politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Murder on the dancefloor?

1ST LIKE JEZZA

Bowing out would show that his run was purely about having an ego trip - if all he wanted was to spark a debate, he could have stayed on the outside and criticised the leadership race as it went along, but he's sold that 'debate' as an opportunity to let people have a wider pool to pick from in the actual contest. Bowing out and denying them that would show there was never any intent to offer a genuine alternative to the others, just get some publicity and some policy concessions. Not terrible goals, but not what he has since claimed he was after, I disagree he could bow out 'with honour' having gotten that.

If he should win, I should think he will have a few years - who of the current crop is going to lead a slew of defections, honestly - and he could bow out with honour if it looks like the country and party are not buying what he is selling.

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

Hertsmere_Pubgoer said:

O/T is George Osborne a cycling fan?
I was surprised to see him presenting the award to Froomy in Paris today

Not sure, he was there for an EU meeting

caplocks trouble sorry

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

I bet you were and you a married man.

Does Mrs TSE know your harem secret?

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

"means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised "

What does that even mean, and how would renationalisation fix it?

calum said:

Maybe as well as Corbyn, the political commentators and the bookies have possibly written off 53 year old Ken too early in the SLAB leadership race. In the ST today he indicates the race is neck and neck:

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/scotland/article1585827.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2015_07_25

Currently Ladbrokes have Ken on 12/1 and Kezia on 1/50. Interestingly when Ken last stood he got over 50% of the membership vote in the first round of a 3 horse race.

I (probably wisely) pay little attention to the SLAB shennanigans, but whenever I've seen her Dugdale has always seemed pretty run-of-the-mill to me. Mystifying how she's apparently such a hot favourite.

I still say they should get Johann "no nonsense" Lamont back.

Scrapheap_as_was said:

How is Sol doing for Mayor?

Didn't make the short list, which is good for him in the long term, mark my words, he'll be the Tory candidate in Buckingham in 2020

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

Beeching was the biggest railway vandal in history.

Scrapheap_as_was said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scrapheap_as_was said:

How is Sol doing for Mayor?

Didn't make the short list, which is good for him in the long term, mark my words, he'll be the Tory candidate in Buckingham in 2020

Now there's a thought to welcome me home... thanks muchly.

This will cheer you up, Liverpool spent £32.5m on Christian Benteke, the Emile Heskey de nos jours

Sol Campbell definitely won't be Mayor of London....at least there was some good news today!

Hertsmere_Pubgoer said:

O/T is George Osborne a cycling fan?
I was surprised to see him presenting the award to Froomy in Paris today

Perhaps a show of solidarity with someone who has had to suffer vile defamations regarding drug taking? At least nobody's chucked piss over Ozzy. So far.

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scrapheap_as_was said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scrapheap_as_was said:

How is Sol doing for Mayor?

Didn't make the short list, which is good for him in the long term, mark my words, he'll be the Tory candidate in Buckingham in 2020

Now there's a thought to welcome me home... thanks muchly.

This will cheer you up, Liverpool spent £32.5m on Christian Benteke, the Emile Heskey de nos jours

Emile Heskey has 62 caps for England. What a world we live in where that happened.

kle4 said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scrapheap_as_was said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Scrapheap_as_was said:

How is Sol doing for Mayor?

Didn't make the short list, which is good for him in the long term, mark my words, he'll be the Tory candidate in Buckingham in 2020

Now there's a thought to welcome me home... thanks muchly.

This will cheer you up, Liverpool spent £32.5m on Christian Benteke, the Emile Heskey de nos jours

Emile Heskey has 62 caps for England. What a world we live in where that happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pogPhUWPxk

Sunil_Prasannan said:

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

Beeching was the biggest railway vandal in history.

I doubt that those little old village lines would have helped alleviate my journey in on the central line, somehow.

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

I have to say, this use of metaphors in regard to betting is very...'creative'.

Relax. When you've been here a bit longer, you'll appreciate TSE's creativity with jammin song references into threads

MikeL said:

The risk of your house burning down is tiny but you still insure it.

My Dad always taught me to self-insure that particular risk

TheWhiteRabbit said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

Beeching was the biggest railway vandal in history.

I doubt that those little old village lines would have helped alleviate my journey in on the central line, somehow.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years ago.

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are only a few miles apart.

