Thursday 9th April 2015

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:13 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Ukip says it would scrap VAT on tampons
Er - zero rate them? Would be just a tiny bit less disruptive, I suggest.

Edited to add

Less disruptive than leaving the EU in order to scrap VAT on such items, I mean.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:14 pm

Bumboils.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:18 pm

Iain Duncan Smith has waded in to defend Michael Fallon (according to BBC News24). By your friends etc, etc.

I think this is all going to be a disaster for the Conservatives. Even the BBC is entertaining that possibility.

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:21 pm

ohsocynical wrote:And of course Fallon was one of the expenses cheats...But we won't mention that.

Why shouldn't we? Is it not reasonable to point out that this vicious personal attack comes from the mouth of a thief?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:29 pm

The "billions of barrels" of oil which are thought to be to the north of Gatwick will probably need to be fracked. (From an item on BBC News24.)

Edited

Tidy up

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:29 pm

citizenJA wrote:oh christ - speaking of playing...

http://i.guim.co.uk/media/w-620/h--/q-9 ... 9/1000.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

George Osborne works under a car being serviced at Hawkins garage, St Austell …

Insert own 'dipstick' joke here.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:30 pm

On Fallon, he always comes across to me as being dim and out of his depth. I accept he may not be but that's what he projects to me.

Good article in the DT by James Kirkup. (I know, I was shocked too)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... -risk.html

I am now going to quite literally 'fix the roof while the sun is shining'. (on my greenhouse)

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:31 pm

All of a sudden it's next to impossible to find this piece of b***sh*t column on the Guardian website: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... tus-labour" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Jenkins is arguing that it's vital to the Tories that they end non-dom status before Labour do. He seems to be completely unaware that a General Election has been called and that the Tories have no power to take any action on anything (National Emergencies excepted). There will not be a Government to take action until after May 7. There are two practical alternatives: that the next Government is a Labour/Labour-dominated administration, under which the Tories can't do anything, or it will be a Conservative/Conservative-dominated administration, in which case they won't do anything.

Remind me why the Guardian is stocking up on right-wing writers, please?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:32 pm

utopiandreams wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Margaret Thatcher tax shock: £12m mansion where she saw out her days registered in TAX HAVEN

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ma ... 2m-2866929
Very peculiar that at the time, little was said about this.
What time are you referring to, ohsocynical? The article you link is dated Nov. 2013, although I thought it was generally known earlier.

When she died. Nothing much in the Tory press.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:35 pm

Sorry for the multiple posts Dan. When I tried to post it wouldn't load so I'd log off then try again. As you can see I tried a lot of times...

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:36 pm

Lovely photo:

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:36 pm

What's in the water or the air conditioning at the BBC today? There's a presenter suggesting that he finds the latest news on Kate and Thingy's baby less than fascinating.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:39 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 8m8 minutes ago
New post non doms poll coming out for Mirror from Survation. Due later this afternoon

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:42 pm

Andy Burnham Labour Press update
Notes to Editors section
Figures published today...
Last year, over 1.4 million people waited longer than fours in A&E compared to 353,000 in 2009/10.

http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1157518 ... -worst-for" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:42 pm

Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 3:51 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.

my bold

Conflict of interest galore!

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:01 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.

In what way, specifically ?

He is certainly not a Director - evidence here: http://companycheck.co.uk/company/06739 ... ecretaries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:08 pm

Labour are ahead in the polls. You won't know it reading the article I've linked below but I'm gratified to see attention being drawn to the fact more women voting in this election will support Labour.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablo ... le-support" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:11 pm

pk1 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.
In what way, specifically ?

He is certainly not a Director - evidence here: http://companycheck.co.uk/company/06739 ... ecretaries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I believe he is a director of YouGov's Australian subsidiary.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:17 pm

@LabourEoin

‏@jolly_angelina

It was a post and a reply by the two people above. I've tried linking the page shot but can't manage it.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:17 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
pk1 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.
In what way, specifically ?

He is certainly not a Director - evidence here: http://companycheck.co.uk/company/06739 ... ecretaries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I believe he is a director of YouGov's Australian subsidiary.

