the gate.
He isn't the eurocrats' worst nightmare - he's their best hope.
David Cameron's renegotiation aim would probably be the sensible policy if Henkel was in power. Unfortunately, he's not. Merkel is.
In particular, many German politicians and nearly all German business leaders will be horrified at the prospect of the UK leaving the EU, and will share some at least of the concerns about bureaucracy and competitiveness - so there is some leverage there.
But Mr Cameron has already made it plain that he has no interest in changing the status quo, so any leverage will be unused.
"It is now clear that David Cameron wants to stay in the EU on something very close to the existing terms.
I have absolutely no doubt that the PM will secure all his stated negotiating aims. Indeed it’s clear, looking at them, that the starting point was not “What kind of relationship with the EU do we ideally want?” but “What can we be certain of securing, so that the negotiations can be declared a success?”
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton 1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
But Mr Cameron has already made it plain that he has no interest in changing the status quo, so any leverage will be unused.
No, he has made it plain that he wants extensive reform of the EU (see the January 2013 speech). The extent to which he'll be able to get it remains to be seen, of course, but, whatever the outcome of that, the renegotiated package will be put to a referendum. Meanwhile, Germany too wants reform, and there's a reasonable degree of alignment between the two (although not exact agreement of course).
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton 1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
Which are the 5 uncontested Sheffield wards out of interest ?
David Cameron's renegotiation aim would probably be the sensible policy if Henkel was in power. Unfortunately, he's not. Merkel is.
Thank you, Socrates. Herr Henkel is sound. An example of the Good German.
"For me the idea that Britain could leave the EU is the worst scenario I can think of... If Britain is gone then we are lost, then the whole continent is lost. We will be running toward a EUSSR. This is not a great exaggeration."
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton 1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
Are there any seats not being contested by Labour - or is the 2,374 the 'Total Available'?
Finally, after many years of searching, we have found direct and incontrovertible evidence of not just a left-wing, but a Communist bias at the BBC. And it's on their own website!
Our team of drink-addled Imp'sresearchers spotted the evidence on the tail of a Russian Bear aircraft that was spotted off Scotland yesterday:
The question is, what does the 'POCCNN' of BBC-POCCNN refer to? Is it a Russian abbreviation for 'non-licence fee payers gift-giving plane'?
Cyrillic: VVS-Rossiya: VVS being Military Air Force and Russia added to help interceptor pilots who don't know what the red, white and blue stars mean.
Scottish referendum "Almost 40% think that neither campaign is providing trustworthy information. This figure rises to 45% for ‘No’ voters, and 62% for undecideds.
62% of ‘undecideds’ do not feel they are well informed enough about the arguments for a Yes and No vote to make an informed decision in the referendum."
"... I believe that candidates for MP should have lived in the constituency, or a neighbouring one, for at least three years before an election ...."
Whoa! Dig in, Mr. Jessup! I once suggested such a requirement on this site and from the responses I got one might have thought that I had argued for MPs should ignore the whips and always vote with their conscience.
I can tell you from the responses that I received that requiring MPs to actually know their constituency and constituents before they are elected would be the end of civilisation as we know it. Further, it would lead to a massive degradation to the talent in the House of Commons if SpAds were prevented from being parachuted into safe seats and that it was the duty of MPs to represent all their constituents in Parliament so a knowledge of a constituency was irrelevant.
I have also mentioned it before, and got a similar response. Strangely, Nick Palmer also seemed to be vehemently against it. I wonder why?
BTW, I added a 'neighbouring constituency' because of the fluid way boundaries change.
I was once agent for a candidate who lived and worked in Brussells (for the EU). He used to fly over to Essex every weekend for consituency activities. We tried to get him on the ballot paper as living at the house of one of our party workers, but the Returning Officer would have none of it. Think it cost us a few votes,
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton 1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
Are there any seats not being contested by Labour - or is the 2,374 the 'Total Available'?
It seems from polling that Kippers are more interested in immigration than the EU per se...
