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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The pollsters’ big fear: Thursday could be a disaster for t

SystemSystem Posts: 11,720
edited September 2014 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The pollsters’ big fear: Thursday could be a disaster for them like 1992

Martin Boon, head of ICM the pollster with the best track record, has voiced on several occasions in recent weeks that the Scottish referendum could be a disaster for them on the scale of 1992. This was when all the firms totally understated the eventual CON lead of 7.5% and only one of them had a lead at all albeit of just 0.5%

Read the full story here


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Comments

  • Options
    Well at least ICM will be on the winning side, no matter what.
  • Options
    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Polls are more about morale and GOTV in this referendum.

    Certainly a good one to "win" if you are a pollster.
  • Options
    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/
  • Options
    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
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    DanSmithDanSmith Posts: 1,215
    "My reading is that Thursday could produce a YES victory or a NO win by up to a 10% lead."

    I think you're spot on Mike, it feels like it should be a narrow NO but who knows with turnout. Just have a funny feeling the SNP know how to get their vote out and that experience could be crucial.
  • Options
    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.
  • Options
    Danny565 said:

    Danny565 said:

    OllyT said:

    Morning all and before I go off to the Clan Sutherland Gathering final day of activities, a couple of thoughts.

    1) There will be considerable irony if the Scottish Referendum turnout is 80+% making it the highest turnout in Scotland at any election since the Tories won an overall majority of both seats and votes in Scotland in 1955.

    2) The Labour Party, especially in Scotland, has spent 35 years demonising the Tory Party and all things Tory. It will therefore be ironic if the Scottish people take Labour at its word, vote YES and in so doing, assign Labour to decades out of government in England.

    2) So again we have a PBer saying it is not the Tories' actual policies that are causing the problem but the way Labour presents them.

    I am reminded of the words of a long lost poster: "Only from the PB Tories. Only on PB."
    Totally agree - Thatcher basically jettisoned those who are not "one of us". I am not so blinkered as to deny that some of the things she did were beneficial but her divisive style of politics is the root cause of where we are to day. PB Tories trying to claim that the fault lies with the way Labour has portrayed her legacy is frankly laughable.
    If you can, even with the benefit of hindsight, think of a soft, non devisive way of undoing 30 years of socialist misrule and economic stagnation, along with de facto Government by the NUM, I'm all ears.

    How about doing what all the other Western countries did by "modernising" their economies without causing sky-high unemployment, causing more poverty than any other country in Western Europe, showering the rich with goodies to rub the poor's noses in it, etc.
    No other country in Western Europe had socialism like we had it. Look at West Germany for example. Massively built up with US money, no union problem to speak of, no closed shop, no lame ducks like British Leyland.

    "No union problem"? Even now in Germany, unions have much more power than in the UK and are able to force employers to pay good wages. (And yet their economy is thriving.)
    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'. Have a look at this video of cancer patients going untreated because of hospital strikes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8lMc3QmSk -Wise up a bit for heaven's sake.
  • Options

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
  • Options
    Ishmael_X said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    SeanT said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    Socrates said:

    It is doubt about it.

    It might be something else again. That the problem is actually a few criminal gangs (sorry, "local businessmen") who, as well as procurement of under-age girls also run protection rackets, smuggling and so on.


    Iffy statistics. The 1400 is over 10+ years, the 4000 is - I imagine - at any given time. Let's not make things look worse than they are.

    It was 1400 AT LEAST, according to the Jay report. And we all know it is happening right across the country, which means, very probably, tens of thousands of children raped and tortured by racist Muslim gangs - as it has been going on for 20 years, and is still happening today.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738773/Police-plan-mass-raids-sex-gangs-Day-reckoning-hundreds-child-abusers-180-mainly-Asian-men-targeted-Manchester-alone.html

    If it was happening in an African country we'd be up in arms. But it is happening in Britain to white working class girls and boys.

    This attempt to trivialise the issue is offensive.
    I am not attempting to trivialise the issue. On the contrary, I think the situation is such that specific Serious Islamic Crime police units should be set up to investigate Rotherham, Manchester and probably every town in the North of England.

    I just hate dodgy statistics, irrespective of how and why they are deployed.

    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?
    Expertise gets better results. You'll find that the USA and Italy have quite big specialist anti-Mafia police departments, despite the fact that the stuff the Mafia does is also done by other people.

    There was no lack of expertise that I'm aware of. It was simply dereliction of duty on an industrial scale. The solution isn't to spend more money on a specialist 'unit' to cover people's blushes, it's for the police to do their bl**dy job.
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    It was the soap box wot did it!
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    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
  • Options
    Have to agree, Mike, that this one is difficult to call and it would be very unwise to leave a large exposure to either result.

    The turnover bet is looking increasingly good though. Sporting upped their spread this morning, and stretched the margin to 1.5. They are now at 81.5%/83%.

    If you are not on already, there may not be much value left. Are you? I understand Smithson Jnr is - big time.
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    Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    edited September 2014
    ...
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    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Socrates said:


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    No, a sane political entity would investigate and prosecute cases of electoral fraud and put in measures to prevent it in the future, not engage in collective punishment.
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    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,291
    Banks, journalists, supermarkets, clothes retailers, department stores who else is going to be in the Alex Salmond retribution list. Of course this is benign civic nationalism at work, or there has been an increase in hearsay, and invention.
  • Options
    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    Ishmael_X said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    SeanT said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    Socrates said:

    It is doubt about it.

    It might be something else again. That the problem is actually a few criminal gangs (sorry, "local businessmen") who, as well as procurement of under-age girls also run protection rackets, smuggling and so on.


    Iffy statistics. The 1400 is over 10+ years, the 4000 is - I imagine - at any given time. Let's not make things look worse than they are.

