Absent immigration the British population is stable or declining so it would seem we are deciding we would like a little more space.
No, we are deciding we don't want kids. It's our children who benefit from fewer people.
Don't want or can't afford?
Either way, as Japan is seeing, the demographic time bomb that having fewer kids produces does *not* benefit the children. Fewer taxpayers and lots more expensive old people is not a recipe for joy and sunshine.
Built up areas include parks, allotments etc as well as gardens. Even rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs are counted in your 9.6% figure.
Personally I think it's right that ONS and OS classify those things as being built-up as such things are important to the people who live there. Maybe New York should consider building on Central Park.
Built up areas include parks, allotments etc as well as gardens. Even rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs are counted in your 9.6% figure.
So they should be. The figure we are interested in is 'Is this countryside?', not 'Is this a tiny patch of grass in Fulham?'
The comment was that we need green open spaces, not that we need countryside. Absolutely we do need green, open spaces and even within apparently urban areas they make up 80% of built up areas. That is a good thing.
Over 97% of the country is not built on. Over 90% of England and Wales is countryside. Nearly 90% of England alone is countryside.
Not quite right - what the figures show is that nearly 90% of England is not urban. A lot of the 90% - such as virtually all of Surrey, for example - is semi-rural, rather than countryside.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Built up areas include parks, allotments etc as well as gardens. Even rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs are counted in your 9.6% figure.
Personally I think it's right that ONS and OS classify those things as being built-up as such things are important to the people who live there. Maybe New York should consider building on Central Park.
Personally I think that areas like Hyde Park or Central Park provide more valuable "green space" than an equivalent patch of countryside.
The problem with the obsession over protecting the green belt is that we end up more and more paving over parks and removing the green and open spaces that people use.
As people live in the small proportion of the country that is built up that's what they imagine the country to be like, ignoring the vast proportion of the country that isn't like that.
Not quite right - what the figures show is that nearly 90% of England is not urban. A lot of the 90% - such as virtually all of Surrey, for example - is semi-rural, rather than countryside.
I don't see semi-rural listed as a category on that list. The residential areas of Surrey is shown on the map in the colour for Urban while almost all of England is coloured as Enclosed Farmland.
Even in the South East apart from London most of the land is used as farmland not urban.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the Quintishill railway disaster, the worst in British history. At least 220 people died, although as the main train involved was a troop train and the roll lists were destroyed, the full figure will never be known.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Another good example of somebody putting career before party and country, 2 MSPs now at risk. It would be interesting to note whether Rennie was in the know, if so he should probably go as leader.
Alistair Carmichael admits leaking Nicola Sturgeon story:"I was aware of its content & agreed that my special adviser should make it public"
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
It's nearly five years until voters have a chance to get rid of this guy who did something in the full knowledge that if it had become public when he was a minister he would have had to resign. How much more arrogant and cynical can you get?
I know most people ignore it, but the failure to introduce a robust recall mechanism is one of the more outrageous failures of recent years in my view. Politicians running scared of the voters. And I don't like the easy acceptance of five-year terms for all the devolved assemblies and Parliaments that has followed the fixed-term Parliament's Act.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Another good example of somebody putting career before party and country, 2 MSPs now at risk. It would be interesting to note whether Rennie was in the know, if so he should probably go as leader.
Not that either of you have a dog in the fight, so to speak...
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
"Neither Mr Carmichael nor Mr Roddin will take their severance payments as cabinet minister and special adviser. Generally, a lump sum, equivalent to three months of annual ministerial salary, is payable when a minister ceases to hold office. The Cabinet Office report said the civil servant who wrote the memo believed it to have been an accurate record of the conversation that took place between him and the French Consul General, but pointed out that he had already highlighted that it could have been "lost in translation". The Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Haywood concluded that there was no reason to doubt that the civil servant recorded accurately what he thought he had heard. The report said: "Senior officials who have worked with him say that he is reliable and has no history of inaccurate reporting, impropriety or security lapses. "The Cabinet Secretary has concluded that there is no reason to doubt that he recorded accurately what he thought he had heard. There is no evidence of any political motivation or 'dirty tricks'."
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Another good example of somebody putting career before party and country, 2 MSPs now at risk. It would be interesting to note whether Rennie was in the know, if so he should probably go as leader.
There are multiple sources seeming to indicate that Tavish Scott will lose Shetland if things don't change and only Orkney is still likely to hold out for the Libs but yes, Carmichael clinging on and clearly having lied to win the election means that Liam McArthur must now be in serious danger of losing Orkney.
With a 12% List vote last time and likely only just scraping 1 List seat, there will be a battle between the two of them for first place on the list.
OK, have to admit I'm slightly worried for the first time about Kendall possibly getting in. That 10% margin in the Labourlist poll is a bit too close for comfort.
Absent immigration the British population is stable or declining so it would seem we are deciding we would like a little more space.
No, we are deciding we don't want kids. It's our children who benefit from fewer people.
Don't want or can't afford?
Everything has a cost.
When you have kids you have les money to spend on holidays, cars and the like.
Yes, I agree with this to a certain extent. The problem - if it is a problem at all - is trying to convince people that it's worth making sacrifices to have kids. If people started to change their behaviour, the economy would take a hit as people would have less money to spend on other stuff.
But housing costs are so high right now. And that's with the base rate at 0.5%. It's hardly a surprise that people are wary about having kids.
On that LabourList mayoral candidate survey: As far as I can see that's a survey of all LabourList readers, not just London ones. If I'm right, then I think that probably means Sadiq Khan could easily win it, given the ethnic skew of London Labour supporters.
