Friday 10th April 2015

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:44 pm

I know you're all anxious to get word on the latest so, as I happened upon it as the Guardian website ricocheted about:

NicholasB
10m ago
1 2

Populus also have a 2% Labour Lead (31:33:8:16:6). The underlying position (Clipped Weighted Moving Average) seems to be a 1% Labour Lead but the short term trend since April 1 for the Labour Lead to increase is looking statistically very convincing (R^2=0.82 on 16 observations).

I would expect this to reverse as people get back from holiday next week and serious consideration of economic reality sets in. Previous Labour Bounces have all done this. But right now Labour seems to be on a real bounce, and with the election so close it will need a big correction in the next 3 weeks or so. We shall see... Guardian Election Blog - my emphasis)

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:44 pm

JP Janson De Couet ‏@ostercywriter 7 mins7 minutes ago

Eric Pickles is having his second car crash of the day and pretends "he can't hear what people are saying".

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:44 pm

Analysts have warned that the pound could fall further as financial markets react to the closest general election for more than 20 years and weaker than expected economic data.

Sterling fell to a five-year low of $1.4623 on Friday morning from $1.4802 on Thursday.

The drop followed signs of jitters in markets on Thursday as investors bought insurance against sharp swings in the value of the pound. The pound rose slightly against the euro this morning to €1.3820.

Currency traders were also unsettled by lower than expected industrial production in February that augured a growth slowdown in the UK economy. Industrial production rose just 0.1% in February due to a big fall in North Sea oil production. Economists had expected an increase of 0.3%.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... ncertainty" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(my bold)

No - absolutely not. It's not true.
It's not the UK election 'uncertainty' causing fiscal negatives.
If nothing else, five years ago the Tories received no majority & formed a coalition government with the LibDems. Don't be telling me it's the closest election in twenty god damned years. That's a lie.

The last paragraph bolded is closer to the truth but that wouldn't be good for Tory consumption, I guess, so, it's danced around & entitled something else.
Pound hits five-year low against dollar on election fears and weak data

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:52 pm

Michael Fallon should be put back in his cupboard, and left there, from a Tory point of view..

From mine he should have maximum coverage, I mean, Miliband rushes up to Scotland because Sturgeon has spoken, remind me, aren't politicians supposed to be of a reasonable intellect? He kind of goes against that?!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:52 pm

citizenJA wrote:
A major spike in air pollution across much of England poses a risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, health charities warned on Friday.

The government pushed its smog alert levels to “very high” - its most extreme pollution warning - for some parts of south east England.

In Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings the official advice is for all residents - regardless of their health - to reduce their physical exertion. Older people and children on Easter school holidays have been urged to avoid any strenuous activity at all.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... -charities" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My usual air quality checker isn't currently showing air quality for the UK available (website below)
The air is currently crap here in Stoke
My partner is asthmatic

http://aqicn.org/city/united-kingdom/ma ... iccadilly/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suffer sinus problems, hay fever and rhinitis. Like RR2, I've been really bad the last couple of days. I know it's spring, but the air quality is rapidly getting worse. Within days of cleaning the outside of my windows, they're filthy again. It's never been this bad.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:53 pm

A thought occurs to me (not that I find the theory which triggered it tenable) -

Don't Labour supporters go on holiday? I thought they were all feckless and lazy, and were thus more likely to be on holiday than most other people.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:54 pm

There's a woman (didn't catch her name, I'm afraid) on Daily Politics at the moment from the NHA party and she's really good. I'd definitely vote for her in Hunt's constituency. I hope she does well and gets enough votes to make a point.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 12:55 pm

I don't know how many of you read UKPR but for those that don't, I thought you would enjoy this particular post by somebody who goes under the moniker, Assiduosity:

On the ‘negative Conservative tactics’ of the current phase of the campaign, there appears to be a flawed internal justification for the present approach which is itself based on equally flawed use of qualitative data and partial reading of polling.

A number of commentators, both ‘impartial’ and firmly within the Conservative ‘tent’ have commented that alongside the – to date -highly negative polls on Miliband, great store is set by the campaign team on information gleaned from focus groups.

In fact I’ve heard / read a dozen or more reports of an anecdote that tells of members of focus groups ‘mentioning unprompted’ ‘Miliband’s treachery towards his brother’ and that this event is somehow evidence for the effectiveness of ‘backstabber’ type comments. In fact one journalist even ascribed the phrase to a focus group participant.

If really true, this is a total misunderstanding of focus groups, their uses and limitations.

Nothing is said ‘unprompted’ in a focus group.