    It was 1400 AT LEAST, according to the Jay report. And we all know it is happening right across the country, which means, very probably, tens of thousands of children raped and tortured by racist Muslim gangs - as it has been going on for 20 years, and is still happening today.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738773/Police-plan-mass-raids-sex-gangs-Day-reckoning-hundreds-child-abusers-180-mainly-Asian-men-targeted-Manchester-alone.html

    If it was happening in an African country we'd be up in arms. But it is happening in Britain to white working class girls and boys.

    This attempt to trivialise the issue is offensive.
    I am not attempting to trivialise the issue. On the contrary, I think the situation is such that specific Serious Islamic Crime police units should be set up to investigate Rotherham, Manchester and probably every town in the North of England.

    I just hate dodgy statistics, irrespective of how and why they are deployed.

    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?
    Expertise gets better results. You'll find that the USA and Italy have quite big specialist anti-Mafia police departments, despite the fact that the stuff the Mafia does is also done by other people.

    There was no lack of expertise that I'm aware of. It was simply dereliction of duty on an industrial scale. The solution isn't to spend more money on a specialist 'unit' to cover people's blushes, it's for the police to do their bl**dy job.
    Of course it is, but if they haven't been doing that, what's the solution? Shouting loudly from the bully pulpit they should do better is probably not going to sort it out. What we need is an equivalent of an Operation Yewtree, that checks out every town where these allegations exist over the country. Then, when that's wrapped up, a parliamentary inquiry.
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Socrates said:



    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards

    Mirpur?




    He didn't limit it to one town, but that's the right sort of geographic area (his family is based in Karachi and Lahore). But they live in a compound & need guards...
  • Options

    Ishmael_X said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    SeanT said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    Socrates said:

    It is doubt about it.

    It might be something else again. That the problem is actually a few criminal gangs (sorry, "local businessmen") who, as well as procurement of under-age girls also run protection rackets, smuggling and so on.


    Iffy statistics. The 1400 is over 10+ years, the 4000 is - I imagine - at any given time. Let's not make things look worse than they are.

    It was 1400 AT LEAST, according to the Jay report. And we all know it is happening right across the country, which means, very probably, tens of thousands of children raped and tortured by racist Muslim gangs - as it has been going on for 20 years, and is still happening today.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738773/Police-plan-mass-raids-sex-gangs-Day-reckoning-hundreds-child-abusers-180-mainly-Asian-men-targeted-Manchester-alone.html

    If it was happening in an African country we'd be up in arms. But it is happening in Britain to white working class girls and boys.

    This attempt to trivialise the issue is offensive.
    I am not attempting to trivialise the issue. On the contrary, I think the situation is such that specific Serious Islamic Crime police units should be set up to investigate Rotherham, Manchester and probably every town in the North of England.

    I just hate dodgy statistics, irrespective of how and why they are deployed.

    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?
    Expertise gets better results. You'll find that the USA and Italy have quite big specialist anti-Mafia police departments, despite the fact that the stuff the Mafia does is also done by other people.

    There was no lack of expertise that I'm aware of. It was simply dereliction of duty on an industrial scale. The solution isn't to spend more money on a specialist 'unit' to cover people's blushes, it's for the police to do their bl**dy job.
    From what I have read it seems extremely likely that there has been some police complicity locally.

    If I am right, it will make the clean up job tricky.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,605
    edited September 2014
    Populus has just 1 point lead for Lab:

    Lab 35 (-2)
    Con 34 (+1)
    UKIP 13
    LD 9

    http://www.populus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/OmOnline_Vote_15-09-2014_BPC.pdf
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 19,131



    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?

    Incidence.

    There are precedents: I'm thinking of the way American crime agencies brought the Mafia under control in the 70/80s, and the way they corralled violent Irish republicanism in the USA. Both the Italian and Irish communities felt that targeting and crime control by outsiders was at some level an insult, but this was overridden for the greater good. I have to say if we have Northern girls being murdered and turned into kebabs then we have probably reached the point where specific crime units have to be formed.
  • Options
    Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091



    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'. Have a look at this video of cancer patients going untreated because of hospital strikes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8lMc3QmSk -Wise up a bit for heaven's sake.

    Are you really using cancer patients not getting treated as an argument, when the health service became such a far bigger mess under Thatcher?!?!?
  • Options
    The betting and financial markets could be better predictors of the indyref outcome than the polls.ICM has serious questions to answer for a poll which draws the comment of John Curtice that it comes with "a substantial health warning".If you were a bookie and wanted to hire an odds-compiler which would you employ?
    Time for ICM to hand on the "gold standard" but to whom?John Curtice?
    Peter Kelmer has predicted No very publicly over the weekend but the response might not be more polls but a ban on all polls instead.

    If the hypothesis of the correlation between the Labour lead and the inverted Yes vote is to be believed,these current GE2015 will be just as significant and equally on trial.
  • Options

    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'.

    This is possibly the funniest post on PB this year.
  • Options

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    Keep calm and vote YES
  • Options
    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Charles said:

    Socrates said:



    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards

    Mirpur?


    He didn't limit it to one town, but that's the right sort of geographic area (his family is based in Karachi and Lahore). But they live in a compound & need guards...

    I accept that some parts of Pakistan are worse than others. But when 88% of Pakistanis believe that women should always obey their husbands, there's clearly a level of misogyny that exists throughout the entire place.
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    FF42FF42 Posts: 114
    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong
  • Options
    Pity the poor pollsters, for they know not what they do.

    No excuse for 1992 tho, they had had, lots of general elections to have perfected their craft.
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    Socrates said:

    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,187

    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

    LOL, where would they find a journalist
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited September 2014

    Have to agree, Mike, that this one is difficult to call and it would be very unwise to leave a large exposure to either result.

