Friday 8th April 2016

Maeght · Post by **Maeght** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:26 pm

tinybgoat wrote:
Temulkar wrote:
Maeght wrote: I don't think it is very funny. Probably they mean he has taken the letter box away to prevent anybody sending him embarrassing letters.

Where did you get it?
I think it's a ref to the PO box in Panama Blairmore was registered at. Not v good though.

Im still of the opinion he will brazen it out, though.

Temulkar wrote:
Maeght wrote: I don't think it is very funny. Probably they mean he has taken the letter box away to prevent anybody sending him embarrassing letters.

Where did you get it?
I think it's a ref to the PO box in Panama Blairmore was registered at. Not v good though.

Im still of the opinion he will brazen it out, though.
I think it might be a pun,
German for incubator is 'brutkasten',
which I think is also an investment account.
which is similar to 'briefkasten'
(letterbox)

I hope I'm wrong.

I think it's more likely a play on words about "Briefkastenfirma". A company that only has a letterbox and not an actual office . So it could be just commenting on Cameron saying he hasn't got any off-shore funds anymore.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:30 pm

Betting odds for Cameron's departure:

https://sports.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/bett ... 214602152/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:49 pm

HuffPostUK Politics Retweeted
Owen Bennett ‏@owenjbennett 8m8 minutes ago
Zac Goldsmith jokes about Boris's 'Johnson'. Penis. He means Boris's penis. The size of his penis. http://goo.gl/I99Ve2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Goldsmith really is scraping very very low. His comments about Khan in this are worse than the 'joke' about Boris.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:50 pm

Maeght wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
ohsocynical wrote: Sorry I can't either. I still can't download files or photos. I haven't found a fix yet.
Is this the one you wanted. Not sure how big it'll come out. Perhaps Refitman can work his magic.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5L8Qu ... LImXl=s135" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thank you very much Ohso. You did much better than me! I couldn't get anything. NeilBB seems to have managed it.

For some reason my computer has stopped all transfers of images and documents.
It's a Win10, or Google fault, but there doesn't seem to be a fix. I have a go every so often but nothing has worked. It's really irritating.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:50 pm

RebeccaRiots

Bozo's wedding tackle....yuk...so close to supper time too.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:51 pm

German humour seems to need a lot of explaining. And I still don't find it funny.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:53 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Maeght wrote:
ohsocynical wrote: Is this the one you wanted. Not sure how big it'll come out. Perhaps Refitman can work his magic.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5L8Qu ... LImXl=s135" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thank you very much Ohso. You did much better than me! I couldn't get anything. NeilBB seems to have managed it.

For some reason my computer has stopped all transfers of images and documents.
It's a Win10, or Google fault, but there doesn't seem to be a fix. I have a go every so often but nothing has worked. It's really irritating.

I can't cut & paste in Google Chrome on Win 10. It'll work in Microsoft's Edge browser which I don't want to use. Think it's all part of Windows 10's relentless drive to drive us mad.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:53 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
HuffPostUK Politics Retweeted
Owen Bennett ‏@owenjbennett 8m8 minutes ago
Zac Goldsmith jokes about Boris's 'Johnson'. Penis. He means Boris's penis. The size of his penis. http://goo.gl/I99Ve2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Goldsmith really is scraping very very low. His comments about Khan in this are worse than the 'joke' about Boris.

Has anyone else noticed how Conservatives revert to spiteful childish taunts and insults when they feel threatened.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 5:56 pm

Ben Riley-SmithVerified account
‏@benrileysmith
EXC: Cameron ordered every Tory MP to reveal tax affairs just 2 months after cashing in £30k from offshore trust. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04 ... thers-off/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Ben Riley-Smith ‏@benrileysmith 6m6 minutes ago
Every 2010 candidate made to hand over tax details + promise not to be non-dom in March. PM sold Blairmore stake in Jan.

How calculated does that make Cameron look?

He must have - stupidly - thought he'd cleaned himself up by selling the Blairmore stake. Pity he can't see what was so wrong about not declaring his potential conflict of interest whilst making speeches about offshore companies and trusts ....