What chance do you think Cameron has got of renegotiating freedom of movement/open borders?
None, except in respect of new countries joining the EU (but that's not really very significant because we'd always have a veto anyway on any new country, so we could insist on special arrangements in the future if we wanted to), and on welfare payments to EU immigrants, where I think he'll be pushing at an open door in Berlin and in many other capitals.
Equally, though, the Kippers are deluding themselves if they think the UK leaving the EU would mean we could simply cancel freedom of movement and end open borders with the EU. It would be one of the items for negotiating access to the Single Market. See Switzerland (which isn't even in the EEA).
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
"Jane Collins @Jane4ukip “ #UKIP is fielding c.2,234 candidates at the local elections being held on 22 May. This is a record for the party. #LE2014”"
I thought the latest far-left project was called Left Unity and that TUSC had been quietly buried? Are there any candidates standing under the Left Unity banner?
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton 1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
Which are the 5 uncontested Sheffield wards out of interest ?
Crookes , Hillsborough , Stannington , West Ecclesfield and Woodhouse
I thought the latest far-left project was called Left Unity and that TUSC had been quietly buried? Are there any candidates standing under the Left Unity banner?
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
"Jane Collins @Jane4ukip “ #UKIP is fielding c.2,234 candidates at the local elections being held on 22 May. This is a record for the party. #LE2014”"
twitter.com/Jane4ukip/status/459652773878198272
That number may include town and parish council elections .
Finally, after many years of searching, we have found direct and incontrovertible evidence of not just a left-wing, but a Communist bias at the BBC. And it's on their own website!
Our team of drink-addled Imp'sresearchers spotted the evidence on the tail of a Russian Bear aircraft that was spotted off Scotland yesterday:
The question is, what does the 'POCCNN' of BBC-POCCNN refer to? Is it a Russian abbreviation for 'non-licence fee payers gift-giving plane'?
Cyrillic: VVS-Rossiya: VVS being Military Air Force and Russia added to help interceptor pilots who don't know what the red, white and blue stars mean.
Ah, thanks. I knew one of the brainboxes on here would know.
So it's a joint military partnership between Russia's air force and the BBC. :-)
I thought the latest far-left project was called Left Unity and that TUSC had been quietly buried? Are there any candidates standing under the Left Unity banner?
Possibly , but they will be in my minor parties figure .
Scottish referendum "Almost 40% think that neither campaign is providing trustworthy information. This figure rises to 45% for ‘No’ voters, and 62% for undecideds.
62% of ‘undecideds’ do not feel they are well informed enough about the arguments for a Yes and No vote to make an informed decision in the referendum."
Still, 17% of undecideds thinks Yes is providing trustworthy info & a pitiful 2% for No. I'm sure Bettertogether is planning a raft of open debates to inform and make the positive case for the Union over the coming months.
Scottish referendum "Almost 40% think that neither campaign is providing trustworthy information. This figure rises to 45% for ‘No’ voters, and 62% for undecideds.
62% of ‘undecideds’ do not feel they are well informed enough about the arguments for a Yes and No vote to make an informed decision in the referendum."
Still, 17% of undecideds thinks Yes is trustworthy & and a pitiful 2% for No. I'm sure Bettertogether is planning a raft of open debates to inform and make the positive case for the Union over the coming months.
Project Fib is getting rumbled. Would you buy a used car from Eck Salmond ?
The atmosphere of the debate is changing by the day. Skepticism is on the march in one form or another in many EU countries. France, Denmark, Holland, Germany and of course Britain.
If he's any sense Cameron will go into the negotiations bearing UKIP posters and emphasize that the barbarians are not that far away from the gate.
He isn't the eurocrats' worst nightmare - he's their best hope.
The hitch in that otherwise brilliant plan is that all the different skeptics are skeptical of different things. If your goal is to keep access for your banks to European markets without additional regulation, it's not particularly helpful if there's a populist party on the up in another country that wants to regulate the banks that they think are robbing the common working man, and keep the foreign ones out of their country.