    The turnover bet is looking increasingly good though. Sporting upped their spread this morning, and stretched the margin to 1.5. They are now at 81.5%/83%.

    If you are not on already, there may not be much value left. Are you? I understand Smithson Jnr is - big time.

    Spreadex also have a market. On turnout they go 82.5-84.5. The two-point spead is a bit mean, though.

    Their price on the Yes percentage is 45-47
  • Options
    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    Socrates said:

    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Of course not, but I don't see why people without UK citizenship should be able to vote here. Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
  • Options
    Danny565 said:



    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'. Have a look at this video of cancer patients going untreated because of hospital strikes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8lMc3QmSk -Wise up a bit for heaven's sake.

    Are you really using cancer patients not getting treated as an argument, when the health service became such a far bigger mess under Thatcher?!?!?
    No, I'm using the fact that unions were a law unto themselves, which lead in turn to grotesque incidents like striking hospitals, seas of rubbish, the closed shop (well done for looking that up and coming back to me so quickly by the way) etc., as an argument.

    As for the NHS becoming a mess, Thatcher often boasted that she spent more on it than Labour did.
  • Options
    AndyAndy Posts: 1
    Mike - slightly ambiguous last paragraph - do you think either side could win by a 10% margin, or that it could be anywhere between a close YES or a 10% NO win?
  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,115
    edited September 2014
    Lucky, I was around then and indeed before. Management were not blameless. And we rebuilt the German Trade Unions after the war, to include representation on management boards.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    O/T

    Does anyone on here get migranes?

    If so would you mind PMing me? Had a couple of questions about a sexy new technology (reimbursed by NICE, amazingly) that I've been offered a stake in and am intrigued by.
  • Options

    The betting and financial markets could be better predictors of the indyref outcome than the polls.ICM has serious questions to answer for a poll which draws the comment of John Curtice that it comes with "a substantial health warning".If you were a bookie and wanted to hire an odds-compiler which would you employ?
    Time for ICM to hand on the "gold standard" but to whom?John Curtice?
    Peter Kelmer has predicted No very publicly over the weekend but the response might not be more polls but a ban on all polls instead.

    If the hypothesis of the correlation between the Labour lead and the inverted Yes vote is to be believed,these current GE2015 will be just as significant and equally on trial.

    The problem I have with the latest ICM is not John Curtice's opinion on the methodology of the latter one but rather that they did two, on overlapping dates, which came up with two wholly divergent results. The one that came out Saturday night was just weird - unannounced, unexpected and out of line with even their own. That's before critiquing the methodology which, being quite frank, I'm not qualified to do.
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    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,291
    edited September 2014
    For your inner child. Kick Cameron Out.

    http://games.usvsth3m.com/kick-the-tories-out-of-scotland/

    is there a stick a pin in Salmond to watch him deflate?
  • Options
    FF42 said:

    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong

    Minor point: the YES campaign is so much more than the SNP.
    The grass roots movements that comprise YES are quite diverse, plenty of people voting YES are not SNP supporters.
  • Options
    Beverley_CBeverley_C Posts: 6,256
    edited September 2014
    Given the apparent closeness of the polls, if NO wins by a significantly wide margin what does that imply?

    - That the polling is wildly inaccurate, more than we ever believed, or

    - That people said "YES" or "DK" because they did not want to publicly say "NO" because of embarrassment or potential intimidation?

    Roll on Friday morning.....
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,605
    edited September 2014
    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:

    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Of course not, but I don't see why people without UK citizenship should be able to vote here. Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
    How about Commonwealth Citizens with indefinite leave to remain, like my mum?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_leave_to_remain
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    viewcode said:



    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?

    Incidence.

    There are precedents: I'm thinking of the way American crime agencies brought the Mafia under control in the 70/80s, and the way they corralled violent Irish republicanism in the USA. Both the Italian and Irish communities felt that targeting and crime control by outsiders was at some level an insult, but this was overridden for the greater good. I have to say if we have Northern girls being murdered and turned into kebabs then we have probably reached the point where specific crime units have to be formed.
    Actions stem from consequences. If these people had been arrested from the beginning and taken off the streets, it would not have turned into an epidemic. What is required is equal application of the law. Offenders of Pakistani origin deserve no more or less than their cohorts from other groups.

  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,187
    after all Billy Bobs rubbish earlier too.........
    Yes voters are planning to 'hug a No voter' in George Square
    http://glasgow.stv.tv/161397/
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    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    I feel the pollsters could be very wrong due to picking poor weightings but that their poor weightings will cancel each other out to produce roughly the right result. So the topline will be accurate but the demo breakdown will be all over the place.

    For me the real question mark hangs over 2011 Did Not Votes - it's tended to be that polls that weight them close to the 50% they actually were show the DNV's as No voters but polls that happen to weigh them significantly less than that show them as much more likely to be Yes voters.

    Like Mike thought 55/45 or 45/55 wouldn't surprise me in the least and I'd go as far out as 60/40 either way before surprise gripped me. (Pending Wednesday's polls)
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,677
    edited September 2014
    On topic, it looks like next year will be the pollsters' 1992 redux.

    Inept leader of the opposition, trailing the PM on the leader ratings, and mahoosively on the economy.

    An exclusive poll today reveals that David Cameron’s Conservatives have established a massive lead on the issue that the public say is most important to their vote at the general election — managing the economy.

    In the past six months, the percentage who think the Tories have the best policies for the economy has jumped from 35 to 45 per cent, pollsters Ipsos MORI found.

    That gives Mr Cameron’s party a 25-point lead on the number one issue over Ed Miliband’s Labour, whose share ebbed from 22 to 20 per cent.

    http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/conservatives-take-a-25point-lead-on-managing-the-uk-economy-9733417.html
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 19,131

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    You know what this feels like? Lisbon I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-eighth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_Bill_2008_(Ireland) ). Everybody predicted a "Yes", and paddypower paid out on a "Yes" result the night before the vote. Everybody got it wrong: "No" won convincingly and the bill failed.

