Monday 12th January 2015

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:26 am

Morning.

I missed this,apologies if already mentioned.

"Call for publication of review into man that killed himself after benefits cut"

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... tim-salter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There was a homeless guy called Tommy Schwartz that stayed in a night shelter in London I used to work in(bed 6,lower dorm) who used to go to Lower Marsh Market and repeatedly bellow "F##k off".On occasion I used to perform a duet ,as it were with him.It was very cathartic,after reading that I may find a field somewhere and do a solo.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:12 am

"Terrorist suspect detained after exhibting unusual behaviour"

"It was terrifying ,some sort of chant,I think he was trying to call his mates in Birmingham"

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 7:56 am

Morning All

I too enjoyed hugely the Twitter pisstake on Fox News - the medium at its absolute best.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 8:12 am

Martin Rowson is good in the Kevin Maguire column at The Mirror this morning http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/da ... ng-4962003" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

: ScreenShot00016.jpg (203.57 KiB) Viewed 17521 times

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 9:07 am

Pleased to say Dr Nik Johnson the Labour candidate for Huntingdon and doctor at Hinchingbrooke is now following us on Twitter

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 9:15 am

Helen Goodman ‏@HelenGoodmanMP 3m3 minutes ago
"@TomBlenkinsop: Dairy farmers' payment delayed http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30771288" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …" government's grocery adjudicator has totally failed dairy farmers.

First Milk payment to dairy farmers delayed by two weeks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30771288
Over 1,000 British farmers will not be paid for their milk on Monday because of a financial crisis at the dairy co-operative First Milk.

First Milk told farmers that Monday's cheque and all subsequent payments - will be delayed by a fortnight.

The National Farmers Union president said news of the deferral had made members "extremely anxious".

But a First Milk spokesman argued the move would "put our finances and our business on a stronger platform".

First Milk is one of the UK's largest dairy farmer co-operatives, and runs a number of milk production facilities across England, Scotland and Wales.

As well as withholding money from farmers for a fortnight, the company announced on Thursday it would increase capital levy contributions and recoup extra capital from its members...

'Our' farmer is with First Milk - as are very many of the dairy farmers in west Wales. They (our farmer) have just made some very big investments into new parlour structures and equipment. First Milk seemed to be going all out to make more money from spin offs such as wind turbine subsidies (excuse that unintentional pun). They offered a package to all their farmers of £50 - 80k rental to have one installed on their land. Very tempting I'm sure. But don't think they put sufficient research and resources into the proper planning, siting, impact assessments etc. The one next to us was heading for immediate rejection - they hadn't even bothered to make the application match the site - it said it was in Ceredigion and none of the photos matched - no environmental impact assessment even though it's sited in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the edge of a national park and would be in woodland which is a known bat habitat. The application was 'withdrawn' before it was rejected ... apparently this is the game played out everywhere. If you withdraw an application rather than have it rejected you can re submit it endlessly - if it is rejected you can only put it forward again a max of three times. This is what pisses me off about the way renewables are being approached in a lot of places ... it's for all the wrong reasons.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 9:25 am

Welsh Labour Press ‏@WelshLabPress 1h1 hour ago
Cameron will continue to vilify Wales until polling day- @OwenSmithMP spread in today's WMail
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local ... ts-8421289" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith has accused David Cameron of treating Wales “as though it’s some kind of backwater to be laughed at”.

In an outspoken personal attack, Mr Smith also accused the Prime Minister of approaching the subject of Wales with “high-handed schoolboy snobbery”.

He claimed Mr Cameron had overruled Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and insisted that attacks on the Welsh NHS should continue until polling day.

Mr Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, said: “Fifty-odd times at Prime Minister’s Questions he’s called out Wales. It is an extraordinary record, an extraordinary thing for a Prime Minister to have done – to have chosen to vilify one part of the UK as a means to score political points.

“And how on earth he can have had the nerve at PMQs to accuse Labour of playing politics with the NHS when that is all he has done.

Crabb won't have any actual authority on Welsh matters ... he was only placed in that position as part of the game re a marginal seat. But - having been on the doorsteps for a bit now - Cameron's assaults on the Welsh NHS aren't doing him any favours. Some of the people I've met (who work or know someone working in the NHS) have been seething about Cameron.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 9:29 am

Andy Burnham ‏@andyburnhammp 2h2 hours ago
At the 2010 Election, @David_Cameron said the NHS would be his top priority. This time, it doesn't feature in his top 6 themes. Says it all.

