Saturday 2nd, Sunday 3rd & Monday 4th May 2015

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 02 May, 2015 6:46 am

It looks like the royal baby will be here over the weekend. That gives Cameron 5 days to play to the cameras. I swear that if someone having a sprog ends up turning this election I'm emigrating to a less stupid country.

Morning everyone!

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 02 May, 2015 6:57 am

Interview with David Axelrod

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 19855.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:27 am

Morning all.

So even the Duchess of Cambridge, aka the royal brood mare, opts for labour.

In other news, UKIP have lost another one. Astonishing how many bad apples you can find in one barrel really.

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

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:34 am

Polite opinion assumes, then, that Mr Miliband is not being honest; that of course he will accept a call from Nicola Sturgeon on May 8; that sheer ambition will prevail. After all, short of an unprecedented change in public opinion, a Labour majority is not going to happen next week. My two bob is still on another election in the autumn, but that will keep. For now, there is something else for Ralph Miliband's son to consider: being dishonest with the voters is not a good start.

......

I know, from personal experience, that Ms Sturgeon has intrigued and excited people in England. They like what she has to say and the way she says it. Those voters ask some baffled questions. "What," they want to know, "is the real difference between the SNP and Labour?" I put on my best political anorak and reply, "Not as much as either party would have you believe, except in two things: austerity nonsense and Trident".
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/c ... .124941669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

This profoundly honest man appears to have had a brain fade. He somehow forgot to mention the SNPs desire to break up the union.

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:35 am

Morning all!

You probably all saw this on Twitter last night, but if not, my favourite Milifan video so far:

[youtube]FMpl7eDEeYg[/youtube]

Apols for the early morning Bonnie Tyler

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:39 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Morning all.

So even the Duchess of Cambridge, aka the royal brood mare, opts for labour.

Kevin Maguire ‏@Kevin_Maguire 16m16 minutes ago
Labour gain: Cambridge, Duchess of

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:46 am

Meanwhile here's Boris Johnson and his minders being slightly less successful with the ladies, Labour candidate Rupa Huq found herself manhandled away when she tried to have a discussion with the loveable rogue while he was campaigning in London

http://www.scoopnest.com/user/BBCNews/5 ... 1541269504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 7:51 am

Morning.

Was awake at 5.30 ruminating on the small part of the BBC Welsh debate I saw last night.

If anyone else watched it, and saw more, would be interested to have your more considered view if you have time.

Huw Edwards seemed a calm and neutral influence.
I've suspected he is a Liberal, he's spoken about Lloyd George being his political hero although his dad was an influential Welsh Nationalist. But he asked Kirsty Williams a strong question about the party's trustworthiness after tuition fees.

But the audience soundtrack seemed dominated by a small group of right wing males, groaning and sneering at any mention of the Bedroom Tax for example.
Wonder if that famed BBC neutrality was a bit askew again.

The Green leader, Pippa Bartolotti, was as usual quite barking.
She came across like an emotive, left wing Thatcher.
Her worst gaffe was very funny.
While getting steamed up and carried away on her own shouty rhetoric, she told us the Greens would cut taxes for millionaires !
Don't think she realised why she was laughed at.

Didn't see much of Owen Smith, and when it came to the NHS he was asked by Edwards to respond to some issues the other leaders & audience had raised. But he was cool and sensible.

Kirsty Williams was shrill and grumpy, much like her Westminster boss.
I want more females in politics but wish they wouldn't over play the emotion card as she, Wood & Bartolotti do. Am afraid I zoned out while Wood droned on.

The issue of audience participation surely needs looking at ?
The vocal effect of the right wingers in the audience, which had an influence beyond their numerical position in Welsh politics was very off putting, and bound to subliminally influence viewers.
Also thought it seemed co-ordinated by those doing it.

Maybe it would be best to have the audience in a different studio, and all audience sounds kept silenced if broadcasters cannot control them fairly ?

Also, when the public are allowed a say - who corrects them when wrong ?

A young woman opined about mental health treatment in Wales.
I don't know if she was a plant from one of Labour's rivals but she got heated about the fact that, according to her the Welsh mental health budget was only £1million. Bollocks I thought.
Just checked it, and even going by 2011/12 figures, from the Welsh Government website.