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:02 pm

Ladbrokes 2/1 odds on Cam going have changed from 3/1 yesterday.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:03 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Ben Riley-SmithVerified account
‏@benrileysmith
EXC: Cameron ordered every Tory MP to reveal tax affairs just 2 months after cashing in £30k from offshore trust. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04 ... thers-off/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Ben Riley-Smith ‏@benrileysmith 6m6 minutes ago
Every 2010 candidate made to hand over tax details + promise not to be non-dom in March. PM sold Blairmore stake in Jan.
How calculated does that make Cameron look?

He must have - stupidly - thought he'd cleaned himself up by selling the Blairmore stake. Pity he can't see what was so wrong about not declaring his potential conflict of interest whilst making speeches about offshore companies and trusts ....

It's all very murky despite the media's attempts to smooth it over.

One blog pointed out that the minimum amount in the fund Dave cashed in had to be $100,000 dollars ... And he only cashed in £30,000 worth.
I know the exchange rate fluctuates, but there's no way that dollar amount only worth £30,000

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:03 pm

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:06 pm

Guardian politics ‏@GdnPolitics 2m2 minutes ago
Sajid Javid review could lead to business department axing 4,000 staff jobs http://d.gu.com/L0r1PB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ben Riley-Smith ‏@benrileysmith 3m3 minutes ago
Detailed McKinsey proposals suggest firing 4,000 civil servants, despite department supposedly in “full crisis mode” over steel.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:11 pm

The strategy paper has been leaked in the week that Labour called for Javid to be sacked over his laissez-faire approach to Tata’s withdrawal from UK steel operations, arguing he is ideologically wedded to small government and a hands-off approach to industry...

... Louise Haigh, a shadow civil service minister, said his officials working on the steel crisis will be devastated by the admission that the “secret cuts go further than even the chancellor thought possible”.

“As his dedicated civil servants are working all hours to get to grips with the steel crisis, Sajid Javid is concocting a secret plan to lay them off,” she said.
“Sajid Javid now has to come clean and explain why he is single-mindedly pressing ahead when his Department is in crisis mode, with steel is on it’s knees, productivity in free fall and millions of apprenticeships yet to be created.
“If he doesn’t rethink this ill conceived agenda it will raise serious questions about his judgment.”...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:15 pm

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:15 pm

That Lanzarote chill out 'time to think' must seem a very long while ago.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 6:21 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:That Lanzarote chill out 'time to think' must seem a very long while ago.

Makes you wonder whether he & Sam had stuffed their suitcases with cash to invest over there.

http://www.lowtax.net/information/spain ... -zone.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:02 pm

I was hoping that Cameron would go - but I think Robert is right; he'll cling on, and if the country votes to remain in the EU, he'll stay a while. IMHO.

What might make a difference is the Downing Street protest tomorrow - of course, that depends on whether it gets reported.....

Hello NeilBB - welcome. Have a coffee and a bit of cake.

Yahyah - glad things are improving. You've got a good doc there.

Re.German humour - my mother was German. The things she found funny were a complete mystery to me. But then she was a complete mystery to me.....My dad was a Geordie, and his humour was very dry.
He used to do up vintage cars, and bought her 2 presents one birthday. The little one was a piece of jewellery, but being my mum she opened the bigger one first. It was a carburettor for his ancient Riley. She threw it at him, wouldn't speak to him for weeks, and refused to open the "real" present. She never ever saw the joke.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:06 pm

#resigncameron - top trend for hours now, 141,000 Tweets.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:08 pm

StephenDolan wrote:Excellent detailed analysis of what was and wasn't said.

David Cameron's ITV interview: what he said and what he left out

http://gu.com/p/4t7fh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David Cameron:
"It has been a difficult few days, reading criticisms of my father and his business practices – my dad, a man I love and admire and miss every day.
I think a lot of the criticisms are based on a fundamental misconception, which is that Blairmore, a unit trust, was set up with the idea of avoiding
tax. It wasn't. It was subject to full UK taxation. The point is that it was a unit trust. So the money it had was other people's money on which they
pay tax. If you were a United Kingdom owner of these things you paid income tax on your dividends and you paid tax in the normal way."
[i]Guardian[/i] revealed wrote:"The profits made were not subject to UK tax. Blairmore ensured it paid no corporation tax or income tax on its profits in the UK
by avoiding having a “permanent establishment” in Britain.

