Thursday 20th November 2014 - Rochester & Strood

Post by **refitman** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 7:31 am

Morning all. Tory lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 19th November -

Con 34%, (+2)
Lab 33%, (-1)
LD 7%, (no change)
UKIP 14%; (-1)
Green 6% (no change)

APP -21 (+2)

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 8:22 am

Morning all.

Oliver Letwin says Tories could campaign for a no vote in EU referendum if "Cameron failed to gain a better deal for Britain in Europe."
Leaving aside the attempt to out UKIP the Kippers in Rochester & Strood, does anyone know exactly what Cameron is asking for in his negotiations, or is it a case that he would deem anything that Merkel said he could have as a "good deal for Britain"?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ction.html

Edited to fix URL

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:08 am

refitman wrote:Morning all. Tory lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 19th November -

Con 34%, (+2)
Lab 33%, (-1)
LD 7%, (no change)
UKIP 14%; (-1)
Green 6% (no change)

APP -21 (+2)

Morning. That's a depressing start.

Given the chaos the Tories seem to be in - stumbling around in the HoC, being defeated on votes re bills - and now rumours rife of more defections - how and why do people think they are managing this slim YouGov lead?

Is it simply the flexing their muscles on immigration and Europe?

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:13 am

Good morning everyone.

The people of Rochester and Strood vote today. Well, some of them, anyway.

They might elect a Tory who's a Tory, or a Tory who pretends he isn't a Tory any more but is a Tory really - or they might go bonkers and vote for one of three independents, Britain First, People before Profit, Green, LibDem, Monster Raving Loony, or the Patriotic Socialists.
Any of these very strange or useless people (the Green excepted) could be the next MP for the constituency.

Naushabah Khan, the Labour candidate, is very unlikely to win. I hope someone is rude to her, because she is a kickboxer of some skill......

If Ms.Khan gets more support than expected, if Ms.Khan increases the Labour share of the vote, if Ms.Khan gets within sniffing distance of election, it will be very very bad news for Ed Miliband.

This is because everything that has ever happened anywhere in the world ever is bad news for Ed Miliband; and however badly the new real Tory or the old real Tory do, it will all be due to Ed Miliband and the media will ensure that we are told this many many times at considerable length so that we eventually come to believe that he is useless and must be replaced immediately with a failed popstrel who thinks he is so useless that he wants to tax water (which is already subject to VAT) and who will save us all including grannies who live in £2M garages in London.

Now that I have told you what is going to happen, I think it is the solemn duty of our government to cancel the whole shootin' match.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:15 am

Caroline Flint retweeted
Stand up for Labour® ‏@Standup4Labour 1h1 hour ago
There are a few £10 tickets left for Sheffield tonight!

Nick Clegg is not invited!

http://www.standupforlabour.co.uk/events_139475.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:18 am

One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:20 am

ephemerid wrote:Good morning everyone.

The people of Rochester and Strood vote today. Well, some of them, anyway.

They might elect a Tory who's a Tory, or a Tory who pretends he isn't a Tory any more but is a Tory really - or they might go bonkers and vote for one of three independents, Britain First, People before Profit, Green, LibDem, Monster Raving Loony, or the Patriotic Socialists.
Any of these very strange or useless people (the Green excepted) could be the next MP for the constituency.

Naushabah Khan, the Labour candidate, is very unlikely to win. I hope someone is rude to her, because she is a kickboxer of some skill......

If Ms.Khan gets more support than expected, if Ms.Khan increases the Labour share of the vote, if Ms.Khan gets within sniffing distance of election, it will be very very bad news for Ed Miliband.

This is because everything that has ever happened anywhere in the world ever is bad news for Ed Miliband; and however badly the new real Tory or the old real Tory do, it will all be due to Ed Miliband and the media will ensure that we are told this many many times at considerable length so that we eventually come to believe that he is useless and must be replaced immediately with a failed popstrel who thinks he is so useless that he wants to tax water (which is already subject to VAT) and who will save us all including grannies who live in £2M garages in London.

Now that I have told you what is going to happen, I think it is the solemn duty of our government to cancel the whole shootin' match.

The meeja and the Tories may just have achieved the opposite of what they intended with this 'awful for Ed' super-campaign. We / the public have, in their own horrible expression, already'factored in' the inevitable slag Ed response to everything that is ever reported .... it becomes an empty meme because it's so relentless.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:23 am

Good news on the job creation front in Wales, and more rumoured to be announced tomorrow at the UK Investment Summit Wales. The business editor of the Western Mail calls it 'a great day for Wales'.

