Friday 24th April

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 11:47 am

[David Cameron said] In Lincoln there is a need for a new bypass. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP. (Guardian Election Blog)

I think he's completely lost his grip.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 11:53 am

PorFavor wrote:
[David Cameron said] In Lincoln there is a need for a new bypass. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP. (Guardian Election Blog)
I think he's completely lost his grip.

Certainly looks that way.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 11:54 am

I need a new sink strainer. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP? Go on, answer me that!

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 11:58 am

PorFavor wrote:I need a new sink strainer. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP? Go on, answer me that!

I need a new tea pot. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP? Go on, answer me that!

(I see a hashtag here......)

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:01 pm

Equally I was hoping to go on holiday. Perhaps even to Italy. The travel agent has just called to say that if Labour are dependent on the SNP I can forget it.

Post by **adam** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:01 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Political Pictures @PoliticalPics

Tory HQ this morning it's just like the grim reaper had visited never seen so many miserable people ! 13 days to go
10:06 AM - 24 Apr 2015 (Election Blog, Guardian at 10.10)
No sign of the Cheeky Shappy's bright little face.

(And no - I can't even attempt to paint a word picture for the refuseniks amongst us.)

Edited to add an "e"

They probably need it, and it is, as we know, less risky than horse riding.

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:03 pm

This is a bit random in regard to what's been posted so far this morning, but I was just wondering, does anyone know what all this talk of English only taxes and EVEL, and the attempts to argue that the SNP shouldn't be allowed to have a part in any new government is having in Wales? The Tories clearly don't care what effect these attempts to paint Scottish MPs as somehow inferior to their English counterparts are having amongst Scottish voters, seeing as they've only got the one seat anyway, but as they've got eight seats in Wales I would have thought they'd be a bit more careful about giving the impression that non English MPs are somehow less legitimate in Westminster.

The Tories seem to have spent the last week painting themselves as only interested in fighting for England against the evil macinations of the Scots, I don't think I've even heard them explain how Wales fits into any of this, it's like they've forgotten that there is another country in the UK, one where they still, amazingly, have a fair bit of support. I know there are a lot of people on here who live in Wales so I was just wondering, how are people there reacting to it all?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:04 pm

I'd like to know what items others here need that they'll be totally unable to acquire if Labour is dependent on the SNP. God, the enormity of the problems which might be looming on the horizon are quite terrifying. I can hear my voice rising hysterically as I type.

Oh, no - I need teabags. Help me someone . . . .

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:05 pm

PorFavor wrote:I'd like to know what items others here need that they'll be totally unable to acquire if Labour is dependent on the SNP. God, the enormity of the problems which might be looming on the horizon are quite terrifying. I can hear my voice rising hysterically as I type.

Oh, no - I need teabags. Help me someone . . . .

Empty Dave should tweet a few, to point out the sheer stupidity of it all.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:07 pm

PorFavor wrote:I'd like to know what items others here need that they'll be totally unable to acquire if Labour is dependent on the SNP. God, the enormity of the problems which might be looming on the horizon are quite terrifying. I can hear my voice rising hysterically as I type.

Oh, no - I need teabags. Help me someone . . . .

Teabags were the first to go I'm afraid. Just a whiff of Labour being dependent on the SNP and you can't get them for love nor money.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:15 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:
PorFavor wrote:I'd like to know what items others here need that they'll be totally unable to acquire if Labour is dependent on the SNP. God, the enormity of the problems which might be looming on the horizon are quite terrifying. I can hear my voice rising hysterically as I type.

Oh, no - I need teabags. Help me someone . . . .
Teabags were the first to go I'm afraid. Just a whiff of Labour being dependent on the SNP and you can't get them for love nor money.

I haven't seen many new season potatoes in the shops. My local greengrocer told me (you guessed it) that it was all to do with a potential Labour-SNP tie up

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:17 pm

Willow904 wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:Can we tweet Nick Robinson and ask him if he is going to report Labour's promise to spend more on the armed forces than the Tories?

It is what they are trying to hide.
If Nick Robinson falls for the Tories' dead cat, then he is very stupid (as, of course, with an election coming up, we know he will be scrupulously balanced at all times, so it wouldn't be bias, would it?!). Sparrow had no trouble seeing through it.

And here is the story CCHQ seems to be trying to knock off the bulletins (see 9.20am) - Ed Miliband saying Labour would protect defence more than the Tories.

I Tweeted earlier. Nick Robinson is an expert at subtle innuendos.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:25 pm

PorFavor wrote:I'd like to know what items others here need that they'll be totally unable to acquire if Labour is dependent on the SNP. God, the enormity of the problems which might be looming on the horizon are quite terrifying. I can hear my voice rising hysterically as I type.

