Friday 21st November 2014

[DonutHingeParty]

Interesting that in the Evening Standard there was an article over one of the top performing primary schools in the country (Grinling Gibbons) ....and there was not a single mention of academies in the entire article. And no, they're not an academy...

I read that as Grinning Gibbons, which is an awesome name for a primary school.

[DonutHingeParty]

According to some journo from The Sun there's no worse crime than "having a go at someone for being patriotic".

Genocide?

[ephemerid]

Good morning everyone.

I am reminded of that Sondheim song - "Send in the clowns".

"Don't bother, they're here" - they are indeed, alive and well and living in what used to be a decent country.

So now we have two Nu-Tory MPs who are the same Ex-Tory MPs in the constituencies they used to represent as Tories now representing those constituencies as Tories with a bit of BNP thrown in. Tories before, Tories during the campaign, and Tories now.

Whether the real Tories know it or not, whether they planned it or not, they can now look forward to a bit more of this - and if Farage is challenged for his leadership by the Nu-Tories who are really still Tories, we'll have two sets of Tories all prepared for a coalition.

The Libbing Dead tried to be Tories and did lots of Tory stuff, but are now so despised as a result that their support has vanished. Some of the Labour people are sounding and acting like Tories and in a few cases might as well be Tories too - yes, you, Reeves, Byrne, Hoey, Danzcuk.

Now Ed has caved in to the most ridiculous Twitter spat of many ridiculous Twitter spats, and unless he gets a fucking grip and sorts himself out he will end up appeasing the veritable rainbow of blue, purple, yellow, red, and god knows how many other bloody sodding Tories.

Thornberry was an asset. One of the few people who could knock eight bells out of the likes of Andrew Neill, someone who is as knowledgeable as she is uncompromising - and for the sake of one picture of the housee of a man who claims he had no idea there was a bye-election going on, who is thus as thick as a brick if true.
And now this is, allegedly, a "crisis" for Ed Miliband and he has chosen to capitulate to the preposterous faux outrage all over the media which accuses Thornberry of snobbery when most of the hacks writing the copy would, under any other circumstances, consider the owner of that house a typical chav.

I am deeply ashamed of my country this morning.

Our Glorious Ronsealed Fishpointer General probably doesn't know that fish rots from the head.

[Willow904]

And there's no finer example of the 'me me me' politics of Thatcherism than white van man himself who voted Tory last time but didn't know why and couldn't give a flying one about what his neighbours think of his England flags on his home all the time.

OK, I'm a snob - I'd hate someone like that living near me. That's not 'working class' - they had respect for themselves and their neighbours - this is just selfish, boorish behaviour.

The irony is that it's all a bit PC when someone can't some out and say something like this.

I personally feel that it's not the Labour Party being snobbish and condescending towards the working classes, but the media by treating all working class people as some kind of like-minded, identikit, homogeneous mass that needs to be 'appealed' to by Labour. Yes, Labour needs to make the case for socialism, or social democracy, and show how it will improve our society and the lives of all the people in it, how it can work better for working class as well as middle and upper class people. But Labour doesn't need to change itself to fit the expectations of Express reading, right-wing bigots just because they happen to regard themselves as working class. It's like saying Labour should be Thatcherites because some working class people voted for Thatcher....oh, hang on, that's what Blair did. And that's what the media want, isn't it. A compliant, Thatcherite Labour party, not this Ed Miliband-led one, which really seems to scare them for some reason.....

[DonutHingeParty]

Cameron asked:

Would you sack a Frontbencher who tweeted a similar picture?

His reply (According to Sparrow)

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

Quick; look through twitter for any example of Tories sneering at people who work hard, blah blah

[citizenJA]

The media really are trying to have it both ways, aren't they? On the one hand they're going after Ed for his "Politics of Envy" in taxing multimillionaire houses and then they're saying that those living in multimillionaire houses - like Emily - are out of touch by marvelling at a man who is so passionate about his flag that he uses it to restrict his vision of the world outside his window (to paraphrase Geldof)

(my bold)

Well said.