The Central line should have been built to 16ft diameter tunnel to allow main-line size trains to run between Ealing/Ruislip and Stratford. But CrossRail should help when it opens in 2018.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."

Train Operating Company profits are in the region of 2-4%. Hardly extortionate, and it would be easy for inefficiencies of a nationalise network to be greater than that.

The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

Beeching was the biggest railway vandal in history.

Or, alternatively, he saved the railways.

If Beeching had not happened, what would have happened to the network?

It would be a lot bigger than it is today.

Or a lot smaller, as increased losses led to an earlier Serpell-style report, and a larger hacking of the network.

Just read option C3!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpell_Report

Thatcher somewhat ignored the report, which every rail enthusiast should be grateful for.

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

stodge said:

FPT..

JosiasJessop said:

"someone is making a huge amount of money from commuters and passengers who have not seen measurable improvements to services in terms of increasing capacity."


The network needs more capacity because it is increasingly popular: passenger numbers are (from memory) higher than ever before (including the golden age of rail travel), and have doubled since privatisation.

Correlation does not equal causation, but BR managed a shrinking network for forty years. The privatised railways have looked after an expanding network for twenty. Renationalisation for the wrong reasons could undo much of that progress.

And is it too much to hope he mentioned railfreight? A big, glaring hole the pro-renationalisation peeps almost totally ignore.

That argument, however valid it might be, will be lost on the sardines crowding on to the 5.32 from Waterloo to Guildford every night. Yes, we know more people are travelling - is that because of the disadvantages of driving (especially around major towns and cities) as well as the rapidly growing population ?

Stand on the westbound platform of East Ham Station at 7am every weekday morning and you see the paradox of immigration and economic growth on the same overcrowded Tube.

Once again, Corbyn isn't arguing for a return to the bad old days of British Rail - he simply (and not unreasonably) wants to see the rail network run for the benefit of passengers and that means making sure track infrastructural improvements are prioritised and that the commuter paying thousands of pounds for an annual season ticket to stand in discomfort has at least some sense that their situation isn't just responded to by PR platitudes.

Beeching was the biggest railway vandal in history.

Or, alternatively, he saved the railways.

If Beeching had not happened, what would have happened to the network?

It would be a lot bigger than it is today.

Or a lot smaller, as increased losses led to an earlier Serpell-style report, and a larger hacking of the network.

Just read option C3!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpell_Report

Thatcher somewhat ignored the report, which every rail enthusiast should be grateful for.

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are geographically only a few miles apart.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years or so.

Sean_F said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

MikeL said:

I'm amazed so many Conservatives are cheering on Corbyn.

Sure it seems like a joke and sure it'll probably help Con win in 2020.

But who knows? Once you set a ball in motion there is no way of knowing where things will end up.

99% of people think Corbyn would lose GE 2020. But a few weeks ago 99% of people thought he had zero chance of becoming Lab leader.

Is it not a terrifying prospect that we may be just 5 years from Britain heading right back to the disastrous days of the 1970s?

Sure it may seem unlikely. But why even risk the chance of it?

The risk of your house burning down is tiny but you still insure it.

This demonization of Corbyn by the right-wingers can only mean one thing - they are worried about him.

Right wingers are cheering Corbyn on, as far as I can see.

So is the hard left.

Team Corbyn is an unstoppable alliance

On topic:

Nice article and attempt to ease his price out

Pulpstar said:

Sean_F said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

MikeL said:

I'm amazed so many Conservatives are cheering on Corbyn.

Sure it seems like a joke and sure it'll probably help Con win in 2020.

But who knows? Once you set a ball in motion there is no way of knowing where things will end up.

99% of people think Corbyn would lose GE 2020. But a few weeks ago 99% of people thought he had zero chance of becoming Lab leader.

Is it not a terrifying prospect that we may be just 5 years from Britain heading right back to the disastrous days of the 1970s?

Sure it may seem unlikely. But why even risk the chance of it?

The risk of your house burning down is tiny but you still insure it.

This demonization of Corbyn by the right-wingers can only mean one thing - they are worried about him.

Right wingers are cheering Corbyn on, as far as I can see.

So is the hard left.

Team Corbyn is an unstoppable alliance

JICIPM!

The_Apocalypse said:

I love how any criticism of the government = bitterness.

Charles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

I have to say, this use of metaphors in regard to betting is very...'creative'.

Relax. When you've been here a bit longer, you'll appreciate TSE's creativity with jammin song references into threads

I can't wait to see Conservatives: The Musical then!

