Tuesday 31st March 2015

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 1:54 pm

Just spotted this from Dr Jazz:

'11m pensioners won't think much of it either.
My pension has gone up by less than the triple-lock 2.5% figure. That's because one third of it has been hit by the 1% freeze on "benefits". My Pre 97 additional state pension is now deemed to be a benefit. That's where a chunk of Osborne's £60bn will be coming from.''

So SERPS used to be upgraded at more than the 1% 'benefit' freeze and the Coalition have changed that since they've been in because they've conveniently changed its status ?

Anyone here been claiming a pension for some years, with an additional state pension amount, to confirm that please ?

If it's true, tell your older relatives !

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 1:56 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote: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.

The recent Ashcroft poll in VoG wasn't great for Labour, but it had Plaid support at a surprisingly high level (his polls seem generous to them more generally)

Re the polls as a whole right now - what people need to remember is that governing parties hardly ever gain support during the actual election campaign (due to the greater visibility and airtime granted to alternatives, amongst other things) So if the Tories can't get a clear lead now, it doesn't historically bode well for them.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:00 pm

One of these days I'll read the YouGov polling figures and not see the scum/Star reweighted by at least 35% and the Guardian by at least - 50%.

Today is not that day.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:01 pm

Thanks for that Anatoly. Always admire your clear, cool head.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:04 pm

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 read this as being quite, um, pointed, if not critical:

Mr Cameron - jacket off, sleeves rolled up - spoke for no more than 10 minutes to about 300 Tory activists in a small school hall, then headed straight back to London. That was sufficient to deliver the key lines in time for the evening television bulletins and Tuesday's papers.

But perhaps that was just me thinking, gosh how generous to spare his activists ten whole minutes of his oh so precious time. And note, again, no mention of meeting and greeting those troops on the ground who probably gave up considerably more of than ten minutes of their own time for him...

Aftevemorn, all

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:05 pm

Leanne Wood was smirking when she spieled her pitch for BBC Wales news.
You'd think she didn't even believe her own words.

minch · Post by **minch** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:12 pm

StephenDolan wrote:One of these days I'll read the YouGov polling figures and not see the scum/Star reweighted by at least 35% and the Guardian by at least - 50%.

Today is not that day.

I think that some of us are sometimes part of a YouGov poll. Say you read the SUN and make your vote count by a factor of 1.3

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:17 pm

Paul Johnson, the Institute for Fiscal Studies director, has said the Conservative claim to be able to raise £5bn from tackling tax avoidance is “very flaky”. Only 24 hours after the IFS said Tory claims about Labour tax plans were unfounded, Johnson told Sky News. (Andrew Sparrow, Guardian)

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:21 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Re the polls as a whole right now - what people need to remember is that governing parties hardly ever gain support during the actual election campaign (due to the greater visibility and airtime granted to alternatives, amongst other things) So if the Tories can't get a clear lead now, it doesn't historically bode well for them.

Well said. However you cut it, the Tories aren't even coming close to matching their 2010 result, let alone improving on it; as we all know the last time they won a majority was 1992, and it looks unlikely that trend will be bucked this time.

The same can't be said for Labour, who have improved significantly on their 2010 showing, even in the most pessimistic polls; take out the drag factor of the SNP (as per Mike Smithson's comment on Twitter today), add in a sprinkling of marginal and that majority is still a possibility, albeit maybe not a great one.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:22 pm

How did your phone canvassing go Por Favor ?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:35 pm

minch wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:One of these days I'll read the YouGov polling figures and not see the scum/Star reweighted by at least 35% and the Guardian by at least - 50%.