Just a shame so many are Cardiff based, and with companies like Deloitte, but some are in Merthyr and Cwmbran

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... ix-8137930" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... ll-8137478" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:28 am

I hope Naushabah Khan does well in Rochester & Strood - not just for Labour - but because she sounds as though she is a sound and competent candidate and has put up good arguments and reasoning at the hustings and a lot of hard work in. I'd like her to do well enough to feel rewarded for that hard work and optimistic about fighting hard at the general election.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:30 am

yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.

That is what you get when you ditch all the decent journos and just leave yourself with 2nd rate hacks.

Morning all.

@RR2, re that YouGov poll lead for the Tories; I'm no expert on these things, hopefully AK will swing by at some point and give it the once over, but ......

Some of the weighting on that poll looks a touch iffy, especially the Tory VI and (bearing in mind it was for the Currant Bun) Sun reader figures; I'm not directly accusing YG of massaging the figures to suit their customer ...... oh sod it, of course I am!

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/d ... 191114.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:33 am

Sorry, Alberto Nardelli is the Gaurdian's 'data editor' not a political journalist.
Looks as if they've edited it out now after complaints.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:36 am

Labour History Group ‏@LabourHistory 6m6 minutes ago
The first woman MP for Rochester, Labour's Anne Kerr (1964-70), later founded Women Against the Common Market: http://www.hull.ac.uk/arc/collection/pr ... /wacm.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:38 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.
That is what you get when you ditch all the decent journos and just leave yourself with 2nd rate hacks.

Morning all.

@RR2, re that YouGov poll lead for the Tories; I'm no expert on these things, hopefully AK will swing by at some point and give it the once over, but ......

Some of the weighting on that poll looks a touch iffy, especially the Tory VI and (bearing in mind it was for the Currant Bun) Sun reader figures; I'm not directly accusing YG of massaging the figures to suit their customer ...... oh sod it, of course I am!

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/d ... 191114.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Like a stuck record, I'll point out again that the Sun readers are weighted up (by approximately double) every day and have been since the Sun introduced its paywall.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:41 am

yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.

Post-truth journalism at its best. All part of laying the groundwork for tomorrow's narrative.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:41 am

Glenn Hanson retweeted
Barry Sheerman MP ‏@BarrySheerman Nov 19
Last year botched badger cull really cost £10m! Govt confesses after revealing true cost including policing @BBCFarmingToday

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:43 am

Morning.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:45 am

Morning

NAO Report into Legal Aid" Reforms"

http://www.nao.org.uk/report/implementi ... legal-aid/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“The Ministry of Justice is on track to make significant and quick reductions in its spending on civil legal aid. However, it has been slower to think through how and why people access civil legal aid; the scale of the additional costs to the Ministry likely to be generated by people choosing to represent themselves; and the impact on the ability and willingness of providers to provide legal services for the fees paid.Without this understanding, the Ministry’s implementation of the reforms to civil legal aid cannot be said to have delivered better overall value for money for the taxpayer.”

Ie.Harmful and falsely economic (as ever)

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:45 am

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.
That is what you get when you ditch all the decent journos and just leave yourself with 2nd rate hacks.

Morning all.

@RR2, re that YouGov poll lead for the Tories; I'm no expert on these things, hopefully AK will swing by at some point and give it the once over, but ......

Some of the weighting on that poll looks a touch iffy, especially the Tory VI and (bearing in mind it was for the Currant Bun) Sun reader figures; I'm not directly accusing YG of massaging the figures to suit their customer ...... oh sod it, of course I am!

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/d ... 191114.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Like a stuck record, I'll point out again that the Sun readers are weighted up (by approximately double) every day and have been since the Sun introduced its paywall.

Thanks Paul, adds credence to the "massaging" theory.

@Yahyah, maybe the Graun should employ a data checker instead of a data editor?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 9:52 am

Lords debate yesterday regarding waiting days for JSA/ESA for those interested.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 1975000227" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:01 am

I believe that this was briefly mentioned last night, Ken gets really stuck in:

Ken Clarke lets rip at David Cameron’s EU reform plans
Former Tory chancellor says free movement of people fundamental to union and championed by Margaret Thatcher

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... form-plans

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:06 am

Lack of legal aid in child cases soars

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/nov ... -law-cases" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:23 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Some of the weighting on that poll looks a touch iffy, especially the Tory VI and (bearing in mind it was for the Currant Bun) Sun reader figures; I'm not directly accusing YG of massaging the figures to suit their customer ...... oh sod it, of course I am!

Don't.

