Thursday 22nd January 2015

[refitman]

Morning all. Labour lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 21st January -

Con 33%, (+1)
Lab 34%, (+4)
LD 6%, (-2)
UKIP 14%, (-1)
GRN 8%; (-2)

APP -25 (-7)

[55DegreesNorth]

Morning folks,
I've just finished yesterday's posts, and I say hats off to Tisme for a courteous and reasoned approach. For what it's worth, I think the argument has become too dichotomised. It's not going to be a Green vs Labour choice for many voters, but a tactical decision.
In my constituency, Newcastle East, Nick Brown looks likely to be returned with over 50% of the vote, and has a 97% chance of winning, according to Electoral Calculus. A Green vote here (which I'm strongly tempted to do) would send a message, without threatening to let a Tory or LibDem in.
In a marginal ward, I wouldn't consider it. I'm sure many others will be thinking along the same lines.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Morning all. Labour lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 21st January -

Con 33%, (+1)
Lab 34%, (+4)
LD 6%, (-2)
UKIP 14%, (-1)
GRN 8%; (-2)

APP -25 (-7)

Morning! And that looks more realistic. As PK pointed out yesterday the Approval here is back in the minus 20s so looks sensible.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Election 2015: Debates could go ahead without PM says Grade

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30926370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"If I'm asked whether we should put in an empty chair if a senior member of one of the leading parties was not prepared to attend, I would regard that, without having to consult m'learned friends, as a breach of the statutory obligations on impartiality.

"It is unquestionably in my view editorially a political statement. Reading a principled statement from the absent party explaining why they don't want to take part seems to me to cover the part."

[rebeccariots2]

David Cameron visits Scotland for first time since Scottish referendum
Downing Street confirms that PM plans to diminish role of Scottish MPs as poll suggests SNP could hold balance of power after election
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... referendum

Is it safe for him up there?

There's a bit of a conundrum in these anti Tory / anti austerity surges for the SNP and Green parties ... they need a Labour majority / party with largest number of seats to be able to make things work to further their causes post May 2015. Has anyone worked out how many seats the SNP could gain from Labour without seriously threatening that possibility? If the Tories end up being able to form another government - either wafer thin majority or coalition with whoever they can scrape together - they will change the constitution quick as they like to thwart the SNP and Welsh MPs from being able to vote on what they consider English only laws. It will be another constitutional lash up that suits them down to the ground and that we all regret (like the fixed parliaments)... and that will be followed by boundary changes ... and PR, which I would like to see in a non miserable compromise form ... will slip further out of reach.

What's the SNP tactic / longer term strategy if the Tories get back into government do you think? Wait for the EU referendum result and shout loud for another In / Out vote for themselves - or just get on with devo max as much as they can. I can't see Alex Salmond being a quiet mouse in the house if he gets elected to Westminster and the Tories are in government.

[rebeccariots2]

Chris Bryant ‏@ChrisBryantMP 6m6 minutes ago
Govt has caved and withdrawn changes to Electronic Communications Code as we demanded. Much vaunted @sajidjavid mobile deal dead?

Can anyone give a bit more info on this?

[rebeccariots2]

Very good from Martin Harper at the RSPB. No wonder the Condems voted to try and shut up charitable organisations and campaigning groups before elections eh. A full year before elections.

Deeply beautiful : why we should rule out fracking in protected areas
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwor ... Aw.twitter

The Government tells us that protected sites like SSSIs, local wildlife reserves or Natura 2000 sites designated by the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, do not need extra protection—mostly because they are already covered by planning guidance and legal defences. There are two main problems with this point of view.

First of all, the same applies to AONBs and the other landscape sites that the Government saw fit to offer extra guidance for last year. Of course, the damage to SSSIs caused by pollution in our streams, or draining dry of sensitive habitats, may not be as visible as new roads and wells in a National Park. But should we really leave our most sensitive sites open to development, just because the damage isn’t so obvious?

Second, there are worrying signs that the safeguards that we have relied on for so many years are now under threat. How can we rely on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) when the Government is even countenancing allowing a 5,000 home development at Lodge Hill, the UK’s most important site for nightingales and building a solar farm on Rampishaw Down SSSI in Dorset? The paper protection provided by the NPPF is looking on shaky ground.

In the long term, is it even safe to rely on the European Directives, when some Members of the House of Commons are so eagerly awaiting a review (which is always code for weaken) and the European Commission President Juncker seems set to oblige?

