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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » First post-budget poll sees CON up 2 and Ukip down 2 – but

SystemSystem Posts: 11,002
edited March 2013 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » First post-budget poll sees CON up 2 and Ukip down 2 – but all changes within margin of error

We’ve just got the first post-budget voting figures from YouGov which are all within the margin of error. Only change on yesterday is CON up 2 with Ukip down 2.

Read the full story here


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Comments

  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    First.
  • MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    Very profound comment @old_labour
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    If the blue hope was that the budget would be a game-changer there is no sign of it yet.

    O, come off it Mike! You've be relentlessly negative against the Blues for the last few weeks. Feels like the ref is playing for the opposition right now.

    This was never going to be a budget that changed things overnight. It needed to be a sensible, well-received proposal that didn't have any loose ends (no matter how minor in the scheme of things) which people can pull apart and build a narrative of failure around. Rebuilding confidence takes time.

    I think they have done what they set out to do. Not flashy, not overnight, but will improve sentiment towards the government over time. Will it be enough: may be, but who really knows. Still holding to my view the most likely outcome next election is a Labour minority / Lab-Lib pact
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    edited March 2013
    @MikeSmithson
    Just like the Labour party in the opinion polls.
    Your message popped up on my screen. Very impressive.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @old_labour @MikeSmithson at least we can now post 'first' with confidence that it will actually indeed be first!
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    @Charles
    Beautiful avatar, Charles.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    @old_labour

    Thank you. I kind of like that view as well :)
  • Sean_FearSean_Fear Posts: 83
    I've got through at last.

    I see UKIP won their first council seat in Greater London last night, though Gooshays should be very fertile territory for them.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    The response to the budget in the press has been rather underwhelming with lots of moans and relatively few cheers. The general tone has been a step in the right direction but not nearly enough.

    I think the reason for this is that while the budget measures were generally fairly well received the overall situation disclosed in the budget, particularly in relation to the deficit, was very disappointing to those who had not been paying close attention.

    I suspect the general populace are slowly coming around to the idea that this is not a brief period of austerity but the new reality that is going to go on for years. In fact it may well get worse as we cannot indefinitely defer substantial cuts in public spending if growth and tax revenues do not pick up. We have another 2 years of this tops and if the higher growth forecast by the OBR has moved on again we will have no choices left.

    I also think (and this of course might just reflect my own views) that there is an element of despair about Labour and the lack of an alternative. To have a properly functioning democracy we need a genuine choice and we have rarely had that for more than 30 years now.
  • Life_ina_market_townLife_ina_market_town Posts: 2,319
    edited March 2013
    @DavidL
    'I suspect the general populace are slowly coming around to the idea that this is not a brief period of austerity but the new reality that is going to go on for years.'
    The public is working no more slowly than the pace HM Chancellor of the Exchequer has set. In June 2010, Osborne was confidently predicting that "austerity" would be over in just over a year's time from now.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @Charles

    Am I right in recalling your avatar is the approach to the family home?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,717
    Not easy to register, is it!
  • Tony_ETony_E Posts: 4
    Government set for another kicking today from all the aggrieved Spurs fans - Olympic Stadium announcement due today.

    Sounds very much like David Gold has been the one stalling on the deal on that basis that they wouldn't let West Ham buy the stadium but they wanted the club to rent it and pay for much of the necessary changes to the quite appalling design. Mr Gold played hardball over the costs according to the BBC.

    One thing this has proven is just how poorly Coe, Jowell and Livingstone handled the Olympics Legacy -they spent a fortune on what became an athletics vanity project while all the time shouting about how football would never get near the stadium. But the current government will get the criticism, as will Boris, for at least getting some long term use and revenue back for the only white elephant bigger than the millennium dome.
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,559
    The blues are just happy Osborne made it through the headlines unrtil the snow took over
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @Life_ina_market_town

    Oh, the sunny optimism of 2010 when the world was fresh and young!

    Both major parties were in denial about the extent of the problems and very few (Vince a possible exception) in the Lib Dems even understood the nature of the problem.

    People do not become politicians to be constantly taking things away from people. They all like to believe that they can make a difference, be nice and fix things. It is quite touching really.

