Thursday 29th January 2015

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 5:59 pm

Evening Lady C.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:02 pm

Love the headline here ''Hospitals and NHS bosses at loggerheads over spending'' shouldn't that be the government?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31045981" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:02 pm

Remember George Osborne trumpeting the "opportunity" for people to cash-in (lazy shorthand) their pension pots? Well I've been trying to do so with mine (a small Civil Service one). Just received a letter today saying that I can't as they're having a rethink re Civil Servants. I haven't seen that being bruited abroad or covered by the BBC (although I knew it was on the cards which is why I tried to get in quickly). I was relying on that for my Switzerland fund should the need arise. Bastard. I'm gutted.

Edited to insert a space.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:03 pm

NHS 111 call handler tells ITV News the service is struggling to cope

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-01-29/nhs- ... g-to-cope/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An NHS whistleblower has told ITV News the 111 phone service can't cope because it hasn't got enough medically-trained staff to call on.

NHS 111 was designed to ease the pressure on England's overstretched A&E units. But the call handler, who works for one of the country's biggest providers, claims she regularly has to send ambulances to patients she knows don't need them.

Another stunning Coalition success story.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:06 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Love the headline here ''Hospitals and NHS bosses at loggerheads over spending'' shouldn't that be the government?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31045981" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It should be but the NHS 'reforms' wrote in an extra level of bureacracy to act as a firewall to protect the Government from being blamed.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:09 pm

Spacedone wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Love the headline here ''Hospitals and NHS bosses at loggerheads over spending'' shouldn't that be the government?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31045981" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It should be but the NHS 'reforms' wrote in an extra level of bureacracy to act as a firewall to protect the Government from being blamed.

Of course, my mistake, this is England we're talking about, I live in a third world dictatorship where things are done differently.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:15 pm

Have we had this yet?

Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14

The disclosure of the scale of Milburn’s personal earnings comes after the former frontbencher sparked a political row on Tuesday after an interview critical of Ed Miliband’s NHS policy.

In an interview for the BBC’s World At One on Tuesday, Milburn warned the current Labour leadership against making a “fatal mistake” by rolling back New Labour’s market reforms to the health service. Milburn’s intervention echoed a 2011 speech in which he attacked members of the shadow cabinet for opposing competition in the NHS.

As chairman of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, Milburn advises the company on its investments which include Care UK. Care UK’s nationwide portfolio includes hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health centres, as well as £104m in NHS contracts since 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw

...in the Graun as well - perhaps they didn't get the memo?

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:17 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... t-46827820" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Comments have only just opened and already stragem has trolled it and mentioned Wales.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:21 pm

Lonewolfie wrote:Have we had this yet?

Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14

The disclosure of the scale of Milburn’s personal earnings comes after the former frontbencher sparked a political row on Tuesday after an interview critical of Ed Miliband’s NHS policy.

In an interview for the BBC’s World At One on Tuesday, Milburn warned the current Labour leadership against making a “fatal mistake” by rolling back New Labour’s market reforms to the health service. Milburn’s intervention echoed a 2011 speech in which he attacked members of the shadow cabinet for opposing competition in the NHS.

As chairman of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, Milburn advises the company on its investments which include Care UK. Care UK’s nationwide portfolio includes hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health centres, as well as £104m in NHS contracts since 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw

...in the Graun as well - perhaps they didn't get the memo?

Yes. And this, from LabourList:

It’s also worth noting – although I’m sure this had no bearing on their decision to speak out – that Hutton is on the board of “Circle Holdings” (the private firm who pulled out of running an NHS hospital just hours before it was rated “inadequate”), whilst Milburn’s work at PWC is focussed on trying to (in his own words) “drive change across the health sector and PwC growing presence in the health market”. So as well as their political legacies being challenged by an alternative approach to NHS reform, neither man can be said to be completely impartial observers when it comes to the future role of competition and the market in the NHS.

http://labourlist.org/2015/01/the-conti ... -the-past/

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:21 pm

Lonewolfie wrote:Have we had this yet?

Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14

The disclosure of the scale of Milburn’s personal earnings comes after the former frontbencher sparked a political row on Tuesday after an interview critical of Ed Miliband’s NHS policy.