    I don't know who is going to win on Thursday. But I think we will be surprised by the result, whatever it is.

    Pause.

    This is no help at all, is it...:-(
  • Options
    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    FF42 said:

    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong

    Minor point: the YES campaign is so much more than the SNP.
    The grass roots movements that comprise YES are quite diverse, plenty of people voting YES are not SNP supporters.
    Indeed - don't forget the GREENS

    Kay Burley ‏@KayBurley 34m
    Reports that Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie says role of Queen in Scotland should be 'challenged' if the #indyref vote is YES
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,187
    Example of BBC reporting............ compare and contrast with reality.
    http://wingsoverscotland.com/and-then-my-heart-went-boom/
  • Options

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    3 days to go...3 days to go....
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited September 2014
    viewcode said:



    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?

    Incidence.

    There are precedents: I'm thinking of the way American crime agencies brought the Mafia under control in the 70/80s, and the way they corralled violent Irish republicanism in the USA. Both the Italian and Irish communities felt that targeting and crime control by outsiders was at some level an insult, but this was overridden for the greater good. I have to say if we have Northern girls being murdered and turned into kebabs then we have probably reached the point where specific crime units have to be formed.
    Well the Serious Orgainsed Crime unit was created as a sort of British FBI was it not? It has thus far secured 1 conviction for stealing sweeties at the checkout counter. MAybe the full staff of that unit could / should be directed to mass organised gang rape and nothing else. That's a serious crime in my books. A much better use of their time and resources than whatever they're spending it now most likely.
  • Options
    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    malcolmg said:

    Example of BBC reporting............ compare and contrast with reality.
    http://wingsoverscotland.com/and-then-my-heart-went-boom/

    cuckoo
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    NeilNeil Posts: 7,983
    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:

    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
    British citizens can vote in Jamaica.
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    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    malcolmg said:

    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

    LOL, where would they find a journalist
    national union of jessies

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    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'.

    This is possibly the funniest post on PB this year.
    Glad it entertained you. Sure the emaciated sod with cancer gave you a real belly laugh.

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    @Richard N

    Yes, that's a very mean spread margin, especially as you can get 5/2 >85% with Shadsy.

    If you are not on the turnover spread yet and you think it will be high, Shads is the man.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,115
    malcolmg said:

    after all Billy Bobs rubbish earlier too.........
    Yes voters are planning to 'hug a No voter' in George Square
    http://glasgow.stv.tv/161397/

    Can’t resist this malcolm, but with our with a concealed knife?
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    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 19,131
    Patrick said:

    Well the Serious Orgainsed Crime unit was created as a sort of British FBI was it not? It has thus far secured 1 conviction for stealing sweeties at the checkout counter. MAybe the full staff of that unit could / should be directed to mass organised gang rape and nothing else. That's a serious crime in my books. A much better use of their time and resources than whatever they're spending it now most likely.

    I agree

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    Yep, too close to call and could go either way by a pretty good margin - and we already have pretty good hypotheses ('shy no' or 'new voter yes', for starters) to explain either result.
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    On topic, the 12/1 tip on Scotland to vote YES and Cameron to NOT lead Conservatives into next general election has moved to 9/1

    http://www.paddypower.com/bet/politics/other-politics/scottish-politics?ev_oc_grp_ids=1905617
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,115

    On topic, it looks like next year will be the pollsters' 1992 redux.

    Inept leader of the opposition, trailing the PM on the leader ratings, and mahoosively on the economy.

    An exclusive poll today reveals that David Cameron’s Conservatives have established a massive lead on the issue that the public say is most important to their vote at the general election — managing the economy.

    In the past six months, the percentage who think the Tories have the best policies for the economy has jumped from 35 to 45 per cent, pollsters Ipsos MORI found.

    That gives Mr Cameron’s party a 25-point lead on the number one issue over Ed Miliband’s Labour, whose share ebbed from 22 to 20 per cent.

    http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/conservatives-take-a-25point-lead-on-managing-the-uk-economy-9733417.html

    When (or if) Labour produces some economic policies the situation will change.
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    JonnyJimmyJonnyJimmy Posts: 2,548
    malcolmg said:

    after all Billy Bobs rubbish earlier too.........
    Yes voters are planning to 'hug a No voter' in George Square
    http://glasgow.stv.tv/161397/

    Sounds like someone wants a cuddle
  • Options
    viewcode said:

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    You know what this feels like? Lisbon I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-eighth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_Bill_2008_(Ireland) ). Everybody predicted a "Yes", and paddypower paid out on a "Yes" result the night before the vote. Everybody got it wrong: "No" won convincingly and the bill failed.

    I don't know who is going to win on Thursday. But I think we will be surprised by the result, whatever it is.

    Pause.

    This is no help at all, is it...:-(
    No, not really ;-)
    TGOHF said:

    FF42 said:

    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong

    Minor point: the YES campaign is so much more than the SNP.
    The grass roots movements that comprise YES are quite diverse, plenty of people voting YES are not SNP supporters.
    Indeed - don't forget the GREENS

    Kay Burley ‏@KayBurley 34m
    Reports that Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie says role of Queen in Scotland should be 'challenged' if the #indyref vote is YES
    Patrick has been superb in the debates so far... I'm not a Greenie, but he seems like a genuine politician who clearly expresses his politics.

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    3 days to go...3 days to go....
    Fingernails - shredded.
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    Danny565 said:



    Sorry, but clearly you have absolutely no idea what things were like. I wasn't born till Thatcher's fourth year in power, but I have educated myself since. Look up 'closed shop'. Look up 'winter of discontent'. Have a look at this video of cancer patients going untreated because of hospital strikes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8lMc3QmSk -Wise up a bit for heaven's sake.

