Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th March 2015

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:31 am

"David Cameron refused to shake hands with audience members after Thursday’s TV election debate, it has been claimed.
The PM was overhead turning down the chance to meet the people who grilled him during the live question-and-answer session.
Instead, he made a swift exit after the cameras stopped rolling, while Labour leader Ed Miliband took time to mingle.
Audience member Vicky Penner, who took the PM to task on his NHS pledges, said: “As soon as the TV cameras were off him, David Cameron stopped being all pally and became really pompous and arrogant.
“He was lording it around the studio as if he was royalty. I heard someone ask if he wanted to shake hands with the audience and he said no. I thought he was ghastly.”
The mum of three, who was part of the successful campaign to save Lewisham Hospital in south London from closure, said: “Ed Miliband came across as really charming.
“After the cameras were gone, he came back to interact with the audience and shake our hands.
“I thought that was really brave, considering how much he had been heckled during the debate.”

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:32 am

EDIT: Post deleted. Ohso's done it.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:32 am

"David Cameron refused to shake hands with audience members after Thursday’s TV election debate, it has been claimed.
The PM was overhead turning down the chance to meet the people who grilled him during the live question-and-answer session.
Instead, he made a swift exit after the cameras stopped rolling, while Labour leader Ed Miliband took time to mingle.
Audience member Vicky Penner, who took the PM to task on his NHS pledges, said: “As soon as the TV cameras were off him, David Cameron stopped being all pally and became really pompous and arrogant.
“He was lording it around the studio as if he was royalty. I heard someone ask if he wanted to shake hands with the audience and he said no. I thought he was ghastly.”
The mum of three, who was part of the successful campaign to save Lewisham Hospital in south London from closure, said: “Ed Miliband came across as really charming.
“After the cameras were gone, he came back to interact with the audience and shake our hands.
“I thought that was really brave, considering how much he had been heckled during the debate.”

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:40 am

Faisal Islam ‏@faisalislam 22 mins22 minutes ago
S. Tel: PM on other leaders: “collectively, I see chaos.” As individuals? "Elements of chaos that, if combined, could create total chaos”.

Cameron appears to be losing it. He's utterly delusional if he thinks that claiming there'll be chaos if anyone but he runs the country.

And has anyone thought of how this looks to the public?

I'm getting a "decline of the Roman Empire" vibe from the Tories right now. They're coming across as fearful that their grand vision of a small state, low taxes for the rich utopia is about to be undone before they can make it permanent.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:42 am

Spacedone wrote:
Faisal Islam ‏@faisalislam 22 mins22 minutes ago
S. Tel: PM on other leaders: “collectively, I see chaos.” As individuals? "Elements of chaos that, if combined, could create total chaos”.
Cameron appears to be losing it. He's utterly delusional if he thinks that claiming there'll be chaos if anyone but he runs the country.

And has anyone thought of how this looks to the public?

I'm getting a "decline of the Roman Empire" vibe from the Tories right now. They're coming across as fearful that their grand vision of a small state, low taxes for the rich utopia is about to be undone before they can make it permanent.

If ever the word chaos could be applied to a group effort, Dave's government takes the title hands down.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:42 am

''A Sunday Mirror investigation has found the protest was organised by Tim Smith, a press officer at Conservative HQ, which is headed by party chairman Grant Shapps under PM David Cameron.''

So the Tories lied then ? Quelle surprise.
A few days ago they were denying that Tories were involved.
Will the rest of the media hold the Tories to account about it....answers on a postcard please.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:45 am

I flicked over to see what IDS would say. His nose grew so much that I had to leave the room.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:47 am

Sorry about the repeated post. The site is playing up again.

On Twitter its started to be said that Grant Shapp's office is behind the Tory thug attack on Ed.

If so it's deeply worrying. Just who or what has been in charge of our lives for the past five years?

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:49 am

Spacedone wrote:
I'm getting a "decline of the Roman Empire" vibe from the Tories right now. They're coming across as fearful that their grand vision of a small state, low taxes for the rich utopia is about to be undone before they can make it permanent.

Come the Barbarians in 38 days time.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:52 am

yahyah wrote:Morning, wet and windy here too. Daffodils and new ambs are getting a bashing.

I know several FTNers have been following NHS property sell off and the Indie think it a good thing.

Their editorial:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edi ... 41313.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

& their 'exclusive':
'NHS property sale could raise £7.5bn to help pay off its growing deficit and free up space for housing'

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 41506.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edited to add: The Indie think the sell off is a good thing, not that several FTNers have been following the story. Anyone got an old copy of 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' ?