    Without quite indulging in the histrionics of zerohedge that Hunchman was referring to overnight there is no doubt we in this country had a particularly bad dose of what was a global bubble of truly epic proportions. The west has almost stopped creating wealth and relied on debt to fuel its consumption. There will indeed be a heavy price to pay and it will change politics in this country radically for a very, very long time.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    oh my gawd tim's avatar...!
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,717
    How does one get "newest" at the top?
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Test
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @OldKingCole

    How does one not? It is set as the default, at least in IE and I thought generally.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @Tim

    Brilliant. He really is a star.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    edited March 2013
    @OldKingCole I don't think you can at this stage. - misread that, I have newest at top too.

    @JackW, I certainly hope there will be a Jacobite restoration in your avatar!
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,717
    edited March 2013
    Yes, DavidL; just restarted the page and there was the newest at the top! Good!
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540
    @RobD - it's Cameron after his third term....
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @OldKingCole

    When we get beyond a relatively few comments the system creates subpages. This means if you have oldest first you actually lose the thread header although there are complicated ways back to it. By keeping newest at the top the thread header remains at the top too. That is why I think it is best this way.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited March 2013
    Times has some worrying stats - 2 days supply

    More on our report on gas shortage: last night storage facilities were only 10 per cent full, compared with 49 per cent this time last year.
  • Sean_FearSean_Fear Posts: 83
    Tim, Gooshays was rock-solid Labour up till 2006, when it became a three-way marginal, between Conservative, Labour, and BNP. I expect it will be quite safe now for UKIP.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @CarlottaVance - so its "Tim for Cam 2020"? ;-)
  • MonksfieldMonksfield Posts: 2,191
    Test
  • FregglesFreggles Posts: 3,486
    George certainly learned some lessons from the last Budget. Rather than allow a few trivial symbolic things derail his message he has gone for the Get the Plebs Smashed on Beer option, hoping to have a 'reverse pasty effect'. Fortunately for LAB the kerfuffle over second homes will have tainted the Budget a bit, though obviously it's not a vintage "omnishambles" budget which we will all treasure for years to come as a classic political blunder.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    edited March 2013
    I like the new format. Very clean and hopefully now there are no more 'likes' posters will stop the tedious playing to the gallery that we've suffered for the last year.

    Who knows It might even encourage brevity!
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    @DavidL

    Well remembered - the last one was the view from the upstairs window; this one is halfway down the drive looking away from the house.

    @tim

    I know that Labour has a habit of "misrecalling the facts" but I said it was on the Hampshire/Berkshire borders. My uncle lives in Lincolnshire.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @DavidL

    When you refresh the page you have to scroll around to find the last comment you read. Oldest first always refreshes to where you were making it much easier to read.

    People who like Newest first are as mad as people who eat eggs Big End first.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,763
    @Plato

    There was real alarm yesterday about the idea of the lights going out within 3 years due to energy shortages. The failures of the last government to make actual decisions on power stations are coming home to roost faster than expected. In fairness the slightly less than Honourable member for Wandsworth didn't really help either.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    How do you do replies?
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540
    On editing profile pic the Vanilla page does not load completely on the iPad - had to get on a MAC (and presumably PC) to access that function.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @Plato we don't, unfortunately. Perhaps we should start putting the time after the "@name" thinggy?
  • MonksfieldMonksfield Posts: 2,191
    Ok, how do you reply to a specific post? I may be being stupid but I can't see a reply button.
  • NoSpaceNameNoSpaceName Posts: 132
    I like the new commenting system more than the budget.

    I fear that the many attempts to reinflate a housing bubble are going to create a lot of bad debt. My own application to borrow a further £32k was approved in less than two days...
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    @scottp

    if you look at the discussion on Vanilla rather than pb then you see oldest first.

    Icatch up with oldest first then change to newest first when actively posting.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @iainmartin1: In North Queensferry someone is sitting at home very annoyed that no-one has called to ask him to organise a rescue and Save Cyprus.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @RobD Thanks - and I assume I have to type out each poster's name manually as well?

    How do the pop-ups work? Where do they appear? I'm feeling very dense here.
  • MonksfieldMonksfield Posts: 2,191
    It took a couple of days for the full scale of the omnishambles to appear last year and I feel this Govt as Building Society bit going the same way. They really haven't thought this through.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    edited March 2013
    Testing Avatars
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Further test
  • NoSpaceNameNoSpaceName Posts: 132
    I'm in two minds about central government arranging payment dates to create a £100m reduction in the deficit this year.

    On the negative side it reminds me of when I was less organised a few years ago, and would put things on the credit card when I ran out of cash towards the end of a month.