Blairmore was not a normal unit trust. It was a collective investment scheme which, the prospectus states, could only be marketed
to “high net worth companies, high net worth unincorporated associations or partnerships, trustees of high value trusts and persons
who qualify as certified sophisticated investors”.

A prospectus issued by Blairmore Holdings in 2006 stated: "The directors intend that the affairs of the fund should be
managed and conducted so that it does not become resident in the United Kingdom for United Kingdom taxation purposes."

Ian Cameron and his fellow directors went to great lengths to ensure the fund was run from abroad. In some years, up to 50
signing officers in the Bahamas were retained to process paper work. Six of the 11 directors were based outside the UK. Each
year, directors jetted out to Switzerland and the Bahamas for board meetings.

Finally, Blairmore ensured it paid no tax in Panama, where it was incorporated, by having its base in the Bahamas."
http://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte ... SApp_Other

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:18 pm

Dave Cameron has given inaccurate information in the ITV interview

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:25 pm

Michael Crick ‏@MichaelLCrick 23m23 minutes ago
EXCLUSIVE. Cameron's father linked to 3rd offshore fund. On #C4News now

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:28 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016 ... escription" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Asthma inhalers celebrate 60th anniversary with debate on over-prescription

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:30 pm

Channel 4 News allowing Tories to waste time with "allegations" about Ken Livingstone's tax affairs. These were... he had a UK limited company. And he was paid to speak to a hedge fund. I kid you not.

Cameron apparently didn't like his dad being "traduced", according to Victoria Atkins. He could have revealed his offshore trust without mentioning his father.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:31 pm

City watchdog chief quits after George Osborne vote of no confidence
Martin Wheatley resigns from FCA before end of contract after criticism over confrontational
style in tackling banks & the City

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... ge-osborne" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Martin Wheatley quit as chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority after he was told earlier this
week by the chancellor that his five year contract would not be renewed next year. The chancellor’s vote of
no confidence immediately prompted speculation that it was Wheatley’s attacks on bank misbehaviour which
had generated a loss of support inside No 11.

John Mann MP, a member of the influential Treasury select committee, said the chancellor was “wrong”
and the decision “undermined the independence of the regulator”.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:36 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
HuffPostUK Politics Retweeted
Owen Bennett ‏@owenjbennett 8m8 minutes ago
Zac Goldsmith jokes about Boris's 'Johnson'. Penis. He means Boris's penis. The size of his penis. http://goo.gl/I99Ve2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Goldsmith really is scraping very very low. His comments about Khan in this are worse than the 'joke' about Boris.
Christ.

You all remember what we had, there was a cabal in City Hall wasn’t there? Of semi-Marxist, Hugo Chavez worshipping, high-taxing, high spending, garden grabbing, Chateau Neuf du Pape swilling, bendy-bus fetishists. Do you remember? And we got them out and guess where they are now. Where are they? They’re running the Labour Party. They’re Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.
Of course, with you, Boris, we had a cabal of Pinochet-worshipping, high taxing, Chateauneuf du Pape swilling, do-absolutely-nothing-of-value, Boris bus fetishists.

I'll take the former, thanks.

Anyway, didn't the deal with Chavez provide cheap fuel for TfL?

And those placards promising 'cleaner air' - wouldn't there have been more of that if Boris hadn't scrapped part of the congestion charge extension?

Being pedantic, he scrapped the whole of the extension. All that's left is the original 2003 zone, AFAIK.

Chavez deal did bring in cheap oil in return for some advice on managing traffic in Venezuela. I recall Angie Bray frothing about it. Am no fan of Chavez at all, and far too many leftists failed to call him on spunking oil revenue, but the idea that he was morally beyond the pale is ridiculous.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:41 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Channel 4 News allowing Tories to waste time with "allegations" about Ken Livingstone's tax affairs. These were... he had a UK limited company. And he was paid to speak to a hedge fund. I kid you not.