I'd go back to check if my blood pressure could stand it, but I'm sure I heard Cameron say something about Government buildings when Paxman was asking him about where the money was coming from. Is that going to be the next bargain basement sale?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:54 am

Sorry about the Mail link but when it comes to the Osbornes it's worth it.

''George Osborne's psychiatrist brother 'who had sex with patient' quits his own firm leaving it with assets of just £500
Dr Adam Osborne suspended by General Medical Council two weeks ago
Probe launched into claims he had two year affair with vulnerable patient
Now stepped down as director of Elitemed, company he owns with his wife
Recently filed accounts reveal it was worth just £551, with £71 in the bank''

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z3VlMvwbBp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:56 am

Morning all.

Rotten weather, rotten cold and sore throat, no swim, just me and the cat as wife's working, two chapters to finish. This is my day.

Picked up The Observer and there's an interview with Farage in the magazine and the tagline on the cover is:

I don't listen to music, watch TV or read.

So, go for a pint with Nige and what would you talk about? "I'll tell you what's wrong with this country. The fact of the matter is etc etc".

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 9:58 am

yahyah wrote:''A Sunday Mirror investigation has found the protest was organised by Tim Smith, a press officer at Conservative HQ, which is headed by party chairman Grant Shapps under PM David Cameron.''

So the Tories lied then ? Quelle surprise.
A few days ago they were denying that Tories were involved.
Will the rest of the media hold the Tories to account about it....answers on a postcard please.

Well as AndrewDrew and I have often claimed in the other place, Tory party members seem guilty of projection, yahyah. Perhaps that's why they believe Age UK is full of Labour activists.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:02 am

Sorry, also from the Mail, allegations about Enoch Powell.

''The Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, contacted police after [Enoch] Powell’s name was passed to him by a former Bishop of Monmouth, Dominic Walker, who first heard the allegation when he was a vicar counselling young adults in the 1980s.

The claim is being examined by Operation Fenbridge, one of a number of police probes into ‘Establishment paedophile rings’ – including an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into claims that officers dropped their inquiries under pressure from powerful individuals.''

The piece does say that investigations into 'satanic abuse' at the time by the LSE found no corroborative evidence but the Church felt it 'had no option but to pass on the information to police'.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:09 am

I'm beginning to think that rather than being incapable of controlling them, Dave is actively encouraging his minions and advisers to overstep the line

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:27 am

Today Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, tells The Sunday Times that the Tories will fully fund the £30 billion boost to health service finances recommended by Sir Simon Stevens, head of the NHS in England. Until now the Conservatives have said they backed the plan but not that they would cough up all the cash. But when I asked Hunt whether that meant the full £30bn he said an unequivocal “Yes”.

With about £22bn of efficiency savings being sought, that means some £8bn of new money over the next few years. The Independent on Sunday suggests today that £7.5bn could be raised from selling off NHS land).

http://times-deck.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaw ... da755.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£22bn of 'efficiency savings' because the £20bn cuts as a result of the Nicholson Challenge didn't decimate the NHS to our satisfaction......

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:31 am

Once again, my shameless plugs for this site bear fruit! Welcome, lilylupin.

Our Glorious Ronsealed Fishpointer General is now in tantrum pointy-shouty mode.
Excellent. I love it when he does this. He has absolutely no idea how stupid he looks.

Item - calling Labour "hopeless" and "sneering" while, er, sneering.
Item - proposing permanent austerity from a golden throne.
Item - using his dead son's memory to claim he loves the NHS.
Item - stomping off after his Q&A leader session and refusing to stop to shake hands with the audience.....

I have news for Cameron.
The NHS is a 24 hour-a-day service, 365 days a year, and it treats 1 Million people every 36 hours.
Including the weekend.
NHS staff work days, nights, weekends, bank holidays - and frequently on their days off. 7 days a week.
Including consultants.
If he wants to know why weekends are a problem, perhaps he should fund the NHS properly - he could ensure that bed occupancy isn't so high there's no room for emergencies at the weekend; he could stop closing operating theatres at weekends thus leaving patients having to wait for days on end while the queue for the one theatre left open gets longer; he could fund social care and community medicine well enough to stop people needing hospital care at all.

