Friday, 13th February 2015

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Morning All!

Just been catching up on the SNP posts from after my bed time.

In the end I find myself in furious agreement. I hadn't previously understood the source of people's anger with the SNP but maybe it comes down to their appearance of always wanting something for nothing.

This is helpful to my thoughts about a potential Labour SNP deal after the GE. Ed would have to be sure it was a deal, not a concession. If they want more power, fair enough, but what do they give back to the rest of the UK in return?

[StephenDolan]

Morning All!

Just been catching up on the SNP posts from after my bed time.

In the end I find myself in furious agreement. I hadn't previously understood the source of people's anger with the SNP but maybe it comes down to their appearance of always wanting something for nothing.

This is helpful to my thoughts about a potential Labour SNP deal after the GE. Ed would have to be sure it was a deal, not a concession. If they want more power, fair enough, but what do they give back to the rest of the UK in return?

Morning all.
That last sentence succinctly sums it up. I'd like to think that another referendum on SI would be off the table, otherwise what's the point of people voting No?

[StephenDolan]

'In an interview with the Guardian, Dodds said: “It stands to reason that Labour should not rely on SNP votes and the enormously high price the nationalists would extract off Ed Miliband.

“I know that many people in the Labour party are deeply concerned about that prospect because it could be the death knell of the Labour party in Scotland. Because if they go down this route they will basically be saying to Labour supporters in Scotland that it’s OK to vote for the SNP in the future.”

The DUP is expected to win eight or nine seats at Westminster in May, and the MP for North Belfast added that he was confident a pan-unionist election pact in Northern Ireland could deliver 11 to 12 seats in the next parliament for unionism in general.

Indicating that the DUP would be open to post-election talks with both Labour and the Conservatives, Dodds emphasised that the DUP “would not be doctrinaire” about which party it would support if there was no clear overall majority in parliament.'

http://gu.com/p/45jqk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apologies if posted previously. That'd make things interesting. What you prefer, a 5 seat majority with the DUP or 35 with the SNP?

[refitman]

Morning all. Labour lead at 3 points on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / Sun results 12th February -

Con 31%, (-1)
Lab 34%, (+1)
LD 7%, (nc)
UKIP 15%, (nc)
GRN 7%; (nc)

APP -23 (-1)

[Spacedone]

Morning all. Labour lead at 3 points on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / Sun results 12th February -

Con 31%, (-1)
Lab 34%, (+1)
LD 7%, (nc)
UKIP 15%, (nc)
GRN 7%; (nc)

APP -23 (-1)

Have the polls turned a bit this month? We seem to be getting more small leads and less level pegging.

[Lonewolfie]

Morning all...

WRT the SNP/Ms Sturgeon, even I've had a couple of Twitter exchanges (I mean that in the sense that I'm still a bit timid with Twitter) with 45rs - they are (as has been discussed) fully immersed in the 'SNP only way to social justice - and you English are…well, just f*** off' - I think the only aspect not raised here was the closeness of the SNP hierarchy to Murkydochia (I know I'm like a scratched record, but it's true I tell you!)…and I wonder how the whole anti-austerity, higher public spending argument is going to go down with Uncle Rupert. It would be a reversal of everything he's promoted over the last 30+ years and most definitely not what Salmond has done for the last 4. I'm with PfY in that she certainly seems to be genuine about moving to the left of the political spectrum...but will that compromise the 'favourable press' the SNP receive? I certainly think that the SNP are a different animal already with her at the helm...but we'll see (in about 82 days). I also think minds will now be focused on May and ridding Britain of the stench of condemnation, with the Indy Ref and those arguments on the back burner.

Picked this up from Twitter yesterday and, as it was mentioned as a potential Tory target seat, looked at Halifax...don't think it's going to happen for Dodgy Dave (even though he launched his 'poster' there in January) - also, I'm afraid I'm absolute pants at analysing/meaningfully translating data - it would be good if someone who knows what they're doing could crunch numbers to find out how many 'marginals' are actually predicted to be won by Labour through 2010 majority vs voting intention increase - can anyone help? (assuming the info is worthwhile)…and the drop in Tory/Lost Deposit voting intention seems almost apocalyptic...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/255240148/Pre ... ember-2014

dpv02.gif (69.76 KiB) Viewed 15776 times

dpv01.gif (99.71 KiB) Viewed 15776 times

[Lonewolfie]

'In an interview with the Guardian, Dodds said: “It stands to reason that Labour should not rely on SNP votes and the enormously high price the nationalists would extract off Ed Miliband.

