Tuesday 31st March 2015

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Spacedone
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Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Spacedone »

Excellent article from Aditya Chakrabortty, quoting from an LSE report which gives 200 benefits claimants the chance to describe what Iain Duncan Smith's policies have done to them. Have we seen this report?

Cameron’s workers v shirkers scam has at last exposed the Tory law of benefit cuts
With the fictional divide beween deserving and undeserving poor collapsing, the Conservatives’ ugly logic is turning into the one story they truly fear
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... rving-poor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
utopiandreams
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

Cameron on BBC Breakfast. Typical bluster as usual but one thing stood out amongst his many claims was about disability payments. He stated how much better off the most disabled were from the transfer from DLA to PIP. No doubt there may exist some figures for those he'd class as most disabled, let's just ignore the rest. But he then went on to say that PIP was working well. If that's what Cameron calls working well then one must therefore conclude that such delays are deliberate.

It's a pity that he wasn't challenged on the sheer quantity still awaiting assessment and thereby receipt of any such payments or the length of time such waits entail.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
utopiandreams
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by utopiandreams »

Spacedone wrote:Excellent article from Aditya Chakrabortty, quoting from an LSE report which gives 200 benefits claimants the chance to describe what Iain Duncan Smith's policies have done to them. Have we seen this report?

Cameron’s workers v shirkers scam has at last exposed the Tory law of benefit cuts
With the fictional divide beween deserving and undeserving poor collapsing, the Conservatives’ ugly logic is turning into the one story they truly fear
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... rving-poor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I notice NicholasB is over there, Spacedone, claiming sensationalism and equating the LSE's recommendations with government policy.
I would close my eyes if I couldn't dream.
yahyah
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by yahyah »

Morning.

Am just trying to find the source material but Radio 4 reported that Plaid's Dafyd Wigley has said that Plaid are failing to take Labour votes.
[It is obvious that's why Leanne Wood was elected, to try and emulate Plaid's Scottish idols the SNP, and take votes in Labour's heartlands]

Wigley also rubbished Wood's statement that Plaid would demand an extra £1.2bn [think that's the figure] from Labour, by saying the money wasn't there. The old guard obviously have their knives out for Wood.

Also, for those who do not live in Wales and believes Plaid to be one of the saviour anti-austerity parties, you are, I'm afraid, being played for a mug.

Here in Ceredigion where we have a Plaid Mayor, 19 Plaid councillors at the head of a coalition, and they've imposed cuts in local services.
We've had much loved and used [and rare to find] day centres closed and sold.
They cut road gritting for our rural roads, resulting in near fatal accidents in recent winters.
Council tax increases have been over 4%, 5% this year, which is a lot in an area where people earn so little or are retired.

So, please people, take the Plaid anti-austerity rhetoric with the huge pinch of salt it deserves.
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adam
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by adam »

See if you can guess who Dan F Hodges gives Day 1 of the General Election campaign to...

Edited to add - no, I'm not linking to the article.
I still believe in a town called Hope
yahyah
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by yahyah »

Another UKIPer with repulsive views.

''A Ukip candidate standing in Wales is vice president of a far-right organisation which, in a 2013 Facebook post, said the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence should leave Britain and return to her “homeland”.

Christopher Gillibrand is a leading figure in the Traditional Britain Group, whose website promotes the views of far-right European politicians like Marine Le Pen of the French Front National and the anti-immigrant Flemish party Vlaams Belang''

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... nt-8950779" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
StephenDolan
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by StephenDolan »

Sarah Montague. She is on Today? Funny, I thought it was the Cameron speakathon.

Morning all btw.

Is it me or have the Tories ramped up the Labour voted for £30bn austerity rhetoric (both Shapps and Cameron mentioned it multiple occasions) to tally with the SNP and greens?
minch
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by minch »

David Cameron just said that saving £1 in £100 was no problem (general phrase used in most interviews this morning).
But this is not a correct statement as a lot of each £100 is ring fenced.
Or is he now saying that he could cut from anywhere?
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

StephenDolan wrote:Sarah Montague. She is on Today? Funny, I thought it was the Cameron speakathon.

Morning all btw.