Everyone reading & writing here on these threads - thank you.

[RogerOThornhill]

The other think I noted from that Ofsted report on the failing academy was this:

Audenshaw School Academy Trust converted to become an academy on 1 September 2010. Although the Audenshaw School converted to become an academy, it is still referred to within the academy and locally as a school.

Maybe that's because it is a school.

This idea that because you're now an academy somehow you're so superior to those council-run (sic) schools really pisses me off - as does the fact that they have a "principal" rather than a good old fashioned headteacher.

I notice from Birbalsingh's school that they have "Teaching Fellows"! Sorry, they look like Teaching and Learning Assistants to me.

Teaching Fellows my arse - you're not a university.

[Willow904]

Morning All.

I see I've been promoted to Committee Member! I never really intended to become a regular here, but I seem to have become hooked!

As committee chair, let me say we welcome your continued output, especially if it's of the same quality and coherency of thought as this post.

I noted that Peter Bone has put out a piece saying how much he really, really loves the Tories, and doesn't want to join UKIP at all.

I'd have thought Rees Mogg might be in the second wave of defectors. If Carswell and Reckless can manage to convince UKIP to push the more openly socially liberal agenda (for British people, anyway) and are prepared to draw a line in the sand with regards to the quasi-BNPers, RM might be persuaded - of course, it depends on what happens with regards to Cameron's successor. I'm hoping for my MP, Liam Fox, to get a bloody nose next May, but I don't think he'll get defenestrated.

Thanks for the warm committee welcome!

Do you really see Rees-Mogg in Ukip? I just can't imagine it myself. Rees-Mogg is certainly Eurosceptic enough and he's probably barmy enough, but I still don't see him fitting in. He's got real convictions, for a start, not to mention an almost reverential respect for the institution that is our Great British Parliament. He's almost the epitome of 'the Establishment' in so many ways that I'm rather convinced that Farage wouldn't actually have him even if offered!

[mikems]

Sad to see another instant surrender in the face of hypocritical and dishonest attacks from hacks. Why not stand up to them and ask exactly what Emily Thornberry did wrong?

Fascism seems to be gaining ground in the media but no one is standing up to it.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Morning All.

I see I've been promoted to Committee Member! I never really intended to become a regular here, but I seem to have become hooked!

Anyway, to business:

He said Rochester was the kind of seat Labour would only win if it won a landslide nationally.

We’ve been campaigning hard, but the truth is this was a landslide seat for Labour, not a majority seat. It was number 124 on our target list and in that sense of course we were going to be under pressure.

The "he" being Douglas Alexander. The bit which staggers me is the fact that Rochester and Strood was only 124 on Labour's target list. I had no idea it was that low. My constituency, currently held by Rees-Mogg, is number 72 on the list and still quite a challenge (I'm not really expecting to see him ousted in May) which gives me a whole new perspective on this by-election. Rochester is clearly as right-wing as the results this morning suggest.

Which brings me to a little bugbear of mine. Why is it that Labour are expected to represent working class people regardless of the political persuasion of those working class people? Labour was created to achieve greater equality for the working classes via socialism, a left-wing philosophy of redistribution of wealth. To my mind, Labour hasn't abandoned the working classes, it is the working classes who have abandoned them. By voting for Ukip they are rejecting socialism and embracing the me, me, me politics of Thatcherism, the politics of tax cuts and privatisation. If Labour loses such minded individuals, I just can't see that as Labour having done something wrong.

And there's no finer example of the 'me me me' politics of Thatcherism than white van man himself who voted Tory last time but didn't know why and couldn't give a flying one about what his neighbours think of his England flags on his home all the time.

OK, I'm a snob - I'd hate someone like that living near me. That's not 'working class' - they had respect for themselves and their neighbours - this is just selfish, boorish behaviour.

The irony is that it's all a bit PC when someone can't some out and say something like this.

