Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th February 2015

Post by **refitman** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 8:34 am

Morning all.

WelshIan · Post by **WelshIan** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 8:53 am

The Last Leg was very good on tax avoidance last night. Nice to see someone as highly paid as Jonathan Ross coming out against tax avoidance.

You should be able to catch up with it on 4OD.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 8:55 am

PinkVanGate, FinkGate, BaldwinGate – why Labour should take heart from Tory press desperation
http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/20 ... speration/

For every day that the media is talking about the colour of a van, or something someone said to someone else that may or not have had the word ‘moment’ in it, then the Tories can avoid debate about the ruinous effect of their policies on families who have been forced into poverty, food banks which have become one of the few growth industries, a Health Service where a winter crisis Labour made a thing of the past is now back as an annual Tory event, suffering from the effects of a disastrous and costly reorganisation for which they had no mandate; then there is the debate they want to avoid on class sizes or tuition fees, or welfare and housing policies which are designed to benefit the wealthy and force the poor to move out.

Between now and the election David Cameron will come up with a nice line for the media every day, sometimes twice. He will be passionate on the news every night, always about something different from the night before. He will be determined to deal with whatever problem popped up on the media brief that morning. Then off to the next thing. It is embarrassing to watch.

Alistair Campbell doing what he does so well - taking it to the Tories. The other paragraphs in this blog are even better.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 8:56 am

Morning!

I know I keep on about it, but .........

for anybody who didn't see it last night, "The Last Leg" team were on seriously good form. Sure, they talked about that stupid pink van (to an interestingly muted response from the audience - note to meeja, fuss over nothing) and one of the big themes was some film released today ..... 50 Shades of Something? But the big theme was HSBC and tax avoidance, and they were on fire; the Adam Hills rant was one of his best, guest David Mitchell gave a very thoughful, yet very funny, spin on the subject but the highlight, for me, was a walk on by Jonathan Ross who absolutely nailed it!!

The Last Leg @TheLastLeg
· 11h 11 hours ago
"I earned a lot of money and I paid a f*** load of tax!" @wossy

But his point was, "if you earn a million and have to pay half in tax and NI, you've still got half a million which is a f***ing lot."

The Last Leg
‏@TheLastLeg "Do your bit, people! 'Cause if you're not doing your bit, you're being a dick." By Adam Hills for the Don't Be A Dick Party #dontbeadick

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 8:59 am

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 8h8 hours ago
confusing if you on benefits and read front page of The Times One day you are offered a free house. Next day if obese benefits taken away.

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 8h8 hours ago
Times on Monday thin people in house not on benefits spurn Mansion Tax

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:08 am

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 9h9 hours ago
Here's the blog from the last "sick people: do this or lose benefits" kite http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... the-stick/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 10h10 hours ago
Interesting. When this was last floated, it included people being forced to attend counselling for mental illness.

Reading that previous blog reminded me that Sarah Wollaston came downly firmly as against any such compulsion - mainly because of its total incompatibility with the principle of not forcing treatments on people, treating only with consent.

But then when have the Conservatives allowed petty matters of principle and legality to bother them?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:11 am

Andy Burnham ‏@andyburnhammp 20m20 minutes ago
Labour today exposes the scandal of 250,000 patients in England waiting for treatment being left off official #NHS waiting lists statistics.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:20 am

Andrew Bridgen calls on Labour leader to publish inheritance tax details

Doubt Dave will be thanking Bridgen for this intervention, might be time for Labour to start reminding Dave about his promise to publish his own tax details made ... ooh, three years ago now. BTW, Andrew Bridgen's seat of NW Leicestershire is, on paper, a safe seat but he knows it is anything but; I believe Ashcroft had this as a Labour gain in one of his marginal polls - happy to see more panicky MPs going off piste and landing Dave in it!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ve-MP.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:20 am

The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:22 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Andrew Bridgen calls on Labour leader to publish inheritance tax details
Doubt Dave will be thanking Bridgen for this intervention, might be time for Labour to start reminding Dave about his promise to publish his own tax details made ... ooh, three years ago now. BTW, Andrew Bridgen's seat of NW Leicestershire is, on paper, a safe seat but he knows it is anything but; I believe Ashcroft had this as a Labour gain in one of his marginal polls - happy to see more panicky MPs going off piste and landing Dave in it!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ve-MP.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Miliband should quip that he'll rush to release his tax details with the same speed that David Cameron and George Osborne have.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:25 am

Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.