That could be counterbalanced by the fact that London Labour members tend to be a bit more "centrist" than Labour members generally, though.
Alistair Carmichael admits leaking Nicola Sturgeon story:"I was aware of its content & agreed that my special adviser should make it public"
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
It's nearly five years until voters have a chance to get rid of this guy who did something in the full knowledge that if it had become public when he was a minister he would have had to resign. How much more arrogant and cynical can you get?
I know most people ignore it, but the failure to introduce a robust recall mechanism is one of the more outrageous failures of recent years in my view. Politicians running scared of the voters. And I don't like the easy acceptance of five-year terms for all the devolved assemblies and Parliaments that has followed the fixed-term Parliament's Act.
What's wrong with five year terms? I know the political reason they fixed on the amount, but the principle always seemed sound to me even so - previous parliaments all had the option of going five years, even if they mostly did not, therefore when setting a fixed term it seemed reasonable to set it at that length, with no compelling reason why 4 is better.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
If in 5 years time housing market affordability is not better for the under 35s the tories are going to be in trouble.
Big swing against them in private renters. Need to create the conditions to allow more houses to be built, stop pumping up the housing market with anti-market initiatives like Help to Sell etc.
Help to Buy helps get new houses built. So its doing what you want yet you oppose it in the same breath. Typical nonsense.
The biggest constraint of house builds is the green belt and NIMBYism.
We're a small and green island with a surprisingly low rate of being built upon.
2.27% of English land is built upon. The problem with high-rise is it pushes more and more people into the same shared space which is what creates the myth of us having a high population density.
I've picked you up on this before. ONS states that 9.6% of England and Wales is built up:
A built up area is not all "built on". Hyde Park and Kew Gardens are classed as "built up area" as they are part of a city.
That said, it seems a stretch to get from 9.6% to 2.3% unless you have "built on" as "has a building on" so excluding roads, footpaths, car-parks, etc. Which would obviously be a bit of a swizz...
One of the statistics I read, but have no way of verifying, was that more of Surrey is given over to Golf Courses than housing. I'm not convinced that's a particularly good use of land myself (but then I don't play golf).
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
I don't see semi-rural listed as a category on that list.
Nor is 'countryside', which was your word.
The point I am getting at is that it is completely misleading - in terms of how we perceive land - to count acres (or hectares if you prefer) by land use without considering the context. A hundred-acre farm surrounded by other farms might be countryside, whereas a hundred-acre farm surrounded by a golf course on one side, an industrial unit on another, and housing estates on the other two sides is not countryside. It is probably semi-rural.
If you want to know what I mean, drive around Surrey, then drive around East Sussex. Surrey has largely lost its countryside character, East Sussex retains most of it.
If in 5 years time housing market affordability is not better for the under 35s the tories are going to be in trouble.
Big swing against them in private renters. Need to create the conditions to allow more houses to be built, stop pumping up the housing market with anti-market initiatives like Help to Sell etc.
Help to Buy helps get new houses built. So its doing what you want yet you oppose it in the same breath. Typical nonsense.
The biggest constraint of house builds is the green belt and NIMBYism.
We're a small and green island with a surprisingly low rate of being built upon.
2.27% of English land is built upon. The problem with high-rise is it pushes more and more people into the same shared space which is what creates the myth of us having a high population density.
I've picked you up on this before. ONS states that 9.6% of England and Wales is built up:
A built up area is not all "built on". Hyde Park and Kew Gardens are classed as "built up area" as they are part of a city.
That said, it seems a stretch to get from 9.6% to 2.3% unless you have "built on" as "has a building on" so excluding roads, footpaths, car-parks, etc. Which would obviously be a bit of a swizz...
One of the statistics I read, but have no way of verifying, was that more of Surrey is given over to Golf Courses than housing. I'm not convinced that's a particularly good use of land myself (but then I don't play golf).
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
As a spectator sport, test cricket is a great day out. Sat in the sun at Trent Bridge or the Oval for a day is a lovely activity.
Golf on the other hand strikes me as a pointless spectator sport, trudging round a golf course, trying to decipher the ball from a grey sky, pointless!
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Lol - like Brendon O Hara did when he was exposed ?
I don't see semi-rural listed as a category on that list.
Nor is 'countryside', which was your word.
The point I am getting at is that it is completely misleading - in terms of how we perceive land - to count acres (or hectares if you prefer) by land use without considering the context. A hundred-acre farm surrounded by other farms might be countryside, whereas a hundred-acre farm surrounded by a golf course on one side, an industrial unit on another, and housing estates on the other two sides is not countryside. It is probably semi-rural.
If you want to know what I mean, drive around Surrey, then drive around East Sussex. Surrey has largely lost its countryside character, East Sussex retains most of it.
Actually countryside was your word, I used it in response to your use of it.
I see no problem with a farm surrounded by a golf course etc
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Lol - like Brendon O Hara did when he was exposed ?
Brendan O'Hara did nothing wrong. The term Hun, much like Tim is inoffensive and often used self-referentially. The voters of Argyll and Bute made their decision with full knowledge of the attempted MSM smear. They chose to elect him.
Carmichael has been caught out being duplicitous and covering his tracks to try to cling onto a seat. The electorate were not given the information which it is clear he was always aware of and suppressed. He should now give the voters the chance to decide if they approve of his behaviour. Not in five years, now.
Is Golf the only sport more boring than Test Cricket?
As a spectator sport, test cricket is a great day out. Sat in the sun at Trent Bridge or the Oval for a day is a lovely activity.
Golf on the other hand strikes me as a pointless spectator sport, trudging round a golf course, trying to decipher the ball from a grey sky, pointless!