Is it me or have the Tories ramped up the Labour voted for £30bn austerity rhetoric (both Shapps and Cameron mentioned it multiple occasions) to tally with the SNP and greens?
They have, something I noticed this morning.
StephenDolan
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by StephenDolan »

minch wrote:David Cameron just said that saving £1 in £100 was no problem (general phrase used in most interviews this morning).
But this is not a correct statement as a lot of each £100 is ring fenced.
Or is he now saying that he could cut from anywhere?
He's continually allowed to get away without such clarification.
minch
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by minch »

StephenDolan wrote:
minch wrote:David Cameron just said that saving £1 in £100 was no problem (general phrase used in most interviews this morning).
But this is not a correct statement as a lot of each £100 is ring fenced.
Or is he now saying that he could cut from anywhere?
He's continually allowed to get away without such clarification.
I think the statement is even more flawed. Perhaps better people can double check BUT I make it 1 in 60. Even that 1 in 60 is wrong as it includes Local Authority spending. For Central Government I make it under 1 in 50.
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ErnstRemarx
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by ErnstRemarx »

I must say how nice it was for the Tories to get a 15 minute PPB on prime time Radio 4 (Today programme). Good to hear them able to put forward their message without any fear of interruption.

Wassat? It was an interview? with a fearless journalist? Oh dear.
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TechnicalEphemera
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

ErnstRemarx wrote:I must say how nice it was for the Tories to get a 15 minute PPB on prime time Radio 4 (Today programme). Good to hear them able to put forward their message without any fear of interruption.

Wassat? It was an interview? with a fearless journalist? Oh dear.
Maybe it sounded like that, but the transcripts don't read like it. Cameron got asked a series of questions he just didn't answer. Eventually credibility must take a hit. She also had a go at him for running an abusive and negative campaign.
Release the Guardvarks.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

adam wrote:See if you can guess who Dan F Hodges gives Day 1 of the General Election campaign to...

Edited to add - no, I'm not linking to the article.
Weak, even by his standards. Obviously I realize the editorial line means he has to call it for OGRFG, but you can tell his heart wasn't in it; possibly he realized how much people BTL were going to be laughing at him, even somebody with the shriveled soul of a Blairite can only take so much ridicule. :lol:

@utopiandreams, while NickyB was just boring us all with his comedy psephology he was (just) tolerable, but since he has revealed what a sanctimonious little Tory weasel he really is I have lost patience with him; he was one of the reasons I walked away from the Graun and one of the reason why my dipping a toe back into those waters probably won't last.
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
PaulfromYorkshire
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by PaulfromYorkshire »

On the other hand this from Carole Walker is just dreadful sycophantic bullshit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32123528" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Absolutely appalling.
Rebecca
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Rebecca »

Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
StephenDolan
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by StephenDolan »

Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
That tail really is trying to wag the dog. I'm sure it plays well to the Scottish electorate which is what this is about pre election.

Given how much they want to be seen as hating each others party it'll be a tightrope walk for Cameron and Sturgeon not to appear to be ganging up on Miliband Thursday.
AnatolyKasparov
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

Anybody who hasn't already seen it, watch the total evisceration of Grant Shapps on last night's Newsnight.

It will cheer you up if nothing else :D
"IS TONTY BLAIR BEHIND THIS???!!!!111???!!!"
PorFavor
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by PorFavor »

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Anybody who hasn't already seen it, watch the total evisceration of Grant Shapps on last night's Newsnight.

It will cheer you up if nothing else :D
I watched it a little bit prior to your post. It was rather enjoyable - and Evan Davis, having given up on trying to get a sensible answer to any of his questions, just gave himself up to enjoying the comedy turn that is Grant Shapps (or Michael Green as he (ED) kept mentioning).

It's on BBC i-player (Newsnight, at around 5 minutes in).


Good morfternoon, everyone.
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Ukip lose another GE candidate:
AN Edinburgh doctor who was due to be a general election candidate for Ukip has quit the party and rejoined the Tories.