Scottish referendum "Almost 40% think that neither campaign is providing trustworthy information. This figure rises to 45% for ‘No’ voters, and 62% for undecideds.
62% of ‘undecideds’ do not feel they are well informed enough about the arguments for a Yes and No vote to make an informed decision in the referendum."
Still, 17% of undecideds thinks Yes is trustworthy & and a pitiful 2% for No. I'm sure Bettertogether is planning a raft of open debates to inform and make the positive case for the Union over the coming months.
Project Fib is getting rumbled.
Right enough. 56% of NO voters don't think the No campaign is providing trustworthy information to voters.
Thanks for your reply. This was the bit I found astonishing:
"What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%)...."
Business investment grew at 8.8% in 2013? I have never seen that before and, if its true, I wonder that the Government has not made more of it.
Sorry for the late response, Mr. Llama, but I was attending to a plumber in need of money.
The business investment figures admittedly came as bit of an upside surprise in revisions released by the ONS in its "Business Investment, Q4 2013 revised results" on 28 March 2014.
The key findings were:
• Compared with the previous quarter, GFCF was estimated to have increased by £1 billion (1.9%) to £55.9 billion. On a sector basis, the largest increase came from business investment; in terms of assets, the largest increase came from other machinery and equipment.
• In Q4 2013, business investment rose by an estimated £0.8 billion (2.4%) compared with the previous quarter and is 8.7% higher compared with Q4 2012.
• GFCF and business investment have shown an increase, quarter on quarter, in each of the last four quarters. This is the first time four consecutive periods of growth have been reported for over six years, the last time was between Q4 2006 and Q3 2007.
• Within GFCF there was an increase in investment in all five assets for the first time since Q2 2011.
• The earliest period being revised in this release is Q1 2012. More information on revisions can be found in the revision section.
My memory failed me: it was an 8.7% not 8.8% increase! Sad as I thought I might have matched St. George's forecasting performance there!
There wasn't much media coverage of this news but it did liven up the PMQs subsequent to the release.
I now have the nominations for around 2/3rds of the councils with elections being held on May 22nd . Candidates by party are
Lab 2,374 Con 2,322 LD.. 1,673 UKIP 1,265 Green 1,074 TUSC 315 BNP 50 Liberal 32 Eng Dem 18 Respect 9 Minor parties 130 Ind 193
"Jane Collins @Jane4ukip “ #UKIP is fielding c.2,234 candidates at the local elections being held on 22 May. This is a record for the party. #LE2014”"
twitter.com/Jane4ukip/status/459652773878198272
But there are only 5 UKIP candidates in 23 wards in Kirklees.
Comments
You'd like him a lot if you did. I enjoyed his company and he bought the drinks on the one occasion we met, many years ago. Nice bloke.
Let's take the Populus poll as a starter (just for a bit of fun!)
UNS would give us labour 3 short, effectively in govt with no SF and SDLP support.
Now, it is suggested even Red Libs will kick the Tories. If 2% return to the Lib Dems from Labour and we apply UNS (seems fair to balance tacticals against encumbency), we have Lab 16 short and just able to govern with Lib support.
That leaves Dave needing to pull say 1.5% back from UKIP (not impossible). That would leave the Tories 20 short with Libs on 19, no coalition possible, minority government, back to the polls May 16 after independence?
In short, from 35, Ed can't afford the Red Libs to peel away . Ed better hope YouGov or Survation have it right
http://timharford.com/2014/02/dont-bet-the-house-on-price-rises-persisting/
It's an interesting view, although I tend to agree with the comment by 'Phil H' about low interest rates being the dominant factor behind the discrepancy.
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application/pdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223553086761&ssbinary=true&blobheadervalue1=attachment;+filename=443776SOPN_FOR_EURO_2014.pdf
Building is booming, but 'it's all farmers with subsidies'. However associated trades round here starting to pick up
I've only met a handful of MPs, and the only one I didn't like was a Lib Dem. And that was perhaps more down to me than him.