Guess that makes me a sneering metropolitan type too, because I wouldn't want a house festooned with flags by me.

I'm a snob, and proud of it.

I honestly can't get too bothered about the result, didn't expect any better, but the accompanying and following debate has been utterly soul destroying.

[mikems]

Aren't these sorts of episodes actually opporuntities to point out the rottenness, triviality and stupidity of the media? If you give way they will only come back for bigger and better scalps and, because we have a history of surrender, they will succeed.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Cameron asked:

Would you sack a Frontbencher who tweeted a similar picture?

His reply (According to Sparrow)

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

Quick; look through twitter for any example of Tories sneering at people who work hard, blah blah

Shapp's post budget ''beer and bingo'' tweet is a perfect example.

Oi you beer guzzling, bingo playing oiks, here's a few pence!

[Tizme1]

Oh, and don't get me started on John Harris, he lost all legitimacy when he reckoned Plaid Cymru were running amok in the South Wales valleys, they aren't. Today's piece is in a similar vein.

I used to like John Harris but I'm increasingly baffled as to what it is that he wants. After writing seemingly weekly articles about how UKIP are eating into Labour's vote, and how they have to start addressing the concerns of potential UKIP voters and talk about immigration, he suddenly does a complete turnaround and claims Labour are pushing potential voters away to the Greens by sounding too much like UKIP and banging on about immigration! It's just ridiculous.

Does he honestly think that there is some kind of magical policy ground that Labour can adopt which will appeal to both potential Green and UKIP voters (and presumably attract those flirting with the SNP as well)? If so, I wish he'd bloody well share it with the rest of us.

The world has gone mad. Monday I found out that someone who used to be a member of our local Green party has defected to UKIP. WTF? He wasn't just a supporter - when he lived in Watford, he run our twitter account!

Morning all btw. Probably a flying visit though I'll be dipping in and out no doubt. Today is my youngest son's 18th birthday. I have to somehow turn what is currently a building site back into a home fit to have guests later today. I may be gone some time...........

[mikems]

How come white vans and St George flags are 'working class'? I'm working class and so are most of the people I know, but I don't know anyone like that. Marxists would call such people 'lumpen proletariat' i.e. uneducated and reactionary, a tool of the ruling class, the King and Country mobs etc.

But who sticks the label working class on such people? Why our rulers, who always want to put us all into stereotypes, of course. Except when convenient they like to point their own fingers at the 'chav scum' to justify reaction and harshness.

[Tish]

And there's no finer example of the 'me me me' politics of Thatcherism than white van man himself who voted Tory last time but didn't know why and couldn't give a flying one about what his neighbours think of his England flags on his home all the time.

OK, I'm a snob - I'd hate someone like that living near me. That's not 'working class' - they had respect for themselves and their neighbours - this is just selfish, boorish behaviour.

The irony is that it's all a bit PC when someone can't some out and say something like this.

I personally feel that it's not the Labour Party being snobbish and condescending towards the working classes, but the media by treating all working class people as some kind of like-minded, identikit, homogeneous mass that needs to be 'appealed' to by Labour. Yes, Labour needs to make the case for socialism, or social democracy, and show how it will improve our society and the lives of all the people in it, how it can work better for working class as well as middle and upper class people. But Labour doesn't need to change itself to fit the expectations of Express reading, right-wing bigots just because they happen to regard themselves as working class. It's like saying Labour should be Thatcherites because some working class people voted for Thatcher....oh, hang on, that's what Blair did. And that's what the media want, isn't it. A compliant, Thatcherite Labour party, not this Ed Miliband-led one, which really seems to scare them for some reason.....

That's exactly what I've been trying to work out how to say. Since when did "working class" become another term for "thick of shit right winger who drapes their house in flags?" It's a sign of how degraded and devalued the image of the working class has become in the media that someone like that is seen as "typical" working class. Presumably the rest of us working class types, those who don't vote UKIP, or read the Sun, or turn our houses into massive signs of our so called "patriotism," are of no interest to the media these days.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Cameron asked:

Would you sack a Frontbencher who tweeted a similar picture?

