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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » JC getting better at PMQs but still work in progress

SystemSystem Posts: 11,685
edited October 2015 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » JC getting better at PMQs but still work in progress

I was quite impressed with Corbyn at only his second PMQs. He came better prepared than his first outing and he had some good put downs for both Cameron and heckling CON back benches.

Read the full story here


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Comments

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    I liked Corbyn's sass today
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    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @DPJHodges: We have now reached the point where the leader of the opposition actually managing to ask a follow up question merits praise.
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    Corbyn was at at the bottom level...there is only one way to go..
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    runnymederunnymede Posts: 2,536
    I seem to recall some were impressed by Milliband at PMQs as well...
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    He did v well.
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    Good photo - Corbyn looks almost statesman like when flanked by Eagle and Watson.
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
    "But why didn’t he raise what has been the government’s main embarrassment this week – the ministerial split and later u-turn on the Saudi prison contract?After all he can claim some ownership of the issue."

    I think this was answered on the previous thread - if he had raised it, he'd have left himself exposed to Cameron pointing out Corbyn's links to the Middle East.
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    I suspect this is going to be the main news story

    Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse being treated for Ebola, has "deteriorated" and is "critically ill", says the Royal Free Hospital.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1569424/ebola-nurse-cafferkey-now-critically-ill

    (And someone should sellotape Katie Hopkins' gob)
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,773

    I liked Corbyn's sass today

    Is sass permitted ni the New Politics?
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    runnymede said:

    I seem to recall some were impressed by Milliband at PMQs as well...

    Hague used to do well at PMQ's too.
    Fat lot of good it did for him.
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    Corbyn has always been good at asking questions...his entire, long, career consists of him doing just that..It would be good to see him answer a few...without blowing a fuse...
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    kle4 said:

    I liked Corbyn's sass today

    Is sass permitted ni the New Politics?
    If it isn't, it should be.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    The new apparoach takes longer than previously. After letting it overrun, Bercow later complained that PMQs took too long and questions were asked too slowly.
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    The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that Jezza, for lack of a better word, is good. Jezza is right, Jezza works. Jezza clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the
    (R)evolutionary spirit. Jezza, in all of his forms; Jezza for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And Jezza, you mark my words, will not only save the Labour Party, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the UK.
    Thank you very much.
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    Bloody hell I agree with Caroline Lucas

    MPs have no protection from having their communications read by UK security agencies, a tribunal has said.

    Green Party politicians Caroline Lucas MP and Baroness Jenny Jones argued a long-standing doctrine protecting MPs' communications was being breached.

    But in a landmark decision the Investigatory Powers Tribunal said the so-called "Wilson Doctrine" was no bar to the incidental collection of data.

    Ms Lucas said the decision was a "body blow" for democracy.

    http://bbc.in/1NGJfoq
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419
    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    edited October 2015
    Just noticed Stephen Fry is to step down as the host QI and will be replaced by Sandi Toksvig. - Odd choice, isn’t she now a political party leader, albeit a minor one?
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    It might help if the speaker limited the questions to just one..some had a couple more tucked away in there
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    runnymede said:

    I seem to recall some were impressed by Milliband at PMQs as well...

    Hague used to do well at PMQ's too.
    Fat lot of good it did for him.
    Don't underestimate the importance of PMQs. Being good at it in front of his troops kept Hague in position through the parliament; IDS, by contrast, fell.
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    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    Didn't watch PMQs, but...

    Given where he started, Corbyn would appear impressive on any improvement.

    And it would have been very impressive if he'd managed to do worse.

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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    Don't underestimate the importance of PMQs. Being good at it in front of his troops kept Hague in position through the parliament; IDS, by contrast, fell.

    And Tories want Corbyn in post as long as possible...
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    William_HWilliam_H Posts: 346

    runnymede said:

    I seem to recall some were impressed by Milliband at PMQs as well...