Today is not that day.
I think that some of us are sometimes part of a YouGov poll. Say you read the SUN and make your vote count by a factor of 1.3

Some people here say they never get asked who they'll vote for in the election when doing Yougov online surveys, but I've actually had quite a few since Christmas. I did wonder if it was because I'm down as a Mirror reader (which I am btw. I've never bought the Guardian and haven't read the Sunday Observer in years). As tabloids easily outsell the broadsheets in general, I have to give Yougov the benefit of the doubt a little. Guardian circulation is so small, I can see why they would feel the need to weight it down. The only real criticism I would have is how useful using what print newspaper someone reads as a criteria at all, given how much the print newspaper industry has declined in recent years. I would have thought a lot of people would be "none" these days. How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:46 pm

@ yahyah

Thanks for asking about the 'phone canvassing.

Well, it's still going. But the other, completed, lot was about a three-way split between: Genuine (I think)Don't Knows; Against\Conservative\Won't say (who I always think are Againsts); and Labour. I haven't come across any stated LibDems or Ukips. Or, indeed, any hostility towards Ed Miliband. This is, however, a safe Conservative seat so we're not going to win it.

I hate 'phone canvassing, because I doubt its real value. Lots of outs, lots of people who, I think, screen their calls via their answer-'phone, and lots of disconnected numbers. You also tend only to get to speak to the person who answers the 'phone as distinct from getting to speak to everyone registered at that address. I've always found that door-knocking is much better from that point of view. No body language. I could go on. Oh, I have . . . .

Edited to make it clear to whom, and about what I was speaking! Warned you I'd be a bit disconnected!

Edited again - brackets

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:49 pm

Willow904 wrote:
minch wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:One of these days I'll read the YouGov polling figures and not see the scum/Star reweighted by at least 35% and the Guardian by at least - 50%.

Today is not that day.
I think that some of us are sometimes part of a YouGov poll. Say you read the SUN and make your vote count by a factor of 1.3
Some people here say they never get asked who they'll vote for in the election when doing Yougov online surveys, but I've actually had quite a few since Christmas. I did wonder if it was because I'm down as a Mirror reader (which I am btw. I've never bought the Guardian and haven't read the Sunday Observer in years). As tabloids easily outsell the broadsheets in general, I have to give Yougov the benefit of the doubt a little. Guardian circulation is so small, I can see why they would feel the need to weight it down. The only real criticism I would have is how useful using what print newspaper someone reads as a criteria at all, given how much the print newspaper industry has declined in recent years. I would have thought a lot of people would be "none" these days. How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?

"How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?"Good question. Or are non-newspaper readers included at all?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:51 pm

Grant Shapps interview on Newsnight.
He's a bullying Tory attempting to mow down all facts placed before him
'You will believe what I tell you is true'
That seems to be the Tory party motto.

minch · Post by **minch** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 2:56 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Willow904 wrote:
minch wrote: I think that some of us are sometimes part of a YouGov poll. Say you read the SUN and make your vote count by a factor of 1.3
Some people here say they never get asked who they'll vote for in the election when doing Yougov online surveys, but I've actually had quite a few since Christmas. I did wonder if it was because I'm down as a Mirror reader (which I am btw. I've never bought the Guardian and haven't read the Sunday Observer in years). As tabloids easily outsell the broadsheets in general, I have to give Yougov the benefit of the doubt a little. Guardian circulation is so small, I can see why they would feel the need to weight it down. The only real criticism I would have is how useful using what print newspaper someone reads as a criteria at all, given how much the print newspaper industry has declined in recent years. I would have thought a lot of people would be "none" these days. How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?
"How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?"Good question. Or are non-newspaper readers included at all?

Look at the last page of http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/d ... 300315.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
These are the raw results for the latest poll.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:01 pm

Hmm. Just had the mother of all hail storms - the stuff coming practically horizontally - with matching high winds as the sky suddenly went horribly dark. Well, that was 5 minutes ago. Sun's out now and the wind's mostly dropped. God only knows what it'll be doing in 10 minutes time. No canvassing or leafleting today, I suspect.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:06 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote: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.
The recent Ashcroft poll in VoG wasn't great for Labour, but it had Plaid support at a surprisingly high level (his polls seem generous to them more generally)

Re the polls as a whole right now - what people need to remember is that governing parties hardly ever gain support during the actual election campaign (due to the greater visibility and airtime granted to alternatives, amongst other things) So if the Tories can't get a clear lead now, it doesn't historically bode well for them.