Left to their own devices the people in a room will talk about the tea, coffee and sandwiches, their jobs, their families, themselves. The weather.

They were being prompted to talk about Ed Miliband. They were being asked to FOCUS on politics, something that most people do rarely.

Quite possibly, perhaps probably the human drama of Ed and David Miliband is the most memorable thing about the Labour leader for those who do not follow the political scene – consider all the ‘most remembered stories of the week polls’, human interest narratives: plane, train and car crashes, Jeremy Clarkson. A political story – like HSBC – must be everywhere for several days before it gains traction.

It may even be that people express a distaste for Miliband’s behaviour in the Labour leadership contest. However, that alone is not a basis to launch an attack. A politician launching a personal attack should ask themselves… How confident will people feel about joining the criticism? Can they perceive of themselves in similar circumstances to the person they are being invited to criticise? How serious do they consider the ‘offence’?

These can all be tested in focus groups.

Much psychological research – and political commentary, Lord Ashcroft is very adroit on this point, and has polling to support it – indicates that people are naturally disinclined to personal attacks on others, they need to be mightily persuaded that their own position is ‘moral’ or ‘good’, that the person being attacked is ‘immoral’ or ‘bad’ before the attack is considered ‘deserved’ and the person making the attack given credit rather than perceived as ‘unpleasant’.

It seems fairly straightforward that whilst people do recall Miliband vs Miliband and have their views on the matter (many negative) they do not equate any transgression they perceive as being equivalent with violent crime or murder (the metaphor deployed by Fallon) so are reluctant to join in with the florid opprobrium being poured on EM, in fact are likely to view the critic as the person stepping out of line with acceptable norms.

What’s more worrying in terms of the competence of the Conservative campaign is that the polls could have told them that an attack of this kind was likely to have limited effect, for Ed Miliband has consistently scored reasonably (not well) on softer, empathetic personal characteristics such us ‘understanding people like me’, ‘fairness’, ‘meaning well’ (if not being able to achieve it). These qualities are not consistent with ‘backstabber’.

This partial reading of polling evidence – something I pointed out previously in reaction to the budget – seems to be a general problem with Conservative strategy. Whilst playing your strengths – the nation’s economy, economic competence, leadership – and targeting your opponent’s weaknesses are necessary prerequisites to victory, neutralising or at least recognising your foe’s strengths is just as crucial.

Criticism is often made of Labour for not tackling the Conservatives on the economy, but it could be argued that ‘those with the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burden’ and ‘cost of living crisis’ are messages that at least attempt to cover this ground. The Conservatives – who seem to have dismissed Labour out of hand for so long – appear to have few or no messages to counter Labour’s areas of strength, which the polls consistently say are wider than the NHS and include education, fairness, ‘looking out for people like me’.

No doubt a realisation of the need for ‘softer’ ‘positive’ messages is what is causing the on-going re-writes of the Conservative manifesto, but the question is why has it taken so long when the polls have been saying quite clearly since 2013 that there were real policy areas of strength for Labour that needed to be tackled head on.

If you are going to go to all the bother of spending huge amounts of money and time on research, it would be seem sensible to act on all the results, not only those that fit your pre-determined campaign and communication strategy.

That said, there is still time, let’s not forget that in 1992 the Conservatives pretty much junked their whole election campaign blueprint a third of the way in and John Major got out his soap box…. will Cameron take to his trusty stead to tour the Shires?

April 10th, 2015 at 12:34 pm

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:05 pm

PorFavor wrote:I know you're all anxious to get word on the latest so, as I happened upon it as the Guardian website ricocheted about:

NicholasB
10m ago
1 2

Populus also have a 2% Labour Lead (31:33:8:16:6). The underlying position (Clipped Weighted Moving Average) seems to be a 1% Labour Lead but the short term trend since April 1 for the Labour Lead to increase is looking statistically very convincing (R^2=0.82 on 16 observations).

I would expect this to reverse as people get back from holiday next week and serious consideration of economic reality sets in. Previous Labour Bounces have all done this. But right now Labour seems to be on a real bounce, and with the election so close it will need a big correction in the next 3 weeks or so. We shall see... Guardian Election Blog - my emphasis)

The funniest thing is that even he has given up predicting crossover. Only took him three years to come to that realization.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:07 pm

@ pk1

This -

That said, there is still time, let’s not forget that in 1992 the Conservatives pretty much junked their whole election campaign blueprint a third of the way in and John Major got out his soap box…. will Cameron take to his trusty stead[sic] to tour the Shires?