    Hague used to do well at PMQ's too.
    Fat lot of good it did for him.
    Don't underestimate the importance of PMQs. Being good at it in front of his troops kept Hague in position through the parliament; IDS, by contrast, fell.
    It's perhaps less important for Corbyn since his "troops" are mostly committed to his destruction anyway.
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    isamisam Posts: 40,930
    edited October 2015
    Mike asks why JC didn't go on Saudi.. I think it would've been easy for Cam to say they had done the right thing and cancelled the bid. If they hadn't I'm sure Corbyn would have gone for that one

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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,997
    edited October 2015

    I suspect this is going to be the main news story

    Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse being treated for Ebola, has "deteriorated" and is "critically ill", says the Royal Free Hospital.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1569424/ebola-nurse-cafferkey-now-critically-ill

    (And someone should sellotape Katie Hopkins' gob)

    The BBC story says that she "had initially gone to an out of hours doctor in Glasgow on Monday of last week, but was sent home after being told she probably had a virus.”

    I’m very pro NHS, but really!
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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,621

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's how it worked in the Labour leadership election. Can't see why it can't be used in a strike ballot.
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,704

    I suspect this is going to be the main news story

    Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse being treated for Ebola, has "deteriorated" and is "critically ill", says the Royal Free Hospital.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1569424/ebola-nurse-cafferkey-now-critically-ill

    (And someone should sellotape Katie Hopkins' gob)

    The BBC story says that she "had initially gone to an out of hours doctor in Glasgow on Monday of last week, but was sent home after being told she probably had a virus.”

    I’m very pro NHS, but really!
    thats the Scottish NHS for you!
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    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    edited October 2015
    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's how it worked in the Labour leadership election. Can't see why it can't be used in a strike ballot.
    Lol - and there were absolutely no problems whatsoever with the Labour leadership election.
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190

    I suspect this is going to be the main news story

    Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse being treated for Ebola, has "deteriorated" and is "critically ill", says the Royal Free Hospital.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1569424/ebola-nurse-cafferkey-now-critically-ill

    (And someone should sellotape Katie Hopkins' gob)

    The BBC story says that she "had initially gone to an out of hours doctor in Glasgow on Monday of last week, but was sent home after being told she probably had a virus.”

    I’m very pro NHS, but really!
    You'd think she would have been given someone specific to contact in the event that she felt unwell.
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    Is sass permitted ni the New Politics?

    Sass warfare???
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    DearPBDearPB Posts: 439
    Cameron's trouble is that he'll always look super shiny and polished (and therefore a bit of a bully) when up against someone who apparently buys his mismatched clothes at a charity shop. Maybe he should dress down next week.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    I hated it - better than last time in terms of follow-ups, but its boring and Cameron barely looks at his notes - this isn't troubling him.
    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    I cannot believe that the Doctor whp saw her sent her home..The alarm bells must have been deafening..
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    DearPBDearPB Posts: 439
    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,997
    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    Someone came on our Town's Facebook page saying he’d been asked to send one in, and did anyone have any ideas?
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    The precise calculation of the tax credit one was a giveaway.
    DearPB said:

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
  • Options
    DearPBDearPB Posts: 439

    I hated it - better than last time in terms of follow-ups, but its boring and Cameron barely looks at his notes - this isn't troubling him.

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    You feel he wants to say - "it's all much too complicated for you to understand, you pathetic little man." And while I'd want to say that too in his position, it probably wouldn't go down that well!
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    edited October 2015

    I cannot believe that the Doctor whp saw her sent her home..The alarm bells must have been deafening..

    Indeed – given her medical history and high profile, I’m surprised an immediate referral system was not in place for the first time she sneezed. – The GP dropped the ball on this one.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,929

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's how it worked in the Labour leadership election. Can't see why it can't be used in a strike ballot.
    For all Labour's woes, the technical side of the ballot ran very very smoothly indeed. I think so long as there is the same level of safeguard as AML/KYC (Passport/driving license #s) financial checks wrt registering it can be a goer. Probably more secure than a postal ballot tbh.
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    Why the Patient..as a Nurse who had recently suffered all of the symptoms of Ebola , did not tell the doctor where to shove it and demand some Hospital attention, even if was just to be put into an Isolation ward..Sometimes Doctors can be a serious threat to ones health..
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    edited October 2015
    DearPB said:

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
    They're all made up anyway. The numbers are too precise.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419
    felix said:

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's how it worked in the Labour leadership election. Can't see why it can't be used in a strike ballot.
    Lol - and there were absolutely no problems whatsoever with the Labour leadership election.
    None that wouldn't have been replicated with a paper ballot. Indeed, given the extra logistics, none that wouldn't have been worse with a paper ballot.

