Thursday 18th June 2015

[AngryAsWell]

Ed Miliband ‏@Ed_Miliband · 7h7 hours ago
Stark contrast: Pope calls for action on climate change, govt pulls plug on onshore wind, raising energy bills and undermining industry

[AngryAsWell]

Glenn Hanson ‏@gdhanson · 18 mins18 minutes ago
The Sun newspaper endorses Liz Kendall as its choice for next Labour leader....enough said. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 29121.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Dave Dixon ‏@DaveDixon4 · 6h6 hours ago
Uncle Rupert says: if you decide to have a Labour Prime Minister this is the one he wants you to have.

[AngryAsWell]

"Greece’s Proposals to End the Crisis: My intervention at today’s Eurogroup"

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/06/18/gr ... eurogroup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RogerOThornhill]

Glenn Hanson ‏@gdhanson · 18 mins18 minutes ago
The Sun newspaper endorses Liz Kendall as its choice for next Labour leader....enough said. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 29121.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Dave Dixon ‏@DaveDixon4 · 6h6 hours ago
Uncle Rupert says: if you decide to have a Labour Prime Minister this is the one he wants you to have.

One of our sometimes visitors seem to think she's OK too...

"Liz Kendall. The Labour leader that even the most batshit crazy frothing Tory can live with"

[AngryAsWell]

Glenn Hanson ‏@gdhanson · 18 mins18 minutes ago
The Sun newspaper endorses Liz Kendall as its choice for next Labour leader....enough said. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 29121.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Dave Dixon ‏@DaveDixon4 · 6h6 hours ago
Uncle Rupert says: if you decide to have a Labour Prime Minister this is the one he wants you to have.

One of our sometimes visitors seem to think she's OK too...

"Liz Kendall. The Labour leader that even the most batshit crazy frothing Tory can live with"

[AngryAsWell]

Andrew J C C retweeted


#PoliticsHour ‏@politicsHour · 10 mins10 minutes ago
Alan Johnson to head Labour yes campaign for EU referendum http://bit.ly/1K18kXr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #PoliticsHour

[rebeccariots2]

Keep Calmac and carry on: Daily Record launches campaign to keep vital services in public hands
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott ... bPZwHsNKN7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... CALMAC ferry crews are to take industrial action in protest against plans to hand west coast ­services to controversial private firm Serco.

Members of the RMT union will impose a ban on overtime for 72 hours starting on Wednesday.

Then they will refuse to go on duty when vessels are in port a week on Friday as most schools’ holidays begin.

Crews are making a stand against plans by the SNP government to sell vital services to their favourite private sector operator, Serco.

The move comes as the Daily Record launches an appeal for the Scottish Government to abandon the £1billion sale.

Caledonian MacBrayne provide vital trade, tourism and commercial links for people on the western seaboard...

[rebeccariots2]

Lib Dems could use Lords power to force through EU voting age bill
Party remains strong in the upper house, which could be crucial in order to give 16 and 17-year-olds the chance to vote in a referendum
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... g-age-bill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Let's hope so. But oh the irony (Lib Dems and Lords reform eh).

[AnatolyKasparov]

Andrew J C C retweeted


#PoliticsHour ‏@politicsHour · 10 mins10 minutes ago
Alan Johnson to head Labour yes campaign for EU referendum http://bit.ly/1K18kXr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #PoliticsHour

Potentially a good move, that - at least if he doesn't succumb to his almost legendary laziness and actually puts the work in

[howsillyofme1]

Evening everyone

The march of the the right continues across the North of Europe

The people whose policies and values caused the situation are reaping the rewards

Next will be the punishment of Greece for trying to be different and who will make the next Government there...the discredited establishment parties or the fascists!

The shadow of intolerance and fascism is starting to appear again in Europe - and the people who have caused this are still sitting pretty whilts the ignorant populace blames those who have been the hardest hits

I am profoundly depressed by the state of things at the moment

'It was the worst of times....it was the even worse of times'

[HindleA]

Bloody Tories.

[rebeccariots2]

Labour’s northern voices must also be heard
http://labourhame.com/labours-northern- ... -be-heard/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another good contribution from the grassroots / outside the urban strongholds and thinking.

... On the doorstep, we appeared to escape some of the nastiness that was levelled at comrades in the central belt and urban parts of Scotland – people didn’t think we seemed much like the Scottish Labour Party. They knew that here in Moray we focus like a laser on local issues. But to them, the Scottish Labour Party is a party that’s only concerned with Glasgow and the central belt – not representative of “people like us up here.”

That’s a problem. All across the Highlands and Islands there is a perception that when Scottish Labour talks about Scotland, it means urban Scotland – central belt Scotland. If that perception continues, we’ll get no hearing with half the country before we even start our fightback.

