Thursday 8th June 2017

Post by **adam** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:11 am

HindleA wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:
HindleA wrote:,
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HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:14 am

Mornington Crescent.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:16 am

Surely there has to be at least one cat lurking around at a polling station?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:20 am

Clear sky - torrential rain here.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:21 am

[youtube]E07OsHiTSyU[/youtube]

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:22 am

BMG, who haven’t polled since back in 2016, have also put out a final poll. Their topline figures are CON 46%, LAB 33%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 5%.

IIRC BMG are the pollsters Corbyn chose for Labour's internal polling.

SpinningHugo · Post by **SpinningHugo** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:29 am

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:A little light relief. Can we have your guesses as to which (2015)Labour MPs will be the first to call (a, via Twitter and b, via live election coverage) for Corbyn to resign?

Bryant and Phillips are my picks.
Rumour going round that MPs have "been told" to hold back from that in the next few days.

(unless the results are exceptionally bad perhaps, but I still think JC will voluntarily exit in short order should the worst happen)

MPs may have been told that, but those who lose their seats will lose the collective responsibility to not blame Corbyn. They'd have to be saints not to do so. Woodcock and Phillips (the formr pretty definitely, the latter possibly) will be gone.

Even if Labour gain seats, there is bound to be some churn.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:55 am

Consensus seems to be that Phillips will hold her seat now - the LibDems have flatlined locally as well as nationally.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:56 am

Headlines today just make me feel physically sick.
I have no optimism - except that having 'cked the country up with Brexit the Tories may, in the end, never get in again.

55DegreesNorth · Post by **55DegreesNorth** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 11:57 am

Soggy good morning folks,
This is a decent long read about the decline of the industrial north, from an Americans perspective:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -elections

Post by **adam** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:01 pm

Tucked away halfway down the graun's front page online, in the business live blog and without a headline of its own...
UK falls to bottom of EU growth league

The figures also show that Britain was the worst-performing member of the European Union in Q1, growing by just 0.2%.

: Screen Shot 2017-06-08 at 11.59.31.png (103.79 KiB) Viewed 15671 times

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:03 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:Headlines today just make me feel physically sick.
I have no optimism - except that having 'cked the country up with Brexit the Tories may, in the end, never get in again.

Realistically, today is all about keeping their victory margin low enough so that ejecting them in 4-5 years time remains a totally feasible prospect.

That, at least, is eminently doable.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:05 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:A little light relief. Can we have your guesses as to which (2015)Labour MPs will be the first to call (a, via Twitter and b, via live election coverage) for Corbyn to resign?

Bryant and Phillips are my picks.
Rumour going round that MPs have "been told" to hold back from that in the next few days.

(unless the results are exceptionally bad perhaps, but I still think JC will voluntarily exit in short order should the worst happen)

With "the worst" being what, in your opinion?

I'm assuming anything less than 50 seats lost would see Corbyn trying to continue, though Ed left having lost just half that. Only seat gains would see him staying on with widespread goodwill, though, imo.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:12 pm

Waiting for Exit Poll at 10.00
2015 I started looking at the betting odds during the day and all hope failed
Exit poll still freaked me out though

TobyLatimer · Post by **TobyLatimer** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:26 pm

[youtube]Z8fV0gFp1Pw[/youtube]

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:45 pm

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -providers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Directory of providers

Information about legal aid providers by category of law.

17 out of 3,900 do welfare benefits

Post by **adam** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:47 pm

HindleA wrote:https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -providers

Directory of providers

Information about legal aid providers by category of law.

17 out of 3,900 do welfare benefits

Interestingly, when the legal aid board introduced what they called 'franchising' and was essentially firm's self-managing and self-certifying their legal aid budgets, one of the requirements for being granted a 'franchise' was that you had a fee-earner who had completed a certified welfare benefits training event and was competent to give advice. It was one of the things I did back in the day. (edited to add - in the 1990s)

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:53 pm

In other news, failed academy trust seems to have been playing fast and loose with school funds...