    If you start off with a dodgy electoral roll then you will always have problems.
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    Just noticed Stephen Fry is to step down as the host QI and will be replaced by Sandi Toksvig. - Odd choice, isn’t she now a political party leader, albeit a minor one?

    Women's Equality Party
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's how it worked in the Labour leadership election. Can't see why it can't be used in a strike ballot.
    Because it is inherently insecure and open to all sorts of abuse. The fact that Labour's hilariously bodged leadership election used it is not a positive.
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    Pro_RataPro_Rata Posts: 4,813
    Charles said:


    Pro_Rata said:



    Oh for the day when a whole raft of common mental and behavioural conditions can be not only explained but moreover diagnosed by directly measuring the underlying genetics and biochemistry rather than by primarily classifying illness with the type of questionnaire based diagnosis that the DSM system codifies, with all its associated pitfalls.

    It's coming. Biomarkers are the most important area of research right now.

    Much as the analytics being brought to bear on the genome are a good thing, they are just one part of the picture. Markers are just that, markers - some may lead back to whether a gene is switched one or off, some may directly affect how a receptor protein in the brain is built and folded and how well that receptor works. A majority will just be unrelated markers that just ride alongside the illness under study as common inheritance.

    Such markers are at least objectively present or absent, but their relationship to an underlying disease is generally going to be probabilistic unless and until how the underlying biological processes work are fully known.

    I'm not so up to date with the biochemical research, but I hope their methodologies are much quicker than they were 20 years ago, because they are going to be getting an unbelievable number of clues to follow up on.
  • Options
    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474

    I suspect this is going to be the main news story

    Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse being treated for Ebola, has "deteriorated" and is "critically ill", says the Royal Free Hospital.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1569424/ebola-nurse-cafferkey-now-critically-ill

    (And someone should sellotape Katie Hopkins' gob)

    The BBC story says that she "had initially gone to an out of hours doctor in Glasgow on Monday of last week, but was sent home after being told she probably had a virus.”

    They were correct, she did have a virus. Ebola.


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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,621
    watford30 said:

    DearPB said:

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
    They're all made up anyway. The numbers are too precise.
    Is £450,000.00 for a starter home precise enough for you?
  • Options
    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
  • Options
    Kevin_McCandlessKevin_McCandless Posts: 392
    edited October 2015
    DearPB said:

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
    The Internet + Folk with time on their hands = Not until the heat death of the universe.
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    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 18,793

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Doesn't matter. they're up against Worzel Gummidge and the Noncefinder General. They could crucify peasants on College Green whilst wearing top hat and white tie and servicing the heads of many, many dead pigs, and they'd still win. Labour is not at home to Mr Winning at the moment and is sat in the corner frantically having a cry-w**k whilst the visiting vicar looks on aghast.

    Pause

    I may have gotten a bit carried away there...:-)
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474

    watford30 said:

    DearPB said:

    chestnut said:

    Impressive is seriously over-egging the pudding.

    He drifted off to Turkey in his opening statement (he seems incapable of avoiding bringing up the region) and then did his dull LBC radio-chat-show host questioning before drifting into miffed, sanctimonious lecturer. Miliband's unkempt dad.

    It's a matter of time before one of his e-mails is showed up to be fabricated unless his team are thoroughly checking them. hoho.

    How long can it go on before people stop sending him any?
    They're all made up anyway. The numbers are too precise.
    Is £450,000.00 for a starter home precise enough for you?
    Next week 'Michael Green' and 'Sebastian Fox' will be two of those writing in on whichever topics Mr Toad and Jezzer deem suitable.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,997

    Why the Patient..as a Nurse who had recently suffered all of the symptoms of Ebola , did not tell the doctor where to shove it and demand some Hospital attention, even if was just to be put into an Isolation ward..Sometimes Doctors can be a serious threat to ones health..