He is saying this because he has a plan - and it's not to improve NHS care.
That plan includes - regional pay for NHS staff to pretend he's responding to local need when in fact he's wrecking pay and conditions; more private providers to pretend he's covering what the NHS is failing to do when in fact he's privatising by stealth and making money for his friends and donors; more tinkering with definitions and targets to pretend waiting lists are getting shorter when in fact they're getting longer.
He is doing this to counter Labour's pledge on the NHS. No other reason.

Clearly, the sheer strain of acting all civilised last Thursday has taken its' toll - he had to keep his temper with Paxman; he had an easy ride with Burley and the audience; but stomping off and refusing to meet the people he expects to vote for him showed what he thinks of them.

The gloves are off now - and the Cameron speaking yesterday is the arrogant vicious mendacious pompous preening popinjay he truly is.
We can expect more viciousness from his supporters (like the Tory supporters who jostled Ed the other day) while he rises above it all.

Next - Cameron pretends his best pal Barack wants him to win, Cameron pretends that EU leaders wish him luck and hold him in high esteem, and Cameron is seen with soldiers/nurses/sick children/puppies/kittens/whatever and pretends he's a lovely chap really; SamCam will pose all dewy-eyed while he does the Ivan thing again; Cameron pretends he has a crisis to deal with and calls numerous COBRA meetings so that we all understand what a jolly important effective tough international statesman he is. Oh yes.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:44 am

Yesterday Cameron described a proportion of the population as "sneering socialists" (badge of honour eh?) and this morning Iain Duncan Smith called the person who leaked the 12 billion cuts and where they would come from as "some bitter individual" has others have remarked they really are losing it.

Where's this iron grip, organisational skills that the Australian thug, employed at some expense was supposed to bring them, this close in, before the campaign has even kicked in?

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:46 am

ohsocynical wrote:Sorry about the repeated post. The site is playing up again.

On Twitter its started to be said that Grant Shapp's office is behind the Tory thug attack on Ed.

If so it's deeply worrying. Just who or what has been in charge of our lives for the past five years?

Tim Smith, the press officer the Sunday Mirror are claiming was behind it, reports directly to Grant Shapps. Given that Miliband was physically assaulted during this 'protest', if the Mirror Group claims are verifiable then Shapps is finished and the Tory election campaign is dead in the water; I get that the MSM tried to bury it, but the story isn't going away and I don't think they can ignore this aspect if proven.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 10:47 am

utopiandreams wrote:
yahyah wrote:''A Sunday Mirror investigation has found the protest was organised by Tim Smith, a press officer at Conservative HQ, which is headed by party chairman Grant Shapps under PM David Cameron.''

So the Tories lied then ? Quelle surprise.
A few days ago they were denying that Tories were involved.
Will the rest of the media hold the Tories to account about it....answers on a postcard please.
Well as AndrewDrew and I have often claimed in the other place, Tory party members seem guilty of projection, yahyah. Perhaps that's why they believe Age UK is full of Labour activists.

Morftereveninoon and Happy 'oh dearie me - Tories actually being called out for lying' Day...I know, couldn't resist though, as the meltdown seems ever closer....apols as ever if this has been linked....(and read to the bottom to see the real Dodgy Empty Dave at work - I don't think actions like those are going to help him either)...

David Cameron refused to shake hands with audience members after Thursday’s TV election debate, it has been claimed. The PM was overhead turning down the chance to meet the people who grilled him during the live question-and-answer session. Instead, he made a swift exit after the cameras stopped rolling, while Labour leader Ed Miliband took time to mingle. Audience member Vicky Penner, who took the PM to task on his NHS pledges, said: “As soon as the TV cameras were off him, David Cameron stopped being all pally and became really pompous and arrogant. “He was lording it around the studio as if he was royalty. I heard someone ask if he wanted to shake hands with the audience and he said no. I thought he was ghastly.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/si ... ar_twitter

...I know it's the Mirror (and they like Ed) but as with everything the Tories touch, it takes a couple of days to do a 'reverse Midas' (turning gold into a pile of steaming merde)...Grunt Sh1tts is mentioned in dispatches, as is 'Conservative Future' (reminds me of the Lydon lyric - 'there's no future, no future, no future for you') but Calamity Camoron 'knew nothing about it'. Pfft

There's still over 5 weeks to go to the election - they've already run out of stuff to say - no real policies, no defence of their record and no objective critique of Labour policy - all they have is ever-increasing screechy squealing nastiness that provides a mirror to their own souls.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:02 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Yesterday Cameron described a proportion of the population as "sneering socialists" (badge of honour eh?) and this morning Iain Duncan Smith called the person who leaked the 12 billion cuts and where they would come from as "some bitter individual" has others have remarked they really are losing it.