[Toby Latimer]

Prison suicide rate at highest level since 2007

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

ScreenShot00090.jpg (77.11 KiB) Viewed 10241 times

[Toby Latimer]

I'm beginning to see a pattern here ...

ScreenShot00091.jpg (88.3 KiB) Viewed 10237 times

[Toby Latimer]

Chris Grayling was the minister at DWP who lied about the Harrington report in order to roll out the Unum inspired WCA to ALL applicants, he's now at the Justice Department in charge of the prison service ....

ScreenShot00089.jpg (82.65 KiB) Viewed 10232 times

[citizenJA]

Good-morning, everyone.

[rebeccariots2]

Good-morning, everyone.

Good morning Citizen.

[citizenJA]

Good-morning, everyone.

Good morning Citizen.

Your posts yesterday were particularly lovely, RR.

Are you feeling better?

[Toby Latimer]

Whilst rooting around the saved articles on my browser this morning i came across this,

Bringing in new providers to carry it out won't help ...
Why, when the descriptors have been shown to discriminate against mental health and fluctuating conditions, would any government want to push over 2,500,000 of our most vulnerable citizens through it quickly before ensuring that the tests are
fair and accurate?

There is no way on this earth that anyone but the ministers responsible for that department can change the aforementioned descriptors, or preferably return to a social model of assessing fitness for work.

She's either been had, got at, or just given up. She is quite naive though, if she really thinks that by working as a 'customer' delivery consultant or whatever her fancy new psychobabble job title is - that she can make any significant difference to the lives of the many people on the receiving end of this brutal Kafkaesque 'test'. She won't.

Deep down I suspect she knows this too. She has already said so previously ...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... mentpage=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ScreenShot00092.jpg (77.51 KiB) Viewed 10203 times

[rebeccariots2]

Good-morning, everyone.

Good morning Citizen.

Your posts yesterday were particularly lovely, RR.

Are you feeling better?

Thank you - was feeling very clumsy in posting yesterday and today too. Do I feel better - no, wish I did. We have a builder arriving soon to start work on the porch - right next to this room. So it's going to be a disruptive day / several weeks. But we're warm, I can go and lie down if I have to, and this will pass, it's a bug.

[RogerOThornhill]

Morning all.

Dear me, is there no end to this UKIP silliness?

Ukip culture spokesman urges schools to fly union flag to promote Britishness

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=1

Schools should be encouraged to fly the union jack to help “reassert” Britishness, Ukip’s culture spokesman has suggested.

Peter Whittle, a senior party official and long-term critic of multiculturalism, said he would like to see schools displaying the national flag as well as fewer languages spoken in the classroom to promote a sense of common identity.

Fewer than one? Is that even possible?

Unless he wants an end to learning French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek...

[rebeccariots2]

Morning all.

Dear me, is there no end to this UKIP silliness?

Ukip culture spokesman urges schools to fly union flag to promote Britishness

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=1

Schools should be encouraged to fly the union jack to help “reassert” Britishness, Ukip’s culture spokesman has suggested.

Peter Whittle, a senior party official and long-term critic of multiculturalism, said he would like to see schools displaying the national flag as well as fewer languages spoken in the classroom to promote a sense of common identity.

Fewer than one? Is that even possible?

Unless he wants an end to learning French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek...

Otto English is predicting / betting on Carswell having replaced Farage as leader of UKIP by June ... he's looking likely to win. Carswell's interview with Maitliss on Newsnight the other night showed the clear split in how he wants to frame the UKIP message - clearly distancing himself from the shambolic, scattergun policy splatter under Farage's leadership - if you can call it leadership. He said that he considered a lot of what others might criticise as being PC to be simple 'politeness'.

[citizenJA]

Morning all.

Dear me, is there no end to this UKIP silliness?

Ukip culture spokesman urges schools to fly union flag to promote Britishness

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=1

Schools should be encouraged to fly the union jack to help “reassert” Britishness, Ukip’s culture spokesman has suggested.

Peter Whittle, a senior party official and long-term critic of multiculturalism, said he would like to see schools displaying the national flag as well as fewer languages spoken in the classroom to promote a sense of common identity.

Fewer than one? Is that even possible?

Unless he wants an end to learning French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek...

for communication

[rebeccariots2]

There appears to be no comments facility on today's politics live blog on the G. Just my eyes?