    On the plus side it demonstrates an impressive level of control over departmental spending compared to previous years when departments have gone on a spending binge to make sure they didn't have an underspend. This problem of almost desperate spending at the end of a financial year is not unique to the public sector - I have heard tales from large private sector companies of similar last minute splurges to avoid underspends - so it could represent real progress in bringing sanity to the organisation of government, putting it on a level superior to that of the private sector.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @Plato - yeah, so we have to get the spelling correct for it to work properly. Regarding popups, I think those only appear if you are browsing the post on the vanillaforum website, rather than on pb.com directly.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @JackW - a splendid update to your avatar.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Plato

    Test reply
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @RobD - ah ha! I'm now trying it using the Vanilla site = the fonts a bit small but a nice layout even though I hate Facebook as I get lost amongst walls/messages/posts/notifications/messages/blah blah... :^O
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Has anyone managed to change their password to something else that isn't incredibly long? Or to get their Google/Twitter account to be recognised? I've tried again and no dice.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @Plato - using pb.com allows you to have newest first, but using the vanilla site lets you do the opposite. I think i prefer being directly on PB. I'll somehow manage without the notifications - I'll just constantly refresh the page until someone else posts :')
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Rob D

    Thank you. It's a fine portrait of James VIII/III of Scotland, Ireland and England, de jure King from 1701-66 - our longest reigning monarch until the Queen overtakes him in 2017.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @DavidL

    I was really oh err when I saw that just two days supply was here now - the pressure on the system is going to be very heavy over the next few days - I assume pressure will be turned down [can they still do this?] to make sure it stretches to cover demand.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    Vanilla still looking good the morning after. An Interesting story for Thatcher lovers.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21884556
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @JackW - what a splendid avatar :^)
  • IcarusIcarus Posts: 885
    test
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Thanks to Mike and Robert for their efforts to rid the site of New-Disqus

    Well done.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,263
    Budgets rarely produce a surge of enthusiasm for the Government - the default reaction is usually a mildly grumpy "maybe good for the country, but not for me personally", even among people who do in fact benefit. Charles is probably being a bit optimistic when he suggests a pro-Government change of mood is setting in. I suspect the lead will continue to hover around the 10 mark.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    For anyone interested in what Vanilla via Robert may be able to offer PBers - http://vanillaforums.com/blog/news/fall-2012-release/ - its very Facebook
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @Plato - "The Vanilla API now allows you to lookup and award user badges,"... I want my customised PBTory badge :p
  • NoSpaceNameNoSpaceName Posts: 132
    @Plato -
    the pressure on the system is going to be very heavy over the next few days
    Luckily the wind is forecast to be quite strong for at least today. Wind turbines currently supplying more than 5GW to the grid http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/ and from what I remember of the last forecast this should persist at this level for the rest of today.
  • IcarusIcarus Posts: 885
    Jack looking at your new picture, I am sure the 1p off the tax on hair powder will more than compensate for the increase in the the tax on whisky.
  • Mick_PorkMick_Pork Posts: 6,530
    @tim

    After Osbrowne spent most of his time pre-budget starting leadership rumours around Theresa May why would anyone be surprised at his 2nd home subsidy 'master strategy'.

    He just can't help himself. He really is that incompetent.
  • Geoff103Geoff103 Posts: 1
    New comments system? Don't like it.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    Jonathan

    "One Tory MP is quoted by the Whips as having said "we're making a big mistake, it'll make Suez look like common sense".

    He was right. More loss of life and injury than there were Falkland Islanders. The woman was a maniac
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @RobD LOL - its a bit weird losing Likes as a system - its like stepping back to Old PB when we'd get a dozen posts like mine recognising a cracking comment
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @NoSpaceName - I hope so, 18000 in NI are without any electricity this morning though as the high winds have brought down the power lines!
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Plato

    Thank you. It was my second choice during Disqus-time but the new format deserves a bright new offering.

    I also thought the fine wig would be a homage to OGH. I can see him now on the TV with a full flowing 18th century offering gliding through the studios like a three master in full sail !!
  • Life_ina_market_townLife_ina_market_town Posts: 2,319
    edited March 2013
    Here's a reminder of what the Darling Plan was, as enacted in section 1 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2010 ("the 2010 Act").
    (1) In each and every fiscal year from 2010-2011 to 2015-2016, public sector net borrowing ("PNSB") as a % of GDP should be lower than the previous year.
    (2) PSNB as a % of GDP in 2013-2014 should be no more than half of the level in 2009-2010.
    (3) Public sector net debt as a % of GDP should be lower in 2015-2016 than 2014-2015.