“I know that many people in the Labour party are deeply concerned about that prospect because it could be the death knell of the Labour party in Scotland. Because if they go down this route they will basically be saying to Labour supporters in Scotland that it’s OK to vote for the SNP in the future.”

The DUP is expected to win eight or nine seats at Westminster in May, and the MP for North Belfast added that he was confident a pan-unionist election pact in Northern Ireland could deliver 11 to 12 seats in the next parliament for unionism in general.

Indicating that the DUP would be open to post-election talks with both Labour and the Conservatives, Dodds emphasised that the DUP “would not be doctrinaire” about which party it would support if there was no clear overall majority in parliament.'

http://gu.com/p/45jqk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apologies if posted previously. That'd make things interesting. What you prefer, a 5 seat majority with the DUP or 35 with the SNP?

DUP/SNP? Not for me - I'm still with AAW - it'll be an Attlee-style landslide

[LadyCentauria]

@PfY:

Ms. Sturgeon is on the front page of the i newspaper today – I can't find a working link to the online version today's paper edition but found this on the Indy site:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 42963.html

The SNP should be less confrontational and co-operate with political rivals – and the English, Scotland’s First Minister has said. Nicola Sturgeon wants to build a “progressive alliance” capable of propelling Ed Miliband into 10 Downing Street after May’s UK general election, she told i in an exclusive interview.

Anyway, I'm broadly in agreement with what you said last night. I don't think that the SNP expected Cameron to agree so swiftly to a referendum on independence. I don't think they expected there'd not be the option of Devo-Max on the ballot. And I don't think the party honestly believed that there would be as much as 45% support for independence – although many of my friends (and some of my family) have long wished for it, as did I. I changed my mind, sort of, during the run up to the Referendum being announced – just got a feeling of 'not now, not this way' about it, probably not helped by a pretty long-standing distrust of Salmond. Believe you me, I still hold that Scotland should become an independent country – and I feel the same way about the Basque region, Cornwall, and about many other nations/regions within European (and other) States. But I feel that, particularly within the EU, agreement has to be reached to ensure that areas/countries which want to leave a local Union, State, or Federation, but wish to remain a part of the EU can do that. There needs to be a mechanism for leaving the EU, too, as there doesn't appear to be one yet. I see Devo-Max as a stepping-stone which could work either 'forever' or until those sorts of mechanisms are in place. And, the problem of the oil-and-gas revenue sharing between Scotland and England needs sorting out in the near future; likewise, revenues from off-shore wind and wave-power – which needs settling for all the countries and States in the British Isles.

Any road, we do need to listen to what Nicola Sturgeon's SNP are saying and watch what they're doing. And, since they are the party forming the Scottish Government – and like to increase their MPs in May – we can hardly close our ears to them, entirely.

(My most recent attempt at getting Second Sleep failed dismally but I'm off to try again. Good Morning, all!)

[Lonewolfie]

Absolutely no politicisation of the Civil Service or the functions of Government...none...absolutely none at all....what's that over there...squirrel...shiny squirrel...hopefully, post-May, someone will point out the crass stupidity of pretending HMRC is a 'business' (or treating it like a 'business')...

Civil Service union PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka called on HMRC chief executive Lin Horner to “publicly disown” the memo which details plans to “marginalise” his union and urges the “isolation” of its leadership.
Mr Serwotka branded it a “a shocking and deeply disturbing indication of a secret and political approach” at the department, where PCS represents 50,000 staff.
The document, seen by the Morning Star and believed to date back to August, sets out a blow-by-blow assessment of the HMRC “product” to be delivered — in this case the end of trade union resistance.
In it deputy director of employee relations Jonathan Donovan details three “viable options” for dealing with PCS aimed at sidelining its influence to “deliver the best outcome for HMRC’s business.”