Thanks TGS.

At least his connections won't tarnish yougov's UK reputation.

dit to add tweet dated May 2014:

Jim Pickard
‏@PickardJE
Crosby is listed as a director of YouGov Australia But it turns out that this has nothing to do with the London-based YouGov.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:18 pm

Here it is.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:29 pm

Nominations for the GE closed about half an hour ago - they remain open for the same day's local elections for another 24 hours (for some reason)

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:31 pm

Tish wrote:Owen Jones has pointed out on Twitter that "stabbed in the back" is a fairly well known anti Semitic meme.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stab-in-the-back_myth" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He's getting a lot of "oh woe, how could you sink so low as to suggest such a thing" type responses, but when you add it to all the other subtle little digs "North London" "metropolitan" " funny looking" it's increasingly hard not to read something into it.

As I've been saying for about 5 years or so, a lot of the anti Miliband propaganda is simply veiled anti Semiticism, the meeja meme that dare not speak its own name. It's embarrassingly unsubtle and when I first mentioned it online (over at the Guardian Talk replacement board) I was told that I was nuts and that it was my problem.

Apparently it turns out that it's not the case, and that anti-Semiticism goes unnoticed in wider political discourse. That's certainly an excellent and coherent explanation of the 'looks weird' meme. Miliband looks as though his parents may well have been ethnically Jewish. Hence he 'looks weird', hence the meeja and not a small section of the Tory party are out and out racists. Which they've hardly bother to hide, ever.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:38 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 15 mins15 minutes ago
Being said by @May2015NS that tonight's YouGov Scotland poll is "newsworthy" - whatever that means.
11 retweets 4 favourites
Reply Retweet11 Favourite4
More

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:49 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
citizenJA wrote:oh christ - speaking of playing...

http://i.guim.co.uk/media/w-620/h--/q-9 ... 9/1000.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

George Osborne works under a car being serviced at Hawkins garage, St Austell …
Insert own 'dipstick' joke here.

Clear breach of Health & Safety considerations - no hard hat

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:55 pm

@MSmithsonPB
LAB takes 6% lead wth Panelbase
LAB 37% (+4%), CON 31% (-2%), UKIP 16% (-1%), LD 8% (+1%), GRN 4% (-1%)

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:55 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Crosby's business interests. One of them is YouGov.

Have you got a source please, ohso? Not that I'm having a go at you btw, what with Cameron's nappies, Maggie's tax arrangements et al. I knew Nadhim Zahawi was a co-founder and former board member. Anyway as I was looking I came across this which although from July 2013 was still quite interesting and worth a reminder, not least his No. 10 access and only being a party, not government, advisor; David Cameron accused of hypocrisy over lobbyist’s visits: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3b934a92-ed6e ... z3WpLG3CD9

There was this bit in the Crosby-Textor Empire subsection.

Mr Crosby is a director of nine companies including Crosby Textor and its subsidiaries, as well as YouGov Australia Pty and EMRS, a Tasmanian-based polling company.

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:56 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

LAB takes 6% lead wth Panelbase LAB 37% (+4%), CON 31% (-2%), UKIP 16% (-1%), LD 8% (+1%), GRN 4% (-1%
5 retweets 1 favorite

I do hope this trend continues. What will NickyB make of it?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:58 pm

rearofthestore wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

LAB takes 6% lead wth Panelbase LAB 37% (+4%), CON 31% (-2%), UKIP 16% (-1%), LD 8% (+1%), GRN 4% (-1%
5 retweets 1 favorite
I do hope this trend continues. What will NickyB make of it?

Ha! His wings will certainly be clipped.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 4:59 pm

rearofthestore wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

LAB takes 6% lead wth Panelbase LAB 37% (+4%), CON 31% (-2%), UKIP 16% (-1%), LD 8% (+1%), GRN 4% (-1%
5 retweets 1 favorite
I do hope this trend continues. What will NickyB make of it?

It'll be because people are still on holiday - that's his latest excuse.