Accounts reveal shocking financial mismanagement at defunct academy trust

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/accounts-revea ... emy-trust/

Annual accounts for the year ending 2016 show the government was informed that rules were breached after:

Advance payments were made to a firm owned by trust founder Trevor Averre-Beeson for services not yet provided, with a standing order set up for future services

Expenditure totalling more than £200,000 was paid to that firm without meeting the government funding rules

Local authority grants were paid straight into the bank account of an education consultancy firm owned by Averre-Beeson. Although the money was repaid over time, this was “not performing immediately”

An application of capital funding for four new academies was inappropriately used, forcing the new leadership to seek additional cash to ensure that classrooms could open “with the necessary basic equipment and furniture”

Money had to be repaid from the founder after an “inappropriate use of public funding” to buy a selection of luxury alcoholic beverages at an annual awards evening

Severance payments were handed to trust staff who were then immediately re-employed. No evidence could be found to show discussions took place on whether these represented value for money. The actual amount for these settlements is not included – but other parts of the accounts show a total of £250,107 was paid out in severance in 2015, and another £104,637 in 2016

An academy trust credit card was used by someone not employed by the trust

Oh, and this bit - how could he have the gall to do this?

Averre-Beeson founded LSSAT, but stood down as chief executive in April 2015. However the annual accounts state he became the “named internal auditor for the trust academies”

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:56 pm

pk1 wrote:@yahyah

FINALLY !

Good to see you, at last x

Hear, hear!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 12:57 pm

Good-afternoon, everyone
I'm still catching up on the thread

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:04 pm

There was an interesting documentary(to me anyway)about thread on BBC2 Scotland last night (not sure if anywhere else)and Paisley.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:04 pm

The traditional #UsePens hashtag is back in action on social media.

Neil Miles (@neilsmiles)

I misread the hashtag & now not only am I banned from the polling station but I'm also due in court later this morning #usepens
June 8, 2017

(Politics Live, Guardian)

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:06 pm

12:32

The Blackpool Gazette appears to have subverted a half-page advert by the Conservatives by running it alongside a story about families relying on food banks. (Politics Live, Guardian)

Edited to include the timeline

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:14 pm

https://mainlymacro.blogspot.co.uk/2017 ... ut-uk.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Why has the US resisted Trump but the UK acquiesced to Brexit?"

Mainlymacro.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:24 pm

@RobertSnozers
Good to see you!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:26 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:Hi all. I hope the result tonight is less painful than expected. If nothing else, the shine has definitely come off Theresa May and she won't have the widespread trust of the UK population again. Corbyn has headed a magnificent campaign and I hope the PLP realises how destructive another attempt to get rid of him would be to the momentum (no pun intended...OK, maybe a bit) and hope that has built up around Labour. We can damage the Tories this time and defeat them next.

Chins up. ¡No pasarán!

Hello! I trust you haven't brought sandwiches.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:44 pm

My better half used to ask me if I wanted a sannich,rather than expose my ignorance in the culinary department(as well as multiple others)I always politely said no,which only heightened my stupidity when,on making without being asked and realisation.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:49 pm

Hi there to both yahyah and RS. Hopefully there can also be a bit of "coming together" here post-election?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:52 pm

Clarification on pluralisation of chins, collectively singularly applied or no.Of most import.

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 1:56 pm

Bless him, in an entirely non-patronising way:

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Any excuse for showing this again (21:00):

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StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 3:35 pm

When can we expect the turnout estimates?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 3:43 pm

StephenDolan wrote:When can we expect the turnout estimates?

Don't know. But thanks for asking - I was beginning to get twitchy.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 3:43 pm

Have just voted

There is a district council by-election on here today as well, so that means - after the Westminster by-election and CC polls - there have been four contests in this neck of the woods within four months. Many are, understandably, hoping for a quieter period to come

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 3:52 pm

Meanwhile...

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AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 4:02 pm

StephenDolan wrote:When can we expect the turnout estimates?

Alas they are rarely reliable. I recall both the talk of "record breaking" turnouts two years ago and the speculation it would be the all-time lowest in last year's London Mayor election (in actual fact, it was the highest) Though anecdotal evidence suggests it might not be as low as was once feared this time, let's see.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 4:11 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:When can we expect the turnout estimates?
Alas they are rarely reliable. I recall both the talk of "record breaking" turnouts two years ago and the speculation it would be the all-time lowest in last year's London Mayor election (in actual fact, it was the highest) Though anecdotal evidence suggests it might not be as low as was once feared this time, let's see.