And don't forget how it's looking in the marginals - that's where it'll be won and lost.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:08 pm

Thank you for the numbers on the polling data.
691 out of 2001 people don't affliate themselves or read a newspaper according to the figures.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:11 pm

Reading some commentary below the line in the other place I'm seeing a lot of posts something like this...
'I'm only voting for my local candidate, so here's why I'm unbiased...' or 'here's why I'm above the fray here - I'm only voting for my local candidate'
Aren't we all voting for a local candidate?

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:24 pm

yahyah wrote: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;

Trial starts 21st April. I wonder if there will be another adjournment?
Good to have the site back up.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 3:37 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Willow904 wrote:
minch wrote: I think that some of us are sometimes part of a YouGov poll. Say you read the SUN and make your vote count by a factor of 1.3
Some people here say they never get asked who they'll vote for in the election when doing Yougov online surveys, but I've actually had quite a few since Christmas. I did wonder if it was because I'm down as a Mirror reader (which I am btw. I've never bought the Guardian and haven't read the Sunday Observer in years). As tabloids easily outsell the broadsheets in general, I have to give Yougov the benefit of the doubt a little. Guardian circulation is so small, I can see why they would feel the need to weight it down. The only real criticism I would have is how useful using what print newspaper someone reads as a criteria at all, given how much the print newspaper industry has declined in recent years. I would have thought a lot of people would be "none" these days. How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?
"How are the non-newspaper readers quantified?"Good question. Or are non-newspaper readers included at all?

My (limited!) understanding of Yougov is that they use a pool of people, and keep records of their voting tendencies etc for profiling & weighting.
If they already know how individuals are likely to respond, then they could then pick who to include in a poll and skew results to give a desired result, but still appearing to give a balanced sample
Not saying this is happening, but does anyone know there any restrictions to stop this happening?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:33 pm

Lord Ashcroft resigns from the House of Lords

https://www.politicshome.com/party-poli ... ouse-lords" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:35 pm

Lord Ashcroft Quits House Of Lords To Spend More Time With His Opinion Polls

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03 ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah, okay whatever, Busta

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:37 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
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 read this as being quite, um, pointed, if not critical:
Mr Cameron - jacket off, sleeves rolled up - spoke for no more than 10 minutes to about 300 Tory activists in a small school hall, then headed straight back to London. That was sufficient to deliver the key lines in time for the evening television bulletins and Tuesday's papers.
But perhaps that was just me thinking, gosh how generous to spare his activists ten whole minutes of his oh so precious time. And note, again, no mention of meeting and greeting those troops on the ground who probably gave up considerably more of than ten minutes of their own time for him...

Aftevemorn, all

Thanks Lady C

I just read that as "isn't he slick and well organised". But your reading certainly cheered me up

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:42 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:Hmm. Just had the mother of all hail storms - the stuff coming practically horizontally - with matching high winds as the sky suddenly went horribly dark. Well, that was 5 minutes ago. Sun's out now and the wind's mostly dropped. God only knows what it'll be doing in 10 minutes time. No canvassing or leafleting today, I suspect.