''Total expenditure for all programme budget categories was £5,427.5 million or £1,765.57 per head of the population. Expenditure in 2012-13 was 0.7 per cent higher than expenditure in 2011-12.
The largest single programme budget category was spending on mental health problems, which amounted to 11.4 per cent of the total.''
11.4% of £5,427.5million is a lot more than 1 million.
Yet it was allowed to stand uncorrected and viewers may go away thinking Welsh Labour are not bothering with mental health.

& RebeccaRiots - Stephen Crabb is indeed an unpleasant, smug individual.
Hadn't seen him in action before. Hope not to again.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:15 am

Salmond paying court to Murdoch.

Gotta love those new politics. The SNP are so different.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:15 am

Morning all.

Interesting snippet in the HMRC/HSBC Lagarde files case

'Jolyon Maugham QC, the barrister and tax expert who advised Labour on its plans to scrap Britain’s non-dom regime, is representing Avaaz in the case, along with law firm Leigh Day.

“HMRC’s handling of the HSBC leaks has attracted huge public and parliamentary interest,” said Maugham. “The high court should now have the opportunity to scrutinise what tax officials did and didn’t do.”'

HSBC files: UK tax officials under fire for allowing payment amnesty

http://gu.com/p/48298" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:16 am

Sorry, I hoped just the Salmond bit would come out from the Twitter pic I copied, not the other equally tawdry Sun stuff.

Surely the SNP/Murdoch love in should set alarm bells ringing amongst all those 'real socialists' in Scotland.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:18 am

Reports are yet to be confirmed of an extremely high profile drugs case in Westminster this morning. No names have been released but it is believed that a prominent statesman under a lot of pressure has been caught seeking a pick-me-up. It is also suggested that he has been less than cooperative asking don't they know who he is, but has been released pending further enquiries. An undisclosed source has said that officers repeatedly asked him to lift himself up during a strip-search. Rather than comply he stared blankly forward and rolled onto his toes.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:23 am

Tish wrote:Meanwhile here's Boris Johnson and his minders being slightly less successful with the ladies, Labour candidate Rupa Huq found herself manhandled away when she tried to have a discussion with the loveable rogue while he was campaigning in London

http://www.scoopnest.com/user/BBCNews/5 ... 1541269504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wondered if the brute force was hired help but it seems he is allegedly a Tory volunteer if this Twitpic is correct. Maybe someone in the media will ask for clarification and correction if necessary.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:23 am

Having wandered, both briefly and foolishly, btl in the G (don't worry, I wasn't in there long), I'd like to formally refute the notion that ignorance is "bliss".

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:31 am

Boris's rough minder's name is actually Karim Sacoor, not Karin.

He heads the Conservative Disability Group.
http://conservativedisabilitygroup.org.uk/?page_id=47" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But, am mindful of PK's warnings yesterday. It may just be his twin brother !

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:51 am

Found this quote from Empty Dave on the BBC News site:

Asked on BBC Breakfast about some direct questions from quite angry people in Thursday's Leaders' Question Time, Mr Cameron says:"I thought it was excellent. I thought it was just the sort of television programme we need - direct conversation with the voters without too much intermediation from anybody else."

Yeah I bet. Wouldn't want anyone making you answer the question would you. Helps to have an audience stuffed with supporters too.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 8:57 am

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... n-marginal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PF - its on the dark side, but you might find it interesting.

(edited to add, by which I mean in the G)

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:09 am

Will Self coming out for Labour this time too, first time since 1997.

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015 ... ing-labour" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting read about Wilde as well.
Glad to think people may be able to see Labour post-Blair.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:18 am

Spacedone wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Morning all.

So even the Duchess of Cambridge, aka the royal brood mare, opts for labour.
Kevin Maguire ‏@Kevin_Maguire 16m16 minutes ago
Labour gain: Cambridge, Duchess of

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:26 am

yahyah wrote:Sorry, I hoped just the Salmond bit would come out from the Twitter pic I copied, not the other equally tawdry Sun stuff.

Surely the SNP/Murdoch love in should set alarm bells ringing amongst all those 'real socialists' in Scotland.

Seemingly not. The stock response is "Nicola may have said she welcomes the Scottish Sun's (which has a different editor, so is acceptable) endorsement but at least she has held a copy in a cheap publicity stunt"; to which my response is ......

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:36 am

Spacedone wrote:It looks like the royal baby will be here over the weekend. That gives Cameron 5 days to play to the cameras. I swear that if someone having a sprog ends up turning this election I'm emigrating to a less stupid country.