It's that kind of day...
@SophieB and @HortenceWithering are 2 other female posters that spring to mind.
The ones that you wont bet against to beat the LDs vote share next year at Even money
And of course, since the operation at least half a vote to "Peter the Punter".
(I think you are thinking about Mrs Firefly)
Quote from JJ(?)
Hate is such a destructive emotion. Perhaps people who 'hate' their political opponents should look at their own lives first?
I'm on record on here as not liking Miliband. I don't think he's any good, and that he's massively hypocritical. But do I hate him? Nah. I'd have a drink with him if the opportunity came around.
Especially when the hate is based on stories about the evil people, long retired, who implemented policy many decades ago. Policies that many of those who purport to hate will not have experienced.
It is very sad element of political activity that hate is encouraged by some political activists. It is an entirely negative emotion that clouds clear thinking, it is a form of indoctrination and sublimation of the those that are coerced to believe that to hate those of different political leaning is either acceptable or sensible.
True say
And two lady posters have contributed in the last few hours.
I can't say who I'm voting for yet, as we've had no literature from anyone aside the Tories, and that was non-election specific.
"Healthy Retail Sales [...]"
I am not sure that is good news. Whenever I hear of retail sales increases all I see is a worsening of of balance of trade and wealth leaving these shores. I know I am in a minority these days but so much of what we buy in the shops is imported that I don't believe increasing retail sales is actually beneficial in the medium/long term.
Good news would be that households are saving more and those savings could be put to productive use by UK industry investing to make products that they can sell.
It would be very useful (if difficult) for the ONS to do a breakdown of spend on imported vs. home produced retail goods and services. What we do know is that services account for over three quarters of total GDP output and that the sub-sectors of retail spend growing fastest are in services (e.g. hotels and restaurants, entertainment).
One analysis done by the OBR about a year ago looked at the car industry, where UK sales are almost keeping the EU manufacturers alive at the moment.
Car consumption and production
In volume terms, spending on cars in the UK has grown strongly, accounting for nearly a third of household consumption growth since the third quarter of 2011. Facilitating this spending, car finance has been the main reason for the strong recent growth in unsecured credit.
...
UK car consumption is highly import intensive. [T]he share of new car registrations met by domestic production has fallen from 45 per cent two decades ago to just 14 per cent now. This limits the benefit to GDP growth of stronger car consumption. Indeed, [...] more than half the contribution to household consumption growth from car consumption was accounted for by imports.
But the UK also produces cars for export and overseas demand has also been strong. While overall net trade has made a very modest contribution to GDP in recent years, the UK car-trade balance has moved from a 0.5 per cent of GDP deficit in 2007 to a small surplus in the first three quarters of 2013 [my emphasis], helped by the strength of non-EU exports (particularly to China).
But again the impact on GDP is limited, as domestic car production uses nearly three times more imports for every pound of output than the economy as a whole. So while domestic car consumption is a good indicator of consumer confidence, and car trade in isolation has helped reduce the UK’s trade deficit, the overall effect on the economy has been less positive.
So a complex picture emerges, at least in motor manufacture. And I guess the same kind of complexity applies to other areas.
What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%). This indicates that positive rebalancing is going on even if it will be some time before we really see the results in trade figures.
The site would in my view benefit from some more lady posters, but, and this is tricky to express without incurring the risk of being banned, I fear it won't get them unless the moderators' policy encourages them.
The recent Eastleigh poll doesn't support that view.
Since the 2013 by-election the LDs have failed to attract support from swing voters, and lost 20% of the 2013 LD voters.
http://survation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Eastleigh-constituency-poll.pdf
http://survation.com/still-a-3-way-marginal-new-polling-in-eastleigh-constituency-survation-for-alan-bown/
2010: 47% (general election)
2013: 32% (by-election)
2014: 27% (survation poll)
http://labourlist.org/2014/04/labour-and-tories-tied-in-new-poll/
Further, it seems tome that tactical voting becomes more likely when the parties generally aren't that inspiring. If there's nothing particularly compelling to vote for, then a motivation to vote against becomes more decisive.