Yougov polls for the Sun every day & we can't blame them for 'bad' polls & ignore the fact it's the same organisation polling for the Sun on the 'good' polls.

The weighting is questionable but what points out a duff sample is the approval rating. For ages now it's been in the minus 20's so when we had that one the other day giving a -18 (?) it stood out a mile.

Today's app rating is -21 so it implies a more usual sample & shows that really, we seem to be neck & neck with the Cons.

Frankly, polls are all over the place atm & I don't think there is any great relevance to any of them until after Christmas. Until then, there is a myriad of reasons why polling might not be wholly accurate.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:24 am

Oborne in a vicious piece today:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gn=3697068" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:27 am

Sometimes, very intelligent people can be remarkably stupid.

Roy Lilley has just discovered that context gives the meaning to everything, particularly regarding data:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com ... ae52733d3a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes Roy, we know & that's one of the reasons Jarman's mortality figures did so much damage - because they were taken & reported without the required context !

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:36 am

yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.

The following clarifiction has now appeared:

A clarification on an earlier post that said Rochester and Strood had been held by Labour prior to 2010. That’s not quite right. Rochester and Strood constituency came into being in that election, having previously been Medway constituency (the name was changed because it was confusing, given there’s also a unitary authority called Medway), and was chopped from 13 wards to 10. So commenters below the line who’ve pointed out that it’s not a direct comparison: it’s a fair cop.

And goes on to quote the "All That's Left" blog

In fact, Labour could feel a little aggrieved by the Boundary Commission in Medway: if it had opted to link Rochester to Chatham (which it merges into) instead of those areas west of the river, the seat would currently be a lot tighter between them and the Conservatives.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 10:50 am

http://www.positivemoney.org/2014/11/uk ... 170-years/

UK Parliament will hold a three hour debate on the issue of ‘Money Creation and Society’ on Thursday 20th November. This will be the first time in 170 years that Parliament has debated money creation.

Approximate expected start of the “Money Creation & Society” debate is around 12:30PM.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:01 am

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 72278.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Winnie the Pooh has been banned from a Polish playground because of his “dubious sexuality” and “inappropriate” dress.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:04 am

danesclose wrote:
yahyah wrote:One of the Guardian's political writers claiming Labour held Rochester & Strood up to 2010.
The following clarifiction has now appeared:

A clarification on an earlier post that said Rochester and Strood had been held by Labour prior to 2010. That’s not quite right. Rochester and Strood constituency came into being in that election, having previously been Medway constituency (the name was changed because it was confusing, given there’s also a unitary authority called Medway), and was chopped from 13 wards to 10. So commenters below the line who’ve pointed out that it’s not a direct comparison: it’s a fair cop.
And goes on to quote the "All That's Left" blog
In fact, Labour could feel a little aggrieved by the Boundary Commission in Medway: if it had opted to link Rochester to Chatham (which it merges into) instead of those areas west of the river, the seat would currently be a lot tighter between them and the Conservatives.

The Boundary Commission is forever being defended as completely partisan, but some of their decisions are decidedly odd. I used to live in a marginal Labour constituency but a new constituency in Bristol to accommodate the rapid expansion of Bradley Stoke had a ripple effect which means that North East Somerset now extends doughnut like around Bath to take in Tory voting areas of Wiltshire in an incomprehensible manner that 'fortuitously'(?!) created an ultra safe Tory seat capable of electing the otherwise unelectable Rees-Mogg. No doubt it was the only way the Boundary Commission could possibly arrange things, I expect such strange shaped constituencies covering vastly divergent areas abound all over, but I still feel rather aggrieved (although, as discussed previously, still relieved to no longer be part of Liam Fox's patch, as we once were many moons ago).

We need constitutional change and PR, really. I'm sure there are lots of Tories in Labour areas who feel the same. FPTP isn't cutting the mustard anymore, democratically speaking.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:08 am

HindleA wrote:http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 72278.html

Winnie the Pooh has been banned from a Polish playground because of his “dubious sexuality” and “inappropriate” dress.

To polityczna poprawność oszalał!

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:13 am

Katie Razzall (ex-C4, now Newsnight reporter) has always been a bit of a mystery to me, politically. I've found it hard to place her on the political landscape - sometimes comes across as a leftie, other times not.

The piece in the papers where Lord Razzall says he was approached over & over by people asking how much it would cost them to become a Peer, made me look him up in Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Razzall,_Baron_Razzall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well well, whadya know - Katie is the daughter of LD Peer, Lord Razzall ! I guess that explains why she was so hard to place but it's yet another example of the press & Westminster cosiness so many people despise.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:23 am

Oh dear, Hugo has been zapped again...why does he bother?