Where's this iron grip, organisational skills that the Australian thug, employed at some expense was supposed to bring them, this close in, before the campaign has even kicked?

Even the Australian thug has to have some substance to work with - he's trying to put gloss on a group of individuals who have made a point of avoiding doing anything remotely useful (and in the case of someone like Osborne, actually taking pleasure in making things more difficult for others) whilst simultaneously flouncing around, being treated as 'important' due to the offices' they've usurped (with the help of another Australian thug) (who's not necessarily getting away with so much these days - http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/o ... 41403.html), and generally pleasing themselves as to what they do - none of which is or has been in any way for the betterment of society as a whole, just for the very few 'on the inside'. It's never going to work.

Although it's grey, overcast and damp here in hope (just north of Peterborough and even closer to Landslide) the future is starting to look very much brighter.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:08 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Yesterday Cameron described a proportion of the population as "sneering socialists" (badge of honour eh?) and this morning Iain Duncan Smith called the person who leaked the 12 billion cuts and where they would come from as "some bitter individual" has others have remarked they really are losing it.

Where's this iron grip, organisational skills that the Australian thug, employed at some expense was supposed to bring them, this close in, before the campaign has even kicked?

The iron grip is a press invention. The Tory party have repeatedly shown in government that they are a shambles when it comes to organisation. For example:

- The Syria vote
- The Fracking vote.
- HoL reform.
- The Bercow fiasco.

When you remove the cosseting provided by civil servants these muppets couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. Cameron has no vision beyond austerity and an ever shrinking state. Since he can't sell that he needs to invent themes and hype leadership. As the Torygraph interview shows, when he tries to develop these improvised themes the results are hysterical.

Lynton is a street fighting tactician, not a strategist like Mandleson. He can't fix the strategy and he has limited control over day to day execution by the party. Shapps is clearly running that bit of the campaign, so nothing good will come out of it.

The Tory campaign is going to make Labour's 1983 effort look masterful.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:10 am

In recent weeks the Conservatives have been under pressure to set out their plans but Mr Duncan Smith would not commit to precise proposals being in his party's manifesto.

"They know for certain that we are going to save that £12bn...we may, we may not decide that it's relevant to put something out there about those changes," he said.

https://www.politicshome.com/economy-an ... lfare-cuts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Vote for us We plan to cut £12bn from those with the least. No, we're not going to tell you what we might do but vote for us !!

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:12 am

yahyah wrote:Morning, wet and windy here too. Daffodils and new lambs are getting a bashing.

I know several FTNers have been following NHS property sell off and the Indie think it a good thing.

Their editorial:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edi ... 41313.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

& their 'exclusive':
'NHS property sale could raise £7.5bn to help pay off its growing deficit and free up space for housing'

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 41506.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edited to add: The Indie think the sell off is a good thing, not that several FTNers have been following the story. Anyone got an old copy of 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' ?

You could ask PF to work her editorial magic.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:15 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Sorry about the repeated post. The site is playing up again.

On Twitter its started to be said that Grant Shapp's office is behind the Tory thug attack on Ed.

If so it's deeply worrying. Just who or what has been in charge of our lives for the past five years?
Tim Smith, the press officer the Sunday Mirror are claiming was behind it, reports directly to Grant Shapps. Given that Miliband was physically assaulted during this 'protest', if the Mirror Group claims are verifiable then Shapps is finished and the Tory election campaign is dead in the water; I get that the MSM tried to bury it, but the story isn't going away and I don't think they can ignore this aspect if proven.

Hadn't seen this before I linked to Mirror piece^, so sorry if I've 'doubled up'....agreed though - if the Boys in Blue are getting involved, it does turn serious...and I'm not sure quite where they can go from here - they've got no allies outside the UK (to help them by starting a war somewhere (oh wait, they tried that and the 'copper-bottomed sh1t', Ed Miliband stopped them

), and precious few inside now (even the Westmonster MSM can't polish a combined turd mountain of this magnitude).

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:18 am

Andrew Neil doing his best to bully Lucy Powell, but she is standing up to him well

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:20 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Yesterday Cameron described a proportion of the population as "sneering socialists" (badge of honour eh?) and this morning Iain Duncan Smith called the person who leaked the 12 billion cuts and where they would come from as "some bitter individual" has others have remarked they really are losing it.