    Are you really using cancer patients not getting treated as an argument, when the health service became such a far bigger mess under Thatcher?!?!?
    Did cancer death rates worsen under Thatcher - or is that 'something you read on the internet'.....?

    Out of curiosity, were you around before she came to power?

  • Options

    On topic, it looks like next year will be the pollsters' 1992 redux.

    Inept leader of the opposition, trailing the PM on the leader ratings, and mahoosively on the economy.

    An exclusive poll today reveals that David Cameron’s Conservatives have established a massive lead on the issue that the public say is most important to their vote at the general election — managing the economy.

    In the past six months, the percentage who think the Tories have the best policies for the economy has jumped from 35 to 45 per cent, pollsters Ipsos MORI found.

    That gives Mr Cameron’s party a 25-point lead on the number one issue over Ed Miliband’s Labour, whose share ebbed from 22 to 20 per cent.

    http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/conservatives-take-a-25point-lead-on-managing-the-uk-economy-9733417.html

    When (or if) Labour produces some economic policies the situation will change.
    You mean an even bigger Tory lead?
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    Rexel56Rexel56 Posts: 807

    The betting and financial markets could be better predictors of the indyref outcome than the polls.ICM has serious questions to answer for a poll which draws the comment of John Curtice that it comes with "a substantial health warning".If you were a bookie and wanted to hire an odds-compiler which would you employ?
    Time for ICM to hand on the "gold standard" but to whom?John Curtice?
    Peter Kelmer has predicted No very publicly over the weekend but the response might not be more polls but a ban on all polls instead.

    If the hypothesis of the correlation between the Labour lead and the inverted Yes vote is to be believed,these current GE2015 will be just as significant and equally on trial.

    That's before critiquing the methodology which, being quite frank, I'm not qualified to do.
    Well, if everyone took that attitude, PB would be a very sterile place!
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    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

    Thanks.My daughter is one of those to my great expense.Those employed can insist upon the employer conducting a risk assessment to measure their safety as they have a general duty of care.I bore my family to death about health and safety regulations so am totally ignored.Those freelancers are the ones most at risk.



  • Options
    I remember that night well - Pink Champagne on ice to toast the brave new Socialist dawn, a night at the Opera (Billy Budd), smoked salmon and scrambled eggs as a light supper before we sat down, girding ourselves for the roll back of the Thatcher reforms her detractors take completely for granted today.......
  • Options

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    What time are you hitting Auld Reekie?
  • Options
    audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2014
    Good thread from OGH. I'm no Michael Brunson but I do just have a hunch this may go 'Yes' based purely on what I perceive to be The Big Mo. The next suite of polls leading up to the vote are, imho, absolutely crucial: for each one I'm not remotely interested in what leads they do or don't predict: it's all about the respective movement in the vote. If they are all, or most, showing a transition to Yes then that could be decisive.

    In other news a very interesting thread from Guido on the economic competence question: http://order-order.com/2014/09/15/the-two-eds-effect-tories-open-up-25-poll-lead-on-economy/
    (As reported elsewhere, see below.)
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    FF42FF42 Posts: 114

    FF42 said:

    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong

    Minor point: the YES campaign is so much more than the SNP.
    The grass roots movements that comprise YES are quite diverse, plenty of people voting YES are not SNP supporters.
    Sorry, I forgot. Superior grassroots movement, not an SNP operation, against a motley top-down campaign of deferred Yes voters.
  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,115

    On topic, it looks like next year will be the pollsters' 1992 redux.

    Inept leader of the opposition, trailing the PM on the leader ratings, and mahoosively on the economy.

    An exclusive poll today reveals that David Cameron’s Conservatives have established a massive lead on the issue that the public say is most important to their vote at the general election — managing the economy.

    In the past six months, the percentage who think the Tories have the best policies for the economy has jumped from 35 to 45 per cent, pollsters Ipsos MORI found.

    That gives Mr Cameron’s party a 25-point lead on the number one issue over Ed Miliband’s Labour, whose share ebbed from 22 to 20 per cent.

    http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/conservatives-take-a-25point-lead-on-managing-the-uk-economy-9733417.html

    When (or if) Labour produces some economic policies the situation will change.
    You mean an even bigger Tory lead?
    Chuckle!

    I should have added sensible. Designed to benefit the many, even if only in the medium term, not the few.
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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:



    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.

    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Of course not, but I don't see why people without UK citizenship should be able to vote here. Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
    How about Commonwealth Citizens with indefinite leave to remain, like my mum?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_leave_to_remain
    She should be able to get the vote once she gets nationality, but not before. Nothing personal against your Mum!
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    Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091
    Although yes, those economic ratings are alarming for Labour. Ed Balls's "master plan" of winning "economic credibility" by saying they'll carry out Tory spending cuts does not seem to be working well. The gap was much smaller when they were doing the "incredible" thing of actually opposing the cuts.
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    TheWatcherTheWatcher Posts: 5,262
    Patrick said:

    viewcode said:



    We have laws against rape. I fail to see why 'Islamic crime' warrants a special unit?

    Incidence.