Burgau said BTL at the DT that he gave up after being banned 5 times but Hugo seems to seem to be of the "I get knocked down, I get up again" school of trolling.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:27 am

An interesting yougov poll here:
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/11/20/gr ... could-win/

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:37 am

pk1 wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Some of the weighting on that poll looks a touch iffy, especially the Tory VI and (bearing in mind it was for the Currant Bun) Sun reader figures; I'm not directly accusing YG of massaging the figures to suit their customer ...... oh sod it, of course I am!

Don't.

Yougov polls for the Sun every day & we can't blame them for 'bad' polls & ignore the fact it's the same organisation polling for the Sun on the 'good' polls.

The weighting is questionable but what points out a duff sample is the approval rating. For ages now it's been in the minus 20's so when we had that one the other day giving a -18 (?) it stood out a mile.

Today's app rating is -21 so it implies a more usual sample & shows that really, we seem to be neck & neck with the Cons.

Frankly, polls are all over the place atm & I don't think there is any great relevance to any of them until after Christmas. Until then, there is a myriad of reasons why polling might not be wholly accurate.

Agree with all that - but today's weightings quite possibly turned a 1 point Labour lead or level pegging into a Tory lead. Whilst that makes little real difference in polling terms, it *is* psychologically significant unfortunately - we already have somebody crowing elsewhere that "crossover" is imminent

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:39 am

Bloody hell - Cameron's lies get worse by the day!

Margaret Hodge goes next.

Q: Tax in the UK is very centralised. Crossrail was in issue when I first got involved in politics 40 years ago. Yet London does not have the ability to raise money for projects like this.

Cameron says he is very proud of the fact that, as prime minister, he gave the green light to Crossrail.

You utter liar.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Mayor of London Boris Johnson attended a ceremony at Canary Wharf on 15 May 2009 when construction started.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossrail# ... t_approval

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 11:50 am

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
pk1 wrote:
Agree with all that - but today's weightings quite possibly turned a 1 point Labour lead or level pegging into a Tory lead. Whilst that makes little real difference in polling terms, it *is* psychologically significant unfortunately - we already have somebody crowing elsewhere that "crossover" is imminent

we already have somebody crowing elsewhere that "crossover" is imminent

Oh dear.....

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:02 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
ephemerid wrote:Good morning everyone.

The people of Rochester and Strood vote today. Well, some of them, anyway.

They might elect a Tory who's a Tory, or a Tory who pretends he isn't a Tory any more but is a Tory really - or they might go bonkers and vote for one of three independents, Britain First, People before Profit, Green, LibDem, Monster Raving Loony, or the Patriotic Socialists.
Any of these very strange or useless people (the Green excepted) could be the next MP for the constituency.

Naushabah Khan, the Labour candidate, is very unlikely to win. I hope someone is rude to her, because she is a kickboxer of some skill......

If Ms.Khan gets more support than expected, if Ms.Khan increases the Labour share of the vote, if Ms.Khan gets within sniffing distance of election, it will be very very bad news for Ed Miliband.

This is because everything that has ever happened anywhere in the world ever is bad news for Ed Miliband; and however badly the new real Tory or the old real Tory do, it will all be due to Ed Miliband and the media will ensure that we are told this many many times at considerable length so that we eventually come to believe that he is useless and must be replaced immediately with a failed popstrel who thinks he is so useless that he wants to tax water (which is already subject to VAT) and who will save us all including grannies who live in £2M garages in London.

Now that I have told you what is going to happen, I think it is the solemn duty of our government to cancel the whole shootin' match.
The meeja and the Tories may just have achieved the opposite of what they intended with this 'awful for Ed' super-campaign. We / the public have, in their own horrible expression, already'factored in' the inevitable slag Ed response to everything that is ever reported .... it becomes an empty meme because it's so relentless.

This is bad news for Ed Miliband.

I tried writing more but decided it'd just be more bad news for Ed Miliband.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:05 pm

Boris shows his true colours, what a spoilt piece of work he is, Eddie Mair was spot on, behind the bravado a nasty piece of work.

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/11/b ... video-mqt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:06 pm

OT but don't ever put food in a time trial for Golden Retrievers !

http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2014/11/19/dog ... obstacles/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:11 pm

http://labourlist.org/2014/11/unlike-un ... er-labour/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Unlike this Government there will be no targets for sanctions under Labour"

Reeves and Timms.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:18 pm

I note that Oborne tacked on to today's piece his usual "oh, but Dave is just great and he can still turn everything around" rider......