So how's that meant to work for Cameron and the Tories then - they don't want to talk about or prioritise the NHS in his election themes ... but he's said he's going to continue to attack the Welsh NHS until polling day? Clears throat ... he may find that constantly slagging off the Welsh NHS causes people to talk about the NHS generally ... far from taking attention away from the Condemns disastrous Health & Social Care reforms in England.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 9:43 am

Re milk on which I heard a piece on Today.

Owen Paterson interview: Minister promises lighter hand on tiller at Defra and more rural support
By Western Morning News | Posted: December 28, 2012

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Owen ... story.html

Critics argue, though, the dominant position of supermarkets means they can sell a pint of milk at a loss to entice shoppers in. Farmers, in turn, have no choice but to accept what they can get from the multiples. Should supermarkets pay more? He ducks the question, but insists “world renowned” cheese and clotted cream dairy products are what farmers should be exploiting, rather than milk.

Mr Paterson said: “It’s not for me as a minister to get involved in market negotiations. But what I am absolutely clear about is that the way ahead is to get away from producing a bulk commodity like milk, producing added value finished products.”

So two years on and the problem is still there - I'm shocked etc...

The price I pay down at my local shop has been 90p for 2 pts for some years now.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:06 am

om_watson ‏@tom_watson 7m7 minutes ago
When media mogul @rupertmurdoch attacks the BBC, just remember he owns the jokers at @FoxNews: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30773297" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ….

Quite.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:09 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:Re milk on which I heard a piece on Today.

Owen Paterson interview: Minister promises lighter hand on tiller at Defra and more rural support
By Western Morning News | Posted: December 28, 2012

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Owen ... story.html

Critics argue, though, the dominant position of supermarkets means they can sell a pint of milk at a loss to entice shoppers in. Farmers, in turn, have no choice but to accept what they can get from the multiples. Should supermarkets pay more? He ducks the question, but insists “world renowned” cheese and clotted cream dairy products are what farmers should be exploiting, rather than milk.

Mr Paterson said: “It’s not for me as a minister to get involved in market negotiations. But what I am absolutely clear about is that the way ahead is to get away from producing a bulk commodity like milk, producing added value finished products.”

So two years on and the problem is still there - I'm shocked etc...

The price I pay down at my local shop has been 90p for 2 pts for some years now.

How fatuous can Paterson get? (No answer required.) If every farmer tries to get in on the 'world renowned' cheese and clotted cream game ... the profit and the market is going to be much reduced / squeezed. That can't be the answer for everyone.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:16 am

From Andrew Sparrow a moment ago ... http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blo ... -live-blog

Does anyone know if voters, or focus group participants, actually believe the Conservative line about Labour plans leading to “economic chaos”? (See 9.41am.) I would love to see some evidence on this because it strikes me as hyperbole. There are plenty of negative arguments that you could make against Labour’s economic plans with varying degrees of plausibility (higher borrowing, higher taxes for some, more regulation, a less flexible labour market), but the idea that any of this would tip Britain into chaos sounds implausible. I would love to see some research on this.

(That said, I also said last week that I found Ed Miliband’s claim that the NHS as we know it won’t survive another five years of David Cameron’s too far-fetched. “As we know it” implies free at the point of delivery and it is hard to imagine Cameron abandoning that. But this YouGov research (pdf) subsequently found that 48% of people do believe this, against 32% who don’t, so what do I know? Perhaps the 48% are just replying yes because they think the NHS would get a lot worse under Cameron. But an underfunded NHS is not something we’ve never seen before.)

I no longer find it hard to imagine Cameron abandoning that principle ... he won't say he is, but that's what it will amount to. I have never been more aware of the voices starting to argue for charges to see GPs, to visit A & E etc - witness Simon Jenkins (I know, I know) on This Week a few days ago. It will start with stuff like ... we'll charge the drunks for patching them up in A & E, or if you want more than one hearing aid you'll have to pay for the second one. It'll be framed as want rather than need, the undeserving ill and time wasters versus the deserving.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:19 am

A deliberate threat to the govt – U-turn on the £21,000 student loan repayment threshold I will organise mass protest
http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2015/ ... s-protest/
Let me be plain – I am writing this blog to put down a marker to the Government. If it decides to renege on its promise to uprate the £21,000 student loan repayment threshold, it will have mis-sold university education to many students, personally betrayed me and I will do all I can to organise protest.