Wimps you Lancastrians

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:42 pm

And right on cue I had a YouGov political survey

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:45 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:
ErnstRemarx wrote:Hmm. Just had the mother of all hail storms - the stuff coming practically horizontally - with matching high winds as the sky suddenly went horribly dark. Well, that was 5 minutes ago. Sun's out now and the wind's mostly dropped. God only knows what it'll be doing in 10 minutes time. No canvassing or leafleting today, I suspect.
Wimps you Lancastrians

I'm getting my ass kicked with this weather, I've been in pain since a hike a couple weeks ago. My fingers aren't working well on the keyboard. I realise the amount of pain & the fumbling on the keyboard may be contributing to frustration, impatience & rudeness I'd otherwise not display. Please excuse me. I'll have to get the pain under control.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:47 pm

I gather that David Cameron is to get the last word in the 7-way leader thing.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:49 pm

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 46767.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Tories represent the interests of landlords, say landlords

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:52 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:
ErnstRemarx wrote:Hmm. Just had the mother of all hail storms - the stuff coming practically horizontally - with matching high winds as the sky suddenly went horribly dark. Well, that was 5 minutes ago. Sun's out now and the wind's mostly dropped. God only knows what it'll be doing in 10 minutes time. No canvassing or leafleting today, I suspect.
Wimps you Lancastrians

I'd just like to remind you who won the bloody War of the Roses, Tyke boy...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:55 pm

PorFavor wrote:I gather that David Cameron is to get the last word in the 7-way leader thing.

Hopefully he'll be a blubbering mass of jelly by then.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 4:57 pm

It's been a very funny day.

Mr Ohso went to see the doctor today. He'd had to wait a week for an appointment and only a locum available.
Our doctor has two practices in Bracknell so we are always asked which one we want to attend. And we always say the nearest.
So, Mr Ohso turned up only to be told his appointment was at the other surgery. When he said no he'd booked the nearest to us he was told he hadn't and if he couldn't get there it was his hard luck.
An older receptionist recognised Mr Ohso was about to explode and told him it was ok he could see the doctor. The really funny thing was the doctor he was booked to see was - you guessed it - at our local surgery.

He saw the doctor and got told off for not going sooner. Never mind that the doc raised his eyes when he saw what had been prescribed for the same ailment a few months ago, so the doc got an earful. He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.

Mr Ohso trotted off to the chemist to get the prescription filled. Sorry we don't have that in stock, they said. You'll need to get the doc to prescribe something else.
Back to the doctors & got it changed, went back to the chemist, they looked at the prescription and said, sorry we haven't got that either. You'll need to go back and get it changed. We have a generic substitute. Here's a note asking him to okay it.
At this point Mr Ohso came home...And had a general rant and rave.

I calmed him down and he drove me to another chemist who didn't have it either, so back I go to the doctors get it changed, then back to the chemist, got the prescription and home...
All I could think was, thank God we're still up to running around like that - just. What if we weren't?

Mr Ohso says the country is going to hell in a hand basket.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:00 pm

@oldsilvertone 2 hrs
@dimayray Thanks For your R/T Diane. ITV News Has Covered the Storyx ‏

How embarrassing.

I don't know which Re Tweet it could be...I send so many.
I'll have to have look....

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:01 pm

Joel Taylor ‏@JoelTaylorMetro 13 mins

Intriguing; Lord Ashcroft is resigning from the House of Lords http://ln.is/www.lordashcroft.com/ugYEK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … Considering the trouble it took to get him there...

Duncan Hothersall ‏@dhothersall 18 mins
Lord Ashcroft is keeping the peerage, you realise. He's just not going to do any of the work. That's all he's saying.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:07 pm

deleted because youtube video link was not the right one.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:08 pm

ohsocynical wrote:It's been a very funny day.

Mr Ohso went to see the doctor today. He'd had to wait a week for an appointment and only a locum available.
Our doctor has two practices in Bracknell so we are always asked which one we want to attend. And we always say the nearest.
So, Mr Ohso turned up only to be told his appointment was at the other surgery. When he said no he'd booked the nearest to us he was told he hadn't and if he couldn't get there it was his hard luck.
An older receptionist recognised Mr Ohso was about to explode and told him it was ok he could see the doctor. The really funny thing was the doctor he was booked to see was - you guessed it - at our local surgery.

He saw the doctor and got told off for not going sooner. Never mind that the doc raised his eyes when he saw what had been prescribed for the same ailment a few months ago, so the doc got an earful. He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.