I'm not sure that there is still time, though. This is surely a much shorter election campaign and I don't think the Conservatives have the luxury of being able to rip it up and start again - at least not to any great effect.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:10 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB ·
PaddyPower: http://bit.ly/I8PkIO" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Poll boost for LAB sees odds of Edm being returned PM fall from 5/4 to Evens over 24 hours

So money's going on Ed ?

SpinningHugo · Post by **SpinningHugo** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:14 pm

yahyah wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB ·
PaddyPower: http://bit.ly/I8PkIO" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Poll boost for LAB sees odds of Edm being returned PM fall from 5/4 to Evens over 24 hours

So money's going on Ed ?

Mine is. I just got Ed M to be PM after the election at 5/4.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:17 pm

Plaid have dug up something our Labour candidate said about English football fans when he was 20.

This is in an attempt to try and hit back after at their recent embarrassment when their candidate had headlines nationally about past scribblings about 'nazi' BNP English incomers.

Interesting though that Plaid have time to take a swipe at Huw Thomas, makes me wonder if they may be getting some positive feedback about Labour on the doorsteps.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:18 pm

Billy F retweeted

David Cameron ‏@DavidChameron 53 mins53 minutes ago

The Big Society initiative died today. Please let your thoughts be with me at this difficult time.

No flowers by request.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:24 pm

Oh dear....

Election 2015: Candidate suggested cars be damaged
By BBC News (UK) @BBCNews
Labour's Ceredigion election candidate apologises "wholeheartedly" for once suggesting Tippex could be thrown over cars displaying English flags.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-wales-32249455" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's the problem with nationalism....

Labour leafleting has been cancelled for the duration.
So, who will benefit here now ? Lib Dems & UKIP.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:25 pm

SpinningHugo wrote:
yahyah wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB ·
PaddyPower: http://bit.ly/I8PkIO" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Poll boost for LAB sees odds of Edm being returned PM fall from 5/4 to Evens over 24 hours

So money's going on Ed ?
Mine is. I just got Ed M to be PM after the election at 5/4.

Hope you collect the cash Hugo !

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:27 pm

PorFavor wrote:@ pk1

This -

That said, there is still time, let’s not forget that in 1992 the Conservatives pretty much junked their whole election campaign blueprint a third of the way in and John Major got out his soap box…. will Cameron take to his trusty stead[sic] to tour the Shires?
I'm not sure that there is still time, though. This is surely a much shorter election campaign and I don't think the Conservatives have the luxury of being able to rip it up and start again - at least not to any great effect.

Cameron seems to be doing a reverse Major so to speak.

He's in hot water here in Huddersfield for essentially refusing to speak to the Huddersfield Examiner during a flying visit to Colne Valley constituency yesterday. The local journos are NOT impressed.

He presumably thinks it's some insignificant northern rag. In fact the Examiner has been publishing on a daily basis for about 150 years and has a daily circulation of about 20,000. All of whom now know him to be a rude, boorish ****** The local Tories will be furious!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:29 pm

@CitizenJA

Here you go.

Health alert issued as 'very high' pollution clouds engulf parts of UK

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/health-alert-i ... uk-1495708

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:31 pm

@ PaulfromYorkshire

A Rojam?

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:34 pm

PorFavor wrote:@ pk1

This -

That said, there is still time, let’s not forget that in 1992 the Conservatives pretty much junked their whole election campaign blueprint a third of the way in and John Major got out his soap box…. will Cameron take to his trusty stead[sic] to tour the Shires?
I'm not sure that there is still time, though. This is surely a much shorter election campaign and I don't think the Conservatives have the luxury of being able to rip it up and start again - at least not to any great effect.

Still four weeks to go (nearly)

The difference, surely, is that back in 1992 CCHQ still had reasonably competent people in charge. Not to mention a "front man" who was much better liked than Cameron is, *and* much stronger organisation on the ground. Not many tales of them having to pay people to deliver leaflets back then......

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:37 pm

Lib Dem MP Mark Williams and his adoring side kick, Aberaeron mayor Elizabeth Evans, have played a canny game on Twitter, ignored the Plaid story and seem to be ignoring the one about our Labour candidate too.
Hate to give them credit but maybe that's something more politicians should do.

Edited to add...memo to self about it too.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:39 pm

Will Cameron be using Raisa as his trusty stead?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:40 pm

Couldn't resist posting this, found it on a local Lib Dem's twitter line.

Sea otters hold hands when asleep so they don't drift away.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:40 pm

ohsocynical wrote:@CitizenJA

Here you go.

Health alert issued as 'very high' pollution clouds engulf parts of UK

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/health-alert-i ... uk-1495708

Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI)
Manchester Piccadilly AQI: Manchester Piccadilly Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI).