[rebeccariots2]

Fraser Nelson @FraserNelson · 1h 1 hour ago
How Marine Le Pen is winning France’s gay vote. Yes, seriously: http://specc.ie/1BICo7G" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; via @spectator

[AnatolyKasparov]

There appears to be no comments facility on today's politics live blog on the G. Just my eyes?

You are not mistaken. No Sparrow means no comments, it seems

[WelshIan]

It's politeness gone mad. Doesn't have quite the same feeling of outrage, does it?

[Toby Latimer]

There appears to be no comments facility on today's politics live blog on the G. Just my eyes?

Don't be going down to Specsavers just yet RR2, it appears the comments aren't available just yet.

Looks like Andrew is missing too ..

[Willow904]

Whilst rooting around the saved articles on my browser this morning i came across this,

Bringing in new providers to carry it out won't help ...
Why, when the descriptors have been shown to discriminate against mental health and fluctuating conditions, would any government want to push over 2,500,000 of our most vulnerable citizens through it quickly before ensuring that the tests are
fair and accurate?

There is no way on this earth that anyone but the ministers responsible for that department can change the aforementioned descriptors, or preferably return to a social model of assessing fitness for work.

She's either been had, got at, or just given up. She is quite naive though, if she really thinks that by working as a 'customer' delivery consultant or whatever her fancy new psychobabble job title is - that she can make any significant difference to the lives of the many people on the receiving end of this brutal Kafkaesque 'test'. She won't.

Deep down I suspect she knows this too. She has already said so previously ...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... mentpage=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ScreenShot00092.jpg

I know a little bit about Crohns disease because my dad has it. If Sue Marsh has had bowel surgery then she must have been very ill before, as surgery is only considered when other treatments stop working. Although bowel surgery isn't a cure and the Crohns will always return, it can be extremely effective. After several years of constant pain, she may now be pain free for the first time in quite a while and although fatigue is often still an issue she will undoubtedly feel more well than she has in a long time. There is no knowing how long these positive effects will last and having read experiences of other Crohns sufferers I can imagine right now she's feeling like she only has the one life and she has to pack in as much as she can before it comes back. Taking a well paid job would be very attractive, I'm sure, but from her own personal perspective I think she's taken the wrong well paid job. She should have just walked away from illness, disability and the DWP completely and got on with her life. No one would have blamed her if she gave up campaigning to concentrate on herself. Indeed, she may give it a year and then walk away, but I do wonder if she has underestimated how hard that year or so will be.

At the end of the day, the way ill people are being treated in this country is appalling and one person is never going to change that on their own so what she has chosen to do should have no real impact on the wider campaign to get rid of a system that so many people disagree with. I'd also like to add that Ephemerid has mentioned a couple of times that the Labour shadow DWP team (led by Rachel Reeves?) has shown a worrying trend to muddle disability with illness. If this is true then it isn't particularly encouraging. As far as I'm concerned a disabled person is someone who is fit and well but happens to have a limb missing or needs a wheelchair or maybe is registered blind. Everything that is said about the need for society to accommodate such people and help them find work is perfectly right - and I thought places like Remploy were perfect for this. With ill people, however, it's a completely different thing. Most people suffering chronic illnesses worked many years and paid into the system before they were unfortunate enough to develop ME, motor neurone disease or some other awful condition and I thought the whole point of all those NI contributions was to ensure they would be properly provided for if they were unlucky enough to become ill. I'm hoping that the small hints that Ed Miliband has made before about a move to a more contribution based system may move society more towards the attitude that illness cover has been paid for by the recipients, rather than the idea they are somehow 'scroungers'. People with chronic conditions are essentially very unlucky, there is nothing about their position that is enviable and it's high time we got away from an attitude where fit and well people who have everything - work, home, health - somehow resent the very small amount of money the unwell get back from their contributions over the years to the public purse when they were well themselves.

Anyway, sorry this has been a bit long, but it contains a few things I've been mulling over for a while and finally felt I'd like to say. And morning all. I hope someone has something cheerful to say today, because I've just made myself a bit gloomy.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Morning all.

Dear me, is there no end to this UKIP silliness?

Ukip culture spokesman urges schools to fly union flag to promote Britishness

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=1

Schools should be encouraged to fly the union jack to help “reassert” Britishness, Ukip’s culture spokesman has suggested.

Peter Whittle, a senior party official and long-term critic of multiculturalism, said he would like to see schools displaying the national flag as well as fewer languages spoken in the classroom to promote a sense of common identity.