    There are precedents: I'm thinking of the way American crime agencies brought the Mafia under control in the 70/80s, and the way they corralled violent Irish republicanism in the USA. Both the Italian and Irish communities felt that targeting and crime control by outsiders was at some level an insult, but this was overridden for the greater good. I have to say if we have Northern girls being murdered and turned into kebabs then we have probably reached the point where specific crime units have to be formed.
    Well the Serious Orgainsed Crime unit was created as a sort of British FBI was it not? It has thus far secured 1 conviction for stealing sweeties at the checkout counter. MAybe the full staff of that unit could / should be directed to mass organised gang rape and nothing else. That's a serious crime in my books. A much better use of their time and resources than whatever they're spending it now most likely.
    What do you think CEOP Command does?
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    FF42 said:

    FF42 said:

    My gut feel is that "safety first" would be a more likely factor for the gap (as in 1992), rather than a superior SNP operation leading to a higher than expected Yes vote

    I'm still sticking to the position as shown in the polls - TCTC. But I may be completely wrong

    Minor point: the YES campaign is so much more than the SNP.
    The grass roots movements that comprise YES are quite diverse, plenty of people voting YES are not SNP supporters.
    Sorry, I forgot. Superior grassroots movement, not an SNP operation, against a motley top-down campaign of deferred Yes voters.
    I gave no comment on the relative strength of either campaign, nor did I offer any commentary regarding the make-up of the NO campaign.

    It is clear that the NO camp are diverse, including as they do traditional Labourites, Tories, LibDemmer, Orange Men etc. What is also clear is that the grassroots are not as apparent or abundant.

    Nor did I denigrate NO supporters, indeed I think it was a mistake by Salmond to say what he did.
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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Neil said:

    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:

    Charles said:

    isam said:



    "For instance, the Hassidic Jews or the Ashkenazi tend to stick to themselves and marry within their groups. But they don't go around trying to destroy the rest of society"

    The point is though, that there aren't enough of the people you mention to be able to do anything if they wanted to... a small minority of them, the size of the small minority it is of muslims that have done damage recently, is so tiny as to be insignificant

    There are c. 290,000 Jews living in the UK, 2/3 in Greater London/contiguous areas of Essex and Hertfordshire (say 200,000).

    75% of births are to Haredi (the classification which includes Hasidi and Lithuanian Jews) - they have a higher birth rate than Reform Jews, so let's say that 50% of the current population is Haredi.

    A community of 100,000 in a smallish geographic area would be quite large enough to do this sort of thing if they wanted to. But they don't.

    (And, by the way, my understanding is that most of the communities where there is an issue don't even come from just Pakistan, but from a specific area within the country that my Pakistanti friends (who are better off than most Pakistanis) regard as pretty backward even by their standards
    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.
    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
    British citizens can vote in Jamaica.
    I appreciate that, but I think we need a consistent system for all foreigners. In most cases it's not reciprocal, so we shouldn't have it at all.
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    Some clips of BBC Scotland HQ being heckled.

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e28_1410725994

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    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    What time are you hitting Auld Reekie?
    Just before 9.30 am, but I have to go back by mid afternoon.

    I'll be on the trains more than I spend time in Edinburgh.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 42,187
    Ishmael_X said:

    malcolmg said:

    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

    LOL, where would they find a journalist
    national union of jessies

    LOL
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    In 1992 10 out of 50 polls during the campaign put the Tories ahead. (Source = Times Guide 1992, Page 290).
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    NUJ calls for end to threats and intimidation of journalists reporting on the referendum in Scotland

    http://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-calls-for-end-to-threats-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

    Thanks.My daughter is one of those to my great expense.Those employed can insist upon the employer conducting a risk assessment to measure their safety as they have a general duty of care.I bore my family to death about health and safety regulations so am totally ignored.Those freelancers are the ones most at risk.

    Alex Salmond has backed yes campaigners who staged an angry protest outside the BBC's Scottish headquarters over perceived bias shown by the corporation's political editor, Nick Robinson.

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/15/alex-salmond-bbc-protest-nick-robinson?CMP=twt_gu
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    I think the intimidation of No supporters is going to harm Yes's chances with the silent majority of voters.
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    YES!!!! ‏@jinkygenius7 56s
    I'm going to need to practice doing an X come Thursday as my hand will be shaking like a 3 day bender hangover! #indyref

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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Danny565 said:

    Although yes, those economic ratings are alarming for Labour. Ed Balls's "master plan" of winning "economic credibility" by saying they'll carry out Tory spending cuts does not seem to be working well. The gap was much smaller when they were doing the "incredible" thing of actually opposing the cuts.

    In your ideal world, how long would a Labour government keep spending higher than revenue for?
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    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    What time are you hitting Auld Reekie?
    Just before 9.30 am, but I have to go back by mid afternoon.

    I'll be on the trains more than I spend time in Edinburgh.
    Shame,

    Ping me next time you're about for more than a few hours...
  • Options

    @Richard N

    Yes, that's a very mean spread margin, especially as you can get 5/2 >85% with Shadsy.

    If you are not on the turnover spread yet and you think it will be high, Shads is the man.

    Or Corals 8/11 on over 80%, a sound lowish-risk bet IMO.
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    Brian Souter's going to be soooooooooo upset by this

    54% of the Scottish LGBT community will vote for independence

    http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/09/15/pinknews-poll-54-of-the-scottish-lgbt-community-will-vote-for-independence/
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 40,057
    SeanT said:

    [snip]

    I just linked you an audio recording of a YES campaigner telling a Scotsman he was an "English invader"

    Then there's this nice YES guy at a Murphy rally calling the Labour MP a "f*cking white n*gger", at about 20 seconds into the vid.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/11090644/Scottish-independence-Glasgow-the-friendly-city-turns-demented.html

    You just don't want to see any of this.

    What began as a splendidly and rightly boisterous campaign is now tipping into something a little nastier. I don't think it's doing YES any favours.

    Thanks to you and @JonnyJimmy. I am not sure if tweets count as documented independent reports! To be fair, my sceptical position is more of a philosophical purist one than a realistic one, in the absence of any wider evidence. I'm entirely happy (or, rather, unhappy) to agree that these are warning signs and that there are idiots who should not be behaving like that and who are grossly out of order, but it's very difficult to get wider confirmation and any independent view of their significance. Iain Macwhirter doesn't think it a serious issue (yet), he is usually pretty reliable and I do feel that the expectations of trouble whipped up by BT leaders is causing tension. But I don't want to get into whataboutery: rather, that may be a factor.