-

no data
Updated on Tuesday 8:00
Temp: -°C

http://aqicn.org/city/united-kingdom/ma ... iccadilly/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hell of a time for the AQICN Air Pollution website to be receiving no data in the UK.

edited to add Europe map - the UK pollution monitors are down

http://aqicn.org/map/europe/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:42 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Will Cameron be using Raisa as his trusty stead?

Ha! Perhaps he'll be "chillaxing" as he is carried around on his (bed)stead.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:44 pm

@ yahyah

Aaaah! Thanks (I can't get to the button).

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:47 pm

Sorry, I've skewed the page, maybe a kind admin peep could re-size it please.

Just think we need to keep cheerful during this stressful time.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:50 pm

I know we have a few Portsmouth people here, so......

There are scurrilous rumours going round that LibDems are having to be bussed in from way outside Portsmouth South because most of the local activists there are still backing Han(dy)cock and sitting on their hands. It sounds almost too good to be true - any actual substance to it?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:53 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I know we have a few Portsmouth people here, so......

There are scurrilous rumours going round that LibDems are having to be bussed in from way outside Portsmouth South because most of the local activists there are still backing Han(dy)cock and sitting on their hands. It sounds almost too good to be true - any actual substance to it?

If I hear anything, I'll let you know. I'm a bit out of the loop for various reasons - not least because I moved all the way up the road into Portsmouth North. I'll check around.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:55 pm

Surprisingly balanced profile piece on Ed, written by Simon Hattenstone, up at the Graun. CCHQ interns arriving there in 5, 4, 3 ......

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... e-minister" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 1:58 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Surprisingly balanced profile piece on Ed, written by Simon Hattenstone, up at the Graun. CCHQ interns arriving there in 5, 4, 3 ......

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... e-minister" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wonder if the Tory interns are now posing as the Green/Labour are Red Tories brigade.

Remember all those 'vote Lib Dem, Labour are finished' posts in 2010 ?
How many of those posters just appeared in time to espouse splitting the left wing vote, never to be seen again ?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:08 pm

On the World at One just now Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative transport secretary, was unable to explain how the government would fund the volunteering pledge in the public sector. Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, had a similar problem on the Today programme. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the plan could cost the public sector up to £1bn.

You can tell that this has just been plucked from the air (or from down the side of the sofa as someone suggested).

Whereas in my job I could just leave the work there and pick it up when I got back if I had a day in school, you simply can't expect the same for the essential services. If my other half is off, someone has to cover the shift. Teacher not teaching require cover.

Utterly clueless.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:12 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
PorFavor wrote:@ pk1

This -

That said, there is still time, let’s not forget that in 1992 the Conservatives pretty much junked their whole election campaign blueprint a third of the way in and John Major got out his soap box…. will Cameron take to his trusty stead[sic] to tour the Shires?
I'm not sure that there is still time, though. This is surely a much shorter election campaign and I don't think the Conservatives have the luxury of being able to rip it up and start again - at least not to any great effect.
Actually 1992 campaign was shorter - called on 11 March, election on 9 April.

I don't think it will be possible for the Tories to turn it round in this way. In 1992, Major's appeal was a big part of the Tory success, and he had the ability to 'get on his soapbox' and engage with people. This election campaign has been so scripted and stage-managed that it offers little possibility to relax things - on WatO yesterday, a journalist who had been in the Tory battle bus described how Cameron had had no contact at all with any unvetted members of the public, and every aspect of the campaign was closely controlled. Moreover, I don't think Cameron has the ability to connect that Major had at the time - remember, even in 1997 when everything about Major's government was utterly shambolic, Major was still more popular than the Tory party. Cameron polls above his party, but not by a very great deal, IMO, and I can't imagine it's because of his common touch. Moreover, after 2010, I can imagine that none of the parties (apparently even Ukip is micromanaging everything) want a repeat of the Gillian Duffy incident. Nobody wants to be the one to lose the war in an afternoon.

I reckon the difference between then and now is we're all more aware of just how twisted and crooked the press are. They have far less influence over us. And a lot more of us are switched on to social media now. Strange to think of my first state of the art computer which I got in 95 and how we've moved on since then.

I reckon the Tories have never quite come to grips with how much power the internet wields or learnt to use it to their advantage. Even working class thicko's [me] have access to it.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:16 pm

yahyah wrote:Sorry, I've skewed the page, maybe a kind admin peep could re-size it please.

Just think we need to keep cheerful during this stressful time.

