FlyTheNest

AnatolyKasparov

When you consider everything it was a stonking performance from Welsh labour "ruthlessly efficient" is one way I heard it described this morning. As for PC, apart from the Rhonnda it was ordinary, spinning no doubt but they basically stood still, no new day for Wales quite yet then. Looki...

AnatolyKasparov

On the other hand, I suspect that the antisemitism media storm made absolutely not one iota of difference to the results today There is evidence it may have hurt Labour in a few places with substantial Jewish populations (a couple of seats they lost in Bury, for instance) Beyond that, however, not ...

AnatolyKasparov

The silver lining there is that I can think of few who could do a better job of discrediting the UKIP cause (and more quickly)

AnatolyKasparov

Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 2m2 minutes ago We criticise the Corbyn spin operation. But success in getting BBC to legitimise the ludicrous '2015 comparison' important moment. He can't help himself. In what way is that comparison "ludicrous"? Certainly it makes more sense in some ways to compar...

AnatolyKasparov

There were also quite a few council by-elections yesterday, including one in Barrow - where, of course, JC's stance on Trident has made Labour toxic for so many.

So here we go - Lab GAIN from Tory (erm, is that right? - BBC Political Ed)

AnatolyKasparov

I'm reminded of a previous election where the pre-set narrative was about Labour's collapse, but the eventual results didn't bear that out at all - and yet the reporting continued in that vein anyway. Was it the local elections last year? Both 2013 and 2014 were like that to some extent. I recall M...

AnatolyKasparov

RobertSnozers wrote:I'm reminded of a previous election where the pre-set narrative was about Labour's collapse, but the eventual results didn't bear that out at all - and yet the reporting continued in that vein anyway. Was it the local elections last year?

Both 2013 and 2014 were like that to some extent.

AnatolyKasparov

It appears that the LabourList site is currently down - great timing there

AnatolyKasparov

Labour "sources" allegedly briefing that they will have a net loss of "about 100" council seats. Actually slightly less than some have predicted......

AnatolyKasparov

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Talking of Tories and drugs, TRG, don't know if you saw it before but Toby Young coughed in the Observer to supplying Class A drugs.

He's got a school.

Isn't that rather a serious offence?

AnatolyKasparov

I really missed the experience of going to a polling station, and making the mark on the ballot paper in the voting booth. Postal voting isn't the same at all. Done that three times today - once for myself and two proxy votes for my parents (on holiday) PCC elections only here - in neither polling ...

AnatolyKasparov

Contesting elections legally can only happen after the result and is done by lodging what is called an election petition. The petition, which outlines why there should be a rerun of the election, can be submitted a candidate or by voters themselves if they are in a group of four or more. It is hand...

AnatolyKasparov

There is also a council by-election in Barnet today - its certainly not impossible to see strong calls for a rerun there if the result is close.

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, today's elections...... Can't say I am feeling supremely optimistic about Labour's chances tbh - council seat losses on four years ago are almost inevitable. At least it looks like we might hold onto second in Scotland now (the desperation of so much of the chatterati, both sides of the bor...

AnatolyKasparov

I get the impression Labour campaigners are actually cautiously optimistic in Bristol, FWIW.

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, today's elections...... Can't say I am feeling supremely optimistic about Labour's chances tbh - council seat losses on four years ago are almost inevitable. At least it looks like we might hold onto second in Scotland now (the desperation of so much of the chatterati, both sides of the bord...

AnatolyKasparov

Apparently what happened in Barnet was that only the "updates" register (ie those recently added) was sent to polling stations rather than the full electoral roll.

You might have thought somebody somewhere could have noticed a problem, wouldn't you?

AnatolyKasparov

citizenJA wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:I woke up this morning wondering where Seeeingclearly is, and hoping she's okay.
I've not received any message and am wondering the same

Didn't they post here just the other day?

AnatolyKasparov

PorFavor wrote:Fleeting mention of Barnet on the BBC TV news. A few seconds' worth and no background.

There are long standing restrictions on reporting elections whilst they are in progress, tbf.

AnatolyKasparov

No,then again we haven't got any local elections. But you have the PCC thing, no? That's actually how 2016 is unique in recent non-GE years - everybody in the UK is getting some sort of vote tomorrow. (this includes NI which has its Assembly elections, these have had if anything even less media cov...

AnatolyKasparov

HindleA wrote:http://labourlist.org/2016/05/labour-co ... itism-row/

Labour has confirmed the number of party members suspended in the row over anti-Semitism stands at 18.

Roughly 0.005% of the total membership, then.

AnatolyKasparov

She has come in for a fair amount of abuse for her stand, brave lady.

Of course, if (as we all hope) Zac does indeed crash and burn, there will be lots emerging from the woodwork to agree......

AnatolyKasparov

Ah yes, "absolutely no recollection" - in other words, "you've got me bang to rights even if you can't actually prove it".

AnatolyKasparov

Good morning. Much as I dislike Cruz, the world has just become a much scarier place now that Trump has no real opposition for the GOP nomination. The Tweets of Laura Kuensservativeberg have been monitored by people who go in for that sort of thing. For 5 days, every single one has been on the subj...

