Monday, 23rd February 2015

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 6:33 am

Good Morning!

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 6:46 am

Morning (I don't know about the good bit, it's Monday...)

So I guess that big political story that Wintour hinted at was Straw and Rifkind getting caught with their hands out. Straw I don't care about one way or the other but isn't Rifkind the Chairman of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee? I'm pretty sure offering access to China makes his position totally compromised from a security standpoint.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 6:49 am

Good Morning Paul et al.

Well, both Rifkind and Straw are claiming they have done nothing outside the rules and have referred themselves to the Parliamentary Standards Committee, so that is neatly kicked into the long grass.

Straw, to his credit, has also been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party at his own request and, of course, had already announced that he was standing down in May; so at least we will be spared any more damaging interventions from this Blairite dinosaur over the next few months. Rifkind however is still in place, still in charge of the spooks and still intending to stand again in May; expect some decisive dithering from OGRFG over the next day or so.

Edited to add a pertinent comment from a wise man.

Denis Skinner ‏@BolsoverBeast · 4m4 minutes ago
If you're fortunate to be elected to represent your constituents the least they can expect is you work exclusively for them

#CashForAccess

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 7:01 am

Boris Johnson in barrel-scraping smear-mode.

Happy birthday, Mr Mugabe, with special love from Labour
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... abour.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Geoffrey Manboob · Post by **Geoffrey Manboob** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 7:05 am

Was the fictional Chinese company used by the Telegraph in the current cash for access sting some sort of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation...?

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 7:05 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Edited to add a pertinent comment from a wise man.

Denis Skinner ‏@BolsoverBeast · 4m4 minutes ago
If you're fortunate to be elected to represent your constituents the least they can expect is you work exclusively for them

#CashForAccess

I doubt Rifkind's constituents are particularly happy about him describing himself as self-employed with lots of free time.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 7:06 am

Geoffrey Manboob wrote:Was the fictional Chinese company used by the Telegraph in the current cash for access sting some sort of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation...?

Can't be, the articles are in the Telegraph...

Geoffrey Manboob · Post by **Geoffrey Manboob** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 7:15 am

Thank godness that rich pensioners will retain their bus passes and winter fuel allowances after the next election if the tories win. Its not like we've got a massive defecit to pay down

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:11 am

Well, this is nice, isn't it?

£5,000 a day for "advice" is what the going rate seems to be for a politician who has time on his hands.

£10 a day, subject to sanction, is the going rate for someone who hasn't got a job but works for benefit.

The former can get their excuses in, offer not to vote for anything, and have the media on tap to hear their non-apology apology. They get to keep their cash, on top of what we already pay them; the worst that can happen is they lose a bit of credibility for a while.

The latter have no immediate right to appeal, are likely to fail a mandatory reconsideration due to the 80% target for decision makers; and plans are afoot to charge them £250 a pop if they dare to pursue an appeal when the DWP cuts them off from help they've paid for.

If you are elected to Parliament, you can be as fat as you like (Pickles), as lazy as you like (OGRFG), as greedy as you like (20 MPs have other jobs earning them more than £100K PA), or use substances (???) and you have a peerage and/or lucrative directorships to look forward to.

If you claim benefits, you are not allowed to be fat ( or sanction), you have to work for no pay (or sanction), you must accept "treatment" if you are an addict or otherwise mentally ill (or sanction) and your future probably involves homelessness, hunger, and destitution.

Straw and Rifkind will get a ticking off; benefit claimants will continue to be hounded; and the likes of the G will concern itself with made-up stories about how the two Eds don't really get on (see Anne Perkins idiotic piece today) while pretending that Osborne knows what he's doing and the Libbing Dead are still relevant. And our debts continue to rise, and rise, and rise - but let's not worry about that.

And we can all have a good old laugh at UKIP, get outraged at the shenanigans of the bankers, and be reassured that the pensioners are safe (for now) while our government continues to lie to us on a massive scale and the main preoccupation of the media is who wore what at the Oscars.

I don't like this rollercoaster. Can I get off, please?

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:23 am

It's been a bit odd here in Hope for the last couple of weeks so only been lurking...expected to be back to normal now so lots of unintelligible claptrap to come!!