In an interview for the BBC’s World At One on Tuesday, Milburn warned the current Labour leadership against making a “fatal mistake” by rolling back New Labour’s market reforms to the health service. Milburn’s intervention echoed a 2011 speech in which he attacked members of the shadow cabinet for opposing competition in the NHS.

As chairman of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, Milburn advises the company on its investments which include Care UK. Care UK’s nationwide portfolio includes hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health centres, as well as £104m in NHS contracts since 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw

...in the Graun as well - perhaps they didn't get the memo?

I congratulated Dan Sabbagh on his perspicacity.

TheGrimSqueaker
‏@AndyLucia @dansabbagh Glad you caught up Dan. Some of us were pointing this out when Nick Watt's column was saying what a bang up guy Milburn was.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:22 pm

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/vote/2 ... l-and-more" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:27 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Lonewolfie wrote:Have we had this yet?

Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14

The disclosure of the scale of Milburn’s personal earnings comes after the former frontbencher sparked a political row on Tuesday after an interview critical of Ed Miliband’s NHS policy.

In an interview for the BBC’s World At One on Tuesday, Milburn warned the current Labour leadership against making a “fatal mistake” by rolling back New Labour’s market reforms to the health service. Milburn’s intervention echoed a 2011 speech in which he attacked members of the shadow cabinet for opposing competition in the NHS.

As chairman of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, Milburn advises the company on its investments which include Care UK. Care UK’s nationwide portfolio includes hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health centres, as well as £104m in NHS contracts since 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw

...in the Graun as well - perhaps they didn't get the memo?
I congratulated Dan Sabbagh on his perspicacity.

TheGrimSqueaker
‏@AndyLucia @dansabbagh Glad you caught up Dan. Some of us were pointing this out when Nick Watt's column was saying what a bang up guy Milburn was.

dunno how I missed that....but good

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:27 pm

mikems wrote:http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/vote/2 ... l-and-more

Interesting that. And good to know thousands more think as I do.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:29 pm

Lonewolfie wrote:Have we had this yet?

Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14

The disclosure of the scale of Milburn’s personal earnings comes after the former frontbencher sparked a political row on Tuesday after an interview critical of Ed Miliband’s NHS policy.

In an interview for the BBC’s World At One on Tuesday, Milburn warned the current Labour leadership against making a “fatal mistake” by rolling back New Labour’s market reforms to the health service. Milburn’s intervention echoed a 2011 speech in which he attacked members of the shadow cabinet for opposing competition in the NHS.

As chairman of Bridgepoint’s advisory board, Milburn advises the company on its investments which include Care UK. Care UK’s nationwide portfolio includes hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health centres, as well as £104m in NHS contracts since 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... are_btn_tw

...in the Graun as well - perhaps they didn't get the memo?

Hello. Just to clarify - when I wrote "yes" I didn't mean that we'd already had the quote. It was just a general sort of "yes" . . . .

Edited to do a quick cut and paste job so that my bit appears in the right slot!

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:29 pm

Grumpy Old Git wrote:Hello All.I am what my user name says,a grumpy old git.So have abandoned the Guardian after it has now gone from Beta to bloody awful.

I will pop in now and then when I am not looking after my Grandson,my daughter has to work,part time,to keep Mr Duncan Smith happy.She is classified has self employed but does craft fairs in summer and indoor car boots in winter to keep the Gestapo,sorry job centre of her back.

My Wife and I take it in turns to go out,to cold to take the three year old shopping.So one has to stay in to look after him.

Anyway,that is my intro,got to go,babysitting soon,catch you all again in the near future.

Welcome to the nest

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:31 pm

gilsey wrote:Not sure if we've already had this.

Krugman on Syriza.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opini ... .html?_r=0

supposedly hardheaded officials were in reality engaged in fantasy economics. Both the European Commission and the European Central Bank decided to believe in the confidence fairy — that is, to claim that the direct job-destroying effects of spending cuts would be more than made up for by a surge in private-sector optimism. The I.M.F. was more cautious, but it nonetheless grossly underestimated the damage austerity would do.

I don't know if they were starry eyed. I think there was a punitive element to it.

Bear in mind that Germans are pretty hardline on sanctity of contract and repaying what you owe. Even when it isn't German money that's been borrowed.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:32 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
mikems wrote:http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/vote/2 ... l-and-more
Interesting that. And good to know thousands more think as I do.