His reply (According to Sparrow)

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

Quick; look through twitter for any example of Tories sneering at people who work hard, blah blah

Does Mensch's complete output count?

And, of course, we all know Cameron would have done no such thing, look at his pathetic prevarication over Maria Miller for example.

[letsskiptotheleft]

How come white vans and St George flags are 'working class'? I'm working class and so are most of the people I know, but I don't know anyone like that. Marxists would call such people 'lumpen proletariat' i.e. uneducated and reactionary, a tool of the ruling class, the King and Country mobs etc.

But who sticks the label working class on such people? Why our rulers, who always want to put us all into stereotypes, of course. Except when convenient they like to point their own fingers at the 'chav scum' to justify reaction and harshness.

Same here, if you want to stick a label on me it's working class, most of my would family with the exception of sister and bro-in-law would go in that bracket. Don't lump me with the likes of him, some cloth headed Neanderthal who didn't even know there was an election going on.

[mikems]

Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country.

What utter drivel. Honestly, a thirteen year old schoolboy would treat such illogical nonsense with contempt. But our media will not even spot the nonsensical connections made by the Prime Fucking Minister.

[ephemerid]

The coverage of Ed Miliband and Labour in the Guardian for the past year (at least) has been nothing short of appalling.

The stuff in all the other papers, the BBC, and other media has been worse. Horrifically biased reporting everywhere.

It's pretty obvious now that the G will support Cameron - they might as well just come out and say so. Apart from the Mirror, and possibly the Indy, all the MSM does is find some story (invented or exaggerated) to bash Labour in general and personally attack Ed in particular.
It's obvious that they all scared shitless of Ed because he will implement Leveson and stop them doing this very thing.

After Ed's recent speeches, I thought that at long last he'd got going - and now his three steps forward are four steps back because he has chosen to appease the media. To say I am disappointed is putting it mildly.

Every time I wonder if I should give up on Labour, Ed does something that renews my hope - then something happens which knocks me back again. I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
No response when you post policy ideas on the website designed for the purpose; no response from Reeves or Green or others to emails; and now we've got appeasement of a right-wing compliant and corrupt press.

If Labour does not present a united front, get out there and make some very loud noises, they will lose.
If Ed does not stand by his better people, they will go, (forced or otherwise) and he will lose.
The PLP needs to stand up and shout its unequivocal support now and for the next 6 months, or Labour will lose. I am sick of the reports being made daily about division within the ranks, and even if it's all manufactured, Labour is not doing enough to protest about it.

The way things are going, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I should just stop with the campaigning for Labour locally. I feel that I am very far away from what Labour are doing in the upper echelons, and considering the painful effort it takes me to walk for hours knocking on doors and delivering leaflets etc. I am feeling very un-appreciated and I don't think I'm alone in that.

Not happy today.

[gilsey]

I know most here avoid the G but I'm not, yet anyway.

AS regarding Cameron's reaction to the tweet.

He was asked if he would have fired one of his frontbenchers out for sending out the picture that Emily Thornberry posted, and saying what she said.

He could have said: “Well, she says she did not intend to sneer, it was only a photo, and it’s best to keep these things in perspective.”

But, surprise, surprise, he didn’t. When asked the question he actually he replied:

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

(Perhaps lack of sleep is affecting my judgment, but I’m beginning to think the political narrative has finally lost all contact with reality.)

my bold.

You and me both Andrew.

[letsskiptotheleft]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02chktn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A caller to a radio station tries to put a Sun hack right, apparently it's all about what Labour genuinely think of people.

Utter bollocks.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Hah! A caller has phoned James O'Brien's prog to complain about those flags,lives in the same street, reckons they are an eyesore.