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:01 pm

This is definately a trend

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 39s39 seconds ago

Mirror Survation poll has LAB lead up to 4% Changes on April 3rd LAB 35%+2 CON 31% -1 UKIP 15% -3 LD 9% = GRN 4% +2

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:02 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rearofthestore wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

LAB takes 6% lead wth Panelbase LAB 37% (+4%), CON 31% (-2%), UKIP 16% (-1%), LD 8% (+1%), GRN 4% (-1%
5 retweets 1 favorite
I do hope this trend continues. What will NickyB make of it?
It'll be because people are still on holiday - that's his latest excuse.

File this one under outlier, but one that I prefer to be on the right side of. That said the Tory campaign is really shit.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:04 pm

One more national poll and a Scottish one to come out tonight, the Scottish one is supposed to be "interesting".

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:06 pm

And yes, the Tory campaign is utter shite, offering people 5 more years of shit, let them finish the job.

They can go **** themselves.

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:07 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 6m6 minutes ago

Ed overtakes Dave in Survation approval ratings

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

Methinks that Mr. Milband can expect even more ferocious attacks on him

Methinks he might be right!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:10 pm

Mike Watts retweeted
Britain Elects ‏@britainelects 2 mins2 minutes ago

Labour leads so far today:

Survation: 4% (+4)
TNS-BMRB: 3% (+4)
Panelbase: 6% (+6)

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:20 pm

BBC News24 reporter claiming that Michael Fallon was not speaking off-script but was following the agreed Conservative election strategy.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:21 pm

Well, its only a few polls - but still cheering.

Crosby's latest deadline for "crossover" - just after Easter - seems to have gone the same way as all the others

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:21 pm

The best laid plans eh!

Alastair Campbell ‏@campbellclaret 48s49 seconds ago

Hold on!!! According to @LyntonKCrosby plans this was the day the TORIES go into double digit poll leads. Oops http://www.alastaircampbell.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:21 pm

Speaking of YouGov, I've just come in from shopping to a new survey. After a few preliminary questions about political issues such as newspaper regulation and wealth taxes, it turned into a boring shopping survey about trains and businesses. That is, until the final question, which was about Ed Milliband standing against his brother for the Labour Leadership, and whether I thought more or less of him for it?

I've heavily marked the survey down for fairness and balance and asked where is the question about Cameron's incessant dragging of Ivan into NHS issues, or Farage's overt racism?

I really hate this country sometimes.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:22 pm

rearofthestore wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 6m6 minutes ago

Ed overtakes Dave in Survation approval ratings

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 2m2 minutes ago

Methinks that Mr. Milband can expect even more ferocious attacks on him
Methinks he might be right!

Long may they continue, on this present showing. He appears to thrive on them! I'm almost beginning to like Lynton Crosby.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:24 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 12 mins12 minutes ago
All the surveys have been internet polls. We haven't had a phone one for some time and those have tended to be better for the Tories

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:24 pm

@MSmithsonPB

YouGov Times poll finds 77% supporting plan to end Non Doms tax status with 20% opposing

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:26 pm

PorFavor wrote:BBC News24 reporter claiming that Michael Fallon was not speaking off-script but was following the agreed Conservative election strategy.

Yes, it's "Get Miliband. Don't talk about our policies just rubbish him at every opportunity."

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:28 pm

GE nomination statements are now trickling out, and it seems that UKIP have just failed to manage a full GB slate - there will be at least a few Scottish seats where they are absent.

(given the total chaos the Scottish party has been in for the past year or so, this is not a huge surprise)

One does wonder if Farage will offer any "advice" to voters in the seats where they are not standing

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:35 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 31 mins31 minutes ago

Methinks that Mr. Milband can expect even more ferocious attacks on him

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:39 pm

PorFavor wrote:The "billions of barrels" of oil which are thought to be to the north of Gatwick will probably need to be fracked. (From an item on BBC News24.)

Edited

Tidy up

Have got a 250 page essay that needs looking at ...

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:39 pm

What a surprise eh?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/emilyashton/adv ... f-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 09 Apr, 2015 5:40 pm

Whoops!

Big questions for Boris over billion dollar property deal

http://www.channel4.com/news/boris-john ... lbert-dock