Fewer than one? Is that even possible?

Unless he wants an end to learning French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek...

for communication

Farage is UKIP, the members won't stand for Carswell. If Douglas doesn't watch out he will be deselected.

Incidentally if you want jingoistic silliness, remember this?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... pire-medal

Kids everywhere were asking what the hell is the empire?

[citizenJA]

Early day motion 722
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION AND COALITION GOVERNMENT
Session: 2014-15
Date tabled: 21.01.2015
Primary sponsor: Ruane, Chris
Sponsors: Jones, Kevan Howarth, George Cunningham, Jim Mearns, Ian Morris...

That this House recognises the cross-party unity in implementing the Electoral Administration Act 2009 to introduce individual electoral registration (IER); notes that the timescale for its introduction was after May 2015; further notes that the reason for this long lead in time was to register the 7.5 million missing voters; further notes that this cross-party unity was shattered in 2010 when the Coalition Government brought forward the date for the introduction of IER; further notes that the stated reason for bringing forward the date for introduction of IER was public concern over electoral registration fraud; further notes that only one person had been successfully prosecuted for electoral registration fraud in the previous four years; further notes that the Government has failed to reduce the number of non-registered voters over the past five years; further notes that this figure has now been increased by an additional one million young people left off the new register; further notes that a possible additional 5.5 million voters could fail to be transferred to the new IER register; and further notes that the combined impact of these failures will have a detrimental effect on the General Election and a detrimental impact on the number of people excluded from the calculations in the new Parliamentary Boundary Review which starts in December 2015.

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/722

All Labour party MPs (26)

[citizenJA]

Early day motion 721
ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND REGISTRATION
Session: 2014-15
Date tabled: 21.01.2015
Primary sponsor: Ruane, Chris
Sponsors: Jones, Kevan Howarth, George Cunningham, Jim Mearns, Ian Morris...

That this House recognises that there were 7.5 million electors missing from the electoral register in 2010 and that no improvement has been made in registering these missing millions of voters over the past five years; notes this figure has now increased by the loss of one million young voters; further recognises that in the 2010 General Election the Electoral Commission set itself a very low target to register just 1.8 per cent of unregistered voters, totalling 142,000 people; further notes that the Electoral Commission 2014-19 Corporate Plan, page 16, continues with a lack of ambition as it is prepared to accept similar low levels of non-registraton of 7.5 million over the next five years; further notes that the Electoral Commission has failed to take effective action against electoral registration officers who repeatedly fail to implement their statutory duties; and further notes that the cumulative effect of this inaction and low ambition will have a negative effect on voter turnout and engagement in the General Election and leave off millions of voters when the new parliamentary boundaries are redrawn in December 2015.

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/721

26 Labour party MPs & 1 LibDem MP

[citizenJA]

This emoticon fellow really works.

[rebeccariots2]

Martin Rowson retweeted
mcc @mcclure111 · Jan 19
France just jailed a 16yo for posting a cartoon, in fact literally a Hebdo cartoon w/the Muslim swapped for white guy http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali ... c-comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

From that linked article ... which is a real eye opener - and very informative.

Many of the arrests are simply absurd, and it is impossible to imagine what purpose they could serve other than to allow the French government to look tough amid an increasingly right-wing and xenophobic political atmosphere, and to satisfy a desire in some sections of the public and media for scapegoats.

They include:

A 14-year-old girl charged with “defending terrorism.” She allegedly shouted at a tram conductor: “We are the Kouachi sisters, we’re going to grab our Kalashnikovs.” Cherif and Said Kouachi are two French brothers authorities say carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack.

A 21-year-old was caught without a ticket on a tram, and subsequently sentenced to ten months in prison for allegedly saying, “The Kouachi brothers is just the beginning; I should have been with them to kill more people,” according to Amnesty International.

In the northern city of Lille, authorities suspended three school workers for allegedly refusing to observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the attacks, and then justifying their action. One is being charged with “defending terrorism.” The accused denies that he refused to respect the minute of silence, but said he did “debate it with colleagues outside work hours.”

In Paris, one man who was drunk and another who suffers psychiatric problems were jailed for fourteen and three months respectively for “defending terrorism” for comments they made. A third was jailed for fifteen months and the court ordered that their sentences begin immediately.