World has gone mad, and disappointed Labour capitulated so quickly.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Emily Thornberry cocked up, in my opinion. That's not to say that I approve of, or agree with, the way the press is dealing with the issue but with a bit of thought she could have avoided all this. The inclusion of the vehicle's registration number was an especially monumentally stupid thing to have done.

It was her subsequent "clarification" - on the lines of "I had never seen anything like it before" - which did for her I think.

Contrary to myth, Islington is still a pretty working class area for the most part and flags are not exactly unknown. That response does raise questions.

Though let's not lose sight of the main issue here - this is really all about a deranged, out of control MSM eating itself. The Day Today surpassed by real life

[letsskiptotheleft]

Reckless giving his maiden UKIP speech in commons apparently, trying to explain the Kippers policy making process, by all accounts he's a tad confused. Think that goes with the territory?

[ephemerid]

I know most here avoid the G but I'm not, yet anyway.

AS regarding Cameron's reaction to the tweet.

He was asked if he would have fired one of his frontbenchers out for sending out the picture that Emily Thornberry posted, and saying what she said.

He could have said: “Well, she says she did not intend to sneer, it was only a photo, and it’s best to keep these things in perspective.”

But, surprise, surprise, he didn’t. When asked the question he actually he replied:

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

(Perhaps lack of sleep is affecting my judgment, but I’m beginning to think the political narrative has finally lost all contact with reality.)

my bold.

You and me both Andrew.

OGRFG is the epitome of the sneer. He sneers at the people who vote for him, the people who don't, and everyone else to boot.

He is presiding over a coalition government which he finagled to get into power when the electorate did not give him a mandate.

Ever since, he has sat back and watched while his ministers steal billions from the sick, disabled, unemployed, working poor, squeezed middle, and anyone else I might have missed, who isn't already stinking fucking rich - and he has the brass neck to pretend he cares about hardworkingfamilies(TM).
So keen on patriotism is he that he watches while his government flogs off our health care, our education, our justice, our social security, and everything else we continue to pay for, to his friends and backers - simultaneously pretending that he gives a shit and is the saviour of the working class.

When are people going to wake up? How bad and mad must it get before people take to the streets? Time and again there is no coverage of protests in our MSM, especially the BBC. Time and again Cameron and his ministers get away with blatant lies and subversion of democracy in the House and all we get is slanted reporting and no proper investigative journalism.

I despair, I really do.

[mikems]

No doubt media hectoring Thornberry is some consolation for EmptyDave, having just lost one of his safest seats six months before a GE

[StephenDolan]

This election the vote *has* to get out. The only beneficiaries of "they're all the same" meme are the Tories. Positivity is needed to encourage people (especially the young voters) that things can change, it doesn't have to be like this.

[mikems]

Anyway, let's have a bit of proper journalism :

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-98 ... punishment" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DonutHingeParty]

My favourite Reckless picture.



Edit: Wait, is that a white van on the billboard?

[pk1]

And, of course, we all know Cameron would have done no such thing, look at his pathetic prevarication over Maria Miller for example.

Of course we know he wouldn't - he certainly didn't sack the dick-photo-taking Newmark ! Days we waited for his resignation & it was the press that finally got it - not Cammo !! Doubt the hypocrisy of Cam's position was mentioned though...

[frightful_oik]

The coverage of Ed Miliband and Labour in the Guardian for the past year (at least) has been nothing short of appalling.

The stuff in all the other papers, the BBC, and other media has been worse. Horrifically biased reporting everywhere.

It's pretty obvious now that the G will support Cameron - they might as well just come out and say so. Apart from the Mirror, and possibly the Indy, all the MSM does is find some story (invented or exaggerated) to bash Labour in general and personally attack Ed in particular.
It's obvious that they all scared shitless of Ed because he will implement Leveson and stop them doing this very thing.

After Ed's recent speeches, I thought that at long last he'd got going - and now his three steps forward are four steps back because he has chosen to appease the media. To say I am disappointed is putting it mildly.