    I simply don't get the sense of a day of wrath and doom impending from the more critical media, or when I am out and about in a mixed constituency with some former hard Labour areas. As it happens, I have just been out to lunch and took the chance to speak to a local canvasser and activist, admittedly for Yes. Her view was that there had been no trouble of any kind apart from a stupid and childish (probably in both senses) bit of vandalism against Yes, and one minor incident which was probably an elderly eccentric more than anything else.

    Anyway, we will see what happens.

    BTW, I should clarify when I said that Mr Darling and BT had been told off by the police and their union, I meant purely in the informal sense - not in the formal legal sense. Sorry for any confusion.
  • Options

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    What time are you hitting Auld Reekie?
    Just before 9.30 am, but I have to go back by mid afternoon.

    I'll be on the trains more than I spend time in Edinburgh.
    Shame,

    Ping me next time you're about for more than a few hours...
    Will do, it'll be next month, this month's visit was going to be longer, but because of the indyref, it had to be curtailed.
  • Options

    Some clips of BBC Scotland HQ being heckled.

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e28_1410725994

    They'll react well if its 'No'........

  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 40,057

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    Why on earth would they guess? They'd fast forward to the 19th, and go back a few months and pile all their pocket money on at Ladbrokes etc.

  • Options
    Well if it is like 1992, one challenge for those of us trying to interpret the early results (whether you’re punting, spinning or just really want to know) is knowing what the Scottish 'Basildon' will look like, given that there are likely to be significant regional dispersions. If the first local authority that reports goes 60-40 one way, which side is that good news for?

    One thing that strikes me is the uniformity of swing between the 1979 and 1997 referenda, despite them being 18 years apart and the fact that the swing was very large (22.7 points).
    Clearly independence and devolution are two very different things, but given that some areas of Scotland will be markedly more nationalist than others, and there are no other proxies available for this variation, I thought it would be interesting to examine what a Scotland-wide 50-50 tie would look like in each area if the regional dispersion were the same as in the 1997 devolution referendum. Equivalently, this represents what would happen if we took the 1997 devolution result and applied a uniform swing of -24.3 (to make it a 50-50 tie across Scotland as a whole). The local results generated could then serve as a benchmark for early results in this referendum.

    Some health warnings:

    -As mentioned already, the question is different and the implications of that might not be uniform across Scotland (banks, Trident, etc)
    -17 years, obviously, is a long time
    -The new local authority areas are much smaller than the ones used in 1979 (and hence also in my 1979 vs 1997 comparison), so there could be a greater variety of swings. -Additionally, smaller local authority areas might be more sensitive to demogrpahic shifts in the intervening period
    -A very high turnout (particularly by modern standards) is widely expected, and these increases might not by evenly spread geographically, which could be significant if the “don’t normally vote” group lean one way.

    Nevertheless, for the purpose of interpreting early results, it is important to get some feel for the kind of way those votes could be spread around.
    So, with all those words of caution in mind, here is that uniform swing example:

    http://numbercruncheruk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/indyref-early-results-benchmark.html

    If this is representative, it is clear both sides would need to win big in their stronger areas to have any chance of winning overall.

    This analysis is intended as a starting point. If anyone has suggestions on how to improve it, feel free to comment (preferably via the link above, because this thread could get a bit busy!)

    NC
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,677
    edited September 2014
    Carnyx said:

    I think I may have a small nervous breakdown or something at this rate.
    The uncertainty is killing me.

    Keep calm and remember you're a Nat/Unionist
    I've got a Dr Who T-Shirt that reads: "Regenerate and Carry On". Wish I could do similar.
    Deep-breath.
    It is genuinely exciting up here right now, not felt this level of national energy ever.
    I was speculating over the weekend, on how the various Scottish Doctors would vote.

    I have David Tennant as a No, Ditto Peter Capaldi, wasn't sure about Sylvester McCoy.

    Don't forget, I'm in Edinburgh tomorrow for a few hours, I shall do my lovebombing on the Scots, that should probably lead to a big swing to No.

    I've packed my England rugby shirts especially for the occasion.
    Why on earth would they guess? They'd fast forward to the 19th, and go back a few months and pile all their pocket money on at Ladbrokes etc.

    The Doctor doesn't gamble or play the lottery for personal profit.

    He bought two winning lottery tickets, one for Donna when she was getting married, and once to give to a teacher a winning ticket, to get him to retire, so he could investigate something weird at a school (was the episode where David Tennant's Doctor met Sarah-Jane Smith for the first time)
  • Options
    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:

    Socrates said:



    Mirpur?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8655697.stm

    He describes how people are going door to door asking Britons to blindly sign proxy forms for the upcoming elections, allowing someone else in the UK to vote on their behalf.

    "They said I didn't have to fill in any details, just to sign my name at the bottom of the form," he says, smiling. "So I signed two."

    He laughed as he told me he had no idea who was going to vote on his behalf, and whom they were going to vote for.

    "I personally know 25 other people who did the same thing, lots of people just on this street, but everybody does it."


    In a sane political entity, news of this sort of abuse would cause us to cancel Commonwealth citizens being allowed to vote in the UK, in addition to proxy voting.

    But with Lab/Lib/Con in charge? No chance. Mustn't upset the Muslims by stopping their corrupt voting systems.