It is thankfully only a mooted idea so far, yet I’m worried that it is quickly gaining traction. So I want to bash out a quick explanation…..

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:40 am

There's no reason to pull plug on 'miracle' hospital, say patients as suspicion mounts privately run hospital was stitched up
Private-sector operator Circle pulled out just before assessment published
Report is a blow to Government plans to privatise some NHS services
Circle is challenging the findings and believes it has been judged unfairly
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l-stitched

Apparently it was all a plot by some nasty lefty save our NHS activists to make the privately run hospital look bad. And because one of the inspectors was a known save our NHS campaigner the report is all rubbish.

This 'theory' seems to conveniently ignore the fact that it was Circle itself who decided to pull the plug on the contract ... saying it wasn't sustainable ... and that not being able to make a profit or even break even played a very large part in that decision.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 10:41 am

I was just going to ask about Student Loans, but the selling off of the loan book to private finance companies.

What I want to know is if my memory is right : that the first student loans were made on the basis that they were not to be registered as personal credit and used by lenders to make other credit decisions. That is, no reference to credit ratings agencies unless you defaulted on the loan.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 11:05 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:Re milk on which I heard a piece on Today.

Owen Paterson interview: Minister promises lighter hand on tiller at Defra and more rural support
By Western Morning News | Posted: December 28, 2012

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Owen ... story.html

Critics argue, though, the dominant position of supermarkets means they can sell a pint of milk at a loss to entice shoppers in. Farmers, in turn, have no choice but to accept what they can get from the multiples. Should supermarkets pay more? He ducks the question, but insists “world renowned” cheese and clotted cream dairy products are what farmers should be exploiting, rather than milk.

Mr Paterson said: “It’s not for me as a minister to get involved in market negotiations. But what I am absolutely clear about is that the way ahead is to get away from producing a bulk commodity like milk, producing added value finished products.”

So two years on and the problem is still there - I'm shocked etc...

The price I pay down at my local shop has been 90p for 2 pts for some years now.

All the major supermarkets are selling 4 pints for £1. There was no demand for this huge discount (from about £1.60 ish from memory). They are going to send British dairy farmers to the wall and then customers, who are clearly providing a lot of demand for British milk, will no longer be able to buy it. It's insanity. And I have to say the Co-op being up to their ears in this is disgraceful. They too are selling 4 pints for £1 even though many of their customers shop there for ethical reasons and even if they don't they were paying £1.60 before so why would they suddenly stop? I wouldn't swap supermarkets on the back of a single, small priced item being dearer, it's the overall basket that counts, so there is no reason for Co-op retail to go along with this aggressive discounting.

The reason I'm so angry about this is because I'm a member of a local independent Co-op that runs a small dairy farm locally - these prices are putting this enterprise under threat. Why is the Co-op doing this to its own farmers? In the Co-op survey done recently after the Co-op Bank fiasco, supporting British farmers was one thing that members particularly supported. If anyone has any idea what the Co-op are playing at, I'd be grateful, because our independent Co-op is one of the victims of this mad policy. When Co-op retail can charge its customers what it likes and then pass that onto its own wholesaler in full to pass on the British farmers in full, why would they choose to act like all the other unethical supermarkets?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 11:21 am

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... es-launch/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

tories-drop-weak-policy-areas-for-six-election-priorities-launch

Useful piece from Isabel Hardman

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 11:29 am

Patricia Farrington retweeted
Scott ‏@Sneekyboy 13m13 minutes ago
A MUST READ - How Jim Murphy can make Glasgow Man love Labour again | Kevin McKenna http://gu.com/p/44meq/tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #OuchThatllSting #LOL

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 11:34 am

Why was the BBC leading the news this morning with, 'Cameron's having meetings with security staff'? It's just trying to make it sound like he's doing something. Which he should have been doing anyway. It's a non-story leading the news on our wonderful independent broadcaster.

edited to remove extra morning.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 12:49 pm

Successful appeal against the bedroom tax which the author believes is virtually unappealable.

http://nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/2015/01/hot-hot-hot/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:01 pm

Blaenau Gwent MP criticises changes to voting registration
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1 ... istration/
BLAENAU Gwent MP Nick Smith has attacked the Government’s voter registration changes after the number of voters in his constituency fell by more than 2,000.