    IT does all sound very odd. However, until a couple of days ago the received wisdom appeared to be, other than among the (limited) cognoscenti, that once better, then better. However, I’m still surprised a) that she wasn’t admitted forthwith and b )that she didn’t ask to be admitted. And why go to an “out of hours” centre, where the mphasis is on GP type treatment (if any). Why not A&E, with it’s hospital orientation?

    Hope she’s eventually OK, anyway!
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    Two bed flats in Walthamstow start at about 250k..Unless you want a super dooper three bed two bath number...as a starter home
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    The problem with electronic voting is that even if you have an apparently safe system, you'd never know whether someone has come up with a new way of hacking in. It's not like you can check which way you've voted.
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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,621

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
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    JonathanDJonathanD Posts: 2,400

    Why the Patient..as a Nurse who had recently suffered all of the symptoms of Ebola , did not tell the doctor where to shove it and demand some Hospital attention, even if was just to be put into an Isolation ward..Sometimes Doctors can be a serious threat to ones health..

    IT does all sound very odd. However, until a couple of days ago the received wisdom appeared to be, other than among the (limited) cognoscenti, that once better, then better. However, I’m still surprised a) that she wasn’t admitted forthwith and b )that she didn’t ask to be admitted. And why go to an “out of hours” centre, where the mphasis is on GP type treatment (if any). Why not A&E, with it’s hospital orientation?

    Hope she’s eventually OK, anyway!
    She does seem to have been terribly unlucky; to first of all been infected in Sierra Leone despite wearing the full protective gear and then to regress after a year, something previously not thought possible. The GP missing her illness is almost a sidenote in the catalogue of unfortunateness.
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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,704

    I cannot believe that the Doctor whp saw her sent her home..The alarm bells must have been deafening..

    you would have thought, especially if she was known to have been 'the nurse which had ebola', surely that would have meant even the smallest issue should have sent her to be checked carefully.

    Not least becuase her immune system should have been much less due to all the drugs and antibotics etc.
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    But that is the way one can register to vote. If the electoral roll is open to rigging in any number of ways then there is a problem far more serious than the occasional strike ballot.
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    John_MJohn_M Posts: 7,503
    edited October 2015
    Pro_Rata said:

    Charles said:


    Pro_Rata said:



    Oh for the day when a whole raft of common mental and behavioural conditions can be not only explained but moreover diagnosed by directly measuring the underlying genetics and biochemistry rather than by primarily classifying illness with the type of questionnaire based diagnosis that the DSM system codifies, with all its associated pitfalls.

    It's coming. Biomarkers are the most important area of research right now.

    Much as the analytics being brought to bear on the genome are a good thing, they are just one part of the picture. Markers are just that, markers - some may lead back to whether a gene is switched one or off, some may directly affect how a receptor protein in the brain is built and folded and how well that receptor works. A majority will just be unrelated markers that just ride alongside the illness under study as common inheritance.

    Such markers are at least objectively present or absent, but their relationship to an underlying disease is generally going to be probabilistic unless and until how the underlying biological processes work are fully known.

    I'm not so up to date with the biochemical research, but I hope their methodologies are much quicker than they were 20 years ago, because they are going to be getting an unbelievable number of clues to follow up on.
    I was pretty hopeful when the human genome was sequenced, and there's been some impressive work since.

    However, the more I learn about epigenetics, the more I appreciate (and wonder at!) the complexity of Mother Nature. She doesn't give up Her secrets easily.
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419
    JEO said:

    The problem with electronic voting is that even if you have an apparently safe system, you'd never know whether someone has come up with a new way of hacking in. It's not like you can check which way you've voted.

    The ERS (or whoever) would know. While it would be embarrassing for them to admit it, it would be a great deal more embarrassing (indeed, fatal), to not admit it and then for it to be found out.

    Besides, security software can be pretty robust these days. The efforts that would be needed would not be worth the cost (or, for that matter, the risk).
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    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    But that is the way one can register to vote. If the electoral roll is open to rigging in any number of ways then there is a problem far more serious than the occasional strike ballot.

    Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.

    - Stalin.
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    richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    SB The Doctor, under the circumstances and having some knowledge of her medical history which I feel sure would have been provided, had two options..tell her she had a virus and send her home...or quietly crap himself , call for an emergency Ambulance and alert the hospital to prepare an isolation room...this chap took the first option...I wonder why
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Firstly, there is a physical record of postal votes received. Secondly, limited numbers of postal votes are dispatched, and those to many known and registered addresses. This means any fraud is either small-scale, or has to involve many, many people to have a widespread and noticeable effect. It is also possible to detect fraud after an election.

    Computer hacking of e-voting, by either an outsider, man-in-the-middle, or the organisation itself could alter thousands of vote with one button. It would also be much harder to detect.

    Note: I'm not in favour of the PV system we have at the moment either: the reasons for having a PV needs cutting back.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656

    JEO said:

    The problem with electronic voting is that even if you have an apparently safe system, you'd never know whether someone has come up with a new way of hacking in. It's not like you can check which way you've voted.

    The ERS (or whoever) would know. While it would be embarrassing for them to admit it, it would be a great deal more embarrassing (indeed, fatal), to not admit it and then for it to be found out.

    Besides, security software can be pretty robust these days. The efforts that would be needed would not be worth the cost (or, for that matter, the risk).
    Would they really? The NSA have admitted to Congress that Edward Snowden was skilled enough that they don't really know what he has accessed and what he has not. Even stuff they thought he couldn't access he has released.

    And I don't believe that the efforts needed to rig elections wouldn't be worth it to someone. I'm sure the Russians would love to encourage industrial unrest in the UK.
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    SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    edited October 2015
    On previous topic:

    I watched and commented live here the whole debate last night, I can assure you that Hillary was beaten by Sanders and especially O'Malley, in fact she was at the same levels as Chafee which isn't stellar.

    O'Malley had the most polished and solid performance despite the occasional loop into green energy, he had a better than average closing statement. Rating 7/10

    Sanders was bumpy raging from a good performance on the economy to a terrible one on gun control, his best moment was at Hillary's emails. Rating 6/10

    Hillary was terrible on the economy ("I represented Wall Street" for example), foreign affairs, and domestic affairs (especially the accusation of being a weather-vane), she was good on immigration and her emails thanks to Sanders and used her gender many times to sideline questions (like Obama's 3rd term). Rating 5/10

    Chaffe was pretty generic and average, so average that on average he was without bumps or good moments (the exception was Glass-Steagal when he said he didn't knew what he voted for). Rating 5/10

    Webb is in the wrong party, "I'm a liberal republcan" "I support nuclear power" are just an example of how badly he came out in the democratic primary debate. Rating 1/10.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,311
    edited October 2015

    For those who believe e-voting is a good idea:

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3_0x6oaDmI


    and

    www.openrightsgroup.org/ourwork/successes/evoting

    In 2004, India had adopted Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for its elections to the Parliament with 380 million voters had cast their ballots using more than a million voting machines.[13] The Indian EVMs are designed and developed by two Government Owned Defense Equipment Manufacturing Units, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). Both systems are identical, and are developed to the specifications of Election Commission of India. The System is a set of two devices running on 6V batteries. One device, the Voting Unit is used by the Voter, and another device called the Control Unit is operated by the Electoral Officer. Both units are connected by a 5 meter cable. The Voting unit has a Blue Button for every candidate, the unit can hold 16 candidates, but up to 4 units can be chained, to accommodate 64 candidates. The Control Units has Three buttons on the surface, namely, one button to release a single vote, one button to see the total number of vote cast till now, and one button to close the election process. The result button is hidden and sealed, It cannot be pressed unless the Close button is already pressed.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voting
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    John_MJohn_M Posts: 7,503

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Firstly, there is a physical record of postal votes received. Secondly, limited numbers of postal votes are dispatched, and those to many known and registered addresses. This means any fraud is either small-scale, or has to involve many, many people to have a widespread and noticeable effect. It is also possible to detect fraud after an election.