Mr Ohso trotted off to the chemist to get the prescription filled. Sorry we don't have that in stock, they said. You'll need to get the doc to prescribe something else.
Back to the doctors & got it changed, went back to the chemist, they looked at the prescription and said, sorry we haven't got that either. You'll need to go back and get it changed. We have a generic substitute. Here's a note asking him to okay it.
At this point Mr Ohso came home...And had a general rant and rave.

I calmed him down and he drove me to another chemist who didn't have it either, so back I go to the doctors get it changed, then back to the chemist, got the prescription and home...
All I could think was, thank God we're still up to running around like that - just. What if we weren't?

Mr Ohso says the country is going to hell in a hand basket.

Your other half's an American isn't he? His comment to you is pure Americana, but I like it almost as much as his response:

He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.

Which, frankly, has both genius and incredulity oozing through. Please give Mr. Ohso my very best regards, and inform him that I'd either like very much to meet him in person, or to avoid meeting him at all costs, given that I am a local politician.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:17 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/liv ... 9fe8b1f6ee" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Madness & absurdity

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:29 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:It's been a very funny day.

Mr Ohso went to see the doctor today. He'd had to wait a week for an appointment and only a locum available.
Our doctor has two practices in Bracknell so we are always asked which one we want to attend. And we always say the nearest.
So, Mr Ohso turned up only to be told his appointment was at the other surgery. When he said no he'd booked the nearest to us he was told he hadn't and if he couldn't get there it was his hard luck.
An older receptionist recognised Mr Ohso was about to explode and told him it was ok he could see the doctor. The really funny thing was the doctor he was booked to see was - you guessed it - at our local surgery.

He saw the doctor and got told off for not going sooner. Never mind that the doc raised his eyes when he saw what had been prescribed for the same ailment a few months ago, so the doc got an earful. He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.

Mr Ohso trotted off to the chemist to get the prescription filled. Sorry we don't have that in stock, they said. You'll need to get the doc to prescribe something else.
Back to the doctors & got it changed, went back to the chemist, they looked at the prescription and said, sorry we haven't got that either. You'll need to go back and get it changed. We have a generic substitute. Here's a note asking him to okay it.
At this point Mr Ohso came home...And had a general rant and rave.

I calmed him down and he drove me to another chemist who didn't have it either, so back I go to the doctors get it changed, then back to the chemist, got the prescription and home...
All I could think was, thank God we're still up to running around like that - just. What if we weren't?

Mr Ohso says the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Your other half's an American isn't he? His comment to you is pure Americana, but I like it almost as much as his response:

He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.
Which, frankly, has both genius and incredulity oozing through. Please give Mr. Ohso my very best regards, and inform him that I'd either like very much to meet him in person, or to avoid meeting him at all costs, given that I am a local politician.

I'll pass the message on.

He is normally very quiet and unassuming and gets on with practically everyone. This morning he wasn't feeling very well and the service at the doctors and adjoining chemist is becoming farcical.

Normally it's me running around like a blue ass fly between doctors and chemist. Today it was his turn. He was going to leave getting the final - he hoped - prescription sorted until tomorrow, but I feared for his blood pressure so did it for him.

Later I tried telling him his SERPS pension has been mucked around with as per YahYah's post at the top of the page, but when he started to turn puce - I dropped it.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:31 pm

Francis Maude is going to be taking viewers' questions on BBC News24 later on. Yes, I know. That's what I thought, too.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:35 pm

My favourite Americanism is Mr Ohso when he doesn't believe someone.
He says, 'Oh yeah. My ass is a bloater and we aint got fish for tea.' I've ever been quite sure that it makes complete sense but I always get the drift.

And: 'Yes sure. And you can kiss my ass in Time Square.'