Cameron apparently didn't like his dad being "traduced", according to Victoria Atkins. He could have revealed his offshore trust without mentioning his father.

(my bold)

Good eye, Tubby Isaacs! I re-read the ITV interview and agree with your point.
As for Tories trashing whatever they can get their hands on, I'm unsurprised and dismayed.

"A limited company is an organisation that you can set up to run your business -
it's responsible in its own right for everything it does and its finances are separate
to your personal finances. Any profit it makes is owned by the company, after
it pays Corporation Tax."

- Limited company - Gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/business-legal-struc ... ed-company" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Livingstone's got an outfit paying UK corporation tax what the hell is the world coming to?
The nerve of that bastard Ken, heh?
I'm being sarcastic - I like Ken Livingstone.
I'd like Cameron tried and incarcerated too but that's a topic for another day, thank you, Ken.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:44 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016 ... escription

Asthma inhalers celebrate 60th anniversary with debate on over-prescription

I'm the only one in my family without respiratory health problems - how did I manage that?
it's terrifying watching someone not able to breathe

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:46 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
HuffPostUK Politics Retweeted
Owen Bennett ‏@owenjbennett 8m8 minutes ago
Zac Goldsmith jokes about Boris's 'Johnson'. Penis. He means Boris's penis. The size of his penis. http://goo.gl/I99Ve2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Goldsmith really is scraping very very low. His comments about Khan in this are worse than the 'joke' about Boris.
Has anyone else noticed how Conservatives revert to spiteful childish taunts and insults when they feel threatened.

Daily

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:47 pm

Cameron’s nuanced argument appears to contrast starkly with Barack Obama’s statement this week. The US president said at a press conference on Tuesday: “This is important stuff ... A lot of it is legal, but that’s exactly the problem. It’s not that they’re breaking the laws, it’s that the laws are so poorly designed that they allow people, if they’ve got enough lawyers and enough accountants, to wiggle out of responsibilities that ordinary citizens are having to abide by. When politicians perpetuate a system that favours the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, it’s not surprising that people feel like they can’t get ahead.”

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:54 pm

Hayley BarlowVerified account
‏@Hayley_Barlow

Channel 4 News also uncovers further funds bearing name PMG Eagle in tax havens of the Cayman Islands & the Bahamas.

Vordy · Post by **Vordy** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 7:58 pm

Oh happy day.

David Cameron sent this letter that helped keep offshore trusts secret.

Source:

http://uk.businessinsider.com/david-cam ... ter-2016-4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **refitman** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:04 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Cameron’s nuanced argument appears to contrast starkly with Barack Obama’s statement this week. The US president said at a press conference on Tuesday: “This is important stuff ... A lot of it is legal, but that’s exactly the problem. It’s not that they’re breaking the laws, it’s that the laws are so poorly designed that they allow people, if they’ve got enough lawyers and enough accountants, to wiggle out of responsibilities that ordinary citizens are having to abide by. When politicians perpetuate a system that favours the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, it’s not surprising that people feel like they can’t get ahead.”

Also worth noting that Obama has already taken action, to the degree that Pfizer have abandoned a merger that would have given it a presence in Ireland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35974998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's Cameron done?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:10 pm

refitman wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Cameron’s nuanced argument appears to contrast starkly with Barack Obama’s statement this week. The US president said at a press conference on Tuesday: “This is important stuff ... A lot of it is legal, but that’s exactly the problem. It’s not that they’re breaking the laws, it’s that the laws are so poorly designed that they allow people, if they’ve got enough lawyers and enough accountants, to wiggle out of responsibilities that ordinary citizens are having to abide by. When politicians perpetuate a system that favours the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, it’s not surprising that people feel like they can’t get ahead.”
Also worth noting that Obama has already taken action, to the degree that Pfizer have abandoned a merger that would have given it a presence in Ireland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35974998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's Cameron done?