Every time I wonder if I should give up on Labour, Ed does something that renews my hope - then something happens which knocks me back again. I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
No response when you post policy ideas on the website designed for the purpose; no response from Reeves or Green or others to emails; and now we've got appeasement of a right-wing compliant and corrupt press.

If Labour does not present a united front, get out there and make some very loud noises, they will lose.
If Ed does not stand by his better people, they will go, (forced or otherwise) and he will lose.
The PLP needs to stand up and shout its unequivocal support now and for the next 6 months, or Labour will lose. I am sick of the reports being made daily about division within the ranks, and even if it's all manufactured, Labour is not doing enough to protest about it.

The way things are going, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I should just stop with the campaigning for Labour locally. I feel that I am very far away from what Labour are doing in the upper echelons, and considering the painful effort it takes me to walk for hours knocking on doors and delivering leaflets etc. I am feeling very un-appreciated and I don't think I'm alone in that.

Not happy today.

Quite!
If the Greens put a candidate up in my constituency and I don't think Labour can beat the sitting Tory, I will vote Green. Take the media on!

[pk1]

I know most here avoid the G but I'm not, yet anyway.

AS regarding Cameron's reaction to the tweet.

He was asked if he would have fired one of his frontbenchers out for sending out the picture that Emily Thornberry posted, and saying what she said.

He could have said: “Well, she says she did not intend to sneer, it was only a photo, and it’s best to keep these things in perspective.”

But, surprise, surprise, he didn’t. When asked the question he actually he replied:

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

(Perhaps lack of sleep is affecting my judgment, but I’m beginning to think the political narrative has finally lost all contact with reality.)

my bold.

You and me both Andrew.

Maybe he would question the behaviour of his colleagues at the Groan then for they have behaved despicably for months, imo.

[DonutHingeParty]

Tweet out! Can Cameron track down the Tory MP who called Strood the "Benefits Street of the South East?"

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... sus-tories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pk1]

Taxpayers may have to spend more than £3bn to stop Parliament turning into an unusable "ruin", Newsnight understands.

....

An initial, independent report has been completed, considering and costing three main options:

- Moving MPs and peers out completely for five years, closing the entire Palace of Westminster. This would be expected to encounter significant political opposition
- A "partial decant" - the House of Lords and the House of Commons would move out in turn, so one half of the palace could be restored at a time, which would take considerably longer
- Politicians refuse to move and construction takes place around them. That could take decades and cost even more

The parliamentary authorities have decided not to publish the report until next summer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30137334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What an ideal time to move our Parliament lock, stock & barrel to a more central part of the country & change not only the political landscape but the financial one too. I'd put my life on the line though to bet against such a move ever taking place.

[DonutHingeParty]

On a lighter note, the band Kasabian are also in trouble for making "ahem" disparaging remarks about a section of society.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/n ... tion-error" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnatolyKasparov]

The coverage of Ed Miliband and Labour in the Guardian for the past year (at least) has been nothing short of appalling.

The stuff in all the other papers, the BBC, and other media has been worse. Horrifically biased reporting everywhere.

It's pretty obvious now that the G will support Cameron - they might as well just come out and say so. Apart from the Mirror, and possibly the Indy, all the MSM does is find some story (invented or exaggerated) to bash Labour in general and personally attack Ed in particular.
It's obvious that they all scared shitless of Ed because he will implement Leveson and stop them doing this very thing.

After Ed's recent speeches, I thought that at long last he'd got going - and now his three steps forward are four steps back because he has chosen to appease the media. To say I am disappointed is putting it mildly.

Every time I wonder if I should give up on Labour, Ed does something that renews my hope - then something happens which knocks me back again. I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
No response when you post policy ideas on the website designed for the purpose; no response from Reeves or Green or others to emails; and now we've got appeasement of a right-wing compliant and corrupt press.