So we need to learn the lessons the SNP learned long ago: we can’t win by only focusing on some parts of Scotland. We need to learn the lessons the U.S. Democrats learned in time for 2006 and 2008 and 2012: you need a 50 state strategy – play everywhere and you’ll have a chance to win everywhere...

[rebeccariots2]

Bloody Tories.

That's all that really needs to be said.

Beautifully succinct as usual HindleA.

Don't you dare go away again.

[Hobiejoe]

Bugger.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/j ... ces-defeat

Hmmm,

Up until polling day, the incumbent centre-left coalition had hoped to score a spectacular comeback – Thorning-Schmidt’s government was trailing by 17 percentage points two years ago after unpopular reforms and broken campaign promises since taking office in 2011. On the eve of Thursday’s poll, the result was seen as too close to call, with barely a single percentage point separating the two blocs. But as the results came in on Thursday night, it became clear that Thorning-Schmidt’s gamble of trying to outdo the DPP on immigration had failed.

With her eyes firmly set on the election, Thorning-Schmidt launched a tough policy on asylum seekers, announcing that they must work to get social security benefits. Her Social Democrats and the opposition Liberals fought the election on who could sound toughest on immigration, while the DPP itself went further and called for the reinstatement of border controls between Germany and Sweden.

“We need to see the movements of voter groups to understand the whole picture, but it seems that everyone has tried to match the Danish People’s party’s policies so much that it has vindicated the party – and then the voters chose the real thing,” said political commentator Kasper Fogh Hansen.

Only a snapshot from the Graun. But, however....

Damnit. The pushing of progressive politics ever rightwards by the right and their media chums just keeps on working for them. Bastids.

[HindleA]

The current trajectory of Ministers Against The Disabled-benefit cheat,nonchalent lawbreaker(allegedly),pure misanthrope.At current rate of deprogress the slaying of non Paralympians and those not useful for propaganda purposes is envisaged as a Manifesto commitment in 2020.Controlling the welfare bill and protecting forever the most vulnerable.

[HindleA]

How could I possibly forget "the terminally ill self heal" McVey?

[seeingclearly]

How could I possibly forget "the terminally ill self heal" McVey?

The newer Pickles woman and the guy whose name I forget, new appointee, sorry I'm foggy, just very unwell, but not unwell enough to not to understand the gist and their implications even if names elude me, this new pair promise to be even worse, they've got the veneer of civilisation the always shrill fishwifey McVey lacked. None of it bodes well. Reading through the doublespeak isn't that hard.

Don't go away again, your voice is valued. I do think a lot of people have very little understanding of how all the various isms impact on people or the way people play down the truly terrible to avoid being a bother. Unless they have to live with it. Everyone wants some form of normality. A right to live the life they have, with decency and dignity.

I hope your clear anger isnt a reflection of a direct hit to you and your family. Either way you are needed here, and you will find support here too.

[LadyCentauria]

Bloody Tories.

That's all that really needs to be said.

Beautifully succinct as usual HindleA.

Don't you dare go away again.

Seconded! Welcome back, @HindleA. You have been sorely missed.

[LadyCentauria]

Jamie Reed retweeted
David Snow ‏@dnsnow 7m7 minutes ago
David Snow retweeted Labour Whips
people who complain a generation haven't had a say deny a generation a say...

Labour WhipsVerified account
‏@labourwhips
Tory MPs defeat @UKLabour amendment to give 16 and 17 years olds the vote in EU Referendum by majority of 45

That's a maximum bumboils.

Is this the last chance to get it through, anyone? Will the Lords be able to do anything?

The Lords might get an amendment through (on EU citizens resident here, too) but the Govt. could drop any amendment by final reading. One of the things that seriously pissed me orf in the debate, today, was the number of Tory MPs who stood up and said either that they supported or had sympathy for the argument of votes at 16 but not yet – or that it was so important that it deserved a separate debate rather than being a one-off for the Referendum after a rushed debate on an amendment.

Lord make me pure but not yet. Emancipation Now but not just yet...

Well, Barry Sheerman peed me orf, too, with his claim that 16/17 yr olds shouldn't get the vote because they're vulnerable and need protection from sexual abuse. I cannot see the connection between the two things. All sorts of people of all ages are vulnerable to sexual abuse – having a vote has nothing to do with it.

[HindleA]

Thanks for welcoming backs.

[HindleA]

Now fuck off


#NewImproved version with added sweariness.

[HindleA]

Apologies,I let being the Speaker go to my head.

[HindleA]

I withdraw that uncalled for comment and ban myself for a day.

[LadyCentauria]

I withdraw that uncalled for comment and ban myself for a day.

As Deputy Prime Minister I withdraw that uncalled for ban