A few things, to be fair. Jolyon Maugham gives them some credit for what he calls "technocratic" changes, which I presume build on David Gauke's knowledge. Maugham is nonetheless hugely critical overall.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:18 pm

TR'sGhost wrote:
tinybgoat wrote:I'm confused,
David Cameron has admitted to having bought/sold some shares before being PM & before his father's death. He still hasn't addressed any funds, presumably inherited by his mother, Mary.

http://news.carbon-future.co.uk/archives/12289

Is Blairmore Holdings a bit like Gringotts, in that you just have to have a key to a vault, and once in possession of a key can just take from the vault at will, as long as the withdrawal is under legal limits.
Like Gringotts nobody else needs to know how much is in the vault, or who has keys to the vault?
That's pretty much how the Swiss used to operate until the USA and EU leaned on them very heavily. If you had the required account number, password and, if applicable, key to your safe deposit box that was all that was required, no more questions asked and no bank employee would ever dream of finding out what items you had in that box. Privacy was all, and absolute privacy was what the banks sold.

Yep, the EU have done some good leaning on Switzerland. Next time some Tory talks about bankers "moving to Zurich" if Labour wins, it should be pointed out that the EU has made that less likely.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:21 pm

Mr Walker said "I have no intention of publishing my tax returns. And I tell you what, if we do publish tax returns, because people say nothing to fear, nothing to hide, I'll bring forward a private member's bill in parliament to ban curtains from people's homes.
"On the same basis, nothing to fear, nothing to hid. Why should I have my right to look in someone's home impinged by a curtain.[/i]

h[url]ttp://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/furious-t ... ar_twitter[/url]

Oh bless.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:26 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... bsidy-cuts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UK solar power installations plummet after government cuts

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:46 pm

Fallon lying again about the NHS,on Any Questions.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:50 pm

Charlotte Wright ‏@LBC_Charlotte Mar 18
Protestors on platform trying to get closer to Osborne. Seems media being held while they try to move them on @LBC

User Actions
Follow

Charlotte Wright
‏@LBC_Charlotte
Journos now being moved elsewhere so we can't film Chancellor coming out to face protesters (he's currently holed up in a portacabin) @LBC

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:53 pm

Steve Fx ©2016 ‏@bitgit 2h2 hours ago

Not one offshore fund, not two, but now three [and counting] … no wonder Dave's pacing his comments #c4news "We're all in it together"?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:00 pm

3 offshore funds and counting C4.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Krishnan Guru-MurthyVerified account
‏@krishgm
Exclusive: @channel4news finds third off-shore investment fund linked to David Cameron’s father http://bit.ly/1SF7X63" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:00 pm

Three local council byelections this week:

Perth and Kinross - Tory gain from SNP in a division that split 1Nat/1Con/1Ind last time and 1Nat/1Con/1LD back in 2007. On the face of it this was a smashing result for the Tories, who increased by fully 18 points on 2012 to close to half the first preference votes - but as the above account hints their vote was actually split then by a former Tory councillor who ran as an Independent and managed to get elected. With no Indy this time (as in 2007) a large part of that vote clearly "returned to the fold" - still, this continues a pretty encouraging run of results for the Tories north of the border (which, as will be seen, increasingly seems to be diverging from elsewhere!) and continues the trend of relatively anaemic showings for the SNP recently after they initially swept all before them in the wake of last May's electoral tsunami; their vote was slightly down to make a swing of about 10% from four years ago (though, interestingly, hardly any movement at all since 2007) Labour a distant third and also down - a tiny Lab-SNP swing, for what little that is worth here - but ahead of the LibDems who continued their rapid decline since getting a councillor elected in 2007 (and at FPTP contests in this area previously) UKIP last with just 2% - par for the course north of Hadrian's Wall.

East Yorkshire - Independent gain from Tory, which means a reversion to former days here in this ward where Independents won all three seats back in 2003, but they lost them all to the blue team in 2007 and after a further reverse four years later did not even stand on GE day. That made this division look very safe for the Tories, deceptively so as it proved. An Indy share of 38 per cent proved quite enough as the Tories dropped significantly on last year, whilst Labour also fell back slightly (but were actually up a little on 2011) LibDems have always previously shown up here this century, often polling respectably without ever really threatening, but they sat this one out which might have offered some sustenance to UKIP - but instead, after their sole candidate edged out the last Labour runner on GE day, they plummeted by over half to last place with less than 8%.