If Labour does not present a united front, get out there and make some very loud noises, they will lose.
If Ed does not stand by his better people, they will go, (forced or otherwise) and he will lose.
The PLP needs to stand up and shout its unequivocal support now and for the next 6 months, or Labour will lose. I am sick of the reports being made daily about division within the ranks, and even if it's all manufactured, Labour is not doing enough to protest about it.

The way things are going, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I should just stop with the campaigning for Labour locally. I feel that I am very far away from what Labour are doing in the upper echelons, and considering the painful effort it takes me to walk for hours knocking on doors and delivering leaflets etc. I am feeling very un-appreciated and I don't think I'm alone in that.

Not happy today.

Quite!
If the Greens put a candidate up in my constituency and I don't think Labour can beat the sitting Tory, I will vote Green. Take the media on!

Ed has, that is why he is suffering. The MSM can patronise the Greens at the moment, not seeing them as a real threat. If that ever changes, mind........

[MorganLlan]

Morning everyone - I did say I wouldn't be a regular poster and here I am more than a week later. I have lurked here over the last week, and to be honest, it has been so depressing (not you good people I hasten to add but the media driven non stories that have been wall to wall).

It's interesting that many of you today have mentioned class - and how white working class if defined by the media and political commentators. In my intro on the profile type page here I mentioned that I consider myself working class, even though demographic profiling of the type carried out by media types, political parties and businesses would probably say we are a middle class family. Which reminded me of the 2 part documentary from 2008 in which John Prescott talked to people about class issues. I can't find the whole thing on line only the bit that really stuck in my mind -

[youtube]NXZ52-XgUjA[/youtube]

So in all of this frenzy over whether a tweet of a house with some flags and a van is a sneer at the white working class - perhaps it would be worth somebody asking whether the person who lived there considers themselves to be working class.

My son emailed me last night saying he'd just seen the Thornberry (non) story - his words "what is wrong with these people"?

My reply = It's like being back in the 80s. It feels like the whole country is a crueller and harder place to live when the Tories are in power. They propagate an us and them mentality amongst ordinary people, and businesses feel like it's got carte blanche to do it's worst.

I do really think that the Labour party media management is not being best served by the team they have in place - but there is only so much that can be done when it seems like the media is totally rabidly right wing. The print and TV journalists are very keen to say that we are ill served by politicians and don't trust them. I think the journalists need to take a long hard look in the mirror themselves because in many cases they are an even more dangerous and unaccountable elite who will never be voted out at the next election. Instead of being honest brokers in the political debate - reporting truthfully all aspects of a story without comment or opinion colouring the overall result, they are projecting their own narrow world view. I struggle today to think of a single journalist who can honestly say this is not the case.

I share your frustration at the Guardian these days. I read the paper from the age of 17 in the late 70s until about 6 years ago, and whilst it sometimes held opinions other than my own, it still felt like a paper with which I shared some values. The last 2 years have been desperate. I don't believe that my values have changed. It's not me. It is the Guardian.

Admin: if you remove [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=] from the youtube URL then put the tags around it, it will embed the video.

[DonutHingeParty]

Anyone who uses the term "white" in front of "Working Class" is far more interested in promoting the former than the latter.

[mikems]

'White working class' originated from the BNP. It was quickly picked up and parroted by the media and politicians. The working class is not split by skin colour - the working class is global.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Long running barney between Westminster and Welsh Gov over who pays for electrification of valley lines and route to Swansea finally resolved, Wales and borders rail franchise also devolved.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... me-8146631" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I know most here avoid the G but I'm not, yet anyway.

AS regarding Cameron's reaction to the tweet.

He was asked if he would have fired one of his frontbenchers out for sending out the picture that Emily Thornberry posted, and saying what she said.

He could have said: “Well, she says she did not intend to sneer, it was only a photo, and it’s best to keep these things in perspective.”

But, surprise, surprise, he didn’t. When asked the question he actually he replied:

Absolutely. Let’s be clear: Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closes allies and aides, and effectively what this means is Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country. And I think that’s completely appalling.