    Not all Commonwealth citizens are Muslim!
    Of course not, but I don't see why people without UK citizenship should be able to vote here. Particularly as the rights are not reciprocal. It's absurd that anyone from Mozambique or Jamaica can just turn up as a student tomorrow and vote in the next general election.
    How about Commonwealth Citizens with indefinite leave to remain, like my mum?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_leave_to_remain
    She should be able to get the vote once she gets nationality, but not before. Nothing personal against your Mum!
    You're a Septic! I thought you believed in "No taxation without representation!"
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,195
    Socrates said:

    Danny565 said:

    Although yes, those economic ratings are alarming for Labour. Ed Balls's "master plan" of winning "economic credibility" by saying they'll carry out Tory spending cuts does not seem to be working well. The gap was much smaller when they were doing the "incredible" thing of actually opposing the cuts.

    In your ideal world, how long would a Labour government keep spending higher than revenue for?
    I would point out that a small deficit through the cycle is compatible with declining debt-to-GDP, as the rise in nominal GDP (inflation plus growth) will outweigh the deficit.

    So, if debt-to-GDP was say 60%, inflation 2.5%, and economic growth 2.5%, then even with a deficit of 2% of GDP you would see debt-to-GDP decline (albeit very slightly).

    Of course, it's worth remembering that our deficit, despite "austerity", is the second worst in the OECD as a percentage of GDP.
  • Options

    Well if it is like 1992, one challenge for those of us trying to interpret the early results (whether you’re punting, spinning or just really want to know) is knowing what the Scottish 'Basildon' will look like, given that there are likely to be significant regional dispersions. If the first local authority that reports goes 60-40 one way, which side is that good news for?

    One thing that strikes me is the uniformity of swing between the 1979 and 1997 referenda, despite them being 18 years apart and the fact that the swing was very large (22.7 points).
    Clearly independence and devolution are two very different things, but given that some areas of Scotland will be markedly more nationalist than others, and there are no other proxies available for this variation, I thought it would be interesting to examine what a Scotland-wide 50-50 tie would look like in each area if the regional dispersion were the same as in the 1997 devolution referendum. Equivalently, this represents what would happen if we took the 1997 devolution result and applied a uniform swing of -24.3 (to make it a 50-50 tie across Scotland as a whole). The local results generated could then serve as a benchmark for early results in this referendum.

    Some health warnings:

    -As mentioned already, the question is different and the implications of that might not be uniform across Scotland (banks, Trident, etc)
    -17 years, obviously, is a long time
    -The new local authority areas are much smaller than the ones used in 1979 (and hence also in my 1979 vs 1997 comparison), so there could be a greater variety of swings. -Additionally, smaller local authority areas might be more sensitive to demogrpahic shifts in the intervening period
    -A very high turnout (particularly by modern standards) is widely expected, and these increases might not by evenly spread geographically, which could be significant if the “don’t normally vote” group lean one way.

    Nevertheless, for the purpose of interpreting early results, it is important to get some feel for the kind of way those votes could be spread around.
    So, with all those words of caution in mind, here is that uniform swing example:

    http://numbercruncheruk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/indyref-early-results-benchmark.html

    If this is representative, it is clear both sides would need to win big in their stronger areas to have any chance of winning overall.

    This analysis is intended as a starting point. If anyone has suggestions on how to improve it, feel free to comment (preferably via the link above, because this thread could get a bit busy!)

    NC

    That's one hell of a first post..
  • Options
    This is tremendously helpful, thank you. And welcome to pb.com!
  • Options
    Beverley_CBeverley_C Posts: 6,256
    Socrates said:

    Danny565 said:

    Although yes, those economic ratings are alarming for Labour. Ed Balls's "master plan" of winning "economic credibility" by saying they'll carry out Tory spending cuts does not seem to be working well. The gap was much smaller when they were doing the "incredible" thing of actually opposing the cuts.

    In your ideal world, how long would a Labour government keep spending higher than revenue for?
    Until "There is no money left"? That seems to be what they did last time.....
  • Options

    Well if it is like 1992, one challenge for those of us trying to interpret the early results (whether you’re punting, spinning or just really want to know) is knowing what the Scottish 'Basildon' will look like, given that there are likely to be significant regional dispersions. If the first local authority that reports goes 60-40 one way, which side is that good news for?

    One thing that strikes me is the uniformity of swing between the 1979 and 1997 referenda, despite them being 18 years apart and the fact that the swing was very large (22.7 points).
    Clearly independence and devolution are two very different things, but given that some areas of Scotland will be markedly more nationalist than others, and there are no other proxies available for this variation, I thought it would be interesting to examine what a Scotland-wide 50-50 tie would look like in each area if the regional dispersion were the same as in the 1997 devolution referendum. Equivalently, this represents what would happen if we took the 1997 devolution result and applied a uniform swing of -24.3 (to make it a 50-50 tie across Scotland as a whole). The local results generated could then serve as a benchmark for early results in this referendum.

    Some health warnings:

    -As mentioned already, the question is different and the implications of that might not be uniform across Scotland (banks, Trident, etc)
    -17 years, obviously, is a long time
    -The new local authority areas are much smaller than the ones used in 1979 (and hence also in my 1979 vs 1997 comparison), so there could be a greater variety of swings. -Additionally, smaller local authority areas might be more sensitive to demogrpahic shifts in the intervening period
    -A very high turnout (particularly by modern standards) is widely expected, and these increases might not by evenly spread geographically, which could be significant if the “don’t normally vote” group lean one way.

    Nevertheless, for the purpose of interpreting early results, it is important to get some feel for the kind of way those votes could be spread around.
    So, with all those words of caution in mind, here is that uniform swing example:

    http://numbercruncheruk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/indyref-early-results-benchmark.html

    If this is representative, it is clear both sides would need to win big in their stronger areas to have any chance of winning overall.

    This analysis is intended as a starting point. If anyone has suggestions on how to improve it, feel free to comment (preferably via the link above, because this thread could get a bit busy!)

    NC

    Please post more often
This discussion has been closed.