Saturday 29th April, Sunday 30th April & Monday 1st May 2017

[RogerOThornhill]

Smoking out those who want a dictatorship?

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

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... pen-macron" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Fear of neofascism keeps Emmanuel Macron ahead of Marine Le Pen

[citizenJA]

Strong and Stable dictatorship

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... -pressures" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

English secondary schools 'facing perfect storm of pressures'


(catching up apologies if mentioned)

[tinyclanger2]

Juncker on The Maybot:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... onals-eu27" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“I have the impression sometimes that our British friends, not all of them, do underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face,” he said, adding that May had told him, to each of his questions about the future: “Be patient and ambitious.”

[tinyclanger2]

"Be patient and ambitious"
Sounds like a line from Star Trek.

[tinyclanger2]

spot the difference:

"strong and stable"
"patient and ambitious"
"No comment"

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... l-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What is concerning about May’s pitch to the country is that beyond the nasty attacks and tired old slogans, there is nothing but blank space.

[StephenDolan]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... l-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What is concerning about May’s pitch to the country is that beyond the nasty attacks and tired old slogans, there is nothing but blank space.

Strong and stable NHS.
Strong and stable social security system.
Strong and stable...

[tinyclanger2]

Strong and stable utter bull

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... luxury-hut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Downing Street to garden retreat: David Cameron spends £25,000 on luxury hut



Pah

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... luxury-hut


Downing Street to garden retreat: David Cameron spends £25,000 on luxury hut



Pah

But is it carpeted?

[HindleA]

Not wheelchair accessible


Looks likes a portaloo with pretensions to me.

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.businessinsider.nl/uk-econo ... =true&r=UK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The alternative explanation for Theresa May’s snap election is that the economic data is turning against her

What was the real reason Theresa May called the snap June 8 election? Most people think it is because Labour is doing so badly in the polls she thought it would offer her best chance for victory. But the economic data is turning against her. GDP, retail sales, income tax receipts, and house prices are trending down. May’s hand may have been forced by the economy, not Labour’s misfortunes.

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/john ... ies-2017-4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Asked if her refusal could damage her party’s big lead in the polls, Curtice told Business Insider: “It could if the opposition thought of other things that give the impression of a prime minister who, far from being strong and stable, is actually unstable.”

“Obviously, the fact she’s changed her mind on calling an election is again part of that story. You’d have to build it up as part of a broader story that began to get people to think, ‘Actually, it’s not quite what it all seems,'” he said.

[HindleA]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tosh ... aa24334d5e" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Toshiba mothballs Cumbrian nuclear power project

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/ ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


How to make the world a better place

[tinyclanger2]

Warning: about polls

http://www.cityam.com/263833/conservati ... ns-britain" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Conservative party leads Labour in most regions of the UK before the General Election, new polls show.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/ ... ics-latest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The former Prime Minister has had talks with the Liberal Democrats about setting up a new force to fight for the centre ground.

He has spoken to Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and his predecessor Nick Clegg about the prospect of creating a pro-European group that would appeal both to Lib Dems and disaffected Labour voters.

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/po ... ill-course" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The latest ORB survey for the Sunday Telegraph puts the Conservatives on 42%, with Labour on 31%, while a YouGov poll gave the Tories a 13-point lead.

While both show extremely healthy leads for Mrs May's party, the gap with Labour is not as pronounced as previous polls which had the Tories on leads of over 20 points.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-sto ... -1-4989914" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Remain has ceased to be The Establishment and is more Those Who Won’t Be Silenced. Those who don’t want to be on the same side as Trump; Marine Le Pen; Erdogan; Putin and Tim Wetherspoon. The pull-up-the drawbridge, small world of Little Britain is not the UK that young people identify as the place they want to live.

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... riple-lock" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


On removal of triple lock.