(Perhaps lack of sleep is affecting my judgment, but I’m beginning to think the political narrative has finally lost all contact with reality.)

my bold.

You and me both Andrew.

Maybe he would question the behaviour of his colleagues at the Groan then for they have behaved despicably for months, imo.

Doubt it. In our email exchange he denied point blank that there was any anti-Miliband/anti-Labour agenda at the Guardian, or that certain posters were tolerated/cultivated because they helped advance such an agenda * . The political narrative has certainly lost all contact with reality, and his colleagues are at least partially responsible.


* Mind you, within a couple of days of that final email Rusty, who had posted at the Guardian for 8 years, was zapped. Coincidence?

[citizenJA]

If we're looking for a prescription, reasonableness, a clearly charted course for the Labour party that'll please media & other powerful interests, every Labour party member, supporter & leadership we'll be disappointed because it doesn't exist.

The same can be said for Unions, union members & leadership, progressive political parties & other assorted justice seekers.

I'm not suggesting Labour, Unions, justice seekers are incapable of error in conduct or word. We're human beings & deserve equal treatment - we shouldn't be forced to live & work according to a higher standard. But we are being forced into an unreasonable, incoherent, bullying place where fear can paralyse action or words.

It's not fair. But I accept it's currently happening & work for greater justice.

Given how often, how repeatedly current government have conducted themselves & continue to operate it's clear there's one rule for them & different rules for others. That's corruption.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Tweet out! Can Cameron track down the Tory MP who called Strood the "Benefits Street of the South East?"

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... sus-tories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've posted a slight variation on that.

So Cameron wld have sacked Thornberry. Will he track down Tory MP who called Strood the "Benefits Street of the SE?"

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... sus-tories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

[pk1]

Populus:

Lab 36 (=)
Con 33 (-2)
LD 9 (+2)
UKIP 14 (+3)

[AnatolyKasparov]

Populus:

Lab 36 (=)
Con 33 (-2)
LD 9 (+2)
UKIP 14 (+3)

Even that isn't really cheering me up today, tbh.

Am starting to wonder if it is all worth the candle - without radical reform of the MSM everything else is pointless. Blair's fateful Faustian pact with them could yet prove to be one of the worst things that ever happened to the left in Britain

[StephenDolan]

Populus:

Lab 36 (=)
Con 33 (-2)
LD 9 (+2)
UKIP 14 (+3)

I'd take that in a heartbeat.

[refitman]

Populus:

Lab 36 (=)
Con 33 (-2)
LD 9 (+2)
UKIP 14 (+3)

Conversely, Yougov have the Tories 1 point ahead:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 20th November -

Con 34%, (no change)
Lab 33%, (no change)
LD 7%, (no change)
UKIP 15%; (+1)

APP -24 (-3)

[rebeccariots2]

The world has gone mad. Monday I found out that someone who used to be a member of our local Green party has defected to UKIP. WTF? He wasn't just a supporter - when he lived in Watford, he run our twitter account!

You've given the only possible response to that switch - WTF indeed?

[HindleA]

Dennis Skinner welcomes the "new"MP into the House.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30141159" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[yahyah]

Anyway, let's have a bit of proper journalism :

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-98 ... punishment" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, and that's reminded me to buy the paper when I go to Lampeter this afternoon.


Like Ephie and others I feel rather low today.

I've been accused of being a Labour tribalist here in the past [despite the fact that I have voted for other parties in council elections, nearly voted Lib Dem in 2010] but I am starting to feel disenchanted again.

How about Labour being bold, pointing out to voters basic stuff such as the Independent's report on how privatised public services are leeching money to other countries benefit.

Instead of it being about immigration and pressure on scarce public services...start pushing for re-nationalisation and reversing the use of companies like ATOS.

Bring jobs back to the public sector, stop the draining of public money into foreign companies, pay public sector worker decent wages and pensions which they will spend in their local economies.

Come on Ed, now's the time to be bold.
They are gunning for you whatever you do.