So...following, what was, apparently, a real eye-opener about Ukippers on BBC2, R4 Toady runs with....you've guessed it - UKIP ARE ANNOUNCING THEIR NEW SHINY NHS POLICY TODAY - THEY'VE DECIDED ST NIGE OF FARRIDGEDOM IS WRONG ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE AND THEY'LL STICK WITH AN NHS FUNDED FROM TAXATION. (Apologies for shouting, but it's required, to give the correct intonation)

This will be paid for by 'abolishing health tourism' - to his credit, the interviewer did point out that estimates as to how much is actually lost to 'health tourism' (according to the very accurate HMG figures (accurate in an 'Imminently Detained-at-HM-pleasure Sh1thead' 'believe(TM)' kind of way)) vary from £100m to £2bn - but of course, we don't need to know any more about that....because.......YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE'LL ALL BE GOING BACK TO DISCUSSING THE INSURANCE MODEL SUGGESTED BY ST NIGE OF FARRIDGEDOM AND YOU CAN'T SAY YOU WON'T, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S GETTING OLDER AND THE PRESSURES ON THE NHS - WELL, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT DON'T THEY.

...and is the new timeless greeting 'Mornterning all'? Saw the chat and couldn't quite work it out

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:30 am

Spacedone wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Edited to add a pertinent comment from a wise man.

Denis Skinner ‏@BolsoverBeast · 4m4 minutes ago
If you're fortunate to be elected to represent your constituents the least they can expect is you work exclusively for them

#CashForAccess
I doubt Rifkind's constituents are particularly happy about him describing himself as self-employed with lots of free time.

I say - I don't know about that old boy - a chap has to have some extra-curricular interests and needs some time to chillax as well - every taxi-voider in Kensington & Chelsea knows that - it can be 'taxing' (geddit...chuckle chuckle) to need to do hard thinking about 'national security' and all that, as well as being properly important too.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:52 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Good Morning Paul et al.

Well, both Rifkind and Straw are claiming they have done nothing outside the rules and have referred themselves to the Parliamentary Standards Committee, so that is neatly kicked into the long grass.

Straw, to his credit, has also been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party at his own request and, of course, had already announced that he was standing down in May; so at least we will be spared any more damaging interventions from this Blairite dinosaur over the next few months. Rifkind however is still in place, still in charge of the spooks and still intending to stand again in May; expect some decisive dithering from OGRFG over the next day or so.

I wish. We've just had far too much intervening commentary from him on R4. I just want him to shut up.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:52 am

Sorry - where's my manners. Morafters everybody.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:55 am

Having watched the "Meet the UKIP" thingie last night, my lasting impression is one of befuddlement.

It was like some time-warped Royston Vasey; every single one of those people was profoundly weird.

I see from today's media that the thing called Rozanne Duncan is now claiming to be a victim. Not of UKIP's decision to ban her or the media furore over what she said (Jewish people and their curved noses, whatever will they do next?) but because it's not her fault that something happened to her to make her feel uneasy about "negroes". Anyway, it's only their features she has a problem with.

These people would be funny if they weren't so dangerous. I'm willing to bet that there are plenty of people who intend to vote UKIP who saw that programme and would still vote for them. Scary.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:56 am

Caught the Rifkind monologue on Today. Between the 'look 200 mps doing it', 'business experience in mps otherwise we'll have no mps' and 'all out of context' arguments he really didn't sound good at all. Kid gloves Humphrys may as well not have been there.

Labour suspending Straw puts the pressure on Cameron somewhat. Not from the MSM naturally.

Morning all btw.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:57 am

Possibly the saddest bit of TV I've seen recently - the Thanet UKIP party's election launch party as seen on BBC2 doc. Like a selection event for a nursing home. Sorry for being so caustic. But how depressing that this is a party a considerable number of people will consider voting for.

Post by **refitman** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 8:58 am

StephenDolan wrote:Caught the Rifkind monologue on Today. Between the 'look 200 mps doing it', 'business experience in mps otherwise we'll have no mps' and 'all out of context' arguments he really didn't sound good at all. Kid gloves Humphrys may as well not have been there.

Labour suspending Straw puts the pressure on Cameron somewhat. Not from the MSM naturally.

Morning all btw.

Actually Straw has suspended himself (he asked for the whip to be withdrawn).

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:07 am

Norman Smith of the BBC has said that Miliband is writing to OGRFG about paid directorships; he is also going to ban his MPs from paid consultancies and consult on barring MPs from earning more than 15% of salary from outside work. This is good!