Caerphilly - a comfortable Labour hold with over half the vote in a ward that had been a close Labour/Plaid contest (they shared a seat apiece in both 2004 and 2008) before Labour pulled ahead comfortably in 2012. Labour's share was actually slightly down on then, mainly because a token Tory challenge was replaced by a more vigorous effort by UKIP who have managed to tap into a significant part of what anti-Labour sentiment there is in the Valleys - 21% in their inaugural contest here is in line with other recent showings in this area. The big losers from this, however, were Plaid Cymru who saw their share almost halved from four years ago (and a PC-Labour swing of around 20% compared with previous battles) The token effort this time came from the LibDems - first showing here this century, but just 4% to show for it.

Three contests again next week.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:05 pm

refitman wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Cameron’s nuanced argument appears to contrast starkly with Barack Obama’s statement this week. The US president said at a press conference on Tuesday: “This is important stuff ... A lot of it is legal, but that’s exactly the problem. It’s not that they’re breaking the laws, it’s that the laws are so poorly designed that they allow people, if they’ve got enough lawyers and enough accountants, to wiggle out of responsibilities that ordinary citizens are having to abide by. When politicians perpetuate a system that favours the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, it’s not surprising that people feel like they can’t get ahead.”
Also worth noting that Obama has already taken action, to the degree that Pfizer have abandoned a merger that would have given it a presence in Ireland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35974998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's Cameron done?

Nothing
When anyone who might have been an ally deserts Dave, he's going to fall fast and far
He hasn't gotten where he is now through merit

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:10 pm

StephenDolan wrote:3 years ago today was a happy day. If only Cameron could make it a happy day today. Resigning is enough for now!

Ha, I was wondering what the happy day was,
Mrs bgoat knew straight away.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:11 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Mr Walker said "I have no intention of publishing my tax returns. And I tell you what, if we do publish tax returns, because people say nothing to fear, nothing to hide, I'll bring forward a private member's bill in parliament to ban curtains from people's homes.
"On the same basis, nothing to fear, nothing to hid. Why should I have my right to look in someone's home impinged by a curtain.[/i]

h[url]ttp://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/furious-t ... ar_twitter[/url]
Oh bless.

I said something different reading Walker's terrified little message.
You're a public servant, a Member of Parliament, Walker!
You're there representing the entire UK!
If you can't take the heat, stop your emissions.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:15 pm

Britain Elects ‏@britainelects 7h7 hours ago

On how well David Cameron is doing as Prime Minister:

Well: 34% (-5)
Badly: 58% (+5)
NET: -24
(via YouGov / 06 - 07 Apr)

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:48 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/a ... nation-law" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Bruce Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over anti-LGBT law

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:57 pm

"Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted that he was a shareholder in Blairmore Holdings,
the Panama-registered company which his father helped to establish and which is named
after the Cameron family ancestral home, Blairmore House in Aberdeenshire."

http://www.channel4.com/news/david-came ... ked-to-fat" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(my emphasis)

Is that so - well, I learn something new everyday.
While not forgetting earlier information.

"The profits made were not subject to UK tax....Blairmore had never paid any UK tax.
Blairmore ensured it paid no corporation tax or income tax on its profits in the UK by
avoiding having a “permanent establishment” in Britain."

http://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte ... ama-papers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't like freebooters much at all

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:59 pm

Blairmore Holdings in Panama was named after the Cameron ancestral home, Blairmore House, in Aberdeenshire.
How many here knew that?
Apologies if I'm the last to understand the significance of that piece of trivia.
Thank you for your patience with me.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 10:04 pm

Britain Elects ‏@britainelects 4h4 hours ago
English authorities, candidates standing:
LAB: 2,586
CON: 2,580
LDEM: 1,721
GRN: 1,482
UKIP: 1,411
TUSC: 296
IND: 275
(OTH): 212