Blimey, the Tories are all over the place. If they go down that route Labour can always ask Dave about his involvement with Black Wednesday.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:27 am

David Aaronovitch ‏@DAaronovitch 2h2 hours ago
The trailed Tory policy of withdrawing benefit from obese people is unbelievably crass and pointless: a little symphony of dog-whistles.

Exactly as Alistair Campbell described the Cameron media tactics in his blog.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 9:46 am

FWIW

I have e-mailed the Guardian about its article concerning the repeat of wheeze on threatening benefit claimants,not least the"would rather take benefits than work"line.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 10:32 am

Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.

Mind you, the Torygraph has such faith in that "story" that they aren't allowing comments on it

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 10:45 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.
Blimey, the Tories are all over the place. If they go down that route Labour can always ask Dave about his involvement with Black Wednesday.

Hah !!! Great minds think alike. I had just thought about that when I read your post. Rich and poor suffered the last time the Tories were in.

There was as you say Black Wednesday, and there was also the Lloyds Names uproar.

Lots of very well off people lost their homes. They'd used them as security and for years had made a lot of money, but then there was a series of world disasters especially in the States, which Lloyds had to pay out on and suddenly all those wealthy people had to pay out. Many of them lost their old family homes and still owed money.

And when Maggie did her sell off of council houses there was a huge response which was fine until we went into recession, and then naturally people on low wages who lost their jobs didn't have a chance in hell of covering the mortgage. They had to be re-homed in - you guessed it - council houses. It did though release a huge chunk of housing onto the private market.

Bankruptcies and suicides shot through the roof. Old long established businesses went under. It was heartbreaking.

I often wonder how those people or their children from those well off families who were suckered in by Tory get rich quick schemes, still vote Conservative? There is still this belief that Tory's are better on the economy.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 10:52 am

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.
Mind you, the Torygraph has such faith in that "story" that they aren't allowing comments on it

Ed Balls boasted of over-ruling the Bank of England as Gordon Brown stripped it of the power to regulate the City, a newly-uncovered film reveals.
The act that some economic experts argue contributed to the financial crisis was captured by a documentary film crew.

Like who? Oh, they didn't say...

I might have missed it but I don't actually recall a review of where the FSA went wrong and whether it could have actually prevented the financial crisis.

And didn't Hector Sants - CEO of the FSA - get a knighthood a year or so back? Odd thing to do if they were so incompetent...

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 10:58 am

ohsocynical wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.
Blimey, the Tories are all over the place. If they go down that route Labour can always ask Dave about his involvement with Black Wednesday.
Hah !!! Great minds think alike. I had just thought about that when I read your post. Rich and poor suffered the last time the Tories were in.

There was as you say Black Wednesday, and there was also the Lloyds Names uproar.

Lots of very well off people lost their homes. They'd used them as security and for years had made a lot of money, but then there was a series of world disasters especially in the States, which Lloyds had to pay out on and suddenly all those wealthy people had to pay out. Many of them lost their old family homes and still owed money.

And when Maggie did her sell off of council houses there was a huge response which was fine until we went into recession, and then naturally people on low wages who lost their jobs didn't have a chance in hell of covering the mortgage. They had to be re-homed in - you guessed it - council houses. It did though release a huge chunk of housing onto the private market.

Bankruptcies and suicides shot through the roof. Old long established businesses went under. It was heartbreaking.

I often wonder how those people or their children from those well off families who were suckered in by Tory get rich quick schemes, still vote Conservative? There is still this belief that Tory's are better on the economy.