If played between two evenly matched teams and on a decent pitch, Test Cricket is possibly the greatest sport in the world. It's infinitely better than the garbage that is twenty over cricket.
I went to Wentworth yesterday, and whilst it's quite a lot of standing around it's worth going to see just how good the professionals are.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Lol - like Brendon O Hara did when he was exposed ?
Brendan O'Hara did nothing wrong. .
He did far worse than fans who have been jailed under the Nats illiberal singing laws.
Bunch of hypocrites you Nats - offended by everything, ashamed of nothing.
What's wrong with five year terms? I know the political reason they fixed on the amount, but the principle always seemed sound to me even so - previous parliaments all had the option of going five years, even if they mostly did not, therefore when setting a fixed term it seemed reasonable to set it at that length, with no compelling reason why 4 is better.
I think there have been too many instances of governments hanging on for five years which would have been better ejected earlier: Brown in 2010, Major in 1997, Callaghan 1979 (granted, only 4 1/2 years), Macmillan/Douglas-Home in 1964.
I think these are damaging, and it increases the distance between voter and politicians for governments to continue for so long against the wishes of the electorate.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Lol - like Brendon O Hara did when he was exposed ?
Brendan O'Hara did nothing wrong. .
He did far worse than fans who have been jailed under the Nats illiberal singing laws.
Bunch of hypocrites you Nats - offended by everything, ashamed of nothing.
You have some evidence of anyone being jailed purely for using the term "Hun".
Ah, you don't and just like making things up to fit your own prejudiced worldview.
Very curious that Carmicahel's letter of apology to Sturgeon includes an acknowledgement that "the details of that account are not correct".
I wonder if that's a quid pro quo for the SNP not forcing a by-election?
If Carmichael resigns the LD will lose 1/8 of their MP's in the by-election. So he won't resign, at least not for now until the LD try to regroup, but that's curtains for his leadership ambitions.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
I'd love to hear Ashdown's comments on this. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear LDs pontificate about decency, liberalism, human rights and protecting the vulnerable...when the reality is dirty, grubby, scheming, untrustworthy b******s to paraphrase Mr. Khan. Carmichael should stand down and give the voters a chance to pontificate on his character.
Building enough houses will result in prices falling, which is not in the interests of the housebuilders.
Why not? It's their gross margin times the volume which is the principal driver of their profitability (along with financing costs for the long periods they have to hold land in order to circumnavigate the planning morass). What's more, building-land prices are their most significant cost, and currently low supply is boosting that cost enormously. I rather think they'd be delighted if they could boost volumes at lower prices and lower land prices, turning over their capital more quickly.
Amen. And to the extent that individual housebuilders might suffer because they land-banked development sites at high prices, that will only help free up the market for new competitors.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Lol - like Brendon O Hara did when he was exposed ?
Brendan O'Hara did nothing wrong. .
He did far worse than fans who have been jailed under the Nats illiberal singing laws.
Bunch of hypocrites you Nats - offended by everything, ashamed of nothing.
You have some evidence of anyone being jailed purely for using the term "Hun".
Ah, you don't and just like making things up to fit your own prejudiced worldview.
Fans have been jailed for using the "F" word which is on a par says the charity funded by the Scottish govt.
"Offensive sectarian language is still used in Scotland on a daily basis, with abusive terms such as “Hun” and “Orange bastard” being used negatively against Protestants (or those perceived to be) and others such as “Fenian” and “Tim” used negatively against Catholics (or those perceived to be). This reinforces religious and racial stereotypes as well as fuelling the divisions and conflict between the denominations and poeple of no religious denomination. "
"The European Commission is set to propose next week that 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived by boat in Italy and Greece should be relocated across the continent in response to what it considers an emergency situation in both countries."
"The Commission has also set a quota system, based on a country's size and economic health, for those resettled migrants as well as for those relocated within the EU.'
That means Britain will get the lions share of the problem. Cue right-wing press outrage.
This is the first leak inquiry in my 14 yrs in Westminster that has actually found the leaker...
This was my prediction, given how quickly Rennie was on the story I wouldn't be surprised if he was also in the loop. I had hoped this would all come out before the 7th May, my O&S bet would have come off !!
Add to this the 840 Green voters in DCT and I weep at the fine margins that cost me 2 constituency bets.
No, it says we don't vote. Do we still get dobbed into an emergency cross-Europe solution?
No, it's the other way round. Because we are exempt we are expected not to vote (although I think in theory we could - a bit like Scottish MPs on English-only matters!)
What's wrong with five year terms? I know the political reason they fixed on the amount, but the principle always seemed sound to me even so - previous parliaments all had the option of going five years, even if they mostly did not, therefore when setting a fixed term it seemed reasonable to set it at that length, with no compelling reason why 4 is better.
I think there have been too many instances of governments hanging on for five years which would have been better ejected earlier: Brown in 2010, Major in 1997, Callaghan 1979 (granted, only 4 1/2 years), Macmillan/Douglas-Home in 1964.
The problem there is weak governments, not the principle of 5 year limits I think - maybe it would have been better for 3 years, so people don't 'hang on' for 4 - in much the way that the problem of a zombie parliament is not an argument against the 5 years as it is a problem of the culture of the government and MPs not having anything to do, rather than something inevitable.
I'd agree it seems most who went on for the full five might well have been better not dragging it out, but the same argument applies to limiting it to less than 4.
I'm not immovable on the subject I hope, but it seems pretty neutral.
That means Britain will get the lions share of the problem.
No, Britain is exempt from this measure (as mentioned in the last paragraph of that article).