Does even he really think that anymore, I wonder? Can anybody seriously see Cameron standing up to Dan Hannan like Oborne proposes, for example??

He really is weak as p*** - we are just waiting for the "Emperor's New Clothes" moment on this with the MSM.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:21 pm

Willow904

The Boundary Commission is forever being defended as completely partisan, but some of their decisions are decidedly odd. I used to live in a marginal Labour constituency but a new constituency in Bristol to accommodate the rapid expansion of Bradley Stoke had a ripple effect which means that North East Somerset now extends doughnut like around Bath to take in Tory voting areas of Wiltshire in an incomprehensible manner that 'fortuitously'(?!) created an ultra safe Tory seat capable of electing the otherwise unelectable Rees-Mogg. No doubt it was the only way the Boundary Commission could possibly arrange things, I expect such strange shaped constituencies covering vastly divergent areas abound all over, but I still feel rather aggrieved (although, as discussed previously, still relieved to no longer be part of Liam Fox's patch, as we once were many moons ago).

We need constitutional change and PR, really. I'm sure there are lots of Tories in Labour areas who feel the same. FPTP isn't cutting the mustard anymore, democratically speaking.

(my bold)

Yes, wholeheartedly recommend constitutional change & proportional representation (PR)

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:25 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I note that Oborne tacked on to today's piece his usual "oh, but Dave is just great and he can still turn everything around" rider......

Does even he really think that anymore, I wonder? Can anybody seriously see him standing up to Dan Hannan likes Oborne proposes, for example??

He really is weak as p*** - we are just waiting for the "Emperor's New Clothes" moment on this with the MSM.

Chancellor Jeffrey isn't having a good day.

ECJ advisor recommends upholding bank bonus caps

The Advocate General at the European Court of Justice has concluded that European legislation limiting bankers’ bonuses is valid, in a blow to the UK government.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/liv ... 0f491f7264" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:28 pm

It is deeply concerning that rather than preventing hardship, our social security system at present seems to be exacerbating it. And while we applaud the work of charities like the Trussell Trust, Oxfam and the volunteers and churches who are on the frontline of responding to these problems, our aim in the 21st century must surely be that the inspiring energy and generosity they exemplify can be directed to higher goals than simply ensuring people have enough to eat.

Rachel Reeves is the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Stephen Timms is Shadow Employment Minister

http://labourlist.org/2014/11/unlike-un ... er-labour/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Exactly.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:35 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Boris shows his true colours, what a spoilt piece of work he is, Eddie Mair was spot on, behind the bravado a nasty piece of work.

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/11/b ... video-mqt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does he understand responses like this are terrifying & convey nothing but terror?

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:45 pm

QT tonight:

On the panel are Conservative former chancellor Ken Clarke MP, Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham MP, UKIP's Douglas Carswell MP, columnist on The Independent Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and the political director of the Taxpayers' Alliance Dia Chakravarty.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:53 pm

Joel Hills ✔ @ITVJoel

INEOS shows slide of shale gas well in Texas. Nick Steinsberger says he drilled 1000s in US "all safely".
12:34 PM - 20 Nov 2014

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B24pQWAIIAAwk4P.jpg:large" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.theguardian.com/business/liv ... 0a7a804fd6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm not reassured. At all. Nope.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:56 pm

: UKIP Tree.jpg (51.68 KiB) Viewed 21709 times

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 12:57 pm

The opposition Labour party reckons the government was wrong to take the bank bonus tax row to the European Court of Justice.

Cathy Jamieson MP, Labour’s Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury, says:

“While working people face a cost-of-living crisis and lending to business is falling it’s astonishing that George Osborne’s priority has been to spend taxpayers’ money fighting a cap on bankers’ bonuses. It shouldn't have taken the EU to act to rein in excessive bonuses, but there has simply been no action from the Chancellor here in Britain. We will repeat Labour’s tax on bank bonuses and use the money to fund a paid starter job for every young person out of work for over a year.”

http://www.theguardian.com/business/liv ... 0f491f72ca" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 1:23 pm

Not bothered about Boris, he is a US citizen and he is refusing to pay US tax on his earnings because it is unfair.

I expect him to end up in serious trouble pretty quickly.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 1:40 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:Not bothered about Boris, he is a US citizen and he is refusing to pay US tax on his earnings because it is unfair.

I expect him to end up in serious trouble pretty quickly.

You're correct. The US Internal Revenue Service is not an entity to toy around with. Johnson knows this & if he's still sane, he'll pay - the story is to make him look big, I think, by pretending he's not going to pay.