sat 25 and sun 26 April

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:12 pm

BBC news 24 showed the Cameron West Ham clip. Excellent.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:14 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:More evidence that the DfE simply rushed at breakneck speed to get academies sponsored by chains and weren't too fussed about where they went even if it mean chains had schools all over the place.

Largest academy chain offloads eight schools

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/largest-academ ... t-schools/

The largest academy chain in the country has transferred eight schools from its control, blaming their “geographic isolation”.
The Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) has been handing over the schools to local sponsors since December.

The relinquished schools are East Point Academy in Lowestoft; Childwall Sports & Science Academy in Liverpool; Oaks, Tree Tops and Molehill Copse Primary Academies, Kent; Northamptonshire’s The Duston School; and Peak and Greenfield Academies in Gloucestershire. Statements from the trust say that all eight schools were handed to new sponsors because they were “geographically isolated” from the trust’s other schools.

Schools minister Lord Nash has, in the past, stated a preference for schools in academy chains to be within an hour’s drive of each other. And last year, the education select committee said academy chains performed better in geographic clusters.
Quite agree Lord Nash - makes no sense whatsoever for a chain to have schools in all 9 government regions. In fact even now and after these transfers AET have schools in 8 regions.

Just a shame that you weren't at the DfE and could have stopped this happening...oh hang on...

It almost makes you wish that there was a system in place that could oversee schools on a regional / local area basis, doesn't it? Oh hang on ... (to use your phrase) ... that would be local education authorities then.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:19 pm

While I'm on the subject of schools...I see that there's a letter to The Times urging the next government to allow parents to continue to set up free schools.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education ... 422096.ece

Nice picture of ex-Harrow School HT Barnaby Lenon...what does he do again?

Oh, trustee of the New Schools Network whose funding Tristram Hunt has said he'll cut...funny that.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:23 pm

StephenDolan wrote:For those involved on election day getting the vote out, what typically happens regarding those living in retirement homes?

Good question... My uncle's in a nursing home. I asked him if they'd made arrangements for him to vote. He said no. He's sometimes muddled but was on one of his good days when we visited him during the week. There are a lot of residents there; some are obviously not up to bothering, but even so the owners should make sure that they or their family can make arrangements and are registered.

Not sure who you'd ask.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:28 pm

Sorry about this. I must be having a particularly puerile morning ...

: Cameron Tries To Live As A Normal Person.jpg (53.12 KiB) Viewed 8045 times

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:31 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Sorry about this. I must be having a particularly puerile morning ...

It made me chuckle.....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:38 pm

One for PfY. Don't give up hoping.

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 3h 3 hours ago
In @LordAshcroft Colne Valley poll LAB was just ahead of CON before application of turnout weighting adjustment and don't know reallocation

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:38 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Anyway, the big news this morning is that Dave has forgotten what football team he "supports". I expect this one will go viral :D

And how!!

Mark Ferguson ‏@Markfergusonuk · 25s25 seconds ago
West Ham play Burnley today. That’s going to be f**king minefield for David Cameron that one

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:43 pm

Re. the Ashcroft polling, see my suggestion last night as to why publication was delayed. QED I suspect.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:45 pm

The death threat to Anas Sarwar has been made public:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... et-5577883" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Shocking !

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:45 pm

George Eaton @georgeeaton · 3h 3 hours ago
I expect that Cameron clip has made football fanatic Gordon Brown's morning. "I always knew he wasn't a real fan!"

Good. I like to think that something about this wretched Tory campaign will cheer Gordon Brown up ... please have a good chuckle Gordon.

And I am enjoying posting things about football that are entirely legitimate ... ha, and I'm not a footie afficionado or fan even.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:47 pm

The football thing is a big deal.

Nobody but nobody would do that unless they had manufactured a lie about what team they supported. If Cameron is prepared to lie about something as trivial as that, what else is he telling lies about (answer everything).

Or put it another way, what Dave is thinking when giving that speech.

"Must maintain human form, must maintain human form - Doh!!!!"

Actually could a Empty Dave Tweet

Going to the footy later with the lads. Watching Western Villa in the Premier Cup.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:47 pm

pk1 wrote:The death threat to Anas Sarwar has been made public:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... et-5577883" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Shocking !

CyberNats are doubtless already chanting "FALSE FLAG!!" and "MI5!!" in unison

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:50 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Re. the Ashcroft polling, see my suggestion last night as to why publication was delayed. QED I suspect.