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e7 ... N2cDi7Qqow

[rebeccariots2]

Ian Lucas retweeted
Simon Dedman ‏@SiDedman 9h9 hours ago
Labour win #harlow by-election for Mark Halls ward taking the seat off UKIP and increasing their @HarlowCouncil majority to three

Morning all.

[rebeccariots2]

Nick Robinson ‏@bbcnickrobinson 54m54 minutes ago
Media foes of Ed M generating row re Milly Dowler. I reported aides saw this as moment to stand up to powerful like when that story broke

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

[Eric_WLothian]

Any road, we do need to listen to what Nicola Sturgeon's SNP are saying and watch what they're doing. And, since they are the party forming the Scottish Government – and like to increase their MPs in May – we can hardly close our ears to them, entirely.

There will be a chance to hear what she's saying - on QT from Stockton next week. Then, according to the Indy article, she's touring English cities (probably in her chauffeur driven car, courtesy of the taxpayer- her detractors don't refer to her as Queen Nicola for nothing! )

NICOLA Sturgeon has never travelled by train on official business since taking charge of Scotland’s transport, while making nearly 600 taxpayer-funded trips by car, government figures show. http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/ ... -1-3511938

What really gets up my nose is the way they rebranded the Scottish Parliament as the Scottish Government, admittedly with cross-party support. This has led (imo) to a few over-inflated egos thinking they are more important than they are. Let's not forget that Holyrood is a devolved parliament, originally set up to administer the functions which were previously the remit of the Scottish Office.

It will be interesting to see how well they (the SNP) do at the GE. With 55% voting against their raison d'etre, I don't see the logic in recent poll results.

[ephemerid]

'Allo campers!

Today, I want to report my increasing concern for poor old Spinning Hugo. Every day, he becomes at least one new identity and sometimes two.

I think he's got Dissociative Identity Disorder. With several hundred personalities. All of whom sound exactly the same.

Hugo, if you're reading this (and we know you do) please get help.

And take Grant Shapps with you.

[refitman]

Just seen that Geoffrey Manboob joined on Wednesday. Hello Geoffrey *waves*

[HindleA]

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

"Record number of sanctions imposed on jobseekers"


Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that 3,097,630 JSA claims were made in 2013-14 and 568,430 individuals were subject to a sanction, a total of 18%. In 2012-13, 16% of claims were subjected to sanctions and 15% in 2010-11. They are imposed on people who fail to keep appointments, reject jobs or walk out of jobs without good reason.

In 2008-09, only 286,694 sanctions were applied on the 2,935,930 JSA claims, representing 10%.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “The huge rise in sanctions since 2010 shows the government’s system is in chaos. The number has doubled since 2009 to a level where one in five of all JSA claimants receive a sanction. This will lead to further concerns that unofficial targets imposed on jobcentres by the Department for Work and Pensions are forcing up the number of people who have their benefits withdrawn.


Edited to add morning.Morning.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Morning all. Labour lead at 3 points on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / Sun results 12th February -

Con 31%, (-1)
Lab 34%, (+1)
LD 7%, (nc)
UKIP 15%, (nc)
GRN 7%; (nc)

APP -23 (-1)

Have the polls turned a bit this month? We seem to be getting more small leads and less level pegging.

Which, when you consider the dubious weighting methods being employed by some pollsters, is all the more interesting.

Good morning all.

[HindleA]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... -it-vested" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fighting tax dodgers and clawing back bankers' bonuses: Labour sticks it to "vested interests"
The opposition continues to wage its war on the misconduct of the wealthy, as it is to extend the bankers' bonus clawback to ten years.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Nick Robinson ‏@bbcnickrobinson 54m54 minutes ago
Media foes of Ed M generating row re Milly Dowler. I reported aides saw this as moment to stand up to powerful like when that story broke

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

Must admit I read it somewhat differently; to me there is an air of triumphalism in that tweet (look what a clever boy I am, I am the story again) rather than any hint of retreat.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

While we're on the New Statesman, I can't remember if I already linked this piece about Moazzam Begg

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... cbain-begg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not because it's particularly timely or relevant today, more because it's a quietish Friday morning. I read this in my paper version last week and found it nuanced, utterly compelling and very well written.