The General Election in May will be the first to use the Individual Electoral Registration system. Previously, voters were registered by their head of household.

Blaenau Gwent Council have confirmed that at the start of December last year, 2,118 less people were registered to vote – a four per cent drop compared with figures prior to the changeover.

With official reports on the take-up across Britain due to be released in February, Mr Smith said Nick Clegg and the Coalition had ignored repeated warnings that this could happen...

Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:07 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Blaenau Gwent MP criticises changes to voting registration
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1 ... istration/
BLAENAU Gwent MP Nick Smith has attacked the Government’s voter registration changes after the number of voters in his constituency fell by more than 2,000.

The General Election in May will be the first to use the Individual Electoral Registration system. Previously, voters were registered by their head of household.

Blaenau Gwent Council have confirmed that at the start of December last year, 2,118 less people were registered to vote – a four per cent drop compared with figures prior to the changeover.

With official reports on the take-up across Britain due to be released in February, Mr Smith said Nick Clegg and the Coalition had ignored repeated warnings that this could happen...
Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?

It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:13 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... es-launch/

tories-drop-weak-policy-areas-for-six-election-priorities-launch

Useful piece from Isabel Hardman

Haven't had a chance to check this morning, but thought I read yesterday that the NHS isn't included on his election priorities list.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:17 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Blaenau Gwent MP criticises changes to voting registration
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1 ... istration/
BLAENAU Gwent MP Nick Smith has attacked the Government’s voter registration changes after the number of voters in his constituency fell by more than 2,000.

The General Election in May will be the first to use the Individual Electoral Registration system. Previously, voters were registered by their head of household.

Blaenau Gwent Council have confirmed that at the start of December last year, 2,118 less people were registered to vote – a four per cent drop compared with figures prior to the changeover.

With official reports on the take-up across Britain due to be released in February, Mr Smith said Nick Clegg and the Coalition had ignored repeated warnings that this could happen...
Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.

I've just rung our local election office in Pembrokeshire - firstly to double check if I am registered because the letter they sent out was so misleading - and then to ask how I can get some blank registration forms or leaflets about how to register that we can give out to people when we come across them. I was shocked by how unhelpful and restrictive the response was. People have to go on to the internet themselves to get an individualised form - or, once she had accepted there were actually people out there who didn't have the internet or couldn't use it - ring them up to request a form. When I said it had to be made easier than that ... there were a lot of people who wouldn't get round to it or have the confidence - she basically just shrugged her shoulders at the other end of the phone. It was very off putting. I cannot believe - or I don't want to - that they haven't got easier ways of getting people to register to vote than that. It all has to be checked against NI nos etc now so it's not like I can invent loads of non existing people and register them.....

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:28 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 6 mins6 minutes ago
LAB takes 5% lead in first poll of week - Populus online
CON 32
LAB 37
LD 10
UKIP 13
GRN 4

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:32 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Blaenau Gwent MP criticises changes to voting registration
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1 ... istration/
BLAENAU Gwent MP Nick Smith has attacked the Government’s voter registration changes after the number of voters in his constituency fell by more than 2,000.

The General Election in May will be the first to use the Individual Electoral Registration system. Previously, voters were registered by their head of household.

Blaenau Gwent Council have confirmed that at the start of December last year, 2,118 less people were registered to vote – a four per cent drop compared with figures prior to the changeover.

With official reports on the take-up across Britain due to be released in February, Mr Smith said Nick Clegg and the Coalition had ignored repeated warnings that this could happen...
Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.

Not sure if it is *that* bad, tbh - a lot of those dropping off the register would be unlikely to have voted anyway.

The real significance - and the main reason this government has been so dead set on this measure, tbh - is for future seat boundary reviews. A big drop off in registered electors in Labour-leaning areas is what the Tories are praying for.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:41 pm

@Ohso

Yes NHS missing from priorities (Lab winning argument) and Immigration (ditto for UKIP).

Pretty big omissions.