No Ashcroft basically fell asleep. I think by his own admission you can't tell much from these seats. It will come down to turn out.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 12:58 pm

BBC have put up the video of Cameron's West Villa cock-up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32462250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **refitman** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:03 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:

hadn't seen this one

[youtube]rxBMT0rH9hU[/youtube]

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:03 pm

....and in true twitter style #villagate is now trending
https://twitter.com/hashtag/villagate?src=hash" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **refitman** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:08 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:The football thing is a big deal.

Nobody but nobody would do that unless they had manufactured a lie about what team they supported. If Cameron is prepared to lie about something as trivial as that, what else is he telling lies about (answer everything).

Or put it another way, what Dave is thinking when giving that speech.

"Must maintain human form, must maintain human form - Doh!!!!"

Actually could a Empty Dave Tweet

Going to the footy later with the lads. Watching Western Villa in the Premier Cup.

Have modified it slightly:

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:16 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:The football thing is a big deal.

Nobody but nobody would do that unless they had manufactured a lie about what team they supported. If Cameron is prepared to lie about something as trivial as that, what else is he telling lies about (answer everything).

Or put it another way, what Dave is thinking when giving that speech.

"Must maintain human form, must maintain human form - Doh!!!!"

Actually could a Empty Dave Tweet

Going to the footy later with the lads. Watching Western Villa in the Premier Cup.

I know it's a big deal & I'm delighted by Dave exposing himself as a fraud some more. I may not follow sporting events personally, but I know the importance.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:18 pm

citizenJA wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:The football thing is a big deal.

Nobody but nobody would do that unless they had manufactured a lie about what team they supported. If Cameron is prepared to lie about something as trivial as that, what else is he telling lies about (answer everything).

Or put it another way, what Dave is thinking when giving that speech.

"Must maintain human form, must maintain human form - Doh!!!!"

Actually could a Empty Dave Tweet

Going to the footy later with the lads. Watching Western Villa in the Premier Cup.
I know it's a big deal & I'm delighted by Dave exposing himself as a fraud some more. I may not follow sporting events personally, but I know the importance.

As MrAAW said "bloody hell! you forget your wife's name before you forget your team" !

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:23 pm

Sky News ‏@SkyNews 4m4 minutes ago
"You're wasting your precious interview time" - David Cameron doesn't want to be quizzed over Aston Villa gaffe

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:24 pm

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

:lol!:

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:28 pm

Good morfternoon.

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sky News ‏@SkyNews 4m4 minutes ago
"You're wasting your precious interview time"

Speaking as someone who doesn't know one end of a football from another, I find that quote extremely telling.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:29 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sky News ‏@SkyNews 4m4 minutes ago
"You're wasting your precious interview time" - David Cameron doesn't want to be quizzed over Aston Villa gaffe

That video is quite something RR2 ! Shows him up as the complete & utter fake that he is.

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

edit to make clear the video is visible in the tweet linked to. I don't know how to post it directly into here.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:30 pm

Good afternoon.

Just spent some time over at the "other place".
The 'one line insult' trolls on cif are in abundance. It's embarrassing, they're so puerile, they come across as uneducated and ignorant.

By the way, what's 'football'?

Editted cos a cant spill.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:31 pm

Found this from a couple of months back:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/a ... on-5185565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And so it came to pass that David Cameron - the man currently hell-bent on proving to the electorate that he is NOT just a posh chap who hasn't got the first clue how normal people live their lives - today held a Q&A with factory workers at the Rolls Royce plant in West Sussex.

Sure enough, the questions soon turned to football. And lo and behold, the Prime Minister was very keen to tell all and sundry about his love for Aston Villa.

"I am not going to make any predictions, but I am hoping for a couple of Villa gains to lift us out of the danger zone.

"I am sure Tim Sherwood is going to make a big difference.

"Obviously in politics when you see a team change their management it can make you a bit nervous."

It's almost like he knew just what to say, isn't it?

Sadly for Mr Cameron - and more specifically, the electoral strategy team who prepared him so throughly for this rare interaction with masses - it didn't go entirely to plan.

If you're going to pass yourself off as one of us, Prime Minister, probably best to use the right terminology. Those of us who actually like football tend to use the word "wins" rather than "gains".

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:42 pm

East Devon Labour
‏@EastDevonLabour RT @JolyonMaugham: No words. | Incredible

(hot air hand drier)

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

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:42 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3754239

Anyone got an unspinned view on this?

Hmm. They seem to have taken that story down.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:49 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3754239

Anyone got an unspinned view on this?
Hmm. They seem to have taken that story down.