AnatolyKasparov

Not that surprising that some have a rose tinted view of BoJo's mayoralty as it comes to a close. Also, there will be those saying they would support a hypothetical Boris 3rd term bid as a way of expressing disapproval of Goldsmith's campaign. After transfers, that surely suggests Khan and Johnson w...

AnatolyKasparov

What the hell is that about PF? Former LibDem, now Labour Cllr thinks Jeremy Corbyn was "too slow off the mark" etc etc. I haven't actually seen the letter, though. But aren't they now ex Labour according to the bit you quoted? Aaaah - too too confusing. Welcome to politics in Portsmouth ...

AnatolyKasparov

It may be a powerful article, but Finkelstein is - it is fair to say - a deeply controversial character.

Freedland is an awful hack writer (all the more so in recent years) Let's leave it at that.

AnatolyKasparov

The bitterites know that conference could well strengthen Jez's position, that's why they are desperate to "do something" before then.

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, last night's "exclusive". Margaret Hodge, eh? Not only is she actually older than Corbyn, she has a fair amount of "baggage". If that is currently the best that the Bitterites can do...... This is as a stalking horse though - presumably if she did successfully trigger a ...

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, last night's "exclusive".

Margaret Hodge, eh? Not only is she actually older than Corbyn, she has a fair amount of "baggage".

If that is currently the best that the Bitterites can do......

AnatolyKasparov

It would only be possible if the parliamentary party put him on the ballot. Does he have much support among MPs? I actually might welcome PM Gove. I think he'd be a complete disaster and thus easier to beat in a subsequent GE than Boris or May. I think you're right. Gove as leader is a fantasy. The...

AnatolyKasparov

There are no council elections in ohso's part of the world, Willow - just the PCC. No council elections in Scotland (or Wales) until next year either.

AnatolyKasparov

It now seems that Livingstone isn't the only political veteran to put their foot in it. Gerry Adams

AnatolyKasparov

It (J McG's Hillsboro) is difficult to watch, but that is how it should be. Even if you don't agree with the "case" in every detail, it is an exceptional piece of drama.

AnatolyKasparov

Actually, posting dodgy stuff about "the Jews" et al is far from unknown amongst CyberNats (and has been seen with a handful of Greens too)

Maybe that's why they are staying silent?

AnatolyKasparov

Just switched on Radio 4 and the first thing I hear is an announcement of news interviews coming up 'we speak to a Labour donor who says the current crisis in Labour means he won't give them anymore funds. He says everytime his daughter goes out in public she gets 'Jew' shouted at her'. How is that...

AnatolyKasparov

I actually think that piece by Goldsmith is *so* OTT it might harm rather than help him. Naively optimistic?

AnatolyKasparov

To "foreign sex"?? I know its a typo but even so

AnatolyKasparov

Worryingly, some who know about such things and have observed Livingstone's demeanour in the past few days fear he may have the early stages of Alzheimers. Now that is a sad thought indeed :( The thing with Altzheimer's is that you can't tell without examining the brain, so there's no point in diag...

AnatolyKasparov

Worryingly, some who know about such things and have observed Livingstone's demeanour in the past few days fear he may have the early stages of Alzheimers. Now that is a sad thought indeed :( Yes that would be awful. Where on earth has that come from ...? Just some people with knowledge of such thi...

AnatolyKasparov

Worryingly, some who know about such things and have observed Livingstone's demeanour in the past few days fear he may have the early stages of Alzheimers.

Now that is a sad thought indeed

AnatolyKasparov

Well, I'm certainly not convinced about the Boris bit for starters......

Corbyn won't be there in 2020, I have always been pretty convinced of that.

His successor, I am almost equally convinced, will be somebody from the soft left who hasn't stood for the leadership before.

AnatolyKasparov

Here's the humour bath for the day .... What Dominiczak did get right was that those looking to destabilise Corbyn are trying to frame the issue not merely as right versus left, or indeed as anything personal (although, of course, it is exactly that), but as “Labour needs strong leadership”. The me...

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, that "joke" by Ian Austin. What a total and absolute 24-carat bellend

AnatolyKasparov

To be blunt about it, the Jewish population in GL isn't big enough to swing elections (save maybe in the most knife edge circumstances) No, as in 2012 this is an attempt to sow doubt in the minds of voters more generally. I doubt it will succeed in this instance, but am taking nothing for granted be...

AnatolyKasparov

I don't think JC has ever stated that, has he? The issue with him is his past association with some rather dubious types on the Palestinian (etc) side who may well hold such views...... I think you may have misunderstood me, I agree with your comment about KL's behaviour and that JC agrees with us,...

AnatolyKasparov

I don't think JC has ever stated that, has he? The issue with him is his past association with some rather dubious types on the Palestinian (etc) side who may well hold such views......

AnatolyKasparov

Livingstone implied (even if he did not explicitly state) that "Hitler was a Zionist".

That is a gross misreading of history - to put it at its most charitable - and one frequently seen in far-right circles. And, absolutely obviously, deeply hurtful and offensive.

AnatolyKasparov

Well, it seems the Torygraph's front page splash didn't even last a few hours......

AnatolyKasparov

Livingstone has led a charmed life for a while tbf (remember the Lutfur Rahman business, for instance) and I think there is a good chance he will be expelled from the party after due process (whilst it is surely virtually certain Naz Shah - who some pundits are now comparing favourably with Ken - wi...

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