The Mirror ran a piece on right-to-buy a couple of years back; the two keys stats that stuck in my mind were the fact that a third of the properties sold under the scheme are now in the hands of private landlords and that one of those landlords is Charles Gow (son of Ian Gow, who was Thatcher's Housing Minister at the time RTB came in) who owns at least 40 ex-council properties in South London. The drivel spouted at the time was that the policy was intended to make us a nation of home owners, that went well then.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ri ... il-1743338" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:01 am

About Black Wednesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/date ... 519013.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:07 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 9h9 hours ago
Here's the blog from the last "sick people: do this or lose benefits" kite http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... the-stick/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 10h10 hours ago
Interesting. When this was last floated, it included people being forced to attend counselling for mental illness.
Reading that previous blog reminded me that Sarah Wollaston came downly firmly as against any such compulsion - mainly because of its total incompatibility with the principle of not forcing treatments on people, treating only with consent.

But then when have the Conservatives allowed petty matters of principle and legality to bother them?

Good morning.

There must be some obese and/or addicted life-style tax avoiders we can pick on to start this particular ball rolling. Just to show that we're all in it together.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:15 am

"Aversion to debate therapy"

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:26 am

The Lloyds Names Scandal.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 94224.html

This is fascinating. I can only imagine what Twitter would have made of it.

On a worldwide basis, between 1972 and 1990, 32,000 new Names joined Lloyd's. During the same period, the majority of the 6,000 aristocratic British Names who were investing in Lloyd's as of 1970 quietly resigned. Internally at Lloyd's, the solicitation of new Names was euphemistically referred to as the "recruit to dilute" program.
Since 1991, thousands of Names have been bankrupted, and more than 30 have committed suicide. Lloyd's has continued to make cash calls, and English courts have continued to issue rulings in Lloyd's favor, making it easier for Lloyd's to collect more and more money from the remaining Names and/or their estates.

http://www.truthaboutlloyds.com/fraud/10minutes.html

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:27 am

PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 9h9 hours ago
Here's the blog from the last "sick people: do this or lose benefits" kite http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... the-stick/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 10h10 hours ago
Interesting. When this was last floated, it included people being forced to attend counselling for mental illness.
Reading that previous blog reminded me that Sarah Wollaston came downly firmly as against any such compulsion - mainly because of its total incompatibility with the principle of not forcing treatments on people, treating only with consent.

But then when have the Conservatives allowed petty matters of principle and legality to bother them?
Good morning.

There must be some obese and/or addicted life-style tax avoiders we can pick on to start this particular ball rolling. Just to show that we're all in it together.

I did Twitter Eric Pickles.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:29 am

PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 9h9 hours ago
Here's the blog from the last "sick people: do this or lose benefits" kite http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... the-stick/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Isabel Hardman ‏@IsabelHardman 10h10 hours ago
Interesting. When this was last floated, it included people being forced to attend counselling for mental illness.
Reading that previous blog reminded me that Sarah Wollaston came downly firmly as against any such compulsion - mainly because of its total incompatibility with the principle of not forcing treatments on people, treating only with consent.

But then when have the Conservatives allowed petty matters of principle and legality to bother them?
Good morning.

There must be some obese and/or addicted life-style tax avoiders we can pick on to start this particular ball rolling. Just to show that we're all in it together.

Could start by banning obese MPs from taxpayer-subsidised restaurants and bars. That should reduce the Westminster benefits bill somewhat.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:34 am

Because it's such a great story ... no politics but plenty of drama.

Naked man who escaped burning flat by jumping on bus hails hero bus driver
Mitchell Cook, 47, hails the ingenious actions of heroic First bus driver Andy Waterman who rescued him from his flat in Braintree http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... river.html

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:36 am

Eric_WLothian wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Reading that previous blog reminded me that Sarah Wollaston came downly firmly as against any such compulsion - mainly because of its total incompatibility with the principle of not forcing treatments on people, treating only with consent.

But then when have the Conservatives allowed petty matters of principle and legality to bother them?
Good morning.

There must be some obese and/or addicted life-style tax avoiders we can pick on to start this particular ball rolling. Just to show that we're all in it together.
Could start by banning obese MPs from taxpayer-subsidised restaurants and bars. That should reduce the Westminster benefits bill somewhat.