Jon Stanley, who fought the Liberton/Gilmerton council by-election for Ukip in June 2013, accused the party in Scotland of being sectarian and undemocratic and branded its referendum campaign last year “a joke”.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/ukip-candi ... -1-3733831
StephenDolan
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by StephenDolan »

Ed Balls. Anti business.
https://www.politicshome.com/economy-an ... -rates-cut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

TheGrimSqueaker wrote: Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
No problem - they'd just blame Westminster (and, sadly, the cybernats would support them, despite it being self-inflicted).
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Far from a supporter of Trident, but of the SNP doesn't want it send it down to Milford Haven. I am sure the cosy friendship of Wood and the SNP could survive that.
ohsocynical
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

Ian retweeted
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 4 hrs4 hours ago
Today's YouGov showing a 4.7% CON to LAB swing in England & Wales enough to give LAB most seats even losing ¾+ of Scottish seats
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
adam wrote:See if you can guess who Dan F Hodges gives Day 1 of the General Election campaign to...

Edited to add - no, I'm not linking to the article.
Weak, even by his standards. Obviously I realize the editorial line means he has to call it for OGRFG, but you can tell his heart wasn't in it; possibly he realized how much people BTL were going to be laughing at him, even somebody with the shriveled soul of a Blairite can only take so much ridicule. :lol:

@utopiandreams, while NickyB was just boring us all with his comedy psephology he was (just) tolerable, but since he has revealed what a sanctimonious little Tory weasel he really is I have lost patience with him; he was one of the reasons I walked away from the Graun and one of the reason why my dipping a toe back into those waters probably won't last.
I rarely read btl over there much these days, another bore is Jeremy2015, reads like the spawn of NickyB.
PorFavor
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by PorFavor »

Michael Howard is on the Daily Politics. Is anyone watching it, please? I don't feel up to it, frankly, even if there's an outside chance of his saying, "Well, dearie me. And everyone thought I was bad . . . " .
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Far from a supporter of Trident, but of the SNP doesn't want it send it down to Milford Haven. I am sure the cosy friendship of Wood and the SNP could survive that.
Thy never mention that the quoted cost is spread over 30 years!
ohsocynical
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by ohsocynical »

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 14 mins14 minutes ago
Odd. Based on dataset with today's poll TNS appear to have found just 1 SNP supporter in whole of Scotland.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

PorFavor wrote:Michael Howard is on the Daily Politics. Is anyone watching it, please? I don't feel up to it, frankly, even if there's an outside chance of his saying, "Well, dearie me. And everyone thought I was bad . . . " .

I can't either, day 2 and already the Tories strategy is to lie and lie, nothing else to offer.

No change there then.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Far from a supporter of Trident, but of the SNP doesn't want it send it down to Milford Haven. I am sure the cosy friendship of Wood and the SNP could survive that.
I'm not either, was a member of CND in my youth and veteran of more than one anti-nuclear march; but I grew up, realized unilateralism wasn't the answer and now think that multilateral negotiation is the only long term solution. In an ideal world we would have no need for armed forces of any kind, let alone the obscene overkill afforded by nuclear weapons, but sadly we live in an imperfect world. :(
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Anybody contemplating a coalition or agreement with the SNP should check out their priorities
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide

Leaving out the areas which are already devolved, we are left with:
Key Priorities
Wants new job-creating powers for Holyrood
Wants independence to "determine our own destiny and build the best future for Scotland"
Welfare
Holyrood should control working age benefits
Wants an end to "bedroom tax"
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments roll out should stop until new welfare powers come to Scotland
Foreign/Defence
Opposed to renewal of Trident, based on the Clyde
Maintains its 0.7% commitment to foreign aid
Backs bigger role for Scotland in UK/EU talks
EU
Wants a louder voice for Scotland in fisheries and farming talks
Taxation
Wants control of National Insurance contributions
Would give tax incentives for research and development
Wants control of the personal tax allowance to “lift more low earners out of tax”
Wants control of child and working tax credits
Economy
Wants control of minimum wage and "living wage" to remain "central" to all Holyrood contracts
Immigration
Immigration rules need changing to suit Scotland’s economy
Wants international graduates from Scots universities to be able to work in Scotland for an agreed period
Best way forward is an independent Scotland with a points-based entry system
Pensions
Wants to “re-shape and simplify” pensions to suit needs of Scottish pensioners
Has questioned UK plans to increase retirement age to 67 by 2028
Says because of lower life expectancy in Scotland pensioners would be “short-changed” by thousands of pounds
Constitution
Believes Scotland should be independent
Wants full fiscal controls; would get rid of Trident from Scotland; but would keep the Queen as head of state and would retain sterling
Wants full control of benefits, pensions and wants to stay an EU member
Wants a written constitution
This can be summed up as:
Priority 1 - more power for the SNP
Priority 1 - independence
Priority 1 - Stuff the rest of the UK.
Tubby Isaacs
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

Their tame cops aren't sounding too clever either (though paywalled).