And thanks for the Populus poll

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:46 pm

I see the media has finally twigged that the Coalition's new flat rate pension won't be as all singing and all dancing as the government wanted us to believe it would be.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 1:50 pm

Remembering Neil Kinnock's comedy cameo in Tracey Ullman's cover version of a Madness song.

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

: ScreenShot00017.jpg (121.18 KiB) Viewed 17122 times

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:01 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Blaenau Gwent MP criticises changes to voting registration
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/1 ... istration/
BLAENAU Gwent MP Nick Smith has attacked the Government’s voter registration changes after the number of voters in his constituency fell by more than 2,000.

The General Election in May will be the first to use the Individual Electoral Registration system. Previously, voters were registered by their head of household.

Blaenau Gwent Council have confirmed that at the start of December last year, 2,118 less people were registered to vote – a four per cent drop compared with figures prior to the changeover.

With official reports on the take-up across Britain due to be released in February, Mr Smith said Nick Clegg and the Coalition had ignored repeated warnings that this could happen...
Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.

Then we'll have to work to make sure that does not happen. Oh my god, people, this isn't funny. Worst government at a time when responsible leadership will save regular people. The global situation requires responsible leadership here. We don't have it in current government. Please make sure they're not returned to government.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:02 pm

“@MSmithsonPB: LAB takes 5% lead in first poll of week - Populus online
CON 32
LAB 37
LD 10
UKIP 13
GRN 4

Editing to say - Oops, sorry Ohso, didn't see your post before posting mine. But good enough to repeat, eh?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:02 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16m 16 minutes ago
On uniform swing today's Populus shares would give LAB 91 gains in Eng & Wales - enough for majority if losses to SNP kept to 22 or fewer

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:05 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 6 mins6 minutes ago
LAB takes 5% lead in first poll of week - Populus online
CON 32
LAB 37
LD 10
UKIP 13
GRN 4

<lift up my head & hands & thank you>

There's defiers of the laws of physics on the Guardian Goldman Sachs slashes something something oil prices plunge blog. They crazy people. End of.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:11 pm

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking 5m5 minutes ago
UK nurse Pauline Cafferkey no longer critically ill with Ebola, Royal Free Hospital says http://bbc.in/1xgykUi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bit of welcome good news.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:13 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 22m 22 minutes ago
Coming out at 4pm - first @LordAshcroft phone poll of the year. Will that show same trend as Populus? Before Xmas LAB had 1% lead

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:19 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Not sure if it is *that* bad, tbh - a lot of those dropping off the register would be unlikely to have voted anyway.

The real significance - and the main reason this government has been so dead set on this measure, tbh - is for future seat boundary reviews. A big drop off in registered electors in Labour-leaning areas is what the Tories are praying for.

So it is that bad.

People need to know dropping off the electoral register will lead to their not getting back on it - they may kiss their right to vote goodbye.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/ ... urn false;

I got a headache attempting to read through all that. Jesus. Life is so damned hard sometimes.

55DegreesNorth · Post by **55DegreesNorth** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:20 pm

Afternoon folks,

The graphic chaps/esses at the Civic Centre have been busy producing more heat maps showing how the coalition cuts are distributed across the country. You'll be shocked to see which areas take the biggest hit.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/north-east- ... =Untitled3

Or perhaps you won't.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:22 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.
I've just rung our local election office in Pembrokeshire - firstly to double check if I am registered because the letter they sent out was so misleading - and then to ask how I can get some blank registration forms or leaflets about how to register that we can give out to people when we come across them. I was shocked by how unhelpful and restrictive the response was. People have to go on to the internet themselves to get an individualised form - or, once she had accepted there were actually people out there who didn't have the internet or couldn't use it - ring them up to request a form. When I said it had to be made easier than that ... there were a lot of people who wouldn't get round to it or have the confidence - she basically just shrugged her shoulders at the other end of the phone. It was very off putting. I cannot believe - or I don't want to - that they haven't got easier ways of getting people to register to vote than that. It all has to be checked against NI nos etc now so it's not like I can invent loads of non existing people and register them.....

I know, exactly RR2. I don't dig this at all.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:24 pm

Haven't read through any of these yet ... enjoy.