    Computer hacking of e-voting, by either an outsider, man-in-the-middle, or the organisation itself could alter thousands of vote with one button. It would also be much harder to detect.

    Note: I'm not in favour of the PV system we have at the moment either: the reasons for having a PV needs cutting back.
    I used to be a medium sized deal doing software assurance and security analysis in Cheltenham. It's hard to write secure software. NASA are still probably the 'varsity, but their cost per LoC is astronomical (ho, ho!).
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,997
    edited October 2015

    SB The Doctor, under the circumstances and having some knowledge of her medical history which I feel sure would have been provided, had two options..tell her she had a virus and send her home...or quietly crap himself , call for an emergency Ambulance and alert the hospital to prepare an isolation room...this chap took the first option...I wonder why

    S/he was of course, right; she did have a virus! Just a particularly nasty one.

    In his/her own interests s/he ought now to get themselves checked out, I would have thought.
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    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    But that is the way one can register to vote. If the electoral roll is open to rigging in any number of ways then there is a problem far more serious than the occasional strike ballot.

    Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.

    - Stalin.
    "I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this—who will count the votes, and how."
    https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    For those who believe e-voting is a good idea:

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3_0x6oaDmI


    and

    www.openrightsgroup.org/ourwork/successes/evoting

    In 2004, India had adopted Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for its elections to the Parliament with 380 million voters had cast their ballots using more than a million voting machines.[13] The Indian EVMs are designed and developed by two Government Owned Defense Equipment Manufacturing Units, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). Both systems are identical, and are developed to the specifications of Election Commission of India. The System is a set of two devices running on 6V batteries. One device, the Voting Unit is used by the Voter, and another device called the Control Unit is operated by the Electoral Officer. Both units are connected by a 5 meter cable. The Voting unit has a Blue Button for every candidate, the unit can hold 16 candidates, but up to 4 units can be chained, to accommodate 64 candidates. The Control Units has Three buttons on the surface, namely, one button to release a single vote, one button to see the total number of vote cast till now, and one button to close the election process. The result button is hidden and sealed, It cannot be pressed unless the Close button is already pressed.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voting
    The Indian system is a different thing. It involves electronic voting machines in a polling station, whereas we are talking about electronic voting from home. They are very different beasts, and the Indian e-polling system has security concerns as well, afaicr.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    The new Spectator cover looks incendiary ;)

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    "God is on your side? Is He a Conservative? The Devil's on my side, he's a good Communist."
    https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    TGOHF said:

    The new Spectator cover looks incendiary ;)

    They will rue the day...
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
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    Postal voting is *so* 20th century! :)
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    isamisam Posts: 40,930
    TGOHF said:

    The new Spectator cover looks incendiary ;)

    https://twitter.com/nicolasturgeon/status/654281220747096064
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
    Shareholders either have to post in their ballot or turn up on the day - just like a Uk election.

    Whether its a cross in a box or a button on a machine - as long as it is robust there are no complaints.

    Very different from texting in a vote.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
    Well, I do.

    If the flawed and bogus system is used for strike ballots, then not only does it risk the country being bought to its knees by undemocratic hacked (by whatever means) strikes, it will lead for Labour to call for e-voting in elections.

    I don't want us to get our feet even on the top step of that ladder down into the democratic sewers.
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    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
    Well, I do.

    If the flawed and bogus system is used for strike ballots, then not only does it risk the country being bought to its knees by undemocratic hacked (by whatever means) strikes, it will lead for Labour to call for e-voting in elections.

    I don't want us to get our feet even on the top step of that ladder down into the democratic sewers.
    I take it you don't use t'Internet for any financial transactions? Or do you?
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    But that is the way one can register to vote. If the electoral roll is open to rigging in any number of ways then there is a problem far more serious than the occasional strike ballot.

    Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.