Thanks as always AK.

Post by **adam** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 4:14 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:When can we expect the turnout estimates?
Alas they are rarely reliable. I recall both the talk of "record breaking" turnouts two years ago and the speculation it would be the all-time lowest in last year's London Mayor election (in actual fact, it was the highest) Though anecdotal evidence suggests it might not be as low as was once feared this time, let's see.
Thanks as always AK.

You get turnout figures constituency by constituency as they declare - they come out before the result but it's still one by one through the night...

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 5:01 pm

Clangers on the G live Blog!

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 5:25 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:Hi all. I hope the result tonight is less painful than expected. If nothing else, the shine has definitely come off Theresa May and she won't have the widespread trust of the UK population again. Corbyn has headed a magnificent campaign and I hope the PLP realises how destructive another attempt to get rid of him would be to the momentum (no pun intended...OK, maybe a bit) and hope that has built up around Labour. We can damage the Tories this time and defeat them next.

Chins up. ¡No pasarán!
Hello! I trust you haven't brought sandwiches.
Sandwiches are a symbol of the capitalist hegemony whereby the filling is trapped within circumstances and the elite.

But I do have cake.

I'll let you eat cake.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 6:19 pm

2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
2015 GE
2016 EU Referendum
2017 GE

exhausting

Kingdommy · Post by **Kingdommy** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 6:20 pm

Evening all. Just popped in to say that I've just voted in Southampton Itchen, which was Labour until John Denham retired when it went to the odious Royston " vote for me for the council, I'm independent, oh no I'm not suckers" Smith with a 1200ish majority.
It seems that the PLP have written it off, concentrating on keeping Alan Whitehead in.

I spoke to the bloke in the polling station, which had a small queue (never seen that in 20 years) and asked him if it had been busy.

His answer was " I tell you what, I've been surprised at how many young people have turned out; it's usually the old folks hobbling in on their crutches and walking sticks, come what may"

So while I don't dare hope, I might have a little hope.

Also TUSC took about 500 votes last time and they've stood down.

I am enjoying red wine and will not stay up for the results..

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 6:46 pm

Labour also had a completely unsuitable candidate there last time!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:00 pm

18:50

There have been reports of students from Keele University being turned away at polling stations despite being eligible to vote. The reported problem is in the constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme where Labour won by just 650 votes from the Conservatives at the last election, in 2015 and where Ukip is not standing this time to boost the Tories’ chances.

In a post directed towards students, the university’s English department appeared to acknowledge there were problems, suggesting it was because some registrations were not on the lists sent out to polling stations. (Politics Live, Guardian)

Edited - timeline

SpinningHugo · Post by **SpinningHugo** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:19 pm

Ouch. Hurts.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:21 pm

SpinningHugo wrote:Ouch. Hurts.

I assume you're talking knees?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:38 pm

Students with polling cards turned away Keele University being told they're not on the electoral register

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:39 pm

@PorFavor
snap

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 7:56 pm

Paul Farrelly, Labour’s candidate in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where Keele University students have been complaining of being turned away despite having voter cards, has been scathing in his criticism of the electoral services department.

The electoral services department here in Newcastle is a shambles and there is chaos, which is denying people votes on a scale unprecedented in my 30 years fighting and organising elections. We have spent the past week firefighting over scores of postal votes, which have not arrived and we not only have lots of registration applications that have not been processed but people – including students – being turned away when they are indeed registered.

Each passing hour is not only spoiling election day, but just adding to the issues for complaint, which I will be referring tomorrow to the Electoral Commission and other bodies for an independent, outside investigation. The reality is that electoral services in Newcastle have been all over the place since a licensing fiasco led to the departure of good, experienced staff last summer.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 8:16 pm

citizenJA wrote:@PorFavor
snap

You'd think that polling station staff would automatically ring up HQ when the prospective voter is brandishing an obviously valid voting card. But it seems you have to put up a fight. Jolly bad show, what?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 08 Jun, 2017 8:23 pm

PorFavor wrote:
citizenJA wrote:@PorFavor
snap
You'd think that polling station staff would automatically ring up HQ when the prospective voter is brandishing an obviously valid voting card. But it seems you have to put up a fight. Jolly bad show, what?

I'm utterly disgusted
It's likely due to budget cuts