Where's this iron grip, organisational skills that the Australian thug, employed at some expense was supposed to bring them, this close in, before the campaign has even kicked in?

That's four t-shirts i want now:

Hell Yes! (no comma

)
north london geek (not true)
sexy northerner (also not true but for different reasons)
sneering socialist (closest to truth but good anyway)

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:38 am

Senior figures in the Scottish National party have insisted that Ed Miliband would have to clear his Queen’s speech in advance if he wanted SNP to support a minority Labour government.

From the G's Election 2015 blog.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:41 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Senior figures in the Scottish National party have insisted that Ed Miliband would have to clear his Queen’s speech in advance if he wanted SNP to support a minority Labour government.
From the G's Election 2015 blog.

Well, let us hope for a majority then, so they can be told where to stick their presumptuousness.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:41 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
sexy northerner

Me! Me! Me!

Well, maybe once was.

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:47 am

Everything Dave touches turns to shite....

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/2 ... 3S20150329" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But there is growing frustration in Brussels, Berlin and Paris at the lack of clarity over Prime Minister David Cameron's goals if he is re-elected on May 7 and seeks to renegotiate Britain's EU membership and put the result to a vote in 2017.

"The real danger is that they raise demands that cannot be achieved with their partners," said a person familiar with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's thinking.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:51 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Senior figures in the Scottish National party have insisted that Ed Miliband would have to clear his Queen’s speech in advance if he wanted SNP to support a minority Labour government.
From the G's Election 2015 blog.

Stewart Hosie, the SNP’s deputy leader, said it would be “high-handed and arrogant” for Labour to refuse to hold advance talks with the SNP on its legislative programme if the SNP wins a majority of seats in Scotland.

Hosie indicated that the SNP would refuse to back Labour at all unless those talks were held, potentially leading to the collapse of Labour’s minority government and a second Tory government.

If Labour are the largest party they can do what the holy hell they like. Labour cannot force the SNP to vote for their proposals & it is entirely down to the SNP whether they support Labour or not.

If the SNP vote down the Queens Speech & trigger a confidence vote that Labour lose, the SNP will have to account for their actions to the Scottish electorate !

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:54 am

Good morfternoon.

I'm so torn over this tee-shirt question (I'll make a donation, in any case). And even, after having decided - which one? The Labour Party one, I suppose, as I'm not sure where the proceeds of the unions' version is going. And do I have more important things to worry about?

Hell, yes!

Edited to add a comma. No - not that comma!

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:54 am

pk1 wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:
Senior figures in the Scottish National party have insisted that Ed Miliband would have to clear his Queen’s speech in advance if he wanted SNP to support a minority Labour government.
From the G's Election 2015 blog.
Was just about to comment on that.

Stewart Hosie, the SNP’s deputy leader, said it would be “high-handed and arrogant” for Labour to refuse to hold advance talks with the SNP on its legislative programme if the SNP wins a majority of seats in Scotland.

Hosie indicated that the SNP would refuse to back Labour at all unless those talks were held, potentially leading to the collapse of Labour’s minority government and a second Tory government.
If Labour are the largest party they can do what the holy hell they like. Labour cannot force the SNP to vote for their proposals & it is entirely down to the SNP whether they support Labour or not.

If the SNP vote down the Queens Speech & trigger a confidence vote that Labour lose, the SNP will have to account for their actions to the Scottish electorate !

He should probably just have left it at that.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:56 am

My local tory's main pitch is that he will kill the city's gull population and deal with the traffic problem by some unspecified solution that has eluded all previous politicians here, tories included. Doesn't mention national policy at all. Don't know where all the money is coming from - it's not a target seat for them; 12,000 behind and predicted to suffer a drop in support with UKIP standing for the first time - but every week we have full colour tabloids, cards, letters etc, etc, all about killing bloody gulls!

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 11:57 am

PorFavor wrote:Good morfternoon.

I'm so torn over this tee-shirt question (I'll make a donation, in any case). And even, after having decided - which one? The Labour Party one, I suppose as I'm not sure where the proceeds of the unions' version is going. And do I have more important things to worry about?

Hell, yes!

I'd go for it - the Labour Party one. You can always wear it under your off-the-shoulder jumpsuit.