No, it says we don't vote. Do we still get dobbed into an emergency cross-Europe solution?
I think the important point is that Britain is exempt and the EU cannot force us to accept these migrants.
Until they become EU citizens. When we can't block them.
So the issue is - when do they become EU citizens? And when they do - and surely, it is when not if? - how many more tens of millions of economic migrants will start making their way to Libya?
Do we have the right to deny those asylum seekers entry, or would it be granted (if they wished to come here) under freedom of movement?
We are not in Schengen so we have the right to deny entry to non EU citizens who came into the EU via another EU country. Meanwhile France has determined it has the right to secretly increase its shareholding in Renault. So if we left the EU, waving two fingers as we went, it may determine that it could move the Sunderland end of the Renault / Nissan alliance somewhere else. Toulouse?
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
I'd love to hear Ashdown's comments on this. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear LDs pontificate about decency, liberalism, human rights and protecting the vulnerable...when the reality is dirty, grubby, scheming, untrustworthy b******s to paraphrase Mr. Khan. Carmichael should stand down and give the voters a chance to pontificate on his character.
Indeed, my memory was actually milder than it should have been. This is what [edit] he said, according to the (very anti-SNP) Daily Record, at the time, I find on checking:
'Carmichael, who remains in charge of the Scotland Office during the general election campaign, said yesterday: “I know the person involved but I’m not going to go beyond that.
“This is not somebody in public life, it’s a civil servant – so he’s entitled to the inquiry being done properly.”'
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
I'd love to hear Ashdown's comments on this. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear LDs pontificate about decency, liberalism, human rights and protecting the vulnerable...when the reality is dirty, grubby, scheming, untrustworthy b******s to paraphrase Mr. Khan. Carmichael should stand down and give the voters a chance to pontificate on his character.
You are of course right about LDs. Was Carmichael right about the report and the remarks by Sturgeon?
Until they become EU citizens. When we can't block them.
So the issue is - when do they become EU citizens? And when they do - and surely, it is when not if? - how many more tens of millions of economic migrants will start making their way to Libya?
Subject to the very contentions decision in Rottmann v Freistaat Bayern [2010] QB 761 (CJEU) (which concerns deprivation of EU citizenship), EU citizenship is entirely parasitic on national citizenship (R v Secretary of State for the Home Department Ex parte Kaur [2001] 2 CMLR 24). So it will be a matter for the member states in which the migrants are settled to determine if and when they become citizens of the EU in accordance with their respective national law.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
I'd love to hear Ashdown's comments on this. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear LDs pontificate about decency, liberalism, human rights and protecting the vulnerable...when the reality is dirty, grubby, scheming, untrustworthy b******s to paraphrase Mr. Khan. Carmichael should stand down and give the voters a chance to pontificate on his character.
You are of course right about LDs. Was Carmichael right about the report and the remarks by Sturgeon?
Calum posted a tweet with Mr C's letter to Ms Sturgeon earlier on in this thread. It's pretty clearly a complete retraction.
What's wrong with five year terms? I know the political reason they fixed on the amount, but the principle always seemed sound to me even so - previous parliaments all had the option of going five years, even if they mostly did not, therefore when setting a fixed term it seemed reasonable to set it at that length, with no compelling reason why 4 is better.
I think there have been too many instances of governments hanging on for five years which would have been better ejected earlier: Brown in 2010, Major in 1997, Callaghan 1979 (granted, only 4 1/2 years), Macmillan/Douglas-Home in 1964.
I think these are damaging, and it increases the distance between voter and politicians for governments to continue for so long against the wishes of the electorate.
A government with a majority is not going to call an election if it thinks it will lose. It's opinion on this may be wrong of course. Without a fixed term it will be inevitably drawn to fiddle cut and run, to the detriment of the economy. True it could still try do do this every 5 years.
We are not in Schengen so we have the right to deny entry to non EU citizens who came into the EU via another EU country.
This is a misunderstanding. Our opt out from Schengen (Protocol 20 to the Treaties) only allows us to impose border controls in respect of those travelling from the EU for the purpose of verifying persons' right to be in the United Kingdom. It does not even allow us to require third country nationals who are family members of EU citizens to obtain a visa in advance of travel R (McCarthy) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] 2 CMLR 13. Our opt out from Schengen is a quite separate issue to whether a person has a substantive right to be in the United Kingdom under EU law.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Another good example of somebody putting career before party and country, 2 MSPs now at risk. It would be interesting to note whether Rennie was in the know, if so he should probably go as leader.
Not that either of you have a dog in the fight, so to speak...
I see, so the memo was correct, but mistaken. Very handy for the ambassador. When he got his copy, did he take the trouble to correct it?
If in 5 years time housing market affordability is not better for the under 35s the tories are going to be in trouble.
Big swing against them in private renters. Need to create the conditions to allow more houses to be built, stop pumping up the housing market with anti-market initiatives like Help to Sell etc.
I personally cannot believe that housing was hardly mentioned in the last campaign, given that it is 30-50% of people's incomes and outrageously expensive across swathes of central and southern England in particular. And given that the obvious solution, build more houses, is neither technologically difficult nor economically unaffordable. I am sure that Labour, in particular, is missing an open goal here.
We need about 4.5 million houses over the next decade and will probably build 1.5 million, 2 million absolute max. And they should be on average twice as big as the pitiful 800 sq feet average that we're building now. Building them will annoy NIMBYs in Hampshire NE or Huntingdon, but they wouldn't ever vote Labour anyway.