Oh, no - I need teabags. Help me someone . . . .

Dinnae fash yerseln. Scotland'll provide ye's wi The World's Best Tea

Aye, First Prize in Paris' Salon du Thé Awards 2015 fae The Wee Tea Company's plantation in Dalreoch, Perthshire. Put that in ye's teapots an mash it

Swarthlander · Post by **Swarthlander** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:27 pm

O.M.G!!!

If Labour are dependent on the SNP - they will have to send the Royal Baby back.

Good afternoon.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:28 pm

bluetits courting at window birdfeeders - dancing and tweeting and feeding each other. Young love.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:29 pm

And again -

He[David Cameron] says Scotland “punches above its weight” in the UK. Look at the influence of Scottish entrepreneurs, or the Scottish role in the armed forces. (Guardian Election Blog]

Does he know what the expression "punches above its weight" means?

These are the outpourings of a gibbering idiot. Coupled with a kind of insult to the armed forces from Scotland which, by his reckoning, are a jumped-up rabble of would-bes.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:29 pm

Swarthlander wrote:O.M.G!!!

If Labour are dependent on the SNP - they will have to send the Royal Baby back.

Good afternoon.

Is that here yet? I thought she was in labour days ago. Or do these things take longer than that?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:34 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Swarthlander wrote:O.M.G!!!

If Labour are dependent on the SNP - they will have to send the Royal Baby back.

Good afternoon.
Is that here yet? I thought she was in labour days ago. Or do these things take longer than that?

Well, it would have arrived ages ago were it not for the fact that the mother-to-be is hanging on in case the country is run by Labour dependent on etc etc . . .

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:41 pm

Er - "Dave" is standing at a lectern in the pictures of his Lincoln (by-pass) address.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:44 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 20 mins20 minutes ago

Both YouGov and Populus showing 5.6^ CON to LAB swing in England & Wales. On a theoretical uniform swing that would mean 65 CON losses

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:46 pm

Has Nicola Sturgeon made a statement yet about the Lincoln by-pass?

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:46 pm

If Ed won't say it I will. Cameron and Clegg are responsible for the deaths in the Mediterranean because they withdrew funding for the rescue operations.

What a shame that our politics cannot speak the truth for fear of being attacked by the media.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:13 pm

I need to go to the loo at least once a day, often more. Will this be possible if Labour's under the tartan jackboot? I need to know.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:22 pm

frightful_oik wrote:I need to go to the loo at least once a day, often more. Will this be possible if Labour's under the tartan jackboot? I need to know.

Yes, but the SNP will insist on the reintroduction of IZAL Medicated loo roll

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:22 pm

The BBC is saying that HSBC's possible exit from the UK is all down to regulations etc - no mention of the EU.

Edited to add -

Ah - the business correspondent is now mentioning it - but it quite pointedly wasn't mentioned in the "headline".

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:26 pm

danesclose wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:I need to go to the loo at least once a day, often more. Will this be possible if Labour's under the tartan jackboot? I need to know.
Yes, but the SNP will insist on the reintroduction of IZAL Medicated loo roll

It made passable tracing paper, as I recall.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:32 pm

danesclose wrote:
frightful_oik wrote:I need to go to the loo at least once a day, often more. Will this be possible if Labour's under the tartan jackboot? I need to know.
Yes, but the SNP will insist on the reintroduction of IZAL Medicated loo roll

I can cope with that. It's the Daily Mail that fills me with fear.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:37 pm

mikems wrote:If Ed won't say it I will. Cameron and Clegg are responsible for the deaths in the Mediterranean because they withdrew funding for the rescue operations.

What a shame that our politics cannot speak the truth for fear of being attacked by the media.

Lance, a music student from Leeds, didn't seem to be afraid of putting the truth to David Cameron when he suggested his policy on the migrant situation last year was one of "let them drown" on the radio 1 Newsbeat show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0 ... id-cameron" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's about 11mins in. Cameron explains they reacted to rising numbers of migrants only for the numbers to keep rising - which is not the same as him being wrong, apparently, and completely skirts round the whole moral question of whether migrants should ever have been left to drown even if rescuing them did encourage more people to try. Just to make Cameron extra uncomfortable, Chris Smith then chimes in, just as Cameron is explaining how the situation in Libya needed to be stabilised, to ask how bombing Syria helps you stabilise it. Cameron gets all puffed up over how he could see how the situation in Benghazi was going, he had to avert a massacre blah, blah but ignores Chris Smith's further question about the issuing of arms exports licenses to Syria. Ultimately, this little gem of a show, that hardly anyone has heard, is the only time I've seen David Cameron properly questioned about these issues live, in person. His whole argument seems to be that he was right to stop a massacre in Benghazi and everything that has happened since is nothing to do with him, including the decision to cease search and rescue in the Med. Taking responsibility for his actions clearly isn't one of Cameron's strong points. It's always someone else's fault.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:40 pm

PorFavor wrote:The BBC is saying that HSBC's possible exit from the UK is all down to regulations etc - no mention of the EU.