[mikems]

That Statesman article is let down by two sentences that are marred by the author's editorialising :

His move against military intervention in Syria is also often cited – although his 11th-hour withdrawal of support is seen by many as morally shortsighted.

And :

So maybe Labour's loyalists have been right all along when they talk about Miliband standing up to the man, even if their man hasn't been seen to make a particular success of standing up for the party.

It's an automatic submission to the general narrative. And in a nominally Labour supporting rag too. Yet, surely, many people did not see his Syria stance as morally shortsighted. Tories did, or said they did anyway. And the media. And not making a success of the party? He has unified it, increased it in size by quite a considerable amount and, so far, is set to lead it to power in less than three months.

But the message is the message and must be repeated in the very teeth of reality. Or perhaps an eye at a tory rag sometime in the future

[ErnstRemarx]

Just seen that Geoffrey Manboob joined on Wednesday. Hello Geoffrey *waves*

And I will add that we've also enlisted our 100th member. Well done to GetYou - nice to hit three figures.

[RogerOThornhill]

Another appointment looking slightly less than wise...

HSBC files: Rona Fairhead declines to answer queries about activities at Swiss bank

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... subsidiary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rona Fairhead, the current head of the BBC Trust and chair of HSBC’s audit committee at the time covered by the HSBC files, has declined to respond to queries about how much she knew about activities at the bank’s Swiss subsidiary.

Fairhead, who took the chair of the BBC’s governing board in 2014, has been a non-executive director of HSBC since 2004, and was made the chair of the audit and risk committee – which bore responsibility for governance and compliance across the global bank – in May 2007.

In its statement to the Guardian in the wake of the publication of bank documents, HSBC admitted “past compliance and control failures” in the group.

HSBC’s accounts detail the role Fairhead’s committee played at the bank during her chairmanship. The audit committee, the document states, “meets regularly with HSBC’s senior financial, internal audit, credit, legal and compliance management” to consider the bank’s “internal control, compliance and risk management”.

Such fun!

[ohsocynical]

Nick Robinson ‏@bbcnickrobinson 54m54 minutes ago
Media foes of Ed M generating row re Milly Dowler. I reported aides saw this as moment to stand up to powerful like when that story broke

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

I've noticed with Robinson, he'll report on the days events and it all seems fairly even handed, and then at the end, he always signs off with a snidey little comment.

[pk1]

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

Must admit I read it somewhat differently; to me there is an air of triumphalism in that tweet (look what a clever boy I am, I am the story again) rather than any hint of retreat.

I've complained to the BBC about his use of the term 'Millie Dowler Moment' (which was not just in his blog but repeated on the Today programme) which he must have known the likely effects of, and his subsequent failure to admit explicitly that those words were his.

I haven't seen it so can't verify this tweet as truth but I'd guess it is:

Solzhenicksyn ‏@Nick__Rhodes 16m16 minutes ago
@ianrobo1 @peterjukes @MarkLewisLawyer @kb32904 @bbcnickrobinson @yorkierosie @MailOnline
I've just watched him repeat it on rolling BBC ch

If he has, it's appalling ! Robinson admitted on twitter 'Milly Dowler moment' was his expression but the viewing public probably don't know this & think the version in the Daily Spite & Torygraph is the truth. The very least we, the Dowlers & Ed/Labour should expect is a public apology & it should have come yesterday but today would suffice.

If Robinson thinks this will slink away like him, I have news for him - it won't.

PS - do you have the link for the complaints page please ?

[HindleA]

Is this it ?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ephemerid]

Good news for my friends in Kernow!

Serco is dropping out of its' contract to supply (or not, in their case) out-of-hours GP services.

A consortium of GPs and nurses will be taking it over, with support from GPs in Devon, who are doing something similar.

Yes, it's still CCGs and all that jazz, but at least care will be back in the hands of local doctors and not profiteers who care noting for the people they are paid to serve and fail on a regular basis. It will mean an end to the bullying, lies, and patients left with no help.