A pair of scales by the door of all the restaurants and bars in Westminster would be a good idea. Over the recommended weight? Barred!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:39 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Spacedone wrote:The Telegraph has AMAZING DOCUMENTARY PROOF that the two Eds caused the recession all the way back in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... gland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazing what power Miliband had. He's so weak he caused a global recession as a newly employed special advisor.
Blimey, the Tories are all over the place. If they go down that route Labour can always ask Dave about his involvement with Black Wednesday.

I knew that suit, expression and pose reminded me of someone. Finally got it a moment ago ... it's reminiscent of something Rodney from Only Fools and Horses would have worn. What a shame Cameron hasn't got one iota of Rodney's principles.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:40 am

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/si ... 46122.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Silver Hill housing: Affordable and social homes plan 'unlawfully' scrapped by Winchester council

A plan for 100 affordable and social homes was ditched for 'viability reasons'"

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:43 am

http://nhap.org/tories-playing-politics ... nsultants/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Tories playing politics has led to mass resignation of A+E consultants in Redditch

Statement from NHA co-leader Dr Richard Taylor on resignation of all A&E consultants from the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch"

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 11:48 am

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

"The tax-dodging father, the benefits cheat – and how they are treated so differently
Two stories that illuminate the double standards of a system tougher on the poor than on the rich"

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:12 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/si ... 46122.html

"Silver Hill housing: Affordable and social homes plan 'unlawfully' scrapped by Winchester council

A plan for 100 affordable and social homes was ditched for 'viability reasons'"

Viability here being a word that means 'we could make tons more money concentrating on rich people'.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:13 pm

Well, I've never complained to IPSO before but this vile piece of cyncial shite written by a vile piece of shite has changed that. That fucking rag should be shut down. And I make no apologies for my language, words cannot describe how angry I am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... owler.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:13 pm

Lord Green has resigned. (BBC News24)

diGriz · Post by **diGriz** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:16 pm

PorFavor wrote:Lord Green has resigned. (BBC News24)

Cameron will sashay out of this one too. No one holds him to account, bought and paid for media.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:19 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Well, I've never complained to IPSO before but this vile piece of cyncial shite written by a vile piece of shite has changed that. That fucking rag should be shut down. And I make no apologies for my language, words cannot describe how angry I am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... owler.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dacre is having a tantrum again - I doubt this will end for him any better than the last one did.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:24 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Well, I've never complained to IPSO before but this vile piece of cyncial shite written by a vile piece of shite has changed that. That fucking rag should be shut down. And I make no apologies for my language, words cannot describe how angry I am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... owler.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dacre is having a tantrum again - I doubt this will end for him any better than the last one did.

There is a difference this time, hence my anger. Last time he did it the weapon he attempted to wield was Miliband's own father, reprehensible enough, but Ed is a big boy; this time thy are cynically exploiting a family who suffered not just the loss of a loved one, but suffered further at the hands of the Press, very much including the Mail itself. We all know Dacre is doing this stuff because he is terrified Ed will win, implement Leveson in full and shut down his nasty, sleazy little game; well, to my mind that alone is reason enough to vote Labour in on May 7th!!!

Sticky99 · Post by **Sticky99** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:28 pm

Afternoon all,

rebeccariots2 wrote:
PinkVanGate, FinkGate, BaldwinGate – why Labour should take heart from Tory press desperation
http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/20 ... speration/

For every day that the media is talking about the colour of a van, or something someone said to someone else that may or not have had the word ‘moment’ in it, then the Tories can avoid debate about the ruinous effect of their policies on families who have been forced into poverty, food banks which have become one of the few growth industries, a Health Service where a winter crisis Labour made a thing of the past is now back as an annual Tory event, suffering from the effects of a disastrous and costly reorganisation for which they had no mandate; then there is the debate they want to avoid on class sizes or tuition fees, or welfare and housing policies which are designed to benefit the wealthy and force the poor to move out.

Between now and the election David Cameron will come up with a nice line for the media every day, sometimes twice. He will be passionate on the news every night, always about something different from the night before. He will be determined to deal with whatever problem popped up on the media brief that morning. Then off to the next thing. It is embarrassing to watch.
Alistair Campbell doing what he does so well - taking it to the Tories. The other paragraphs in this blog are even better.