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:37 pm

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/econo ... did-ids-do" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Duncan Smith was the first secretary of state with responsibility for welfare ever to be appointed to the job actually to have a proper background in the subject. He arrived in Whitehall with a clear vision and a determination to put it through. David Cameron tried to move him from the job, but Duncan Smith was committed to the task and stayed with it. He understood, like his lieutenant David Freud, that this is extraordinarily important. Getting a million and more people into jobs means that they feel better, are better off, more secure, more independent, happier and literally healthier. They are also more likely to be good citizens.

This transformation has surely been the greatest improvement to have been made by a British government in the last 30 years. Duncan Smith and Freud are doubtless aware of what they have achieved. But they also know that after the election, they are probably going to be moved aside. The question then will be the following: will those who take over at the DWP understand what has been achieved and how? Will they take unemployment to even lower levels or will they—as politicians in the 1960s and 1970s did—gradually ruin what they have inherited?

Is this satirical?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:39 pm

Right wing thinking Tubby, not thinking as we know it.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:40 pm

ohsocynical wrote:My favourite Americanism is Mr Ohso when he doesn't believe someone.
He says, 'Oh yeah. My ass is a bloater and we aint got fish for tea.' I've ever been quite sure that it makes complete sense but I always get the drift.

And: 'Yes sure. And you can kiss my ass in Time Square.'

Oh, I get that one. He'll have told you what bloaters are, no doubt. One of my personal faves comes from my Scouse father in law (from Birkenhead): "Son, don't piss down me back an' tell me's it rainin'", also used to good effect by his darling daughter and, I've little doubt, in years to come by his doted upon grand daughter.

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:40 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/econo ... did-ids-do

Duncan Smith was the first secretary of state with responsibility for welfare ever to be appointed to the job actually to have a proper background in the subject. He arrived in Whitehall with a clear vision and a determination to put it through. David Cameron tried to move him from the job, but Duncan Smith was committed to the task and stayed with it. He understood, like his lieutenant David Freud, that this is extraordinarily important. Getting a million and more people into jobs means that they feel better, are better off, more secure, more independent, happier and literally healthier. They are also more likely to be good citizens.

This transformation has surely been the greatest improvement to have been made by a British government in the last 30 years. Duncan Smith and Freud are doubtless aware of what they have achieved. But they also know that after the election, they are probably going to be moved aside. The question then will be the following: will those who take over at the DWP understand what has been achieved and how? Will they take unemployment to even lower levels or will they—as politicians in the 1960s and 1970s did—gradually ruin what they have inherited?
Is this satirical?

I very much fear not. Not even the most able satirist could be that laudatory without puking.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:41 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/econo ... did-ids-do

Duncan Smith was the first secretary of state with responsibility for welfare ever to be appointed to the job actually to have a proper background in the subject. He arrived in Whitehall with a clear vision and a determination to put it through. David Cameron tried to move him from the job, but Duncan Smith was committed to the task and stayed with it. He understood, like his lieutenant David Freud, that this is extraordinarily important. Getting a million and more people into jobs means that they feel better, are better off, more secure, more independent, happier and literally healthier. They are also more likely to be good citizens.

This transformation has surely been the greatest improvement to have been made by a British government in the last 30 years. Duncan Smith and Freud are doubtless aware of what they have achieved. But they also know that after the election, they are probably going to be moved aside. The question then will be the following: will those who take over at the DWP understand what has been achieved and how? Will they take unemployment to even lower levels or will they—as politicians in the 1960s and 1970s did—gradually ruin what they have inherited?
Is this satirical?

It's grossly fucking stupid, whatever it is.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:45 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:It's been a very funny day.

Mr Ohso went to see the doctor today. He'd had to wait a week for an appointment and only a locum available.
Our doctor has two practices in Bracknell so we are always asked which one we want to attend. And we always say the nearest.
So, Mr Ohso turned up only to be told his appointment was at the other surgery. When he said no he'd booked the nearest to us he was told he hadn't and if he couldn't get there it was his hard luck.
An older receptionist recognised Mr Ohso was about to explode and told him it was ok he could see the doctor. The really funny thing was the doctor he was booked to see was - you guessed it - at our local surgery.