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:09 am

Spacedone wrote:Boris Johnson in barrel-scraping smear-mode.

Happy birthday, Mr Mugabe, with special love from Labour
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... abour.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After that venomous piece from BJ, I rather wish that I wasn't about to subject myself to more of him. But. I can't join the housing activists who are heading for City Hall this morning, so I'm going to watch the BBC Parliament live broadcast of Mayor's Question Time at 10am. And, before that, I'm going to put myself through further suffering watching his and the towel re-folder's address on Economic Growth in London. Nurse is on hand, should I require sedation

Any road up, here's a taste of why the activists are converging on City Hall today:

HUNDREDS of Londoners will stand up to Tory Mayor Boris Johnson today in an attempt to block his “rich only” budget due for a City Hall vote.
The Block the Budget protest has been called by housing campaigners, social and private tenants in response to an ever-growing housing crisis in the capital.
The mayor has been responsible for the end of rent controls on new build homes in the city and spearheading the sell-off of hundreds of acres of public property to private developers.

From this article:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-2e ... ich-budget

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:11 am

refitman wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:Caught the Rifkind monologue on Today. Between the 'look 200 mps doing it', 'business experience in mps otherwise we'll have no mps' and 'all out of context' arguments he really didn't sound good at all. Kid gloves Humphrys may as well not have been there.

Labour suspending Straw puts the pressure on Cameron somewhat. Not from the MSM naturally.

Morning all btw.
Actually Straw has suspended himself (he asked for the whip to be withdrawn).

Straw is playing this rather well I think. Asking for the whip to be withdrawn, suggesting that these conversations were about what he could do after May when he is no longer an MP; all nicely done, and takes the pressure off Miliband to a great extent - as I suggested last night, the fact that he will now keep his head down and not make any embarrassing statements helps a lot.

Rifkind however is just piling it on! Refusing to resign, brazening it out on Toady and saying he has done nothing wrong; well, it may well transpire that neither of them did anything wrong but a little humility would be no bad thing at this point Malc. Of course Ed is turning the heat up too, pointing out to Dave that by the end of the next Parliament no Labour MPs will have a second job and challenging him to do the same with his own party (which, obviously, will never happen). What larks.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:21 am

Better check that the charity shop is bona fide before buying those cheap books:

While Tories in London hold fundraising balls at five-star hotels, auctioning off bronze statues of Margaret Thatcher or a shoe-shopping trip with Theresa May, the party in Edinburgh is running an undercover thrift shop at Tollcross to help pay for its election campaign.

But there is no sign outside the former beauty salon in Lochrin Buildings to say it is being run by the Tories.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/undercover ... -1-3698624

I wouldn't have thought there was any profit in it - unless the shop's rent-free and they're claiming the charity shop 'perk' of exemption from business rates.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:47 am

Eric_WLothian wrote:Better check that the charity shop is bona fide before buying those cheap books:

While Tories in London hold fundraising balls at five-star hotels, auctioning off bronze statues of Margaret Thatcher or a shoe-shopping trip with Theresa May, the party in Edinburgh is running an undercover thrift shop at Tollcross to help pay for its election campaign.

But there is no sign outside the former beauty salon in Lochrin Buildings to say it is being run by the Tories.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/undercover ... -1-3698624

I wouldn't have thought there was any profit in it - unless the shop's rent-free and they're claiming the charity shop 'perk' of exemption from business rates.

Oh I do hope they managed to get Reenie and Vinnie to staff it, then at least the carrier bags will be immaculate. Not sure what that Merrill would say though .....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:48 am

Dan Hodges @DPJHodges · 2h 2 hours ago
Sill has questions to answer. But have to be honest, I think Malcolm Rifkind did a pretty good job defending himself there

He's made no comment on Straw. Wonder why?

I think whoever is waiting for him to declare he's voting for the Tories may well be spot on.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:50 am

Paul Waugh retweeted
David Singleton ‏@singersz 43m43 minutes ago
As @paulwaugh points out today, big winners from the latest cash for access scandal are Ukip, SNP and Greens

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 9:58 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh retweeted
David Singleton ‏@singersz 43m43 minutes ago
As @paulwaugh points out today, big winners from the latest cash for access scandal are Ukip, SNP and Greens

Only because their MPs have no influence whatsoever...