No, no, no! It should be PoliticalBetting.com: The Musical!

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are geographically only a few miles apart.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years or so.

Beeching was bound to make some mistakes, given the size of the task given him. Yet he only gave recommendations which the governments of the day chose to accept or ignore. It should also be remembered that the railway's mindset was very much about contraction, and less about traffic patterns fifty years in the future.

And are you sure that aberration was down to Beeching? The railways had a big input into what was closed - hence my beloved Matlock to Buxton line closed when it was not even in the report, whilst the mid-Wales line was saved, allegedly because it served many Labour (i.e. government_ constituencies.

Beeching gets too much bad press IMHO. He was given a difficult task, and did it reasonably well.

Off-topic:

I've just discovered that my father-in-law was mentioned in the Wikileak cables. He was not too complementary of the government.

Jezza would be a very entertaining PM, but even he doubts that he would make it. He promised to serve the full five years. Five is not a vote of confidence in himself!

Sunil_Prasannan said:

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are geographically only a few miles apart.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years or so.

Beeching was bound to make some mistakes, given the size of the task given him. Yet he only gave recommendations which the governments of the day chose to accept or ignore. It should also be remembered that the railway's mindset was very much about contraction, and less about traffic patterns fifty years in the future.

And are you sure that aberration was down to Beeching? The railways had a big input into what was closed - hence my beloved Matlock to Buxton line closed when it was not even in the report, whilst the mid-Wales line was saved, allegedly because it served many Labour (i.e. government_ constituencies.

Beeching gets too much bad press IMHO. He was given a difficult task, and did it reasonably well.

Well, all of them are guilty of "Crimes against Our Railway Heritage"*

(* copyright the Continuity Anti-Beeching Front)

What are the sentencing guidelines for such crimes? Five days spent cutting 110-lb rail with a handsaw? A month of 3a.m. starts to light up and clean locos?

Interesting interview with Heath and European journalists on Ted Heath night on BBC Parliament on his view of Britain's role in the EEC

CNN/ORC- General Election vs. Clinton

Registered Voters
Clinton 51% (54%)
Bush 46% (41%)

Clinton 53% (57%)
Walker 44% (40%)

Clinton 56% (59%)
Trump 40% (35%)

Adults
Clinton 51% (54%)
Bush 46% (41%)

Clinton 54% (57%)
Walker 43% (38%)

Clinton 57% (59%)
Trump 38% (34%)

Registered Voters
Bush 48%
Sanders 47%

Sanders 48%
Walkers 43%

Sanders 59%
Trump 38%

Adults
Sanders 48%
Bush 47%

Sanders 48%
Walker 42%

Sanders 58%
Trump 38%
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2179399-cnn-orc-poll-2016-election-9-a-m-july-26-2015.html

Theuniondivvie said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I love how any criticism of the government = bitterness.

Charles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

I have to say, this use of metaphors in regard to betting is very...'creative'.

Relax. When you've been here a bit longer, you'll appreciate TSE's creativity with jammin song references into threads

I can't wait to see Conservatives: The Musical then!

No, no, no! It should be PoliticalBetting.com: The Musical!

That is Conservatives: The Musical, pretty much?
Lots of choruses, sub-Lloyd Weber, a bit samey.

Remind me, which party came up with this?

The new standings orders state that any MP must "accept that no member shall within or outwith the parliament publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group".

So the lots of choruses, much samey, really applies to the SNP not the Tories

Humans is on goodnight

TheScreamingEagles said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I love how any criticism of the government = bitterness.

Charles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

I have to say, this use of metaphors in regard to betting is very...'creative'.

Relax. When you've been here a bit longer, you'll appreciate TSE's creativity with jammin song references into threads

I can't wait to see Conservatives: The Musical then!

No, no, no! It should be PoliticalBetting.com: The Musical!

That is Conservatives: The Musical, pretty much?
Lots of choruses, sub-Lloyd Weber, a bit samey.

Remind me, which party came up with this?

The new standings orders state that any MP must "accept that no member shall within or outwith the parliament publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group".

So the lots of choruses, much samey, really applies to the SNP not the Tories

I am sure we could fit in "Donald, Where's your troosers" to keep them happy...

https://youtu.be/pDJflQfNUE8

Jeremy Corbyn is riding a tiger of populist enthusiasm. It's too late for him to risk dismounting. The eruption of outrage from the rebels without a clue would be volcanic.