Indeed - which I find quite intriguing. Like I say, it basically said that Tory SNP voters were returning to Tory to split the Lib Dem vote.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:53 pm

If Labour rely on the SNP to form a government - they will have to play football with hockey sticks.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 1:59 pm

Charlie Condou ‏@Charliecondou 4 hrs4 hours ago

Great night at the @BritLGBTAwards , not even marred by the appearance of Katie Hopkins, who incidentally WASNT invited by the organisers

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:01 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:More evidence that the DfE simply rushed at breakneck speed to get academies sponsored by chains and weren't too fussed about where they went even if it mean chains had schools all over the place.

Largest academy chain offloads eight schools

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/largest-academ ... t-schools/

The largest academy chain in the country has transferred eight schools from its control, blaming their “geographic isolation”.
The Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) has been handing over the schools to local sponsors since December.

The relinquished schools are East Point Academy in Lowestoft; Childwall Sports & Science Academy in Liverpool; Oaks, Tree Tops and Molehill Copse Primary Academies, Kent; Northamptonshire’s The Duston School; and Peak and Greenfield Academies in Gloucestershire. Statements from the trust say that all eight schools were handed to new sponsors because they were “geographically isolated” from the trust’s other schools.

Schools minister Lord Nash has, in the past, stated a preference for schools in academy chains to be within an hour’s drive of each other. And last year, the education select committee said academy chains performed better in geographic clusters.
Quite agree Lord Nash - makes no sense whatsoever for a chain to have schools in all 9 government regions. In fact even now and after these transfers AET have schools in 8 regions.

Just a shame that you weren't at the DfE and could have stopped this happening...oh hang on...

Govey's Triple Marginal Seat Disaster Tour!

Northampton South, Stroud and Waveney there.

Stroud's already had a forced academisation of a school with one bad Ofsted. It was called off because it was so silly.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:06 pm

Top Tory minister lets slip plan for "flood" of privatisation and praises company set to slash hundreds of jobs

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/t ... urn false;

Wondered when Maude's name would crop up again.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:08 pm

Can Empty Dave tweet.

Labour/SNP means Premier League Cup to be dominated by Celtic Rangers United for five years. Vote Conservative to save Soccerball.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:18 pm

Swarthlander wrote:If Labour rely on the SNP to form a government - they will have to play football with hockey sticks.

That's baseball, isn't it? Anyone?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:21 pm

[David Cameron said] By the time you have made as many speeches as I have on this campaign all sorts of funny things start popping out of your mouth. (Guardian Election Blog)

Post by **refitman** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:22 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:Can Empty Dave tweet.

Labour/SNP means Premier League Cup to be dominated by Celtic Rangers United for five years. Vote Conservative to save Soccerball.

Tweeted.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:28 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:More evidence that the DfE simply rushed at breakneck speed to get academies sponsored by chains and weren't too fussed about where they went even if it mean chains had schools all over the place.

Largest academy chain offloads eight schools

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/largest-academ ... t-schools/

The largest academy chain in the country has transferred eight schools from its control, blaming their “geographic isolation”.
The Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) has been handing over the schools to local sponsors since December.

The relinquished schools are East Point Academy in Lowestoft; Childwall Sports & Science Academy in Liverpool; Oaks, Tree Tops and Molehill Copse Primary Academies, Kent; Northamptonshire’s The Duston School; and Peak and Greenfield Academies in Gloucestershire. Statements from the trust say that all eight schools were handed to new sponsors because they were “geographically isolated” from the trust’s other schools.

Schools minister Lord Nash has, in the past, stated a preference for schools in academy chains to be within an hour’s drive of each other. And last year, the education select committee said academy chains performed better in geographic clusters.
Quite agree Lord Nash - makes no sense whatsoever for a chain to have schools in all 9 government regions. In fact even now and after these transfers AET have schools in 8 regions.

Just a shame that you weren't at the DfE and could have stopped this happening...oh hang on...

Govey's Triple Marginal Seat Disaster Tour!

Northampton South, Stroud and Waveney there.

Stroud's already had a forced academisation of a school with one bad Ofsted. It was called off because it was so silly.

Gove lost the Waveney seat for the Tories with that dumb attempt to impose a Free School on Beccles.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:31 pm

He's such a laugh.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news ... down_well/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A joke by Mayor of London Boris Johnson about the quality of “sweet” air at Hyde Park Corner has been branded "outrageous" and "inexcusable".