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home ... .122052389" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Independent review: Scottish police don't know what stop-searches are or how to count them
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Their tame cops aren't sounding too clever either (though paywalled).

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home ... .122052389" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Independent review: Scottish police don't know what stop-searches are or how to count them
Not paywalled - just delete your cookies. ;)
Tubby Isaacs
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

Wants control of minimum wage and "living wage" to remain "central" to all Holyrood contracts
Didn't they vote against this because of "European Law"?
Tubby Isaacs
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Faslane closing will be "shows we need independence because we'd have put a naval base there".

That naval base would have been cancelled within about 5 minutes of independence.
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Wants control of minimum wage and "living wage" to remain "central" to all Holyrood contracts
Didn't they vote against this because of "European Law"?
Yes - one of their many lies:
ALEX Salmond yesterday demanded a shake-up of European Union law to scrap regulations that he claims prevent the Scottish Government from forcing its contractors to pay workers the “living wage”.

The First Minister used a visit to Belgium to press officials over EU rules that he said restricted Holyrood’s ability to ensure all employees who carry out work for the public sector are paid a living wage of £7.65 an hour.

However, Mr Salmond’s claim was last night rejected by an EU spokesman, who said that there is no European law in place which prevents the Scottish Government going ahead with its proposal.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3391162
Tubby Isaacs
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

I don't want Trident, but it woud be a laugh if the SNP had to accept it staying there as part of the negotiations.

They're rightly very annoyed about the Tories since the referendum. But they were telling us rUK (which they see as inevitably Tory without Scotland) would have conceded a currency union, EU entry, NATO membership in some "hey, shucks, no hard feelings, brother" kind of way.
Eric_WLothian
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Rebecca wrote:Morning.Blimey,it's windy today,which annoyingly results in my broadband drifting in and out.
I see ms Sturgeon is ruling out a coalition or formal confidence and supply agreement with labour because of trident.
It's like publishing your prenup before being proposed to.Why not wait until she's asked,or even until the results of the election are known.In may.
I don't believe her anyway,one whiff of govt positions,power and limos,they would have their feet under the govt table quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Faslane closing will be "shows we need independence because we'd have put a naval base there".

That naval base would have been cancelled within about 5 minutes of independence.
Not to mention that one of the main functions of an independent Scottish Navy would have been to defend the oil rigs - which are on the opposite side of the country.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

Eric_WLothian wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote: And the elephant in that particular room is that Labour haven't committed themselves to any Trident replacement programme anyway. It has been stated, for well over three years now, that they will make an assessment when they get into power as to what they do with respect to replacing the Vanguard submarine fleet; Miliband is on record as saying it will not be on a like for like replacement basis, there will be three submarines at most and they will also examine cheaper & more flexible solutions. Frankly I'm looking forward to the SNP bluff being comprehensively called, Faslane closed (Sturgeon and Salmond can deal with the flak over job losses, which will be higher than they are suggesting) and somewhere else getting a nice bit of economic regeneration and increased employment.
Faslane closing will be "shows we need independence because we'd have put a naval base there".

That naval base would have been cancelled within about 5 minutes of independence.
Not to mention that one of the main functions of an independent Scottish Navy would have been to defend the oil rigs - which are on the opposite side of the country.
That's it.

They said something about guarding NATO's northwest frontier. Odd then that the British Navy hasn't got a base there already.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

Smithson had Wood as a 50/1 shot yesterday to ''win'' Thursdays dog sick mess of a debate.