He saw the doctor and got told off for not going sooner. Never mind that the doc raised his eyes when he saw what had been prescribed for the same ailment a few months ago, so the doc got an earful. He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.

Mr Ohso trotted off to the chemist to get the prescription filled. Sorry we don't have that in stock, they said. You'll need to get the doc to prescribe something else.
Back to the doctors & got it changed, went back to the chemist, they looked at the prescription and said, sorry we haven't got that either. You'll need to go back and get it changed. We have a generic substitute. Here's a note asking him to okay it.
At this point Mr Ohso came home...And had a general rant and rave.

I calmed him down and he drove me to another chemist who didn't have it either, so back I go to the doctors get it changed, then back to the chemist, got the prescription and home...
All I could think was, thank God we're still up to running around like that - just. What if we weren't?

Mr Ohso says the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Your other half's an American isn't he? His comment to you is pure Americana, but I like it almost as much as his response:

He protested he was only the locum. Mr Ohso said he was only a patient so buck his fucking ideas up.
Which, frankly, has both genius and incredulity oozing through. Please give Mr. Ohso my very best regards, and inform him that I'd either like very much to meet him in person, or to avoid meeting him at all costs, given that I am a local politician.

I suspect that's one locum who won't go on to become an GP....

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:49 pm

mbc1955 wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/econo ... did-ids-do

Duncan Smith was the first secretary of state with responsibility for welfare ever to be appointed to the job actually to have a proper background in the subject. He arrived in Whitehall with a clear vision and a determination to put it through. David Cameron tried to move him from the job, but Duncan Smith was committed to the task and stayed with it. He understood, like his lieutenant David Freud, that this is extraordinarily important. Getting a million and more people into jobs means that they feel better, are better off, more secure, more independent, happier and literally healthier. They are also more likely to be good citizens.

This transformation has surely been the greatest improvement to have been made by a British government in the last 30 years. Duncan Smith and Freud are doubtless aware of what they have achieved. But they also know that after the election, they are probably going to be moved aside. The question then will be the following: will those who take over at the DWP understand what has been achieved and how? Will they take unemployment to even lower levels or will they—as politicians in the 1960s and 1970s did—gradually ruin what they have inherited?
Is this satirical?
I very much fear not. Not even the most able satirist could be that laudatory without puking.

I read stuff like that and feel a scream boiling up in my throat.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 5:59 pm

From Andy McSmith in the Indy.

Interesting that the BBC gave the job of interviewing David Cameron on the Today programme to Sarah Montague. It is not being suggested that she gave the Prime Minister an unnecessarily easy ride, but there is a family link which may have helped put Cameron at his ease. Montague is married to Sir Christoph Brooke, the 12th baronet Brooke, who was at Eton with Cameron – they are just three months apart in age. The couple were among the guests at the party the Camerons’ Christmas party at Chequers three months ago.

Jesus Christ, anybody know how to complain to the BBC?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 6:03 pm

Don't bother TE, they'll patronise you in response telling why you are wrong and they are right.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Tue 31 Mar, 2015 6:05 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:From Andy McSmith in the Indy.

Interesting that the BBC gave the job of interviewing David Cameron on the Today programme to Sarah Montague. It is not being suggested that she gave the Prime Minister an unnecessarily easy ride, but there is a family link which may have helped put Cameron at his ease. Montague is married to Sir Christoph Brooke, the 12th baronet Brooke, who was at Eton with Cameron – they are just three months apart in age. The couple were among the guests at the party the Camerons’ Christmas party at Chequers three months ago.
Jesus Christ, anybody know how to complain to the BBC?

So help with promoting Marr's book and apparently close enough friends with a R4 reporter's spouse that they're invited to the Christmas party.

Is there anyone in our supposedly neutral broadcaster who isn't on personal terms with Cameron?