In Bordeaux, police carried out a traffic stop. A very drunk 18-year-old passenger in the car allegedly hurled abuse at the police and made comments sympathetic to the Charlie Hebdo attackers. She was charged with “defending terrorism” and sentenced to 210 hours of community service. Prosecutors had asked for a four-month jail term.

In almost every case where a name is provided, those arrested would appear to be of North African ancestry – suggesting that France’s crackdown is quite targeted.

If it is not calculated to further alienate the country’s large, young population of French citizens whose parents or grandparents came from the former colonies, there’s a good chance it will do that anyway.

(my bold)

[ephemerid]

Good morning everyone.

For your delectation, here are the latest UKIP policy updates.

1. Should I ever be possessed of the wherewithal to obtain a car, UKIP would be very cross if I drove it anywhere, especially on the M4 in Wales.
This is because I am a benefit claimant, and people like me should not be spending taxpayers' money on motoring.
Even though more benefit claimants are in work than not, and need transport to go to work, they shouldn't own cars.
As we know, the M4 is clogged with immigrants causing traffic Jams, as St.Nigel of Thanet has told us. Therefore it must be true.

2. St.Nigel of Thanet has opined at least twice that he thinks the NHS will be (or should be) funded by private insurance.
This is in no way privatisation - he has made that very very clear; UKIP will not privatise the NHS. Even though they will.
The Faragistes have clarified the position for us, by explaining that they would never agree with St.Nigel of Thanet.
They have also said that they agree with him really and will privatise the NHS when we've got used to the idea.

3. The intellectual heavyweights in UKIP have been thinking deeply, as is their wont, and have formulated policies for women.
Women are not worth the same wages as men, so they might as well give up work entirely and stay at home.
This has a double advantage - women can clean behind the fridge, and breastfeed un-ostentatiously out of posh hotels.
As most of them are Romanian sluts anyway, part of the 29 million who came last year, it doesn't matter.

4. It is now de rigeur for all UKIP females to insult anyone who is called Harriet Harman. This is very important.
When a Harriet opines that UKIP hates women, the UKIP female must call her a "Harpy".
This proves that UKIP females are not "Harpies" and all people called Harriet Harman are "Harpies".
The "Harpy" thing does not apply to anyone called Suzanne Evans even if they are sucking lemons.

5. Any UKIP MEP (or MP when UKIP wins the GE) who faces forwards during solemn ceremonies will be sacked.
Turning one's back on everyone else is UKIP policy and must be strictly adhered to.
It is a well known fact that in the EUSSR this strategy causes immediate agreement with UKIP.
The only exception to this is when UKIP people are on Question Time (every week)

6. It is very important that anyone representing UKIP has an interesting back story, as this makes them like the voters.
To that end, all councillors and candidates must say or do something interesting once elected/selected.
Suggestions - racist remarks (denied), fascist tweets (denied), general fuckwittery (undeniable).
This may cause deselection, but the publicity is good. We are soooooo worth it.

7. St.Nigel of Thanet is now in a race to the top with someone who runs a pub, and he is a real person despite the rumours.
This person is copying our policies, and this is very very unfair because we thought of them first.
His aberrant behaviour includes being ex-public school and drinking pints of beer all the time and laughing a lot.
Thus he is completely different from St.Nigel of Thanet, and he will not be likely to fool anyone. Unlike St.Nigel.

So - all previous policies have been ground to dust under the heel of St.Nigel of Thanet's jackboot, and a jolly good thing too.
All current policies will be subject to amendment on a daily basis, as this foxes the opposition but charms the electorate.
Until we gain total power when we win the election with a landslide, we will continue to not know what our policies are.

Keep up the good work, chaps! (Chapesses, your time is limited - once you have helped us win, it's the kitchen for you)

[rebeccariots2]

Asa Bennett ‏@asabenn 52m52 minutes ago
Yikes. ONS confirm that debt has soared by £94.6 billion in just twelve months (up to December 2014) to £1,483.3 billion (80.9% of GDP).

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Well, it has been emotional folks, but I feel I can no longer contribute anything of worth to FTN. Good luck for the future.

[pk1]

Well, it has been emotional folks, but I feel I can no longer contribute anything of worth to FTN. Good luck for the future.

Why ? What's happened ?? PM me if you don't/can't say openly. Hope you're ok x

[rebeccariots2]

Well, it has been emotional folks, but I feel I can no longer contribute anything of worth to FTN. Good luck for the future.