    Here's how the incumbent government scores against these targets, according to the OBR's forecasts, found in Annex B to HM Treasury, Budget 2013, HC 1033, (London, March 2013):
    (1) A narrow pass. Underlying PSNB fell from 7.9% in 2011-2012 to 7.8% in 2012-2013 and is forecast to fall to 7.5% in 2013-2014. Given the previous (in)accuracy of the OBR's forecasts, there is no guarantee that this target will be met.
    (2) Fail. PSNB in 2009-2010 was 11.1% of GDP. In 2013-2014 it is forecast to be 7.5% of GDP, a reduction of only 32.4%, significantly missing the target of at least 50%.
    (3) Fail. Public sector net debt as a % of GDP is forecast to rise from 82.6% in 2014-2015 to 85.1% in 2015-2016.

    Now, if it had been suggested in June 2010 that not only would the government have comprehensively abandoned the fiscal mandate it set out in its emergency budget, but was on course to fail the two most important targets of the Darling Plan, one might well have asked what was the point of the coalition. Indeed, it should be remembered that the Conservative Party's reasoned amendment to the Order for the Second Reading of the 2010 Act suggested the Darling Plan was 'inadequate in achieving the objective of securing sound public finances' [HC Deb 5 January 2010, col. 72].

    On any objective measure, by its own standards and by those of the previous administration, the coalition government has failed. Unfortunately, the people will in all likelihood be treated to another two years of its wretched and incompetent rule.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    How do you reply to someone so their name appears in blue with @ in front of it?
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I rather liked this

    RT @oldandrewuk: There are still people who think pointing out that Gove disagrees with educationalists in some way weakens his argument
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    @Roger just type @ then their name. It will make it blue when you post the comment.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Icarus

    LOL
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    @Roger - what would you have done with the Falklands in 1982? Would you have let the Falkland Islanders fall into the hands of the military junta?
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Interesting view on the Falklands, Roger, but I very much doubt that's a majority opinion.

    I note that Vanilla has a private email function between members.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 24,967
    The ONS shows how the balance of the economy has changed:

    From 25 years ago
    Industrial production -1%
    Retail sales +84%

    From 15 years ago
    Industrial production -13%
    Retail sales +50%

    The era of "Because I'm worth it" and "Don't put it off, put it on".

    And now Osborne has abandoned attempts at 'rebalancing' in preference for another housing bubble.

    When did the rest of the world announce that they owed Britain a living?
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @JackW - you could of course be mistaken for a Brian May fan by those with a GCSE in History ;^ )
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    @Nick Palmer

    Think you misunderstood. Argument was that this was a budget designed to address strategic issues (perception of competence) rather than a overnight bump. I think initially it has done that - whether will be enough (real income key) unclear
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    @Plato - LOL
  • jayfdeejayfdee Posts: 618
    Test. Disqus RIP.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Good morning, everyone.

    Here's my pre-qualifying piece for Malaysia (no tip):
    http://politicalbetting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/malaysia-pre-qualifying.html
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 24,967
    The BBC reports of the first moves in the 'avoiding the blame game' :

    " The boss of the energy firm SSE has warned that "there is a very real risk of the lights going out" in Britain.

    Ian Marchant said the government was significantly underestimating the scale of the capacity crunch facing the country.

    He was commenting on the company's decision to cut back on power generation at five sites.

    The energy regulator, Ofgem, has also warned of an increased risk of a blackout. "

    Perhaps the Osborne / government /establishment cheerleaders explain where the extra electricity generation needed to power the 'grth' they all expect to preside over will come from.

  • Mick_PorkMick_Pork Posts: 6,530
    @tim Hard to think of a more surefire success right after the bedroom tax.

    You've got too many bedrooms so you're going to pay for it, but on the other hand here's a subsidy for a 2nd home.

    It's so 'brilliant' you might be mistaken for thinking Osbrowne's a complete idiot. ;^)
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    @antifrank. I heard the Argentine ambassador talk at length about it yesterday. I'm as sure as it's possible to be that history will judge it one of Britain's worse foreign policy decisions of the recent past and certainly worse than Suez
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Worrying stuff re terrorism related activity - both in NI and homegrown Islamic extremism.

    "There is no doubt that the big sophisticated 9/11 or 7/7 type plots are much harder to organise, they did need a lot of overseas direction, and some of the al Qaida leadership have said that's good if you can do it, but if not any attack whatever you can do at whatever size is useful.

    "We are seeing more small groups getting together at shorter notice and more people wanting to do things without that broader command and control."