Theuniondivvie said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

The_Apocalypse said:

I love how any criticism of the government = bitterness.

Charles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

The_Apocalypse said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

bigjohnowls said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

That series of Strictly Come Dancing always makes me angry, the cock up with the semi final voting still irks me to this day

Really surely you are not as mentally scarred as me with GE2015

I love Strictly, I was balls deep, as it were, on Lisa Snowden and Rachel Stevens

Jesus Christ....

Balls deep in a betting sense.

As Guest editor, I've done a few PB threads with the phrase "Balls Deep" in the headline

I have to say, this use of metaphors in regard to betting is very...'creative'.

Relax. When you've been here a bit longer, you'll appreciate TSE's creativity with jammin song references into threads

I can't wait to see Conservatives: The Musical then!

No, no, no! It should be PoliticalBetting.com: The Musical!

That is Conservatives: The Musical, pretty much?
Lots of choruses, sub-Lloyd Weber, a bit samey.

Remind me, which party came up with this?

The new standings orders state that any MP must "accept that no member shall within or outwith the parliament publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group".

So the lots of choruses, much samey, really applies to the SNP not the Tories

I'm glad that you accept that PB is just an arm of the Conservative party.

I don't accept that at all.

But me saying that is probably cause for Nicola to call a second referendum I guess.

'The actions of a few damage our reputation. Scandals make good headlines.'

Actually a Sergeant move would be yet another disaster for Labour. An undefeated Corbyn who thinks he has the right to set the policy agenda for the party would be calamitous. Even the perception that this was the case would make the 2020 election a walk in the park for the tories.

The sad truth, which Corbyn is so callously exposing, is that the gulf between what the average Labour member thinks and even those who vote Labour, let alone the rest of the country, has probably never been greater. The membership like him because he indulges their fantasies and supposed verities, verities that the public found to be disproven some time in the early 80s when Corbyn was first elected.

I can understand the desire, even desperation, for the sane in Labour to find some excuse to bring this chaos to an end. By the time it is finished the next election may already be over.

SeanT said:

Sean_F said:

SeanT said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

MikeL said:

I'm amazed so many Conservatives are cheering on Corbyn.

Sure it seems like a joke and sure it'll probably help Con win in 2020.

But who knows? Once you set a ball in motion there is no way of knowing where things will end up.

99% of people think Corbyn would lose GE 2020. But a few weeks ago 99% of people thought he had zero chance of becoming Lab leader.

Is it not a terrifying prospect that we may be just 5 years from Britain heading right back to the disastrous days of the 1970s?

Sure it may seem unlikely. But why even risk the chance of it?

The risk of your house burning down is tiny but you still insure it.

This demonization of Corbyn by the right-wingers can only mean one thing - they are worried about him.

Hilariously mendacious, mischievous article from Matthew d'Ancona

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/smart-tories-labour-jeremy-corbyn-mania-david-cameron?CMP

The Tories REALLY want Corbyn to win.

The selections of Michael Foot and IDS did not shift politics to the Left or Right respectively.

If Corbyn wins, that would only happen if the Tories lost their nerve, and decided they had to move left. And that would open up territory for UKIP.

Difficult to "lose your nerve" against such an obvious loon as Corbyn.

Quite apart from anything else, he will be so easily swiftboated. Just look at this:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19841217&id=iP49AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3074,3464356&hl=en

He really WAS a lover-of-Irish-terrorists and a sucker-up to violent Islamists.

However "principled" he is, I reckon he'd get 23% at a General Election.

He might unite the Left, and get 33% or so, but at the expense of uniting the Right. He could push the Conservative vote above 40%, and/or make Conservative and UKIP voters vote tactically for the candidate best placed to beat Labour.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are geographically only a few miles apart.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years or so.

Beeching was bound to make some mistakes, given the size of the task given him. Yet he only gave recommendations which the governments of the day chose to accept or ignore. It should also be remembered that the railway's mindset was very much about contraction, and less about traffic patterns fifty years in the future.

And are you sure that aberration was down to Beeching? The railways had a big input into what was closed - hence my beloved Matlock to Buxton line closed when it was not even in the report, whilst the mid-Wales line was saved, allegedly because it served many Labour (i.e. government_ constituencies.

Beeching gets too much bad press IMHO. He was given a difficult task, and did it reasonably well.