About 10,000 by the look of it....quite a large number for a poll - probably means it's not 'credible' as it's not 'scientifically researched upweighted crossover voting-intention polling'

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:36 pm

Rafael Behr ‏@rafaelbehr 8h8 hours ago
Yeah. Voting Green/SNP will teach market-loving, Iraq-invading Blairite Labour a lesson! Fire up the DeLorean and vote like it's 2005!

David Aaronovitch ‏@DAaronovitch 8h8 hours ago
@rafaelbehr Who are you talking to, R?

Rafael Behr ‏@rafaelbehr 8h8 hours ago
@DAaronovitch The whole "Lab=Tory so vote for a *real* left alternative to neo-liberalism" tendency.

James Thurston ‏@JamesWThurston 8h8 hours ago
@rafaelbehr Its possible many such people will rue the day they did the deed if they wake up to a Tory govt post polling day. @DAaronovitch

Rafael Behr
‏@rafaelbehr
@JamesWThurston @DAaronovitch And many will blame "Blairites" for stopping Lab going further left in time to avoid defeat.

James Thurston ‏@JamesWThurston 8h8 hours ago
@rafaelbehr Very good point: I'm very inclined to agree. @DAaronovitch

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:37 pm

Raf's gone up in my estimation.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:44 pm

Local news in Bristol is reporting that Charlotte Lizardly's office was daubed with graffiti following her vote in favour of fracking

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:46 pm

Kerry McCarthy MP retweeted
BirdyⓋ ‏@ZeekySquirrel 6m6 minutes ago
@KerryMP @angelasmithmp I fear #greenparty will cause divide btw those who love #animals & help #tories win = + #badgercull ;/ Vote #labour

So do I. Dreading waking up on May 8th knowing we are in for mass slaughter of wildlife - on a scale that will be breathtaking if the NFU get their way. Whole counties - regions - being culled.

(And for those of you who might hope that monitoring is sufficiently rigorous to make sure that land inside a cull zone that hasn't been signed up to participate doesn't get culled ... it looks as though there have been several lapses where just that has happened. It will only get harder as more and more culling areas are licensed - especially if they cover whole counties ....)

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:47 pm

yahyah wrote:Raf's gone up in my estimation.

I was surprised by it too - that's why I posted it.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:50 pm

Now it's the police close to ''tipping point'' I see a pattern developing here.

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-01- ... ing-point/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:51 pm

Lonewolfie wrote:
ephemerid wrote:
Lonewolfie wrote: George Gideon Oliver Osborne

The blue bloodline manoeuvre elicits the Member for South Dorset.

Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax.

Oh yes.
OK - I'll use the 'masquerading intellectual' gambit...

Nicholas Edward Coleridge Boles

And I will use the self-same gambit.......with extra qualifications.

George Iain Duncan Smith.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 6:53 pm

I can't comment on the news any more today. It's all just horrible.

And it's cold and wet and yeuccchhhh.....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:01 pm

Jon Snow @jonsnowC4 · Jan 28
Latest poll in America finds majority of Republicans believe US did find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq http://www.salon.com/2015/01/07/a_major ... s_in_iraq/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:04 pm

Goodnight, everyone.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:08 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Now it's the police close to ''tipping point'' I see a pattern developing here.

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-01- ... ing-point/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if police forces can go into deficit like hospitals. If they can, then I expect a load of that's been saved up for the next lot.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:11 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:19 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
yahyah wrote:Raf's gone up in my estimation.
I was surprised by it too - that's why I posted it.

Indeed, fair play to the lad.

Top tweeting.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:21 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:22 pm

‘Love and work, these two things only’ – Jon Cruddas’s speech to the Relationships Alliance
http://labourlist.org/2015/01/love-and- ... -alliance/

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:22 pm

NHS budget crisis as hospitals rebel against Government cuts en masse
Objecting to the NHS tariff is a “last resort”

Hospitals have carried out an “unprecedented” rebellion against national NHS spending plans, warning officials they can no longer guarantee safe patient care under funding proposals for this year.

Objections to the NHS tariff for 2015/16 have been submitted by hospitals that between them represent 75 per cent of the work the health service carries out.