    Al Qaida remains the greatest terror threat to Britain, he said, but there continues to be a danger from Northern Ireland.

    He said the aspiration of Republican groups would be to attack the mainland but stressed he had not seen any evidence of that so far. The comments came as new figures revealed the number of terror arrests had risen by 60 per cent in the year to September 2012.

    A total of 245 people were held on suspicion of terrorism-related offences in the period, compared with 153 in the previous 12 months, the Home Office said." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/9946806/Major-terror-attack-on-scale-of-77-foiled-every-year-in-UK-police-reveal.html
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Am I right in thinking that Labour MPs didn't vote against the Welfare Bill reforms *workfare* last night?

    I thought it was slave labour?
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    edited March 2013
    TEST I see HTML code doesn't work for blockquotes but does for text style.

    TEST
    TEST
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540
    @Roger - worse than Iraq?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    @Roger : Again, I ask whether you think the Falkland Islanders should have fallen into the hands of the military junta in 1982?

    And where do you fall on the islanders' right of self-determination?
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,263
    Charles - re competence: the same YouGov asks which party can be best described as led by people of real ability. 20% think the Conservatives (up 2, as is Labour), 80% think something else (in most cases "none of them"). If your theory was correct we'd expect to see a significant bump here even if it wasn't immediately reflected in the voting intention ratings.

    In reality, most people think we're all a bit rubbish, just as they thought last week. The only change that isn't MOE is a bounce in the number thinking that the Conservatives are the party most prone to keep chopping and changing (up 4). Not sure what that's about - perhaps doubts about sincerity on deficit reduction, or just noise.

  • FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    The gas storage position has been rumbling complaint for many years. I thought that HMG had specified minimum storage levels - apparently not.

    Also the great need for extra gas storage capacity was raised at least ten years ago, but again nothing seems to have been done - our storage capacity is very small compared to that of our continental neighbour's.

    It would appear that our Energy Ministers have been asleep at their desk/club/prison for all these years.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    @Roger

    I'm afraid my dear old thing you are spectactularly wrong about the Falklands.

    From the lefts viewpoint read Michael Foot's outstanding speech in the HoC on that fateful Saturday sitting. An outstanding contribution - reasoned, articulate and a passionate defence of the right of self determination for the islanders.
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Roger, I never know which of your posts are intended to be amusing and which are serious.

    My own solution to the Falklands Islands would be to put them up for auction to the highest cash bidder, with a reserve set at £30 billion (given the natural resources associated with the islands, I expect the Chinese might be very interested, and they never seem too fussed about upsetting their neighbours with territorial claims). Each islander would be given £2 million and the right to a British passport. The remaining £26 billion (or more) could be used to reduce the national debt.

    A perfect solution for these times of austerity.
  • FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    @ Plato

    Some Irish nationalists will never be satisfied until Ireland is unified under the rule of the South.

    In the same way, some Arab nationalists will never rest until Israel is wiped off the map. The Picot-Sykes agreement has a lot to answer for.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    @Financier - about 6yrs ago, I had the full guided tour of Bacton gas terminal and a very interesting meeting with one of the bigwigs re gas pipeline/terrorism potential/gas supply.

    Back then, Bacton could keep the bottom half of the UK going for 10 days if the worst happened. That we're down to 2 days capacity today with that new pipeline just makes me gape in horror that things have been left so long.

    This is a desperate situation. 2 days??! That's no contingency at all.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 24,967
    " I see UKIP won their first council seat in Greater London last night, though Gooshays should be very fertile territory for them. "

    Apparantly Labour were putting out leaflets claiming it was a straight fight between them and the BNP.

    Their failure to make progress among the southern wwc must concern them.

    But a collapse of the Conservative vote among the wwc would be disasterous for that party.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I'll be fascinated to see how Clegg dances on a pin-head today on immigration. A reverse ferret if ever there was one.

    RT @JohnRentoul: Sanctimonious Clegg furiously attacks Labour govt's decision to allow free movt from Poland in 2004. What was Lib Dem position then?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    @antifrank - ISTR that the islanders were offered £1 million each by the Argentinian government before the 1982 invasion. If they rejected that then, I doubt they'd accept £2 million now!

    (Having said that, a quick search does not show a source for the above. I'm sure I'm right though - perhaps it was in Max Hastings' book...)
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    JosiasJessop - who said anything about giving the islanders a veto?
  • FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    @ Plato

    The gas position is even more alarming in that the LNG facility that imports from Qatar is not yet running at full capacity.
This discussion has been closed.