Edited to add -

Ah - the business correspondent is now mentioning it - but it quite pointedly wasn't mentioned in the "headline".

No wonder Tory trolls are especially muddled on this issue on the politics blog over yonder.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:46 pm

Latest Populus VI:

Lab 35 (+1),
Con 32 (-),
LD 8 (-1),
UKIP 14 (-1),
Greens 5 (+1),
Others 6 (-).

Hurrah!

WelshIan · Post by **WelshIan** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:49 pm

I heard that the SNP, in any pact with Labour, will insist on Father Christmas delivering all of the presents to Scotland.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:51 pm

Willow904 wrote:Latest Populus VI:

Lab 35 (+1),
Con 32 (-),
LD 8 (-1),
UKIP 14 (-1),
Greens 5 (+1),
Others 6 (-).

Hurrah!

That's a sequence of 3, 2, 1 and 0 point leads in their most recent polls. Going in the right direction

Also a YouGov poll in London out showing Labour with a 12 point lead over the Tories.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:52 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
Willow904 wrote:Latest Populus VI:

Lab 35 (+1),
Con 32 (-),
LD 8 (-1),
UKIP 14 (-1),
Greens 5 (+1),
Others 6 (-).

Hurrah!
That's a sequence of 3, 2, 1 and 0 point leads in their most recent polls. Going in the right direction

Also a YouGov poll in London out showing Labour with a 12 point lead over the Tories.

Blinking metropolitan elite....

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:56 pm

My biggest fear:

mandating the wearing of kilts.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:57 pm

Milifandom arrives in Ipswich as election heats up

http://sudburyspy.com/politics/election ... n-heats-up" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:04 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
Willow904 wrote:Latest Populus VI:

Lab 35 (+1),
Con 32 (-),
LD 8 (-1),
UKIP 14 (-1),
Greens 5 (+1),
Others 6 (-).

Hurrah!
That's a sequence of 3, 2, 1 and 0 point leads in their most recent polls. Going in the right direction

Also a YouGov poll in London out showing Labour with a 12 point lead over the Tories.
Blinking metropolitan elite....

They'll be regretting it when Sturgeon insists that The Barbican puts on a season of The White Heather Club

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:05 pm

Ed Miliband's speech on Libya is measured and reasonable. And I really don't get the "don't politicise politics" crap.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:07 pm

PorFavor wrote:Ed Miliband's speech on Libya is measured and reasonable. And I really don't get the "don't politicise politics" crap.

I took the faux outrage from The Tories as a largely successful attempt to change the message away from the fact that Labour are promising to spend more on defence

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:07 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
[David Cameron said] In Lincoln there is a need for a new bypass. What chance is there of getting that if Labour is dependent on the SNP. (Guardian Election Blog)
I think he's completely lost his grip.
Well we all know that the SNP would insist the Lincoln bypass was routed direct to Glasgow.

Via Prestwick spaceport, of course.

http://www.spaceportscotland.org/news.asp

Prestwick looks a front runner for the UK’s first spaceport

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:12 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:My biggest fear:

mandating the wearing of kilts.

That could almost be a Sun headline:

"Man dates wearer of kilt by mistake"

onebuttonmonkey · Post by **onebuttonmonkey** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:30 pm

Afternoon. I'd missed Cameron's Idiotic Lincoln Bypass SNP Threat gambit, so thanks for that - it's beyond absurd, isn't it? It does make for an excellent punchline.

So I've I tidied up a couple of today's earlier rants, added your excellent "what chance of that happening if Labour is dependent on the SNP" line and some sneery pictures. It's here:

http://onebuttonmonkey.com/obm/2015/4/2 ... emise.html

You'll already have read it here, of course, but I'd much rather post a link here than over at the other place, which is... *sigh* Well, it isn't what it was, is it.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:53 pm

tinyclanger2 wrote:My biggest fear:

mandating the wearing of kilts.

Whereas that is what I'm most looking forward to

<:highland fling:

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:54 pm

danesclose wrote:
PorFavor wrote:Ed Miliband's speech on Libya is measured and reasonable. And I really don't get the "don't politicise politics" crap.
I took the faux outrage from The Tories as a largely successful attempt to change the message away from the fact that Labour are promising to spend more on defence

Apologies in advance for a 'what if' question - I don't mean to detract from the genuine optimism we've every right to feel now & I do feel optimistic based upon reality as we're experiencing it.