[StephenDolan]

Must admit I read it somewhat differently; to me there is an air of triumphalism in that tweet (look what a clever boy I am, I am the story again) rather than any hint of retreat.

I've complained to the BBC about his use of the term 'Millie Dowler Moment' (which was not just in his blog but repeated on the Today programme) which he must have known the likely effects of, and his subsequent failure to admit explicitly that those words were his.

I haven't seen it so can't verify this tweet as truth but I'd guess it is:

Solzhenicksyn ‏@Nick__Rhodes 16m16 minutes ago
@ianrobo1 @peterjukes @MarkLewisLawyer @kb32904 @bbcnickrobinson @yorkierosie @MailOnline
I've just watched him repeat it on rolling BBC ch

If he has, it's appalling ! Robinson admitted on twitter 'Milly Dowler moment' was his expression but the viewing public probably don't know this & think the version in the Daily Spite & Torygraph is the truth. The very least we, the Dowlers & Ed/Labour should expect is a public apology & it should have come yesterday but today would suffice.

If Robinson thinks this will slink away like him, I have news for him - it won't.

PS - do you have the link for the complaints page please ?

https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/?reset=#anchor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Report the news, not be the news you arse.

[AnatolyKasparov]

That Statesman article is let down by two sentences that are marred by the author's editorialising :

His move against military intervention in Syria is also often cited – although his 11th-hour withdrawal of support is seen by many as morally shortsighted.

And :

So maybe Labour's loyalists have been right all along when they talk about Miliband standing up to the man, even if their man hasn't been seen to make a particular success of standing up for the party.

It's an automatic submission to the general narrative. And in a nominally Labour supporting rag too. Yet, surely, many people did not see his Syria stance as morally shortsighted. Tories did, or said they did anyway. And the media. And not making a success of the party? He has unified it, increased it in size by quite a considerable amount and, so far, is set to lead it to power in less than three months.

But the message is the message and must be repeated in the very teeth of reality. Or perhaps an eye at a tory rag sometime in the future

"seen by many" - what a weaselly, slippery phrase that is

[HindleA]

Feedback

https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006slnx/contact" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ohsocynical]

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

Must admit I read it somewhat differently; to me there is an air of triumphalism in that tweet (look what a clever boy I am, I am the story again) rather than any hint of retreat.

I've complained to the BBC about his use of the term 'Millie Dowler Moment' (which was not just in his blog but repeated on the Today programme) which he must have known the likely effects of, and his subsequent failure to admit explicitly that those words were his.

And pretty upsetting for her parents too.

[pk1]

Thanks for the link guys

Question - has it ever been reported that Ed attended Murdoch's pyjama party ? I know about Blair & Brown but specific allegation re Ed would be useful.

[HindleA]

Latest Populus VI: Lab 34 (-), Con 31 (-2), LD 9 (+1), UKIP 14 (-1), Others 12 (+2). Tables here: http://t.co/C5Z02V9r1d" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ohsocynical]

Good news for my friends in Kernow!

Serco is dropping out of its' contract to supply (or not, in their case) out-of-hours GP services.

A consortium of GPs and nurses will be taking it over, with support from GPs in Devon, who are doing something similar.

Yes, it's still CCGs and all that jazz, but at least care will be back in the hands of local doctors and not profiteers who care noting for the people they are paid to serve and fail on a regular basis. It will mean an end to the bullying, lies, and patients left with no help.

This made me feel all warm and cuddley...I reckon word is out amongst the big companies queuing up for juicy contracts that Labour is going to win and not even a little chance of a Conservative coalition.

What do they say? Watch the big money?

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I've complained to the BBC about his use of the term 'Millie Dowler Moment' (which was not just in his blog but repeated on the Today programme) which he must have known the likely effects of, and his subsequent failure to admit explicitly that those words were his.

You and me both, and I doubt we are alone.

On 12th February 2014 Nick Robinson stated that Ed Miliband's facing down Lord Fink was "a Milly Dowler moment" and clearly implied that this was a quote from a Labour Party spokesman. As a consequence Philip Davies MP called for the resignation of Labour's Tom Baldwin and the Mail & Telegraph have produced articles based on this quote. Although Robinson later admitted, grudgingly, that this was his own fabrication he still used the phrase on last night's 6 pm News and is still using it today.