It's not rocket science. Harold Macmillan managed it. The total of private and public sector dwellings built when he was housing minister was about 450,000 per year. The public sector ones met Parker Morris standards. So they were larger in floor area than today's new private sector construction, although not as large as today's self-builds.
There'd need to be a range of policies, some of them left to local government or even parish councils. Some district councils tried bold initiatives in the past but they were then hauled over the coals by central government for 'breaching national planning policy'. Our policy to development really is outrageous, given that a housing shortage was developing even in the 1990s.
We are not in Schengen so we have the right to deny entry to non EU citizens who came into the EU via another EU country.
This is a misunderstanding. Our opt out from Schengen (Protocol 20 to the Treaties) only allows us to impose border controls in respect of those travelling from the EU for the purpose of verifying persons' right to be in the United Kingdom. It does not even allow us to require third country nationals who are family members of EU citizens to obtain a visa in advance of travel R (McCarthy) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] 2 CMLR 13. Our opt out from Schengen is a quite separate issue to whether a person has a substantive right to be in the United Kingdom under EU law.
So we can set up border controls to prevent non EU citizens from entering from another EU country then?
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Another good example of somebody putting career before party and country, 2 MSPs now at risk. It would be interesting to note whether Rennie was in the know, if so he should probably go as leader.
Not that either of you have a dog in the fight, so to speak...
I see, so the memo was correct, but mistaken. Very handy for the ambassador. When he got his copy, did he take the trouble to correct it?
Wel, Mr Carmichael does say "the details of that account are not correct" in his letter to Ms S.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
If Carmichael had a shred of honour or personal decency he would stand down and let the voters decide his fate at a byelection. The man is finished and so are his party in Scotland now. In all likelihood their chance of retaining Orkney in 2016 has just gone bye-bye.
Hmm. IIRC the SO civil servants were also being actively discussed in the media, with names named, as possible candidates for having done the leak. Just because Mr Carmichael wouldn't 'fess up till after the election. Just as well he is no longer SoSfSO.
I'd love to hear Ashdown's comments on this. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear LDs pontificate about decency, liberalism, human rights and protecting the vulnerable...when the reality is dirty, grubby, scheming, untrustworthy b******s to paraphrase Mr. Khan. Carmichael should stand down and give the voters a chance to pontificate on his character.
You are of course right about LDs. Was Carmichael right about the report and the remarks by Sturgeon?
Calum posted a tweet with Mr C's letter to Ms Sturgeon earlier on in this thread. It's pretty clearly a complete retraction.
Carmichael's offence was a resignation matter for a minister. But the memo existed and I thought he leaked it verbatim. Only later did the civil servant say he may have been mistaken. I suppose it's a bit pointless to ask just what Sturgeon did say that could be so misconstrued?
Lol. Carmichael said at the time: "The first time I saw the memo was in the pages of the Telegraph." He must've e-mailed it to them with his eyes shut.
So we can set up border controls to prevent non EU citizens from entering from another EU country then?
When did you last travel abroad? We already have border controls, whether a person travels to or from another member state of the EU (other than the Irish Republic) or a third country. The issue is not whether we can continue to do that, but whether persons will acquire the substantive right to enter the United Kingdom under EU law. At the moment, only EU citizens and their close family members (including spouses, civil partners and dependant children or parents (whether of the EU citizen or their spouse) from third countries) have a substantive right to enter the United Kingdom (TFEU, arts 20, 21 & 45; Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC, art 3(1)).
Lol. Carmichael said at the time: "The first time I saw the memo was in the pages of the Telegraph." He must've e-mailed it to them with his eyes shut.
In case anyone missed it and fancies spending half an hour laughing, the rather amusing Rory Bremner and Friends on the election. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vjft9
Calum posted a tweet with Mr C's letter to Ms Sturgeon earlier on in this thread. It's pretty clearly a complete retraction.
Carmichael's offence was a resignation matter for a minister. But the memo existed and I thought he leaked it verbatim. Only later did the civil servant say he may have been mistaken. I suppose it's a bit pointless to ask just what Sturgeon did say that could be so misconstrued?
The memo did exist and was leaked verbatim - but crucially it was not a verbatim minute of the meeting but a second-hand report written at third hand, IIRC. It was, however, obviously temptingly easy to put over as a direct record.
Your question was discussed at the time IIRC, including here, and I seem to recall there were some suggestions. I can't myself remember the details at this distance. One obvious possibility was that they were discussing the pros and cons of a Tory government vis a vis a Labour one. Obviously in SOME ways a Tory government is easier than a Labour one for the SNP to handle - if only because there is no need to keep Mr Miliband on side, for instance - but in others ...
In any case, however, I don't suppose les Francais will be at all pleased about ce demarche diplomatique ...
It seems unlikely Carmichael will voluntarily trigger one. That leaves the as yet uncommenced provisions of the Recall of MPs Act 2015. An MP is only becomes exposed to the possibility of a recall petition if any one of three recall conditions are met (s. 1(1)). The first and third conditions relate to convictions for offences under the criminal law. Although a charge of wilful misconduct in public office is possible, it seems highly unlikely to be brought. That leaves the second recall condition, which is:
[F]ollowing on from a report from the Committee on Standards in relation to the MP, the House of Commons orders the suspension of the MP from the service of the House for a specified period of the requisite length. [s. 1(4)]
The requisite length means at least a fortnite, or at least ten sitting days [s. 1(5)]. It would be astonishing if the Committee on Standards has any jurisdiction in this matter, given Carmichael was not an MP at the time, and it concerns behaviour in his capacity as a Minister of the Crown rather than as an MP.
In short, there is no way of triggering a by-election without Carmichael falling on his sword.