On the first question about voting in a general election I had the option of picking the main 3 plus SNP/PC or "some other party". I wonder if this is randomised so that some get Ukip as a fourth option? Is this a recent change?
Also had questions on Euro elections, Ukip posters (with pictures asking if they are racist), whether Farage is hypocritical re his German wife, what Cameron should renegotiate re EU if given chance, whether he should resign if he loses the Euro elections or Scotland, and about the TV debates.
http://www.yourthurrock.com/2014/04/25/candidates-declared-for-thurrock-council-elections/
Recognise a few of the UKIP candidates from my local EDL meetings
(Edit: although to argue with myself, I believe that candidates for MP should have lived in the constituency, or a neighbouring one, for at least three years before an election).
Thanks for your reply. This was the bit I found astonishing:
"What is significant though (especially to our friend from Normanby Hall GC) is that business investment in 2013 grew at over twice the rate (8.8%) as retail sales (say 4.0%)...."
Business investment grew at 8.8% in 2013? I have never seen that before and, if its true, I wonder that the Government has not made more of it.
Is there any term beyond non sequitur for this?
In practice, it's hard for parties to exactly match up people suitable and willing to be candidates to the wards they actually live in.
Ultimately of course, as long as the voters are aware of the fact, it is entirely up to them.
And as far as pollsters go, if they are asking those kind of leading questions, it rather devalues their findings.
In Q4 2013, business investment rose by an estimated £0.8 billion (2.4%) compared with the previous quarter and is 8.7% higher compared with Q4 2012.
GFCF and business investment have shown an increase, quarter on quarter, in each of the last four quarters. This is the first time four consecutive periods of growth have been reported for over six years, the last time was between Q4 2006 and Q3 2007.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-invest/business-investment/q4-2013-revised-results/index.html
Our team of drink-addled Imp'sresearchers spotted the evidence on the tail of a Russian Bear aircraft that was spotted off Scotland yesterday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-27157504
The question is, what does the 'POCCNN' of BBC-POCCNN refer to? Is it a Russian abbreviation for 'non-licence fee payers gift-giving plane'?
Whoa! Dig in, Mr. Jessup! I once suggested such a requirement on this site and from the responses I got one might have thought that I had argued for MPs should ignore the whips and always vote with their conscience.
I can tell you from the responses that I received that requiring MPs to actually know their constituency and constituents before they are elected would be the end of civilisation as we know it. Further, it would lead to a massive degradation to the talent in the House of Commons if SpAds were prevented from being parachuted into safe seats and that it was the duty of MPs to represent all their constituents in Parliament so a knowledge of a constituency was irrelevant.
http://www.thelocal.de/20140422/if-britain-goes-europe-is-lost-hans-olaf-henkel-afd
David Cameron's renegotiation aim would probably be the sensible policy if Henkel was in power. Unfortunately, he's not. Merkel is.
BTW, I added a 'neighbouring constituency' because of the fluid way boundaries change.
http://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2010/11/24/sam-asks-should-it-be-really-cool-hand-ed/
@DamianSurvation
For the EP elections, what *we* the pollsters wrestle with is that we show Labour on 30+% in an election where in'09 Lab scored just 15.9%"
twitter.com/DamianSurvation/status/459458492756398080
I'm not sure that the difference between Henkel and Merkel in respect of the UK's position is as different as you imply, though. In particular, many German politicians and nearly all German business leaders will be horrified at the prospect of the UK leaving the EU, and will share some at least of the concerns about bureaucracy and competitiveness - so there is some leverage there.
The atmosphere of the debate is changing by the day. Skepticism is on the march in one form or another in many EU countries. France, Denmark, Holland, Germany and of course Britain.
If he's any sense Cameron will go into the negotiations bearing UKIP posters and emphasize that the barbarians are not that far away from the gate.
He isn't the eurocrats' worst nightmare - he's their best hope.