For an element of decorum.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:01 pm

The SNP have a problem. They are committed to keeping the Tories out. Voting to bring down a Labour government would finish them in Scotland.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:11 pm

I haven't really thought much about Labour and the SNP, but if Labour is a minority government, they are still in power, and able to decide the business of parliament

Surely they will simply propose bills that the SNP - and Liberals, what's left of 'em - say they support. LIke constitutional conventions, Lords abolition, party funding reform, Leveson, regional devolution etc. Thus the tories are defanged to a considerable degree. That's the main aim : get rid of the main roadblock to progress in the UK. It would be easy for Labour to drive a wedge between the SNP leadership, which is not really as left-wing as they like to make out, and their membership and supporters, who are.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:13 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:The SNP have a problem. They are committed to keeping the Tories out. Voting to bring down a Labour government would finish them in Scotland.

Exactly.

Having said they wouldn't support a Tory govt, they have nobody to blame if their actions bring down a Labour govt.

To save face, gain votes & stop Scottish voters voting Labour, the SNP bluster has to be maintained.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:16 pm

Mike Han(dy)cock has confirmed he is standing again in Portsmouth South. Oh joy

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:17 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:The SNP have a problem. They are committed to keeping the Tories out. Voting to bring down a Labour government would finish them in Scotland.

I think that I'm starting to loath the SNP more than the Tories,if that's possible.And would definitely prefer a lab/lib coalition than to have labour agreeing to the increasingly arrogant and shrill demands of the SNP.
They seem to think that Ed is a pushover.Which he isn't.
How about the tail waits to see how big the dog is before it starts to wag.
Oh,sorry,morning all.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:21 pm

Happily, I think anyone who thinks Ed is a pushover is going to get a shock.

Funny how the MSM go on about how he stood against his brother (nerves of steel) while at the same time trying to portray him as some kind of wimp.

It really is time for the traditional British Establishment to come to a dignified end.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:21 pm

A link to the Mail on Sunday, and I make no apologies for it; why? Because Peter Htichens says this:

This *, by the way, explains why Islington lefties and the BBC are so fervently backing David Cameron against Ed Miliband – and is one of the reasons why I am seriously thinking of registering to vote for the first time in 30 years, and casting my ballot for Labour.

(My bold)

http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/ ... ected.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

* "This" being the events of the past week, and the question as to whether it would better suit the SNP if the Tories won.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:23 pm

mikems wrote:My local tory's main pitch is that he will kill the city's gull population and deal with the traffic problem by some unspecified solution that has eluded all previous politicians here, tories included. Doesn't mention national policy at all. Don't know where all the money is coming from - it's not a target seat for them; 12,000 behind and predicted to suffer a drop in support with UKIP standing for the first time - but every week we have full colour tabloids, cards, letters etc, etc, all about killing bloody gulls!

Has he said how he will kill the gulls?Has anyone managed it yet?
I spent 3 years in Sunderland, the gulls were noisy and aggressive,I needed to carry a big stick when out with the dogs to chase the fuckers off,and it was common to see them attacking joggers.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:26 pm

I think Miliband is something different for them and they don't quite know how to deal with him. He is intelligent and honest. An unusual combination in politics. Cameron is neither honest or intelligent. Salmond is an adept politician, and an intelligent man. But his political honesty is compromised by his overall goal and he is forced into all sorts of tactical and strategic masterplans that have to be played out, regardless of reality to a degree. Sturgeon will also have this as part of her motivation, despite her personal qualities, though I don't know enough about her to have made up my mind.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:28 pm

The fashionable Left’s loathing of Mr Miliband, and the incessant spiteful bullying and belittling of this man by much of my trade, make me want to stand up for him against this nasty mob, even though I disagree with him about almost everything.

Also from the Hitchens blog. Has marginally cheered me up.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:29 pm

Re gulls. He just says he will 'deal' with them. I was exaggerating a little, I'm afraid. I know they can be aggressive because they need to feed. Wouldn't it be better to feed them and control their population. The only reason they are here is because of the easy picking to be had, while the sea is less able to support the gull population.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:31 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Mike Han(dy)cock has confirmed he is standing again in Portsmouth South. Oh joy

Super!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:38 pm

Shock as Mike Hancock announces he will stand in General Election

Asked if he thinks he can retain the seat he has held since 1997, he said: ‘If enough people realise I’m like everyone – I’m a fallible human being who made a mistake and paid a very high price – and can get over that and put it into perspective.’

I'm not so sure about it being a "shock". Neither am I sure that "everyone" will appreciate being told that they are just like Mike Hancock.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/ ... -1-6661288

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sun 29 Mar, 2015 12:40 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:... It really is time for the traditional British Establishment to come to a dignified end.

Less of the dignified if you please, tinyclanger2.