Lol. Carmichael said at the time: "The first time I saw the memo was in the pages of the Telegraph." He must've e-mailed it to them with his eyes shut.
It seems unlikely Carmichael will voluntarily trigger one. That leaves the as yet uncommenced provisions of the Recall of MPs Act 2015. An MP is only becomes exposed to the possibility of a recall petition if any one of three recall conditions are met (s. 1(1)). The first and third conditions relate to convictions for offences under the criminal law. Although a charge of wilful misconduct in public office is possible, it seems highly unlikely to be brought. That leaves the second recall condition, which is:
[F]ollowing on from a report from the Committee on Standards in relation to the MP, the House of Commons orders the suspension of the MP from the service of the House for a specified period of the requisite length. [s. 1(4)]
The requisite length means at least a fortnite, or at least ten sitting days [s. 1(5)]. It would be astonishing if the Committee on Standards has any jurisdiction in this matter, given Carmichael was not an MP at the time, and it concerns behaviour in his capacity as a Minister of the Crown rather than as an MP.
In short, there is no way of triggering a by-election without Carmichael falling on his sword.
Hm, interesting. What about the Official Secrets Act? (seriously.)
Carmichael was an idiot but that does not necessarily mean it would have much impact on Orkney and Shetland votes, both are fiercely independent, were part of Norway well before they were part of Scotland and are not natural SNP territory, the SNP polled 37%, 13% below its Scottish voteshare and of course Carmichael will not be up for reelection for 5 years if he stands again and is not the MSP
Carmichael was an idiot but that does not necessarily mean it would have much impact on Orkney and Shetland votes, both are fiercely independent, were part of Norway well before they were part of Scotland and are not natural SNP territory, the SNP polled 37%, 13% below its Scottish voteshare and of course Carmichael will not be up for reelection for 5 years if he stands again and is not the MSP
It was 38% - 37.8% actually - and Mr C's poll was 41.4%. Not much of a margin there. IIRC the SNP won in Shetland and it was only Mr C's personal vote in Orkney which kept him in. But as you say he will not be up for re-election.
Calum posted a tweet with Mr C's letter to Ms Sturgeon earlier on in this thread. It's pretty clearly a complete retraction.
Carmichael's offence was a resignation matter for a minister. But the memo existed and I thought he leaked it verbatim. Only later did the civil servant say he may have been mistaken. I suppose it's a bit pointless to ask just what Sturgeon did say that could be so misconstrued?
The memo did exist and was leaked verbatim - but crucially it was not a verbatim minute of the meeting but a second-hand report written at third hand, IIRC. It was, however, obviously temptingly easy to put over as a direct record.
Your question was discussed at the time IIRC, including here, and I seem to recall there were some suggestions. I can't myself remember the details at this distance. One obvious possibility was that they were discussing the pros and cons of a Tory government vis a vis a Labour one. Obviously in SOME ways a Tory government is easier than a Labour one for the SNP to handle - if only because there is no need to keep Mr Miliband on side, for instance - but in others ...
In any case, however, I don't suppose les Francais will be at all pleased about ce demarche diplomatique ...
PS also to answer Mr Flightpath's question - yes, IIRC the civil servant taking the note said he thought he might have got the wrng end of the stick, something lost in translation etc. But that was in the actual memo itself, as was much commented at the time.
Carmichael was an idiot but that does not necessarily mean it would have much impact on Orkney and Shetland votes, both are fiercely independent, were part of Norway well before they were part of Scotland and are not natural SNP territory, the SNP polled 37%, 13% below its Scottish voteshare and of course Carmichael will not be up for reelection for 5 years if he stands again and is not the MSP
The islands haven't been part of Norway since 1472
All they are asking for is a by-election - not his hide. Mind you, that was a pretty provocative piece of ministerial conduct as admitted in that letter - a bit like jumping up and down in front of a Sioux lodge, yelling na-na-na, and pointing at your own head.
What on earth is that he's photoshopped as wearing in the photo on that petition page?
The Metropolitan Police is continuing to spend half a million pounds a month investigating allegations against journalists, it has been revealed.
Inquiries into phone and computer hacking and corrupt payments have already topped £37 million since they were launched in the wake of the News of the World scandal in 2011.
But figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the spending is continuing apace, with the bill reaching almost £4 million for the last eight months alone.
This comes at a time when the force is having to make unprecedented budget cuts and has to find £800 million of savings in the next four years.
Hm, interesting. What about the Official Secrets Act? (seriously.)
At a stretch, there is section 3(1)(a) of the Official Secrets Act 1989. It provides that:
A person who is or has been a Crown servant... is guilty of an offence if without lawful authority he makes a damaging disclosure of ... any information, document or other article relating to international relations... being information or a document or article which is or has been in his possession by virtue of his position as a Crown servant.
Crown servant includes a Minister of the Crown (s. 12(1)(a)). A disclosure by a Crown servant is with lawful authority if, and only if, it is made in accordance with his official duty (s. 7(1)). A disclosure is damaging if it endangers the interests of the United Kingdom abroad or is likely to have that effect (s. 3(2)), and it may be inferred from the fact a document is confidential that it may have that effect (s. 3(3)).
It would require a very expansive of construction of the statute to obtain a conviction on this conduct, but the 1989 Act is a penal statute, and is accordingly to be strictly construed. In any event, no proceedings may be instituted for an offence contrary to s. 3(1)(a) without the consent of the Attorney General (s. (9)(1)) or at the suit of Her Majesty's Advocate. It is highly unlikely a prosecution would be considered in the public interest.