[tinyclanger2]

With Scotland effectively out of the picture and Northern Ireland, too, this could be the battle for the Labour heartlands. If turnout falls below expectations, then it will be a matter of how many young people come to the polling booths; how many urban dwellers. They can stop the triumph of May.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-sto ... -1-4996265" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Election Live: Theresa May heads north and Labour target youth vote

[howsillyofme1]

Good Sunday Morning all

So this is what a PM is supposed to be like - and not just any PM, apparently the most popular PM since records began?

Wow!

Compare this with how Corbyn performed last week and tell me who is the incompetent disaster?

[PorFavor]

Good Sunday Morning all

So this is what a PM is supposed to be like - and not just any PM, apparently the most popular PM since records began?

Wow!

Compare this with how Corbyn performed last week and tell me who is the incompetent disaster?

The Guardian photo' shows her doing a strong and stable Benny Hill impression.

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

[HindleA]

Bird bath rota system working well so far,no reports of any disputes(Tarquin overseeing,lifeguard duties)

[howsillyofme1]

I know there are a number of you on here who would prefer that Labour had a different leader - in fact most of us would say that a principled leader promoting similar policies to Corbyn without the baggage would be better - unfortunately one of those hasn't turned up since 2015 (all this furore has happened in just 2 years remember!)

But we are where we are and I think Labour has a much more human and understanding of the problems faced than the current PM

The choice between the parties should boil down to competence and policies. Labour have a clear lead in policies, as the Tories don't seem to have many and those they have seem to be wrong and, in some cases, vicious

In terms of competence well the media has made up its mind and that is having an influence but bloody hell after seeing May this last week and this morning she is an absolute disaster. She may not have the baggage of a Corbyn but that seems to be her only benefit....

Today was an absolute joke of an interview.......if you care about Brexit you must worry that this is the control freak (according to most who know her) who is going to be leading the negotiations with a pretty focused and solid EU block

Corbyn may have his problems on Europe but I am absolutely certain in my mind that Labour would deliver a far better deal - the fact Labour has not insulted any of them is a good start - and the fact May seems to be depending on a Le Pen win in France should worry all

Just to touch back on the EU, don't you find it reprehensible that May did not have this election before all the A50 vote? She could have had an election in 2016, before invocation and then each party would have had to set out a clearer position on the future direction. Now whatever Government is elected will have to try and deal with decisions made by a previous Government. Shocking behaviour from someone who wants to be PM

Criticise Corbyn all you want (as long as it stays rational) but Teresa May is probably the biggest disaster of a PM that I have ever seen and the sooner she is out of the door the better.......

[AnatolyKasparov]

This weekends polls vary in the Tory lead (between 11 and 19 points) but are all consistent in showing a definite Labour uptick.

The prediction a certain regular here made the other day of under 20% of the vote and less than 100 MPs is not looking terribly clever AT THE MOMENT.......

[gilsey]

Turnout turnout turnout.

May does have baggage, her voting record on eg LGBT rights, and her attitude to immigrants and asylum seekers while at the HO, at the same time utterly failing to get anywhere near the 'tens of thousands' target.

[howsillyofme1]

Turnout turnout turnout.

May does have baggage, her voting record on eg LGBT rights, and her attitude to immigrants and asylum seekers while at the HO, at the same time utterly failing to get anywhere near the 'tens of thousands' target.

I stand corrected.....you are quite right - another tick in the 'why May is even worse than Corbyn' list

[tinyclanger2]

Just throwing it out there:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tim-farron-bel ... on-1619336" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Tim Farron believes Lib Dems will 'change course of history' in upcoming general election
Lib Dems leader wants to fight Theresa May's 'colossal coronation'.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 10021.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In his very first question to the Prime Minister, the BBC’s Andrew Marr said: “Can we agree to start with is the one thing that voters deserve is no soundbites?”

It took her thirty seconds to bring up ”‘strong and stable leadership”, the campaign slogan which has been repeated so endlessly it has become a source of ridicule for Theresa May.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Farron hasn't exactly impressed since the election was called.