The tariff sets the rates at which hospitals and other providers are paid for the services they provide. Proposals for this year amounted to a 3.8 per cent real terms cut.

Their intervention is highly significant as it means some of England’s major hospitals have reached the conclusion they can no longer afford to carry out the operations, treatments and other services they are constitutionally bound to provide.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 11931.html

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:30 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Jon Snow @jonsnowC4 · Jan 28
Latest poll in America finds majority of Republicans believe US did find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq http://www.salon.com/2015/01/07/a_major ... s_in_iraq/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

I'm married to one, but confess a lot of Americans seem easily taken in.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:32 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF

No nightmares about your pension now.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:33 pm

Spacedone wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:May be missing something, but does anyone know anything about 75% of NHS providers rejecting the 2015/16 tariff?
Bit of info here.

http://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/ ... proposals-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Richard Murray, director of policy at The King’s Fund, said: “The rejection of the proposed national tariff for next year is very significant. It signals that the policy of implementing year-on-year reductions in the prices paid to hospitals for their services has reached the end of the line.

“This is an unprecedented development. It is not clear what the outcome will be but, with just three months to go before the start of the financial year, it will throw financial planning in the NHS into disarray.

“With signs that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain downward pressure on staff pay, it indicates that the two main ways used to reduce NHS costs over the last few years - limiting staff salary increases and reducing payments to hospitals – have now been largely exhausted.
Am I right in thinking that 75% of CCG have just told the Government that they don't accept another 4% cut in their budgets?

I posted earlier this afternoon I wanted someone, a legitimate authority of some kind, to pull up this Tory government over their myriad fiascos, lies, shenanigans & general corruptness.

I think the NHS just landed on their head.
Someone get the ruby slippers off.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:35 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Jon Snow @jonsnowC4 · Jan 28
Latest poll in America finds majority of Republicans believe US did find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq http://www.salon.com/2015/01/07/a_major ... s_in_iraq/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
I'm married to one, but confess a lot of Americans seem easily taken in.

Was worried for you for a moment there Ohso - thought you meant you were married to a Republican. How you could have managed 53 years of it, if that were the case, was beyond me!

As long as he's only American ... that's fine ... perfectly doable.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:35 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Jon Snow @jonsnowC4 · Jan 28
Latest poll in America finds majority of Republicans believe US did find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq http://www.salon.com/2015/01/07/a_major ... s_in_iraq/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
I'm married to one, but confess a lot of Americans seem easily taken in.

It's all the commuting in vehicles up & down thousands of miles of tarmaced interstate in search of wages.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:46 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Spacedone wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:May be missing something, but does anyone know anything about 75% of NHS providers rejecting the 2015/16 tariff?
Bit of info here.

http://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/ ... proposals-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Richard Murray, director of policy at The King’s Fund, said: “The rejection of the proposed national tariff for next year is very significant. It signals that the policy of implementing year-on-year reductions in the prices paid to hospitals for their services has reached the end of the line.

“This is an unprecedented development. It is not clear what the outcome will be but, with just three months to go before the start of the financial year, it will throw financial planning in the NHS into disarray.

“With signs that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain downward pressure on staff pay, it indicates that the two main ways used to reduce NHS costs over the last few years - limiting staff salary increases and reducing payments to hospitals – have now been largely exhausted.
Am I right in thinking that 75% of CCG have just told the Government that they don't accept another 4% cut in their budgets?
I posted earlier this afternoon I wanted someone, a legitimate authority of some kind, to pull up this Tory government over their myriad fiascos, lies, shenanigans & general corruptness.

I think the NHS just landed on their head.
Someone get the ruby slippers off.

Yeah but Alan Milburn

thatchersorphan · Post by **thatchersorphan** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:52 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
NonOxCol wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:Sorry to hear that NonOxCol. The Graun really has abandoned its roots, its readers and its purpose. Rubbisher has destroyed an institution.
Right on cue:

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

This is one of the patronising staffers who has a "Guardian pick".

If anyone wants to put this tweet on the feedback thread, please be my guest.
Morning. (very slow start morning in my case)

Is that tweet total sarcasm, NonOxCol? How sneery and dismissive if so.