    - Stalin.
    There are five aspects to a fair election:

    1. Free and relatively easy access to register parties and voters (and robust procedures to prevent fraudulent registration).
    2. Freedom for parties / candidates to campaign, and freedom for fair coverage in the media.
    3. Access for all registered voters to cast a vote, without undue (and particularly without biased) hindrance.
    4. An accurate and quick count of ballots cast, and publicly announced.
    5. That the results translate into action (i.e. a defeated government resigns and is replaced by that which won), peacefully and in line with due process.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028
    An interesting article in the Spectator.

    http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/we-let-programmers-run-our-lives-so-hows-their-moral-code/

    The comments under the line seem to understand the issue better than the author.

    The VW problem was not caused by software engineers. It was caused by the managers who decided to specify and use the software in this manner. The software engineers involved, the QA testers and others who would have known are complicit.

    But the blame lies with the management.
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    TGOHF said:

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
    Shareholders either have to post in their ballot or turn up on the day - just like a Uk election.

    Whether its a cross in a box or a button on a machine - as long as it is robust there are no complaints.

    Very different from texting in a vote.
    Shareholders can eVote can't they? Same as Building Society members etc
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    Tissue_PriceTissue_Price Posts: 9,039
    I had assumed the concern over strike ballots was intimidation, rather than the inherent security or otherwise of online voting.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,929
    edited October 2015


    The VW problem was not caused by software engineers.

    Lol, are you a software engineer yourself or some such :P ?

    "I was only following orders !"
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,028

    FPT

    Just catching up with PMQs, and I see Liz McInnes is calling for unions to be allowed to perform electronic balloting of members.

    I hope she resigns as an MP if she's so pig-thick as to believe that is workable.

    It's no more unworkable than postal voting.
    Yes, it is.

    PV is flawed but useful in some circumstances. Electronic voting is utterly flawed and totally useless.
    No it's not, providing there are adequate safeguards. As a minimum, a two-part PIN log-in to a secure website, hosted by an impartial organisation, where the PINs are sent by post to the eligible voters.
    That's totally open to rigging in any number of ways. Remember that the biggest vote scandal of recent years has been organised by a union in Falkirk.
    How is it open to rigging in a way that a postal vote is not?
    Mr H - you know and I know that the objections being raised are merely a smokescreen from those wanting to make it as difficult as possible to achieve a high turnout in a strike ballot.
    No, it's trying to stop us move step-by-step to an inherently insecure and bogus voting system.
    There are lots of organisations that use on line voting for important decisions. Share holders for corporate AGMs, for example.

    Whether those methods would be appropriate for political elections is another matter; I'd argue that an extra degree of reassurance is necessary there (hence open and public(ish) counts). But for a strike ballot I have no problem.
    Well, I do.

    If the flawed and bogus system is used for strike ballots, then not only does it risk the country being bought to its knees by undemocratic hacked (by whatever means) strikes, it will lead for Labour to call for e-voting in elections.

    I don't want us to get our feet even on the top step of that ladder down into the democratic sewers.
    I take it you don't use t'Internet for any financial transactions? Or do you?
    Relatively rarely (probably once every few months, more near Christmas), and I try to reduce the risks of doing so.

    But besides, that's missing the point.
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    BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 7,994
    edited October 2015
    Two observations about JC.

    1. I think Cameron, who has had a good schooling in manners, cannot help respecting the older mild-mannered bespectacled gentleman opposite. This is in contrast to Cameron's sneering disdain for Miliband. JC has the natural authority of an old-fashioned schollteacher and can silence the tittering from the opposite benches by a glance over the top of his glasses. This is a real strength and I think it is a natural gift.

    2. JC has a big problem with McDonnell. I have recently heard McDonnell tell two obvious porkies. One was on Panorama when he attempted to explain why Corbyn hadn't sung the National Anthem. The other is to say the U-Turn on Fiscal Strategy was caused by a visit to Redcar. It reminds me of Clegg's explanation on the Saturday after the 2010 election that he had changed his mind on austerity because of what happened in Greece that weekend. Telling porkies destroys trust. Corbyn must be very irritated with his friend McDonnell.

    I predict a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle next spring with McDonnell out, perhaps with Burnham to Shadow CoE and perhaps some other big names agreeing to join the Shadow Cabinet.

    I'm sure Cameron is not complacent about JC but may be puzzled in how best to combat him.