Why ? What's happened ?? PM me if you don't/can't say openly. Hope you're ok x

Same from me TGS. Very sad to hear you feel that way ... and hope it's something that can be rectified so you carry on contributing to FTN.

[rebeccariots2]

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn · 2h 2 hours ago
EXCL: Failing Welsh NHS bosses blow £90k of taxpayers' cash leasing sports cars for execs, reveals @KateEMcCann http://sunpl.us/6016xFnm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn · 3h 3 hours ago
EXCL: Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe claimed Nigel Farage is 'doing deal' with Tories to be a Lord - secret tape http://sunpl.us/6019xFn5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rebeccariots2]

Chris Bryant ‏@ChrisBryantMP 5m5 minutes ago
Yet more prevarication on child abuse enquiry. Survivors must surely find this distressingly incomprehensible?

Miffed Skatz ‏@miffed_skatz 2m2 minutes ago
@ChrisBryantMP 2nd time in my life-time Survivors have got close to an inquiry. Beyond distressingly incomprehensible. It's killing us.

Fiona O'Donnell MP ‏@FionaODonnellMP 6m6 minutes ago
Seems unbelievable that any Tory would want Theresa May as Leader given her incompetence in establishing child abuse inquiry

[citizenJA]

Well, it has been emotional folks, but I feel I can no longer contribute anything of worth to FTN. Good luck for the future.

jesus christ - don't go! What the hell? Is it me? We can work it out. For goodness sake, please! You're one of my favourite people.

[rebeccariots2]

Hospital unit to remain shut after failure of recruitment drive
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Hos ... story.html

It is not the only emergency service to suffer staffing difficulties in the Westcountry.

Earlier this month, the Western Morning News revealed that the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust had been advertising for two A&E consultants for the last five months but had yet to find even one “shortlistable” candidate.

[citizenJA]

Well, it has been emotional folks, but I feel I can no longer contribute anything of worth to FTN. Good luck for the future.

I've got to dash. I'll be back later. Holy cow. Love, always, it's a verb, an action. It's hard work loving family & friends sometimes. Totally normal. TGS. I'm distraught.

[pk1]

The thinking of a true Tory is revealed:

Sometimes, the best ideas are the oldest, or at least turbo-charged versions of Eighties policies. The Tories should pledge to launch a great council house giveaway – not a mere sale – if they are elected. Anyone who lives in social housing, including those owned by local associations, and who has been in work for the past year should be gifted their council home. Pensioners would be automatically eligible. In return, recipients would cease to be eligible for housing benefit.

There would be strings attached: anyone who sold their newly-acquired house within the first three years would be hit by a 35 per cent tax on the overall sale value, a rate that would fall over time to 20 per cent. All the money raised would be legally earmarked to build more homes, massively increasing housebuilding. Given the likely price appreciation over the next few years, even with an increase in the supply of housing, the giveaway would not be that much greater than the huge discounts enjoyed by Right to Buy beneficiaries. The difference is that the money would be payable at sale, rather than at purchase.

The majority of the 4.9 million existing social housing units would be turned over to their occupiers within a couple of years, greatly increasing the home-ownership rate and changing British society for ever. The policy would be tantamount to a massive redistribution to the poor – and yet it would be truly conservative, helping to build a prosperous, property-owning democracy. It would go much further than current proposals to extend the Right to Buy, and of course further than the original version of the policy pioneered by Lady Thatcher. It would do wonders for Tory prospects, drastically changing the party’s perception among the key demographics that last voted for them in 1992.

The row over the abolition of the spare-room subsidy would vanish. Welfare cuts would become easier. Ukip’s support would plummet. Billions of pounds would be raised over time for housing. Labour would be holed beneath the waterline: Mr Miliband is too much of an ideologue ever to countenance anything like this.

(my bold)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... stion.html

So, working people in social homes - even housing assoc homes - would be gifted them at no cost. (Never mind what the HA's say about losing their property !!)

Sales tax to be reserved exclusively for building new homes but erm, what happens in the meantime ? What happens if those homes are never sold ? What happens when the occupant dies ?

Bedroom tax would still be charged to those not in work but in receipt of HB so no pal, it won't change the argument !

Jeez, no wonder the Tory's love this guy. He's an utter buffoon (apologies to buffoons worldwide) !

[pk1]

Yougov Daily App yesterday had an interesting set of questions. Don't think these are weighted but it highlights just how close the polling actually is.