Fantastic piece from Campbell, the hysteria from some parts on Labour’s use of pink vans was ridiculous. Miliband simply can’t win with some people; if the vans were white Labour would have been accused of not being original, use pink vans and Labour are accused of being patronising.

The outrage displayed from the right over the pink vans was sorry to see. These same people aren’t outraged over the “go home vans”, which were offensive, crass and racist. These same people aren’t outraged at savage cuts to legal aid, affecting the most vulnerable women in society who suffer from domestic violence. They aren’t outraged at the lack of childcare, meaning women can’t find suitable work despite seeking it, they aren’t outraged at social security cuts that often directly went to women in households. These people aren’t outraged at the fact that mothers have to use food banks to feed their children in record numbers.

This is the substance of the struggles that ordinary women have endured under this government, not a van driving around that happens to be pink. Let’s get some perspective over the real issues affecting women, not frivolous nonsense like the colour of a van. The Tories must love it when attention to their record on women is diverted to talk of a pink van from the opposition.

I'm not particularly interested in the media bubble's perception about a "Blairite" helping Miliband. Labour needs to use all of its best resources to fighting this general election, and undoubtedly Alastair Campbell would be a great asset for Miliband about campaign strategies, handling the election debates etc. Unlike other people from Blair's era who are merely interested in sniping from the sidelines, it is great to see Campbell is still hopeful and passionate about Labour - imo one of the few "Blairite's" worth deploying.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:34 pm

Labour puts animal welfare at centre of election campaign

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Lab ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another hit

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:35 pm

Update on the Lord Green resignation - it's only from the chair-ship of some lobby group or another. Rather odd, though.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:40 pm

I can't imagine that anyone who has considered voting Labour will have changed their mind because of a pink van.

Absurd.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:40 pm

Looks like AC is getting a bit more involved (sorry still cant embed the link)

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

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:44 pm

PorFavor wrote:Update on the Lord Green resignation - it's only from the chair-ship of some lobby group or another. Rather odd, though.

Arhhh but look which chairship

Karl Turner MP retweeted
Paul Mason ‏@paulmasonnews · 2 mins2 minutes ago
Lord Green resigned as chair of advisory group to banking organisation CityUK

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:45 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Well, I've never complained to IPSO before but this vile piece of cyncial shite written by a vile piece of shite has changed that. That fucking rag should be shut down. And I make no apologies for my language, words cannot describe how angry I am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... owler.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dacre is having a tantrum again - I doubt this will end for him any better than the last one did.
There is a difference this time, hence my anger. Last time he did it the weapon he attempted to wield was Miliband's own father, reprehensible enough, but Ed is a big boy; this time thy are cynically exploiting a family who suffered not just the loss of a loved one, but suffered further at the hands of the Press, very much including the Mail itself. We all know Dacre is doing this stuff because he is terrified Ed will win, implement Leveson in full and shut down his nasty, sleazy little game; well, to my mind that alone is reason enough to vote Labour in on May 7th!!!

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Of course they are - can't possibly have people pointing out the truth now can we?

Can't be long now before we get Nick Robinson complaining about this article - I'm sure he'll set the record straight.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:47 pm

This Tweet is from the lawyer who represents the Dowlers

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:51 pm

Miliband continuing the debate on tax

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 45696.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ed-miliband-britain-has-one-rule-for-the-rich-and-another-for-the-rest

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:56 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote: Dacre is having a tantrum again - I doubt this will end for him any better than the last one did.
There is a difference this time, hence my anger. Last time he did it the weapon he attempted to wield was Miliband's own father, reprehensible enough, but Ed is a big boy; this time thy are cynically exploiting a family who suffered not just the loss of a loved one, but suffered further at the hands of the Press, very much including the Mail itself. We all know Dacre is doing this stuff because he is terrified Ed will win, implement Leveson in full and shut down his nasty, sleazy little game; well, to my mind that alone is reason enough to vote Labour in on May 7th!!!

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Of course they are - can't possibly have people pointing out the truth now can we?

Can't be long now before we get Nick Robinson complaining about this article - I'm sure he'll set the record straight.