"It is now clear that David Cameron wants to stay in the EU on something very close to the existing terms.
I have absolutely no doubt that the PM will secure all his stated negotiating aims. Indeed it’s clear, looking at them, that the starting point was not “What kind of relationship with the EU do we ideally want?” but “What can we be certain of securing, so that the negotiations can be declared a success?”
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100264175/david-cameron-wants-to-stay-in-the-eu-on-something-like-the-current-terms-but-hes-our-only-chance-of-a-referendum/
Lab 2,374
Con 2,322
LD.. 1,673
UKIP 1,265
Green 1,074
TUSC 315
BNP 50
Liberal 32
Eng Dem 18
Respect 9
Minor parties 130
Ind 193
So far 3 Labour elected unopposed in Halton
1 Lib Dem guaranteed election on Hart DC
Conservatives not contesting 5 wards in Sheffield including 2 in Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency ( one was a nomination error where 2 signatures had already signed UKIP nomination papers .
"For me the idea that Britain could leave the EU is the worst scenario I can think of... If Britain is gone then we are lost, then the whole continent is lost. We will be running toward a EUSSR. This is not a great exaggeration."
"Almost 40% think that neither campaign is providing trustworthy information. This figure rises to 45% for ‘No’ voters, and 62% for undecideds.
62% of ‘undecideds’ do not feel they are well informed enough about the arguments for a Yes and No vote to make an informed decision in the referendum."
http://survation.com/have-a-lack-of-trust-and-information-led-to-stalemate-in-the-scottish-independence-battle-2/
It seems from polling that Kippers are more interested in immigration than the EU per se...
What chance do you think Cameron has got of renegotiating freedom of movement/open borders?
Equally, though, the Kippers are deluding themselves if they think the UK leaving the EU would mean we could simply cancel freedom of movement and end open borders with the EU. It would be one of the items for negotiating access to the Single Market. See Switzerland (which isn't even in the EEA).
@Jane4ukip
“ #UKIP is fielding c.2,234 candidates at the local elections being held on 22 May. This is a record for the party. #LE2014”"
twitter.com/Jane4ukip/status/459652773878198272
Blimey. Is the beer cheap?
I suppose it puts them ahead of Respect...
Kelvin McKenzie ('Freddy Starr ate my postal vote') standing for the Independents in super marginal St George's Hill. Eek!!!
So it's a joint military partnership between Russia's air force and the BBC. :-)
I'm sure Bettertogether is planning a raft of open debates to inform and make the positive case for the Union over the coming months.
If Bradford is anything to go by,I can understand why,the party here is in disarray ;-)
Bradford Respect councillors resign in George Galloway row
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-24667386
Right enough. 56% of NO voters don't think the No campaign is providing trustworthy information to voters.
What makes you think I have servants?
I'm afraid you've got a very outdated view of the world.
The business investment figures admittedly came as bit of an upside surprise in revisions released by the ONS in its "Business Investment, Q4 2013 revised results" on 28 March 2014.
The key findings were:
• Compared with the previous quarter, GFCF was estimated to have increased by £1 billion (1.9%) to £55.9 billion. On a sector basis, the largest increase came from business investment; in terms of assets, the largest increase came from other machinery and equipment.
• In Q4 2013, business investment rose by an estimated £0.8 billion (2.4%) compared with the previous quarter and is 8.7% higher compared with Q4 2012.
• GFCF and business investment have shown an increase, quarter on quarter, in each of the last four quarters. This is the first time four consecutive periods of growth have been reported for over six years, the last time was between Q4 2006 and Q3 2007.
• Within GFCF there was an increase in investment in all five assets for the first time since Q2 2011.
• The earliest period being revised in this release is Q1 2012. More information on revisions can be found in the revision section.
My memory failed me: it was an 8.7% not 8.8% increase! Sad as I thought I might have matched St. George's forecasting performance there!
There wasn't much media coverage of this news but it did liven up the PMQs subsequent to the release.
I pay £2 for the haircut and a £5 search fee.