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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,150
    On the e-voting tangent, I think we need to distinguish between what's actually possible, which is something far more secure and easier to audit than any paper-based system to date, and what the pre-internet generation who would be in charge of selecting an actual system right now would implement, which would be a pile of pants.
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    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
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    runnymede said:

    I seem to recall some were impressed by Milliband at PMQs as well...

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/11/milifan-prime-minister-ed-miliband
  • Options
    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    surbiton said:

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
    But most of these people will lose out through not getting a rise in cash terms. I don't think they'll even notice that it has kept up with inflation, let alone start looking for someone to blame. Especially when inflation is pretty flat right now.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656

    An interesting article in the Spectator.

    http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/we-let-programmers-run-our-lives-so-hows-their-moral-code/

    The comments under the line seem to understand the issue better than the author.

    The VW problem was not caused by software engineers. It was caused by the managers who decided to specify and use the software in this manner. The software engineers involved, the QA testers and others who would have known are complicit.

    But the blame lies with the management.

    The blame lies with both, and all involved should be banned from working in the sector again, in my opinion.
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    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    surbiton said:

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
    1.8m families had tax credits completely taken off them in the last parliament.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,997
    edited October 2015
    JEO said:

    surbiton said:

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
    But most of these people will lose out through not getting a rise in cash terms. I don't think they'll even notice that it has kept up with inflation, let alone start looking for someone to blame. Especially when inflation is pretty flat right now.
    Rises haven’t kept up with inflation for some years now; if they’re beginning to that’s a good thing.
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    notmenotme Posts: 3,293
    His question about the tax credits was full of circumstances which cut off all the governments defences.
    The person was already earning what the national living wage will rise to, so the 70p increase in the national minimum wage, which would be worth £1,300 in extra wages. Already doing 40 hours, so the weird way that its not worth your while to do more than 16 hours no longer applies. The disabled child bit was just thrown in on top.

    In general the move away from having tax credits topping up employers to moving the level of the min wage is a pretty good way of transferring, rightly employment costs back to the employer.

    There are going to be some big big losers in this, which is why George must smooth out the changes. Reduce the tax credits in the incremental way that you are introducing the NLW to £9. Remember to someone currently on NMW thats the equivalent of a £4,800 pay increase putting their salary up to £17,316. With the personal tax allowance moving to £12,500.

    Lets look at 2010.
    In 2010 National Min Wage was £5.93 37hrs = £11,409.
    Personal tax allowance was £6,475, 20% over = £986 income tax £625 ni
    Take home pay: £10,575
    2015 (oct) national min wage £6.70 37 hrs = £12,890
    Personal tax allowance £10,600 = £458 income tax £579 ni
    Take home pay: £11,852
    2020 National living wage £9 37hrs = £17,316
    Personal tax allowance £12,500 = £963 tax (NI unknown, guess at £700
    Take home pay £15,653

    The Government cant let themselves lose the argument on this.
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    JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    edited October 2015

    JEO said:

    surbiton said:

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
    But most of these people will lose out through not getting a rise in cash terms. I don't think they'll even notice that it has kept up with inflation, let alone start looking for someone to blame. Especially when inflation is pretty flat right now.
    Rises haven’t kept up with inflation for some years now; if they’re beginning to that’s a good thing.
    It's not "beginning to keep up", it's vastly outstripping it. Inflation is negative and wage growth is almost 3%. By the time in-work benefits fall substantially behind inflation, people will have seen large increases in their wages.
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    notmenotme Posts: 3,293
    chestnut said:

    surbiton said:

    I'm utterly convinced the tax credit changes will be this government's 10p tax rate disaster

    Finally a reasonable Tory has woken up. It could be worse, It could be the Poll Tax.

    I noticed during the Tory Party conference, that "9 out of 10 will not lose" was changed to "8 out of 10 will not lose"

    2 out of 10 is one hell of a lot of people. And, they remember !
    1.8m families had tax credits completely taken off them in the last parliament.

    These were often quite small amounts at the higher end of the income scales. The big tax credit losers are those at the bottom of the scale. The government has a good story to tell on this.
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