I think looking at something as beautiful and touching as that is a great stress reliever.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:21 pm

I've just received an e-mail from the Labour Party and it contained this interesting nugget of information -

We are now raising more money online from thousands of supporters like you than the Tories are getting from their hedge-fund millionaire friends.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:24 pm

I've got to go out for awhile
Wish me luck
I'll return soon
love
cJA

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:26 pm

citizenJA wrote:I've got to go out for awhile
Wish me luck
I'll return soon
love
cJA

Mind 'ow yer go! (Dixon of Dock Green)

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:29 pm

Nigel Farage backs Ukip candidate in sausage roll bribery row
Southampton Itchen candidate told to report to police accused of ‘treating’ after savouries were provided at event attended by snooker star Jimmy White

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immy-white

I can just imagine those living in foreign climes scratching their heads and wondering what a sausage roll is and how valuable.

Only in England.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:33 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Nigel Farage backs Ukip candidate in sausage roll bribery row
Southampton Itchen candidate told to report to police accused of ‘treating’ after savouries were provided at event attended by snooker star Jimmy White

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... immy-white
I can just imagine those living in foreign climes scratching their heads and wondering what a sausage roll is and how valuable.

Only in England.

Yes - I saw that story and thought it all a bit ludicrous.

Post by **refitman** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:36 pm

yahyah wrote:Sorry, I've skewed the page, maybe a kind admin peep could re-size it please.

Just think we need to keep cheerful during this stressful time.

Fixed.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:38 pm

One thing to remember now is that during the actual "short campaign" there are stricter rules on election spending.

This means Tory/LibDem incumbents who deluged their electors with stuff in the last few months are on a more level playing field now. And that means having an advantage in troops on the ground counts for more - generally good news for Labour (except in Scotland, of course!)

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:39 pm

Going to chuck it down tonight according to the BBC. Or a bit of drizzle from weather.co.uk. Who to believe?

Post by **refitman** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:47 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
On the World at One just now Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative transport secretary, was unable to explain how the government would fund the volunteering pledge in the public sector. Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, had a similar problem on the Today programme. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the plan could cost the public sector up to £1bn.
You can tell that this has just been plucked from the air (or from down the side of the sofa as someone suggested).

Whereas in my job I could just leave the work there and pick it up when I got back if I had a day in school, you simply can't expect the same for the essential services. If my other half is off, someone has to cover the shift. Teacher not teaching require cover.

Utterly clueless.

7 years (see my post on page 1) and they still haven't worked out the details properly.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:47 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:One thing to remember now is that during the actual "short campaign" there are stricter rules on election spending.

This means Tory/LibDem incumbents who deluged their electors with stuff in the last few months are on a more level playing field now. And that means having an advantage in troops on the ground counts for more - generally good news for Labour (except in Scotland, of course!)

Pleasing to see Labour up and running with their doorstepping well before the kick off date. It's paying off in spades.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 2:51 pm

The Hampstead Village idiot has come close to outdoing himself:

This may surprise you, but the Tories are delighted with how the campaign is going
Politics is a simple game in which people run around the country for five weeks. Then the Tories win

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... going.html

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 3:11 pm

danesclose wrote:The Hampstead Village idiot has come close to outdoing himself:

This may surprise you, but the Tories are delighted with how the campaign is going
Politics is a simple game in which people run around the country for five weeks. Then the Tories win
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... going.html

Possibly his funniest article yet. Maybe he can get a gig with the Beano?

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 3:16 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
danesclose wrote:The Hampstead Village idiot has come close to outdoing himself:

This may surprise you, but the Tories are delighted with how the campaign is going
Politics is a simple game in which people run around the country for five weeks. Then the Tories win
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... going.html

Possibly his funniest article yet. Maybe he can get a gig with the Beano?

Has he announced who he is voting for yet?

"it's with heavy heart, but.... "

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 3:17 pm

Actually that doesn't surprise me at all - but not for the reasons that DFH fondly imagines

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 3:20 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
danesclose wrote:The Hampstead Village idiot has come close to outdoing himself:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... going.html

Possibly his funniest article yet. Maybe he can get a gig with the Beano?
Has he announced who he is voting for yet?

"it's with heavy heart, but.... "

May 6th I reckon.

@AK, yes! :lol!:

Post by **refitman** » Fri 10 Apr, 2015 3:28 pm

danesclose wrote:The Hampstead Village idiot has come close to outdoing himself:

This may surprise you, but the Tories are delighted with how the campaign is going
Politics is a simple game in which people run around the country for five weeks. Then the Tories win
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general ... going.html

Umm...1997, 2001, 2005?

Or am I missing something (I haven't read the article).