She won't, she'll tag along on Sturgeon's and Bennett's coat tails, and calling the SNP ''colleagues'' underlines her naivety. They'd shit on Wales, example repeating Hunt's bollocks about our NHS as much as the Tories would.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ru-8952639" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Eric_WLothian »

Tubby Isaacs wrote: They said something about guarding NATO's northwest frontier.
You mean like the Scottish regiment in "Carry on up the Khyber"? :lol:
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Tubby Isaacs »

Royston Martis ‏@roamingroyston 1h1 hour ago
.@Scotspolfed conference passes motion that #police officer pensions should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. #SPFConf15
This all sounds very cosy.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

I suppose if pushed most have a particular MP they want to see fall on May 7th, someone who you will actively seek out, apart from the usual suspects, mine is, and I may have mentioned it once or twice is Alun Cairns, a midget of a politician which matches his physical statue, if that sounds shortist so be it, I am one myself.

http://electoralcalculus.co.uk/conlist_ ... fGlamorgan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Labour is putting in a gargantuan effort down there, in fact I just phoned and volunteered a few days, turn out last time knocked 70%, Lib Dems fairly high, question is where have they gone to, and what impact will UKIP have, Barry if you listen to reports seems pretty sown up for Labour, good news coming from there, but Labour are clearly in with a strong shout and its all to play for.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by ScarletGas »

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:On the other hand this from Carole Walker is just dreadful sycophantic bullshit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32123528" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Absolutely appalling.
I have always assumed that she does not write her own scripts just relying on central office press releases for copy.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by yahyah »

Afternoon.

A timely piece by Peter Jukes, reminding us how politically targeted News of the World phone hacking was 'mainly under the editorship of Andy Coulson'.

What's odd is that the media seem to have ignored the implications of the fact that the News of the World was 'seven times more likely to hack a Labour politician than a Conservative one.'

I hope after Coulson's perjury trial the press will push questions about what really happened in the run up to the 2010 election, and whether information gathered through hacking or other illegal/immoral means may have been passed onto the Tories for political gain. The latter is a reasonable question to ask in the circumstances.

& Jukes also points out....'the odd thing about the occasional Tory target of phone hacking is that, by and large, they were rivals to David Cameron such as Boris Johnson or David Davies.''
Funny that isn't it ?

https://fothom.wordpress.com/2015/03/30 ... e-hacking/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

Alex Salmond shot down by the EU.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3391162" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nod in the direction to Giselle.
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by pk1 »

The Conservatives are on course to be the largest party in a hung parliament, according to an analysis of online search terms.
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2015/03/ ... es-for-ele" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"an analysis of online search terms."

Have a think about that for a minute.

How in all that is holy, does searching for a particular candidate imply a "strong indicator of intent to swing" ??

How in all that is holy does searching for a particular candidate imply the searcher is eligible to vote for that particular candidate ??

The theory behind this ridiculous analysis is to be found here:

http://www.mavens.co.uk/300315_article_ ... asting.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've read it & filed it under garbage.
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Willow904
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by Willow904 »

I came across an interesting document about hung parliaments that has tried to set out the ins and outs of what happens when there is no overall majority. I found this bit particularly interesting:
Who negotiates this formation of government?
It is for the political parties to determine and communicate who is likely to be able to command confidence. If a majority of political parties declare in advance that they would definitely not support a particular government being formed then that party cannot reasonably claim to be likely to command confidence.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit ... chive/FAQs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I thought this bit might be rather relevant to the declarations from SNP and Plaid that they wouldn't support a Tory government. These unequivocal statements will make it a lot harder for the Cameron to try to form a government if he isn't the largest party, even though precedent says he can as the current incumbent.
"Fall seven times, get up eight" - Japanese proverb
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citizenJA
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Re: Tuesday 31st March 2015

Post by citizenJA »

pk1 wrote:
The Conservatives are on course to be the largest party in a hung parliament, according to an analysis of online search terms.
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2015/03/ ... es-for-ele" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"an analysis of online search terms."

Have a think about that for a minute.

How in all that is holy, does searching for a particular candidate imply a "strong indicator of intent to swing" ??

How in all that is holy does searching for a particular candidate imply the searcher is eligible to vote for that particular candidate ??

The theory behind this ridiculous analysis is to be found here:

http://www.mavens.co.uk/300315_article_ ... asting.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've read it & filed it under garbage.
(my bold)
Researching Tory disaster government & the candidates supporting them is certainly not about wanting to vote for Tories, quite the opposite

Correct, it's garbage
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