I can't go on the feedback thread (hurts my eyes) but I did join in the twitter replies - on an account with 3,400 followers (potential clicks)

Post by **refitman** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 7:56 pm

thatchersorphan wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
NonOxCol wrote: Right on cue:

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

This is one of the patronising staffers who has a "Guardian pick".

If anyone wants to put this tweet on the feedback thread, please be my guest.
Morning. (very slow start morning in my case)

Is that tweet total sarcasm, NonOxCol? How sneery and dismissive if so.

I can't go on the feedback thread (hurts my eyes) but I did join in the twitter replies - on an account with 3,400 followers (potential clicks)

Unsurprisingly, my post re-printing his tweet has been zapped.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:04 pm

Totally missed this.
You may remember I mentioned the intention of removing dialysis from being a prescribed service on the NHS from April and asking people to sign an e-petition.They have reversed that decision.It will remain so ,until at least April 2016.

http://www.kidney.org.uk/home/news-2/nk ... -one-year/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:06 pm

Jesus Christ.

BBC UKIP

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... gJPqj3t9og

It’s worse than BBC Ukip - it’s what a Guardian reading BBC exec thinks people in Ukip want.. It’s essentially the Top Gear channel.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:08 pm

The Department of Health declined to comment.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 11931.html

No shit.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:11 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote: Yeah but Alan Milburn
And little Nicky Robinson says Ed Miliband wants to weaponise the NHS.

I want to weaponise Nick Robinson.

Let's fire the twat out of a cannon.

And I am not thinking comedy circus cannon, 152mm Howitzer minimum, bits of him may go 30 miles.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:11 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
I'm married to one, but confess a lot of Americans seem easily taken in.
Was worried for you for a moment there Ohso - thought you meant you were married to a Republican. How you could have managed 53 years of it, if that were the case, was beyond me!

As long as he's only American ... that's fine ... perfectly doable.

Oh he's Labour through and through. Far left of the Democrats even. He can't vote over here though and won't for US elections because he's such a stranger there. Says he doesn't understand his fellow countryman these days.

Our daughter though is a rabid Republican...We aren't speaking at present.
She pounced on the NHS problems and some cancer drugs being denied.
I said the NHS had to be careful of costs, and point the money to where it did most good - and in my case I'm happy to give up an extra few months if it means a child will be saved. She thought that was disgraceful.
I have horrible visions if I'm teetering on the edge in hospital of her barging in and demanding they 'save' me no matter what the cost. That's the way she is now. I tried to make her promise she won't do it, but she refused.

Kids!

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:15 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:Jesus Christ.

BBC UKIP

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... gJPqj3t9og

It’s worse than BBC Ukip - it’s what a Guardian reading BBC exec thinks people in Ukip want.. It’s essentially the Top Gear channel.

That is a spoof, yes? I mean we have 'Dave' already, which is basically the Clarkson and Fry channel, surely we don't need another one.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:23 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:Jesus Christ.

BBC UKIP

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... gJPqj3t9og

It’s worse than BBC Ukip - it’s what a Guardian reading BBC exec thinks people in Ukip want.. It’s essentially the Top Gear channel.
That is a spoof, yes? I mean we have 'Dave' already, which is basically the Clarkson and Fry channel, surely we don't need another one.

Sadly not. Time for Clarkson Island - again.

http://youtu.be/b_VZlXK75KQ

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:30 pm

I've Tweeted it, but I'm not sure if I've had a time slip. It looks and feels more like a clever April Fool...

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Thu 29 Jan, 2015 8:33 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:Jesus Christ.

BBC UKIP

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... gJPqj3t9og

It’s worse than BBC Ukip - it’s what a Guardian reading BBC exec thinks people in Ukip want.. It’s essentially the Top Gear channel.
That is a spoof, yes? I mean we have 'Dave' already, which is basically the Clarkson and Fry channel, surely we don't need another one.

This is actually hilarious. If it's real, then no-one in the BBC was paying any attention at all to the last 15 minutes of 'Harry and Paul's Story of The Twos', and especially this bit:

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

Not that this would surprise me.

Incidentally, Harry and Paul's Story of The Twos was the best thing I saw on TV in the whole of 2014, and the best thing either of them have done since 'Smashie and Nicey: The End of an Era'. It was on again over Christmas, and it really is a stupendous skewering of a great many things, not least the decline of the BBC.