My complaint is two fold; firstly, I am not alone in finding it extremely distasteful that anybody would seek to bring the Dowler family, who have suffered so much at the hands of the press, into this affair. That alone should, I hope, be sufficient grounds for Mr Robinson to consider his position and, at the very least, issue a full & meaningful public apology.

Secondly, Mr Robinson knew that people would find it distasteful, hence his fumbled attempt to attribute this to a Labour Party spokesman. So not only is he guilty of fabricating a story in very poor taste, he has clearly done this with a view to undermining Labour. This is clear bias and a breach of your standards on impartiality. My understanding is that constitutes a serious disciplinary matter, my gut feel is that no action will be taken.

The BBC's reputation has fallen dramatically over recent years, this episode will see it marred still further unless decisive action is taken.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Polly Toynbee ‏@pollytoynbee 1h1 hour ago
NickRobinson invented Miliband smear re Milly Dowler: also smear re Miliband's tax avoiding.
http://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi ... 43655.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … …

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Tim Fenton nailing it (as usual) on the Nick Robinson story.

http://zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2015/ ... ution.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PaulfromYorkshire]

@theGS

Good email

To be fair though, the BBC's reputation hasn't been marred it's been nicked

[TheGrimSqueaker]

@theGS

Good email

To be fair though, the BBC's reputation hasn't been marred it's been nicked

It has indeed been nicked, but it is Marr-ed every Sunday!

[AnatolyKasparov]

Looking like Robinson has bitten off a bit more than he can chew this time, innit? Couldn't happen to a nicer chap, mind

[pk1]

@theGS

Good email

To be fair though, the BBC's reputation hasn't been marred it's been nicked

Large parts of TGS complaint has made it into my own. No idea how that happened..... #innocentface

[pk1]

Looking like Robinson has bitten off a bit more than he can chew this time, innit? Couldn't happen to a nicer chap, mind

Astonishingly, the claim continues to exist on his BBC blog !

The Labour leader's aides say that he sees this as another Milly Dowler moment - the moment when he spoke out against phone hacking and took on Rupert Murdoch.

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

[AnatolyKasparov]

I assume that people are pointing that out to him?

Make no mistake, this is potentially a highly significant moment......

[pk1]

Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 3h3 hours ago Lambeth, London
#ff @LordAshcroft

No polite words exist that can express my feelings toward Mr Hodges

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This Tweet didn't go terribly well for Dave. Read the replies and enjoy

Edited to add the Tweet

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

[HindleA]

When a reporter of events becomes the "event"surely there only one course of action?And it is becoming a habit.

[pk1]

This Tweet didn't go terribly well for Dave. Read the replies and enjoy

Which tweet ?

[PaulfromYorkshire]

It is possible that they are now in a complete panic and Robinson is sacrificially keeping the spotlight on himself for as long as possible now. Hence him seeming much clumsier than usual.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This Tweet didn't go terribly well for Dave. Read the replies and enjoy

Which tweet ?

It's Friday

This one

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

[PorFavor]

Nick Robinson ‏@bbcnickrobinson 54m54 minutes ago
Media foes of Ed M generating row re Milly Dowler. I reported aides saw this as moment to stand up to powerful like when that story broke

That squeals - Not me, not me. Is he not amongst the 'media foes of Ed M'?

Brass neck doesn't begin to cover it.

'Andrew Gilligan moment'

Or an Ernie Wise moment? I know you're limited in scope for providing elegant prose in a "Tweet" but, to me, this one is in the "Here's a play wot I wrote" class.



Good afternoon, everyone.

Edited

Off to a good start, again. Still, start as you mean to carry on. So - "afternoon" for "morning".

It's always later than you think . . .

[HindleA]

http://www.theguardian.com/housing-netw ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"UK housing is increasingly a postcode lottery. Where's the safety net?


It’s time for a conversation: what rights should we all have to shelter, and what others are we happy to leave at the discretion of a local administration?"