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:00 am

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 2m2 minutes ago
Miliband in letter to Cameron calls for cap on outside earnings set at 15% of MPs salary and a ban on new directorships and consultancies.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:03 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Possibly the saddest bit of TV I've seen recently - the Thanet UKIP party's election launch party as seen on BBC2 doc. Like a selection event for a nursing home. Sorry for being so caustic. But how depressing that this is a party a considerable number of people will consider voting for.

...that is, of course, according to the Murkydochian Crosby-Coulson pollster imperative - the mask is slipping and there's nothing the Westmonster MSM can do to replace it - they were 'fruitcakes and loons' before Uncle Rupert decided they were 'credible'...but, as his recent pronouncements make him seem just like one of them, perhaps they're not so credible after all

I have a confession about UKIP, however....as you know - Hope (just north of Peterborough) is a very safe Tory fiefdom and as such, if enough people vote UKIP (in disgust at the disgraceful behaviour of the Tories (I know - UKIP are worse, but bear with)) and split the vote on the right - then everyone who voted for the Lost Deposits transfers to Labour....it could be very satisfying indeed...but I have this horrible feeling that when I run into BNPers (nearly 5% 2010 Election) etc, I'll be urging them to vote for

..no...sorry - can't even bring myself to type it

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:03 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh retweeted
David Singleton ‏@singersz 43m43 minutes ago
As @paulwaugh points out today, big winners from the latest cash for access scandal are Ukip, SNP and Greens

Wasn't there another party a couple of years ago that was boasting about "a new politics" that was going to clean up by being different from the expenses scandal hit main parties? What were they called again? Lib something?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:05 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh retweeted
David Singleton ‏@singersz 43m43 minutes ago
As @paulwaugh points out today, big winners from the latest cash for access scandal are Ukip, SNP and Greens
Only because their MPs have no influence whatsoever...

Not sure that's wholly true as it depends which sphere / region is involved - but take your point. But Waugh's statement still stands - this plays perfectly into the memes of 'same old bad big parties, no difference between them, politicians for sale / in hands of big business, Westminster elite etc etc' - and that benefits those parties positioning themselves outside of that.

I am really peed off about this. I am willing to bet you this will be raised with me on the doorsteps here.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:09 am

Six minutes in and the GLA/Mayor's Question Time has been adjourned due to 'heckling' from the gallery. Chanting, actually: "Boris Johnson Get Out We Know What You're All About, Eviction..." and I missed the rest of the protesters' chant as the broadcast has been interupted for Security to evict them...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:10 am

Willow904 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh retweeted
David Singleton ‏@singersz 43m43 minutes ago
As @paulwaugh points out today, big winners from the latest cash for access scandal are Ukip, SNP and Greens
Wasn't there another party a couple of years ago that was boasting about "a new politics" that was going to clean up by being different from the expenses scandal hit main parties? What were they called again? Lib something?

Just checked LibDemVoice - nothing about this on there, as yet. You would have thought they would have eagerly taken a chance to bash the "big" two

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:32 am

Deleted for being twattishly dim

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:55 am

Of course, Straw and Rifkind are being treated as exactly the same by the MSM. The fact that Straw is retiring in 3 months' time is a massive difference though.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 10:57 am

Not sure if these have been posted before -

I know what my head says, but even I don't want this to be true about Murkydochia...

I’ll be candid and say that I had treated with some caution allegations that News International journalists had colluded with others to undermine former members of the Child Abuse Inquiry panel, nevertheless it is difficult to ignore the mounting evidence of bias and spin.
It is never a good idea for journalists themselves to become the story.
Anyone reading today’s Sunday Times will certainly not have been given a balanced report and will not be better informed.

https://theneedleblog.wordpress.com/201 ... -spinning/

...and some movement from Labour re CSA Inquiry -

In a speech on Monday outlining the party’s child protection policies, Cooper will lay out plans for the central government unit, which would be run by the Home Office and the Department for Education but would work across government to promote a more joined-up approach to child protection, including earlier intervention and more information-sharing between police and others.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ays-cooper

...nowhere near enough...but....it's start and they are, after all, in opposition.

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:10 am

The Yourbritain site is knackered, but does anyone know whether the 15% second income cap will include income from property, and what measures will be put in place to make sure that it doesn't just get signed off in the MPs partner's name?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:25 am

@ephie

Thanks for your post re the latest lobbying stuff. I do know what Miliband is pledging and I do know what I will need to say on the doorstep to counter the bad impression.