Hm, interesting. What about the Official Secrets Act? (seriously.)
At a stretch, there is section 3(1)(a) of the Official Secrets Act 1989. It provides that:
A person who is or has been a Crown servant... is guilty of an offence if without lawful authority he makes a damaging disclosure of ... any information, document or other article relating to international relations... being information or a document or article which is or has been in his possession by virtue of his position as a Crown servant.
Crown servant includes a Minister of the Crown (s. 12(1)(a)). A disclosure by a Crown servant is only with lawful authority if, and only if, it is made in accordance with his official duty (s. 7(1)). A disclosure is damaging if it endangers the interests of the United Kingdom abroad or is likely to have that effect (s. 3(2)), and it may be inferred from the fact a document is confidential that it may have that effect (s. 3(3)).
It would be require a very expansive of construction of the statute to obtain a conviction on this conduct, but the 1989 Act is a penal statute, and is accordingly to be strictly construed. In any event, no proceedings may be instituted for an offence contrary to s. 3(1)(a) without the consent of the Attorney General (s. (9)(1)) or at the suit of Her Majesty's Advocate. It is highly unlikely a prosecution would be considered in the public interest.
Alistair Carmichael: “Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation."
Have I read that correctly? He's saying getting found out, not actually doing it, would have required his resignation?
NB it's probably saved his seat, too (both the leak and it not being exposed until now). It will be interesting to see the SNP response. They should of course be magnanimous and move on, but I have my doubts...
The fat git should be hung drawn and quartered for the lying cheating unprincipled Libdem that he is.
So we can set up border controls to prevent non EU citizens from entering from another EU country then?
When did you last travel abroad? We already have border controls, whether a person travels to or from another member state of the EU (other than the Irish Republic) or a third country. The issue is not whether we can continue to do that, but whether persons will acquire the substantive right to enter the United Kingdom under EU law. At the moment, only EU citizens and their close family members (including spouses, civil partners and dependant children or parents (whether of the EU citizen or their spouse) from third countries) have a substantive right to enter the United Kingdom (TFEU, arts 20, 21 & 45; Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC, art 3(1)).
I am not sure that I was the one who introduced the phrase. I am writing from abroad even now. We do not have to accept a non EU citizen if we do not want to, even if he has already entered the EU. We are not in Schengen, the whole point of which was to have a reliable EU border and then free movement within. It follows that we do not have to accept a non EU citizen who wishes to enter via another EU country.
What a waste of money, given how many cases have been thrown out by the CPS and courts.
The only way the Met can redeem themselves now is if Piers Morgan ends up in front of a jury. He did after all write in his book about how to hack phones more than 10 years ago.
The Metropolitan Police is continuing to spend half a million pounds a month investigating allegations against journalists, it has been revealed.
Inquiries into phone and computer hacking and corrupt payments have already topped £37 million since they were launched in the wake of the News of the World scandal in 2011.
But figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the spending is continuing apace, with the bill reaching almost £4 million for the last eight months alone.
This comes at a time when the force is having to make unprecedented budget cuts and has to find £800 million of savings in the next four years.
Comments
Over 97% of the country is not built on.
Over 90% of England and Wales is countryside.
Nearly 90% of England alone is countryside.
When you have kids you have les money to spend on holidays, cars and the like.
The problem with the obsession over protecting the green belt is that we end up more and more paving over parks and removing the green and open spaces that people use.
As people live in the small proportion of the country that is built up that's what they imagine the country to be like, ignoring the vast proportion of the country that isn't like that.
Even in the South East apart from London most of the land is used as farmland not urban.
I know most people ignore it, but the failure to introduce a robust recall mechanism is one of the more outrageous failures of recent years in my view. Politicians running scared of the voters. And I don't like the easy acceptance of five-year terms for all the devolved assemblies and Parliaments that has followed the fixed-term Parliament's Act.
The Cabinet Office report said the civil servant who wrote the memo believed it to have been an accurate record of the conversation that took place between him and the French Consul General, but pointed out that he had already highlighted that it could have been "lost in translation".
The Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Haywood concluded that there was no reason to doubt that the civil servant recorded accurately what he thought he had heard.
The report said: "Senior officials who have worked with him say that he is reliable and has no history of inaccurate reporting, impropriety or security lapses.
"The Cabinet Secretary has concluded that there is no reason to doubt that he recorded accurately what he thought he had heard. There is no evidence of any political motivation or 'dirty tricks'."
With a 12% List vote last time and likely only just scraping 1 List seat, there will be a battle between the two of them for first place on the list.
https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/601756961827328000
But housing costs are so high right now. And that's with the base rate at 0.5%. It's hardly a surprise that people are wary about having kids.
Be interesting to see what the inquiry finds. I wonder if there's a market on whether it publishes its results before Chilcott.
The point I am getting at is that it is completely misleading - in terms of how we perceive land - to count acres (or hectares if you prefer) by land use without considering the context. A hundred-acre farm surrounded by other farms might be countryside, whereas a hundred-acre farm surrounded by a golf course on one side, an industrial unit on another, and housing estates on the other two sides is not countryside. It is probably semi-rural.
If you want to know what I mean, drive around Surrey, then drive around East Sussex. Surrey has largely lost its countryside character, East Sussex retains most of it.
Golf on the other hand strikes me as a pointless spectator sport, trudging round a golf course, trying to decipher the ball from a grey sky, pointless!
I see no problem with a farm surrounded by a golf course etc
Carmichael has been caught out being duplicitous and covering his tracks to try to cling onto a seat. The electorate were not given the information which it is clear he was always aware of and suppressed. He should now give the voters the chance to decide if they approve of his behaviour. Not in five years, now.