[adam]

The thinking of a true Tory is revealed:

Sometimes, the best ideas are the oldest, or at least turbo-charged versions of Eighties policies. The Tories should pledge to launch a great council house giveaway – not a mere sale – if they are elected. Anyone who lives in social housing, including those owned by local associations, and who has been in work for the past year should be gifted their council home. Pensioners would be automatically eligible. In return, recipients would cease to be eligible for housing benefit.

There would be strings attached: anyone who sold their newly-acquired house within the first three years would be hit by a 35 per cent tax on the overall sale value, a rate that would fall over time to 20 per cent. All the money raised would be legally earmarked to build more homes, massively increasing housebuilding. Given the likely price appreciation over the next few years, even with an increase in the supply of housing, the giveaway would not be that much greater than the huge discounts enjoyed by Right to Buy beneficiaries. The difference is that the money would be payable at sale, rather than at purchase.

The majority of the 4.9 million existing social housing units would be turned over to their occupiers within a couple of years, greatly increasing the home-ownership rate and changing British society for ever. The policy would be tantamount to a massive redistribution to the poor – and yet it would be truly conservative, helping to build a prosperous, property-owning democracy. It would go much further than current proposals to extend the Right to Buy, and of course further than the original version of the policy pioneered by Lady Thatcher. It would do wonders for Tory prospects, drastically changing the party’s perception among the key demographics that last voted for them in 1992.

The row over the abolition of the spare-room subsidy would vanish. Welfare cuts would become easier. Ukip’s support would plummet. Billions of pounds would be raised over time for housing. Labour would be holed beneath the waterline: Mr Miliband is too much of an ideologue ever to countenance anything like this.

(my bold)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... stion.html

So, working people in social homes - even housing assoc homes - would be gifted them at no cost. (Never mind what the HA's say about losing their property !!)

Sales tax to be reserved exclusively for building new homes but erm, what happens in the meantime ? What happens if those homes are never sold ? What happens when the occupant dies ?

Bedroom tax would still be charged to those not in work but in receipt of HB so no pal, it won't change the argument !

Jeez, no wonder the Tory's love this guy. He's an utter buffoon (apologies to buffoons worldwide) !

He's a neo-liberal free marketeer loon. Interestingly, did you notice Cameron come out with all guns blazing against one of the defying ideas of new-right economics the other day? When he was asked why the tax take was down, he claimed it was because they had cut taxes. I thought the whole idea of his ideology was that higher tax rates produce lower revenues, and you cut taxes in order to raise more money?

[HindleA]

@PK no offence taken.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

@PK no offence taken.

if I understood you correctly A

[PaulfromYorkshire]

And yes please Grim Squeaker I may have missed something but please don't depart

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Boo

Politico Daily ‏@Politico_Daily 1m1 minute ago
TNS poll:
Conservative 31 +3
Labour 31 -4
Liberal Democrat 8 +2
UKIP 16 -2
Green 7 +2
Other 7 -1

[gilsey]

Morning folks,
I've just finished yesterday's posts, and I say hats off to Tisme for a courteous and reasoned approach. For what it's worth, I think the argument has become too dichotomised. It's not going to be a Green vs Labour choice for many voters, but a tactical decision.
In my constituency, Newcastle East, Nick Brown looks likely to be returned with over 50% of the vote, and has a 97% chance of winning, according to Electoral Calculus. A Green vote here (which I'm strongly tempted to do) would send a message, without threatening to let a Tory or LibDem in.
In a marginal ward, I wouldn't consider it. I'm sure many others will be thinking along the same lines.

I've been voting green for as long as there's been a candidate to vote for, for the same reason.
Lived in a safe labour seat, now a safe tory one.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Boo

Politico Daily ‏@Politico_Daily 1m1 minute ago
TNS poll:
Conservative 31 +3
Labour 31 -4
Liberal Democrat 8 +2
UKIP 16 -2
Green 7 +2
Other 7 -1

Never paid any attention to TNS, a poll that different suggests outliers (or a reversion to the mean from an outlier) or a change in methodology.

[StephenDolan]

Morning all.

It would be a poorer place here without TGS, I hope you reconsider.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Boo

Politico Daily ‏@Politico_Daily 1m1 minute ago
TNS poll:
Conservative 31 +3
Labour 31 -4
Liberal Democrat 8 +2
UKIP 16 -2
Green 7 +2
Other 7 -1

Looks like they are polling more regularly in the run-up to the GE, then. The next will probably show Labour up again