What kind of resistance will a (wealthy) vindictive minority launch against a democratically elected government? Will the ugliness get called off? Tory campaign strategy shows no sign of calling off their attacks. They'll shut up when they lose, right?

FuriousGeorge · Post by **FuriousGeorge** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:54 pm

Not sure where to start with this one....

[youtube]9Ep36luEld8[/youtube]

aw i cant work the youtube link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=48&v=9Ep36luEld8

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:57 pm

onebuttonmonkey wrote:Afternoon. I'd missed Cameron's Idiotic Lincoln Bypass SNP Threat gambit, so thanks for that - it's beyond absurd, isn't it? It does make for an excellent punchline.

So I've I tidied up a couple of today's earlier rants, added your excellent "what chance of that happening if Labour is dependent on the SNP" line and some sneery pictures. It's here:

http://onebuttonmonkey.com/obm/2015/4/2 ... emise.html

You'll already have read it here, of course, but I'd much rather post a link here than over at the other place, which is... *sigh* Well, it isn't what it was, is it.

Good piece again, hope you don't mind but I've linked to it elsewhere.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:58 pm

What kind of resistance will a (wealthy) vindictive minority launch against a democratically elected government? Will the ugliness get called off? Tory campaign strategy shows no sign of calling off their attacks. They'll shut up when they lose, right?

Traditionally they line up some sort of market turmoil - a run on the pound is favourite - to destabilise the economy and force Labour into retreat on social issues - see 1976 for example.

onebuttonmonkey · Post by **onebuttonmonkey** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 3:04 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
onebuttonmonkey wrote:Afternoon. I'd missed Cameron's Idiotic Lincoln Bypass SNP Threat gambit, so thanks for that - it's beyond absurd, isn't it? It does make for an excellent punchline.

So I've I tidied up a couple of today's earlier rants, added your excellent "what chance of that happening if Labour is dependent on the SNP" line and some sneery pictures. It's here:

http://onebuttonmonkey.com/obm/2015/4/2 ... emise.html

You'll already have read it here, of course, but I'd much rather post a link here than over at the other place, which is... *sigh* Well, it isn't what it was, is it.
Good piece again, hope you don't mind but I've linked to it elsewhere.

Absolutely don't mind at all - thanks for doing so, and feel free to share it wherever you'd like. I'm delighted if people enjoy reading my rantings.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 3:05 pm

mikems wrote:
What kind of resistance will a (wealthy) vindictive minority launch against a democratically elected government? Will the ugliness get called off? Tory campaign strategy shows no sign of calling off their attacks. They'll shut up when they lose, right?
Traditionally they line up some sort of market turmoil - a run on the pound is favourite - to destabilise the economy and force Labour into retreat on social issues - see 1976 for example.

Trying to make Labour retreat on social issues through traditional methods from the seventies might bite Tories in their collective ass. Just talk about renationalisation, Labour, that'll sort them out with haste.

The following isn't market turmoil in the sense you've described - I found it a few minutes ago.

Figures published on Thursday showed that 20% of homes in England were privately rented in 2014, double the proportion in 2002.

The number of households in the sector has been driven up by rising house prices and the recent credit crunch which have made it difficult to buy, and the reduction in social housing let by councils.

Private tenants facing highest rent increases in more than 18 months
Figures from ONS show rents on private homes in UK increased by 2.1% in year to March, driven by strong rises in London and rest of south-east

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/a ... -18-months" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 3:21 pm

mikems wrote:
What kind of resistance will a (wealthy) vindictive minority launch against a democratically elected government? Will the ugliness get called off? Tory campaign strategy shows no sign of calling off their attacks. They'll shut up when they lose, right?
Traditionally they line up some sort of market turmoil - a run on the pound is favourite - to destabilise the economy and force Labour into retreat on social issues - see 1976 for example.

Tory's will go into melt down the like of which will make Major's problems look mild, and be in no position to do anything.
"The markets" may try a bit of round the edges fiddling but with the global economy so unstable the last thing they will want is a rocky UK. With no fit tory party to speak of to take over if they forced the government out, they will be looking to smooth troubled waters, not smash waves around.

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 3:30 pm

Here's an interesting article from Owen Jones on the DUP, and how they are a far more alarming prospect to have in government than the SNP.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... homophobic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was thinking about this recently, would the Liberal Democrats really go into a multi party coallition with the Tories and the DUP? I know they're desperate to hang on to power, but the 8% of support that they've hung onto presumably comes from true Liberal believers, small state, do your own thing, freedom of speech libertarian types who would be even more appalled at going in with the old fashioned bigots of the DUP than their lefty supporters were at going with the Tories. Unless Clegg really does want to obliterate every bit of support they've got I can't really see them doing it.