I went to Wentworth yesterday, and whilst it's quite a lot of standing around it's worth going to see just how good the professionals are.
Bunch of hypocrites you Nats - offended by everything, ashamed of nothing.
I think these are damaging, and it increases the distance between voter and politicians for governments to continue for so long against the wishes of the electorate.
I wonder if that's a quid pro quo for the SNP not forcing a by-election?
Ah, you don't and just like making things up to fit your own prejudiced worldview.
So he won't resign, at least not for now until the LD try to regroup, but that's curtains for his leadership ambitions.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/bigot-who-never-been-old-5320511
" jailed for four months for singing sectarian Billy Boys song"
http://nilbymouth.org/resources/history/
"Offensive sectarian language is still used in Scotland on a daily basis, with abusive terms such as “Hun” and “Orange bastard” being used negatively against Protestants (or those perceived to be) and others such as “Fenian” and “Tim” used negatively against Catholics (or those perceived to be). This reinforces religious and racial stereotypes as well as fuelling the divisions and conflict between the denominations and poeple of no religious denomination. "
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-europe-migrants-eu-idUSKBN0O71JF20150522
"The European Commission is set to propose next week that 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived by boat in Italy and Greece should be relocated across the continent in response to what it considers an emergency situation in both countries."
"The Commission has also set a quota system, based on a country's size and economic health, for those resettled migrants as well as for those relocated within the EU.'
That means Britain will get the lions share of the problem.
Cue right-wing press outrage.
Do we have the right to deny those asylum seekers entry, or would it be granted (if they wished to come here) under freedom of movement?
How very dare you???!!!!
Thanks, you can go now.
I'd agree it seems most who went on for the full five might well have been better not dragging it out, but the same argument applies to limiting it to less than 4.
I'm not immovable on the subject I hope, but it seems pretty neutral.
Afternoon all.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon says ex-Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael contested #GE2015 under "false pretences" http://bbc.in/1K9kmMB
Though what was her preference, Majority Con government or not?
Noticed that Ladbrooks had a post re By-election for Orkney, might have been a wind up.
So the issue is - when do they become EU citizens? And when they do - and surely, it is when not if? - how many more tens of millions of economic migrants will start making their way to Libya?
Not to mention it's a great way for ISIS to get some more of its maniacs over here.
Meanwhile France has determined it has the right to secretly increase its shareholding in Renault. So if we left the EU, waving two fingers as we went, it may determine that it could move the Sunderland end of the Renault / Nissan alliance somewhere else. Toulouse?
'Carmichael, who remains in charge of the Scotland Office during the general election campaign, said yesterday: “I know the person involved but I’m not going to go beyond that.
“This is not somebody in public life, it’s a civil servant – so he’s entitled to the inquiry being done properly.”'
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-secretary-alistair-carmichael-i-5465414
http://labourlist.org/2015/05/there-are-eight-people-vying-to-be-labours-london-mayoral-candidate/
There'd need to be a range of policies, some of them left to local government or even parish councils. Some district councils tried bold initiatives in the past but they were then hauled over the coals by central government for 'breaching national planning policy'. Our policy to development really is outrageous, given that a housing shortage was developing even in the 1990s.
http://www.snp.org/blog/post/2015/may/first-minister-carmichael-inquiry-findings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vjft9
Your question was discussed at the time IIRC, including here, and I seem to recall there were some suggestions. I can't myself remember the details at this distance. One obvious possibility was that they were discussing the pros and cons of a Tory government vis a vis a Labour one. Obviously in SOME ways a Tory government is easier than a Labour one for the SNP to handle - if only because there is no need to keep Mr Miliband on side, for instance - but in others ...
In any case, however, I don't suppose les Francais will be at all pleased about ce demarche diplomatique ...
In short, there is no way of triggering a by-election without Carmichael falling on his sword.
In short, there is no way of triggering a by-election without Carmichael falling on his sword.
Hm, interesting. What about the Official Secrets Act? (seriously.)
https://www.change.org/p/alistair-carmichael-mp-resign-as-an-mp
I wonder if Hill's will refund my stake money !!
Haha. I love how they think that the UK government has no jurisdiction over internal UK borders.
What on earth is that he's photoshopped as wearing in the photo on that petition page?
It would require a very expansive of construction of the statute to obtain a conviction on this conduct, but the 1989 Act is a penal statute, and is accordingly to be strictly construed. In any event, no proceedings may be instituted for an offence contrary to s. 3(1)(a) without the consent of the Attorney General (s. (9)(1)) or at the suit of Her Majesty's Advocate. It is highly unlikely a prosecution would be considered in the public interest.
It would be require a very expansive of construction of the statute to obtain a conviction on this conduct, but the 1989 Act is a penal statute, and is accordingly to be strictly construed. In any event, no proceedings may be instituted for an offence contrary to s. 3(1)(a) without the consent of the Attorney General (s. (9)(1)) or at the suit of Her Majesty's Advocate. It is highly unlikely a prosecution would be considered in the public interest.
Thank you; I did wonder.
We do not have to accept a non EU citizen if we do not want to, even if he has already entered the EU. We are not in Schengen, the whole point of which was to have a reliable EU border and then free movement within. It follows that we do not have to accept a non EU citizen who wishes to enter via another EU country.
The only way the Met can redeem themselves now is if Piers Morgan ends up in front of a jury. He did after all write in his book about how to hack phones more than 10 years ago.
Guido is on the case, comments below this definitely NSFW.
http://order-order.com/2015/05/22/friday-caption-contest-game-of-phones-edition/