Well, all of them are guilty of "Crimes against Our Railway Heritage"*
(* copyright the Continuity Anti-Beeching Front)

It's symbolic of the back to the 50's mindset that exposure to Corbynite has on people that they are all rabbiting on about the disaster that was British Rail. I'm waiting for the Bolting Bros and Peter Sellers to make an appearance.

Flightpathl said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Still, Beeching left places like Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon as branch lines even though they are geographically only a few miles apart.

Luckily, quite a few railway lines have re-opened for public use (as opposed to preservation) in the last twenty years or so.

Beeching was bound to make some mistakes, given the size of the task given him. Yet he only gave recommendations which the governments of the day chose to accept or ignore. It should also be remembered that the railway's mindset was very much about contraction, and less about traffic patterns fifty years in the future.

And are you sure that aberration was down to Beeching? The railways had a big input into what was closed - hence my beloved Matlock to Buxton line closed when it was not even in the report, whilst the mid-Wales line was saved, allegedly because it served many Labour (i.e. government_ constituencies.

Beeching gets too much bad press IMHO. He was given a difficult task, and did it reasonably well.

Well, all of them are guilty of "Crimes against Our Railway Heritage"*
(* copyright the Continuity Anti-Beeching Front)

It's symbolic of the back to the 50's mindset that exposure to Corbynite has on people that they are all rabbiting on about the disaster that was British Rail. I'm waiting for the Bolting Bros and Peter Sellers to make an appearance.

And yet, British Rail's High Speed Trains first introduced in 1976 are still in use on East Coast main line, Cross Country services, East Midlands Trains, and on the Great Western.

Tissue_Price said:

antifrank said:

Jeremy Corbyn is riding a tiger of populist enthusiasm. It's too late for him to risk dismounting. The eruption of outrage from the rebels without a clue would be volcanic.

True, but Jeremy Corbyn strikes me as the kind of politician who wouldn't give a f*** about that.

This idea feels like a 6/1 shot - but if he's to withdraw before the ballot papers are printed he's only got about a week IIRC. Withdrawing after they're printed risks a truly magnificent spectacle.

The Tories can't be that lucky. Surely?

Has anyone yet given any thought to the magnificent spectacle of what a Corbyn led Shadow Cabinet would look like?

alex. said:

Has anyone yet given any thought to the magnificent spectacle of what a Corbyn led Shadow Cabinet would look like?

https://twitter.com/carlmaxim/status/624124491128553472

Flightpathl said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

SeanT said:

Sean_F said:

SeanT said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

MikeL said:

I'm amazed so many Conservatives are cheering on Corbyn.

Sure it seems like a joke and sure it'll probably help Con win in 2020.

But who knows? Once you set a ball in motion there is no way of knowing where things will end up.

99% of people think Corbyn would lose GE 2020. But a few weeks ago 99% of people thought he had zero chance of becoming Lab leader.

Is it not a terrifying prospect that we may be just 5 years from Britain heading right back to the disastrous days of the 1970s?

Sure it may seem unlikely. But why even risk the chance of it?

The risk of your house burning down is tiny but you still insure it.

This demonization of Corbyn by the right-wingers can only mean one thing - they are worried about him.

Hilariously mendacious, mischievous article from Matthew d'Ancona

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/smart-tories-labour-jeremy-corbyn-mania-david-cameron?CMP

The Tories REALLY want Corbyn to win.

The selections of Michael Foot and IDS did not shift politics to the Left or Right respectively.

If Corbyn wins, that would only happen if the Tories lost their nerve, and decided they had to move left. And that would open up territory for UKIP.

Difficult to "lose your nerve" against such an obvious loon as Corbyn.

Quite apart from anything else, he will be so easily swiftboated. Just look at this:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19841217&id=iP49AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3074,3464356&hl=en

He really WAS a lover-of-Irish-terrorists and a sucker-up to violent Islamists.

However "principled" he is, I reckon he'd get 23% at a General Election.

He lacks Miliband's "wonkiness"
He is articulate, unlike Miliband
You can see yourself talking over a pint with him, unlike Miliband.

You have become a joke. Talk over a pint? With that loon? I doubt anyone human would get past the Martin in McGuinness - never mind the General in Galtieri.
Why would anyone want to risk wasting their money over him? As for voting?

Ken Livingstone came up with this claim the other day. One small problem with it. Corbyn's teetotal