Doesn't make how I feel about what's happened any better - or necessarily mitigate the public damage - however. I - quite rightly IMO - feel bloody angry that I'm working my ..... off for people who behave like this. A large part of our campaign here is about 'cleaning up politics' - which our candidate is really committed to and has been working hard at locally.

To me the fact that Straw is standing down at the election doesn't lessen the impact or make it excusable. He has done this now while he is still meant to be a representative for his constituents and the Labour party - and he should have waited until he had actually stood down to start making deals. He also has form - people know his name - so it will be noticed.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:28 am

DonutHingeParty wrote:The Yourbritain site is knackered, but does anyone know whether the 15% second income cap will include income from property, and what measures will be put in place to make sure that it doesn't just get signed off in the MPs partner's name?

Good questions. Very good questions.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:34 am

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/f ... on-2-april" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ITV to air first party leaders’ TV debate on 2 April
BBC, Channel 4 and Sky News to broadcast following debates which will take place after official election campaign begins, contrary to David Cameron’s wishes

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:36 am

Letter from Miliband to Cameron

http://labourlist.org/2015/02/miliband- ... legations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:38 am

German thalidomide survivors continue fight for compensation

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

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:41 am

RobertSnozers wrote:I am interested to see the Telegraph seemingly treating former Labour and Tory grandees similarly, although I only skimmed the article. I wonder if Peter Oborne's allegation that the paper only showed interest in covering the HSBC story when Labour figures were mentioned had anything to do with this?

Good to see Miliband responding swiftly and decisively.

Edit: hang on, doesn't this touch on lobbying, which was apparently 'the next big scandal' before OGRFPG decided that actually Union funding and charities getting involved in politics was far more threatening to democracy? What has the coalition actually done to make lobbying more transparent and stop more inappropriate lobbying?

I would think he takes 'soundings' at his 'special' dinners with his loyal overlords to see what they want him to do...from 2012...

David Cameron has been forced to admit that 15 donors who between them gave the Conservative Party £25million enjoyed secret dinners and lunches with him at Chequers and in Downing Street.

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

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:42 am

Tom Newton Dunn ‏@tnewtondunn 5m5 minutes ago
Reasonably clear now that Rifkind will not be a Tory MP by the end of today.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:42 am

FWIW article doing the rounds about charging people for appeals is a year old.Some people appear to think it is "new"

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 11:45 am

norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 4m4 minutes ago
No 10 reject Labour call to bar MPs from having second jobs

ScarletGas · Post by **ScarletGas** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:04 pm

Just two quick points on the Straw/Rifkind allegations.

What happened the Camerons lobbying is the next "big scandal" and promising to tackle it if elected? So 5 years later........

On the individuals themselves and their excuses.I would have thought that after the expenses scandal, when the usual defence that it was all within the letter (if not the spirit) of the rules, was comprehensively trashed you would have thought Rifkind/Straw would have come up with something new.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:04 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 2h 2 hours ago
CON & LAB level-pegging in latest Populus
Lab 32 (-), Con 32 (+1), LD 9 (-), UKIP 15 (-2)

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 2h 2 hours ago
The last time that Populus had CON & LAB level-pegging was Dec 21st 2014. Then it was 35% each - today's poll 32% for both

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 2h 2 hours ago
There are more LAB voters than CON in latest Populus poll but the latter group more certain to vote.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:07 pm

Populus apparently had a Labour lead of 35-29 on its "unweighted" figures - that is quite a difference.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:08 pm

norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 2m2 minutes ago
Sir Malcolm Rifkind has been suspended from the Conservative Party

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:13 pm

Spacedone wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Edited to add a pertinent comment from a wise man.

Denis Skinner ‏@BolsoverBeast · 4m4 minutes ago
If you're fortunate to be elected to represent your constituents the least they can expect is you work exclusively for them

#CashForAccess
I doubt Rifkind's constituents are particularly happy about him describing himself as self-employed with lots of free time.

It sort of takes the argument MPs make that they're overworked or need a pay rise because they work so hard out of the equation doesn't it.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Mon 23 Feb, 2015 12:13 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 2m2 minutes ago
Sir Malcolm Rifkind has been suspended from the Conservative Party

Who on the committee is going to get him to resign the chairmanship?