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 50: EAST YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 51: NORTH YORKSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 52: NORTHUMBERLAND
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 53: LANCASHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 54: COUNTY DURHAM
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 55: CUMBRIA
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 2:30 pm

55DegreesNorth wrote:Afternoon folks,

The graphic chaps/esses at the Civic Centre have been busy producing more heat maps showing how the coalition cuts are distributed across the country. You'll be shocked to see which areas take the biggest hit.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/north-east- ... =Untitled3

Or perhaps you won't.

Could someone stick this information under the nose of every Tory bastard in current government at every opportunity at all times now until May 2015, please, & ask why the deficient burdens are shouldered by those people least able to pay for mistakes they didn't make? I'll be happy to print some maps off & shove it under any Tory MP I encounter. Mind you, I don't often find myself in their company.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:07 pm

citizenJA wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:Not sure if it is *that* bad, tbh - a lot of those dropping off the register would be unlikely to have voted anyway.

The real significance - and the main reason this government has been so dead set on this measure, tbh - is for future seat boundary reviews. A big drop off in registered electors in Labour-leaning areas is what the Tories are praying for.
So it is that bad.

People need to know dropping off the electoral register will lead to their not getting back on it - they may kiss their right to vote goodbye.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/ ... urn false;

I got a headache attempting to read through all that. Jesus. Life is so damned hard sometimes.

Remembering how many people wandered in sans polling card, [although you don't need it] and generally didn't have much of a clue how it all works, I fear that there will be a lot of people thinking they're still eligible to vote when they've failed to register.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:15 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
So it is that bad.

People need to know dropping off the electoral register will lead to their not getting back on it - they may kiss their right to vote goodbye.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/ ... urn false;

I got a headache attempting to read through all that. Jesus. Life is so damned hard sometimes.
Remembering how many people wandered in sans polling card, [although you don't need it] and generally didn't have much of a clue how it all works, I fear that there will be a lot of people thinking they're still eligible to vote when they've failed to register.

Then the way is clear; I'll have to ask & explain to everyone who'll listen in my area whether or not they know they're registered to vote. Tactful, discrete, yet effective.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:17 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.
I've just rung our local election office in Pembrokeshire - firstly to double check if I am registered because the letter they sent out was so misleading - and then to ask how I can get some blank registration forms or leaflets about how to register that we can give out to people when we come across them. I was shocked by how unhelpful and restrictive the response was. People have to go on to the internet themselves to get an individualised form - or, once she had accepted there were actually people out there who didn't have the internet or couldn't use it - ring them up to request a form. When I said it had to be made easier than that ... there were a lot of people who wouldn't get round to it or have the confidence - she basically just shrugged her shoulders at the other end of the phone. It was very off putting. I cannot believe - or I don't want to - that they haven't got easier ways of getting people to register to vote than that. It all has to be checked against NI nos etc now so it's not like I can invent loads of non existing people and register them.....

The solution, carry a mobile phone with their number on it so the person concerned can request a form. Obviously not going to work in rural Wales. Alternatively get the address for the council, print off a pro forma letter and just hand that over, the person can write their details in and post it themselves.

In fact the council should have a registration drive so they should have to send one out to an address. It is not the case you need an internet connection to register to vote. I suggest if that is the line you write to your MP, the electoral commission and the council to complain.

It looks like a deliberate attempt to keep the vote down.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:23 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Patricia Farrington retweeted
Scott ‏@Sneekyboy 13m13 minutes ago
A MUST READ - How Jim Murphy can make Glasgow Man love Labour again | Kevin McKenna http://gu.com/p/44meq/tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #OuchThatllSting #LOL

Paul, I don't understand the animosity directed at Scottish Labour. My political education is woefully incomplete. McKenna's position is clear but those comments below the line astound me. I don't understand.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:32 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote: It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.
I've just rung our local election office in Pembrokeshire - firstly to double check if I am registered because the letter they sent out was so misleading - and then to ask how I can get some blank registration forms or leaflets about how to register that we can give out to people when we come across them. I was shocked by how unhelpful and restrictive the response was. People have to go on to the internet themselves to get an individualised form - or, once she had accepted there were actually people out there who didn't have the internet or couldn't use it - ring them up to request a form. When I said it had to be made easier than that ... there were a lot of people who wouldn't get round to it or have the confidence - she basically just shrugged her shoulders at the other end of the phone. It was very off putting. I cannot believe - or I don't want to - that they haven't got easier ways of getting people to register to vote than that. It all has to be checked against NI nos etc now so it's not like I can invent loads of non existing people and register them.....
The solution, carry a mobile phone with their number on it so the person concerned can request a form. Obviously not going to work in rural Wales. Alternatively get the address for the council, print off a pro forma letter and just hand that over, the person can write their details in and post it themselves.