The Mail pre-mods everything now (although they don't always admit it). The only comments on there so far were made 6-10 hours ago, so one assumes subsequent comments may not have been overly complimentary about Platell and Dacre. "Dacre", it even sounds like something you'd wipe off your shoe.

Sticky99 · Post by **Sticky99** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:57 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Sticky99 wrote:Fantastic piece from Campbell, the hysteria from some parts on Labour’s use of pink vans was ridiculous. Miliband simply can’t win with some people; if the vans were white Labour would have been accused of not being original, use pink vans and Labour are accused of being patronising.

The outrage displayed from the right over the pink vans was sorry to see. These same people aren’t outraged over the “go home vans”, which were offensive, crass and racist. These same people aren’t outraged at savage cuts to legal aid, affecting the most vulnerable women in society who suffer from domestic violence. They aren’t outraged at the lack of childcare, meaning women can’t find suitable work despite seeking it, they aren’t outraged at social security cuts that often directly went to women in households. These people aren’t outraged at the fact that mothers have to use food banks to feed their children in record numbers.

This is the substance of the struggles that ordinary women have endured under this government, not a van driving around that happens to be pink. Let’s get some perspective over the real issues affecting women, not frivolous nonsense like the colour of a van. The Tories must love it when attention to their record on women is diverted to talk of a pink van from the opposition.

I'm not particularly interested in the media bubble's perception about a "Blairite" helping Miliband. Labour needs to use all of its best resources to fighting this general election, and undoubtedly Alastair Campbell would be a great asset for Miliband about campaign strategies, handling the election debates etc. Unlike other people from Blair's era who are merely interested in sniping from the sidelines, it is great to see Campbell is still hopeful and passionate about Labour - imo one of the few "Blairite's" worth deploying.
The pink van stuff has been ridiculous. It was all over the BBC R4 for the last few days, Woman's Hour, The Now Show and wall to wall news. I can understand the Tory press whipping this stuff up, but the BBC? Are they congenitally unable to see spin from real news these days?

As for Campbell, I completely agree. Whatever his ideological viewpoint he is Labour through-and-through, not like these neoliberal parasites who are Blairite cultists first and Labour a very distant second.

Oh absolutely, the broader reaction has also been saddening. Things like Women’s Hour and the BBC should be reporting on substantive issues like legal aid cuts, impact of social security cuts on women etc – but reporting on a pink van is much easier. Question Time has been a farce for a while, but last week really took the biscuit. QT should be about serious issues, not the colour of van from a political party.

Then of course we have Nick Robinson making up more tripe about Miliband with the Milly Dowler claim. IMO he should he should resign for lack of impartiality. I expect the Torygraph or the Daily Fail to make up such a claim, but when it comes from somebody in a supposedly impartial organisation, it is alarming with the election looming.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 12:57 pm

Tim Montgomerie ن ‏@montie · 1h1 hour ago
Launching on Monday: @TheGoodRight will set our 12 ideas to create a more socially just Conservative Party.

TheGoodRight?
Desperation Row spring to mind

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 1:06 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Well, I've never complained to IPSO before but this vile piece of cyncial shite written by a vile piece of shite has changed that. That fucking rag should be shut down. And I make no apologies for my language, words cannot describe how angry I am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... owler.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dacre is having a tantrum again - I doubt this will end for him any better than the last one did.

It's total fear that Ed is going to get in despite their best efforts.
I'm just wondering how much activity there is in tax haven bank accounts. I should imagine the phone lines are hot, hot, hot.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 1:06 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:This Tweet is from the lawyer who represents the Dowlers

Peter Jules was having an argument with him last night about this. Looks like he managed to convince him.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Sat 14 Feb, 2015 1:10 pm

Hi all, been out doorknocking in Ramsbottom this morning - bloody cold, but ultimately worthwhile. Last time I was out there were three of us, so I volunteered to help out this time, in the expectation that there'd be a similar number out. Wrong. I was one of about 15 people, which felt quite good.

Anyway, not more politics for a while, as MsRemarx and I are off to the Lowry this aft (without weebundle). I mentioned that we were going to see Stewart Lee to the Rammy candidate, and it turns out she and her partner have tickets for it too, so we're getting a lift with them. Win/win, and a great afternoon in prospect.

See you all later!