[tinyclanger2]

Am trying to think of things that, were they to be strong and stable, would be ludicrous.

[tinyclanger2]

Later, in particularly awkward scenes, Mr Marr told her, “People can listen to that sort of thing and think it’s a bit robotic.”

Theresa May floundered for an answer, before again repeating her line on leadership.

[tinyclanger2]

We. Will. Be. Strong. and. Stable.

kinderdijk maybot.jpg (38.63 KiB) Viewed 11570 times

[tinyclanger2]

Maybot.jpg (147.27 KiB) Viewed 11562 times

[PorFavor]

We. Will. Be. Strong. and. Stable.

kinderdijk maybot.jpg

Oh, not again. And not a clog in sight. It will be stuck in my head all day, now.

Edited to add -

I'm talking windmills, here. Not the photo' of Theresa May remembering one of her culinary efforts. (The Peston interview, in case you're wondering.)

[RogerOThornhill]

and her attitude to immigrants and asylum seekers while at the HO,

For a lot of people, that is a positive which is why UKIP are having to go into BNP territory because they're being outflanked to the right.

[tinyclanger2]

We. Will. Be. Strong. and. Stable.

The attachment kinderdijk maybot.jpg is no longer available

Oh, not again. And not a clog in sight. It will be stuck in my head all day, now.

Edited to add -

I'm talking windmills, here. Not the photo' of Theresa May remembering one of her culinary efforts. (The Peston interview, in case you're wondering.)

maybot clogs.jpg (42.06 KiB) Viewed 11544 times

[tinyclanger2]

I know. It'd take a forensic photographer to demonstrate my montages aren't real.

[RogerOThornhill]

David Schneider‏Verified account @davidschneider 54m54 minutes ago
More
Theresa May: “I want to meet people from all sorts of communities: Tory MPs, Tory councillors, people who work at Tory HQ” #Peston

[howsillyofme1]

and her attitude to immigrants and asylum seekers while at the HO,

For a lot of people, that is a positive which is why UKIP are having to go into BNP territory because they're being outflanked to the right.

and Labour cannot and should not go there so it leaves a bit of a dilemma when a proportion of the electorate have swallowed the 'immigrants to blame' story

[tinyclanger2]

here we go again:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/m ... -1-4433428" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
May warns voting for SNP will put Corbyn into No 10

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.wort.lu/en/politics/eu-may-n ... 63e13bdc3b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
According to the paper, Juncker told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that May was "in a different galaxy," adding that it looked more likely now that no deal would be reached at all.

May told BBC's Andrew Marr Show that she stood by her earlier comment that "no deal was better than a bad deal", and rejected claims that her negotiating stance was unreasonable.

[tinyclanger2]

And finally, just for my own (wry) amusement:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/theresa-may-de ... ic-1619339" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Theresa May denies Tories' 'strong and stable leadership' election promise is 'robotic'

[RogerOThornhill]

Freddie Whittaker‏Verified account @FCDWhittaker 9m9 minutes ago
More
Rapturous applause here in the hall at #NAHTConf as @jeremycorbyn takes to the stage.

From the tweets I'm seeing he's saying all the right things - need more funding, teachers, class sizes etc.

Greening, of course, chickened out.

[tinyclanger2]

Am curious about polls (rather than convinced by them) but am happy not to post them if it's irritating (just let me know):

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archi ... +Report%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
YouGov’s weekly poll for the Sunday Times has topline figures of CON 44%, LAB 31%, LDEM 11%, UKIP 6%, GRN 2%, down to a thirteen point Conservative lead compared to sixteen points in the week (and twenty-point-plus leads when the election was first called). It suggests that the mid-week YouGov/Times poll was picking up the start of a trend, rather than just a blip (though given that ORB hadn’t done a recent poll and Panelbase changed methods, we haven’t really seen confirmation from other companies yet).