In fact the council should have a registration drive so they should have to send one out to an address. It is not the case you need an internet connection to register to vote. I suggest if that is the line you write to your MP, the electoral commission and the council to complain.

It looks like a deliberate attempt to keep the vote down.

I've already found the online downloadable form - with no help from the local election office. I'm going to carry a few forms around with me - along with some prepared envelopes for where they go back to - because it's different depending on your area. I will be raising this issue at the campaign meeting tonight - our candidate is leader of the Labour group on the council. I think he should know just how dismissive and couldn't care less the response was.

Two - no make that 3 - of the people I've encountered are women in very vulnerable circumstances (one fleeing repeatedly from domestic violence) who said very clearly that they wouldn't know how to start registering to vote and would probably need help filling in the form. And they were scared stiff that their details would be made public. So they need reassuring - and showing how to make sure they tick the box that means they can't go on any public list. The barstewards who thought up this new policy clearly don't give a toss about how difficult and disengaging such a system is going to be for a lot of people.

WelshIan · Post by **WelshIan** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:32 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Finding quite a lot of people who don't know if they are registered to vote when we are out on the doorsteps locally. And - as you would expect - it seems to be those who have had to move recently, the insecure renters, who are mostly saying this. They don't seem to be a group the Tories and Lib Dems are particularly concerned to see voting or not ... wonder why?
It is a huge huge worry. I think it may be enough to put Dave back in power.
I've just rung our local election office in Pembrokeshire - firstly to double check if I am registered because the letter they sent out was so misleading - and then to ask how I can get some blank registration forms or leaflets about how to register that we can give out to people when we come across them. I was shocked by how unhelpful and restrictive the response was. People have to go on to the internet themselves to get an individualised form - or, once she had accepted there were actually people out there who didn't have the internet or couldn't use it - ring them up to request a form. When I said it had to be made easier than that ... there were a lot of people who wouldn't get round to it or have the confidence - she basically just shrugged her shoulders at the other end of the phone. It was very off putting. I cannot believe - or I don't want to - that they haven't got easier ways of getting people to register to vote than that. It all has to be checked against NI nos etc now so it's not like I can invent loads of non existing people and register them.....

Blank form available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... nglish.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You'll also need the address of the local election office (and maybe some stamped addressed envelopes?).

Ah! I see you already found it.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:41 pm

Paul Lewis ‏@paullewismoney 9h9 hours ago
Anyone who is close to 55 or older who goes bankrupt could have their pension fund taken. listen http://goo.gl/FqGfNh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; @saoirsefanclub

Oh joys - they've thought of even more ways to grab your money off you when you hit hard times.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:42 pm

citizenJA wrote:
PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Patricia Farrington retweeted
Scott ‏@Sneekyboy 13m13 minutes ago
A MUST READ - How Jim Murphy can make Glasgow Man love Labour again | Kevin McKenna http://gu.com/p/44meq/tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #OuchThatllSting #LOL
Paul, I don't understand the animosity directed at Scottish Labour. My political education is woefully incomplete. McKenna's position is clear but those comments below the line astound me. I don't understand.

Trying to "understand" CyberNats is a waste of time, tbh.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:45 pm

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 56: SCOTLAND - NORTH & ISLANDS
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter

Haven't had a look yet. This is the first of his predictions re seats in Scotland. Probably worth quoting his earlier tweet to Ashcroft (to keep some of our spirits up):

Iain Dale @IainDale · 18h 18 hours ago
@LordAshcroft Yes, I have done Scotland. Quite how anyone reckons the SNP will win 40 seats is quite beyond me.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 12 Jan, 2015 3:47 pm

Gibraltar is a pawn' PM blasted for 'sacrificing' the Rock to secure reforms in Europe

DAVID Cameron is sacrificing the future of Gibraltar to secure hoped-for reforms in Europe, a senior Tory said

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/551 ... on-blasted

Dear oh dear. Dave the destroyer strikes again.