Mr Johnson raised some laughs when he made a quip about London’s “improving” air quality during a speech.

He said: “I'm told now that when we have bad air quality episodes in this country the air in Norfolk is of an inferior quality to the air in London these days.

"The day will not be far off when the people of Norfolk ... the children of Norfolk have to be bussed into London to inhale the sweet air of Hyde Park Corner.”

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:31 pm

Rumours are circulating that Aston Villa are hoping to build a new stadium under the Lincoln by-pass.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:34 pm

PorFavor wrote:
[David Cameron said] By the time you have made as many speeches as I have on this campaign all sorts of funny things start popping out of your mouth. (Guardian Election Blog)

Dave, go to your room. Stay there.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:42 pm

Jonathan Portes:

http://niesr.ac.uk/blog/welfare-savings ... TuX9SFVikp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you know how much IDS has saved from social security compared to what was predicted in 2010?

£2bn this year. Presumably less in previous years.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:44 pm

[David Cameron said] We are a shining example of a country where multiple identities work. (Guardian Election Blog)

That Grant Shapps bloke - he sure knows how to write a good speech.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:46 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:He's such a laugh.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news ... down_well/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A joke by Mayor of London Boris Johnson about the quality of “sweet” air at Hyde Park Corner has been branded "outrageous" and "inexcusable".

Mr Johnson raised some laughs when he made a quip about London’s “improving” air quality during a speech.

He said: “I'm told now that when we have bad air quality episodes in this country the air in Norfolk is of an inferior quality to the air in London these days.

"The day will not be far off when the people of Norfolk ... the children of Norfolk have to be bussed into London to inhale the sweet air of Hyde Park Corner.”

Tubby Isaacs, I'm glad to read you - sorry the topic of air pollution.
I've been suffering & I've never had respiratory problems in my life until now.
The air quality monitors for the UK have been turned off for many regions for going on two & a half weeks now.

As the UK National Air Quality Monitoring System from the Derfra (uk-air.defra.gov.uk) is currently not working (since April 8th 2015), we are unable to provide data for Carlisle Roadside station.
While the Derfra is working on resolving the issue, you can check the gov.uk air quality forecast webpage, or their forecast tweets (on the left).
http://aqicn.org/city/united-kingdom/carlisle-roadside/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Defra latest:

1h
Defra Air Quality @DefraUKAir
Forecast Sun: Low air pollution levels across the UK.

Oh, sure.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 2:47 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote: Gove lost the Waveney seat for the Tories with that dumb attempt to impose a Free School on Beccles.

I think that school eventually got some pupils in its "temporary" site in Waveney, after some other schools there were closed by the council.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 3:06 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote: Gove lost the Waveney seat for the Tories with that dumb attempt to impose a Free School on Beccles.
I think that school eventually got some pupils in its "temporary" site in Waveney, after some other schools there were closed by the council.

It opened up initially on the outskirts of Lowestoft in 2012, with just 68 pupils; I don't think it reached planned numbers until last year, when it also finally moved into Beccles itself, on the site of the old Sir John Leman Middle School which the LA had earmarked for planned expansion of the (very good) Academy set up under Labour. Waveney has always been a bellweather seat and the sitting MP, Peter Aldous, is defending a majority of just 769; I think he has pretty much accepted that he will need a new job come May 8th.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 3:11 pm

Didn't know it had moved to Beccles. I thought it was going to stay in Lowestoft where lots of its pupils must come from.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 3:27 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 1 hr1 hour ago

Lots of polls coming up. Survation & Opinium (which both had 4% CON leads last time) YouGov and I'm assuming an ICM Wisdom Index.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 3:31 pm

Post on UKPR reads:

CROSSBAT11

Eureka! In one fell swoop, Villa have just got rid of their most unwanted fan!

Karen Brady, David Sullivan and David Gold – you’re welcome to him!

Now, if we could persuade Prince William to become an Albion fan, the job would be complete!

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sat 25 Apr, 2015 4:27 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Jonathan Portes:

http://niesr.ac.uk/blog/welfare-savings ... TuX9SFVikp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you know how much IDS has saved from social security compared to what was predicted in 2010?

£2bn this year. Presumably less in previous years.

Thank you for this, Tubby - I like Jonathan Portes.

He makes my predictions all nice and tidy with his figures.

I trust nobody here is surprised by this.

I said when the WRA was going through that IDS would spend more while simultaneously taking cash away from claimants.

(It gives me no pleasure to be right)