Morning everyone!

So no chance of a baby James or Mary,
affecting the Scottish vote then?

(& gd.morning)

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:41 am

Morning all.

@yahyah.

Yeah, that Welsh debate ... Mr Riots watched it and I sort of heard it in the background. It didn't improve his humour. I suppose the thing I always try to remind myself is that the audience are people who've put themselves up for it ... so not properly representative of most folks. The hustings I've been to are similar ... we / they are the ones who mostly already have opinions and aren't going to be persuaded by much of what others say.

I am at a loss to understand why the Greens in Wales chose Bartolotti as their leader. They must have better spokespeople and leaders than she has proved herself to be. In the Euro elections I thought she got a rough deal by being included in the montage of snippet PPBs with the minor and less savoury parties so she came across as pretty out there. Now I realise that that is actually how she comes across regardless of the context. The strategy of standing parliamentary candidates in every seat rather than focusing resources on key areas is going to cost them a deal of money.

Crabb - as you say - is deeply unappealing. The only bit I allowed myself to hear was a young woman taking him to task for running down the health service in Wales and telling him that in her opinion the health service here is better than elsewhere. Good - and she got some applause. I will be out later today trying to do my bit to unseat Mr Crabb. It is depressing to think we could have five more years of him when I know that in the Labour candidate we've got someone who really will work hard on key issues affecting Pembrokeshire. Someone who's not in it for position ... but wants to do his best for the constituency. And who - if he's part of parliament on May 8th - will almost certainly mean that Labour will govern and the bedroom tax is a goner. That will be my Hallelujah moment - when I know that tax is consigned to the rubbish heap of bad, nay evil, coalition policies.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:56 am

Yahyah - I watched the Welsh leaders debates.

Pippa Bartolotti is hatstand barking crazy mad. She really is not a good advert for her party and they should get rid pronto.
She comes across as exactly the sort of Green we have so many of here in Hay - middle/upper class, playing at it, etc.
I like a lot of what the Greens have to say - but she is not simpatico in any way and never fails to grate.
I think she is doing her party and what it stands for a disservice. They really are better than that.

Leanne Wood did her usual schtick and I am getting a bit sick of it, to be honest.
The things she claims she wants will be delivered by a Labour government in Westminster.
She lacks something - I'm not sure what. And I hate the twinkling and winking.
She has boosted her personal profile, but all that "Team Wales" stuff won't translate into votes, IMHO.

Kirsty Williams did her damndest not to answer questions and big up what the LibDems have "achieved" in government.
I find her extremely irritating, and all she seemed to be able to talk about was being "fair" and not like the others.
I think she knows deep down that a lot of what she says isn't ringing true with many voters.
To her shame, she tried to whip up support by claiming the choice is Farage or the SNP. Disgraceful.

Nathan Gill is a patronising twat who called the others bureuacrats while being an MEP himself.
He exhorted people who want to put Britain first to vote UKIP. Prat.

Stephen Crabb is as oleaginous as his hair.
Nothing but the usual Tory soundbites, nothing new to offer.
Apart from expressing the view that Labour don't have "a divine right to rule" he was tedious in the extreme.

Owen Smith - I expected him to be a bit more passionate. He was very cool.
He was right to point out that only 2 parties have a realistic chance to form a government.
I think he could have done more.

The audience was weird, and I heard that groaning going on too.
Huw was OK.
No big surprises - I think there won't be many on Thursday either.

I'm hoping that Cardiff will go red again - Jenny Willots has to go, if only for her tacit support of Rennard and her failure to deal with the harassment complaints.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 02 May, 2015 9:59 am

tinyclanger2 wrote:
Polite opinion assumes, then, that Mr Miliband is not being honest; that of course he will accept a call from Nicola Sturgeon on May 8; that sheer ambition will prevail. After all, short of an unprecedented change in public opinion, a Labour majority is not going to happen next week. My two bob is still on another election in the autumn, but that will keep. For now, there is something else for Ralph Miliband's son to consider: being dishonest with the voters is not a good start.

......

I know, from personal experience, that Ms Sturgeon has intrigued and excited people in England. They like what she has to say and the way she says it. Those voters ask some baffled questions. "What," they want to know, "is the real difference between the SNP and Labour?" I put on my best political anorak and reply, "Not as much as either party would have you believe, except in two things: austerity nonsense and Trident".
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/c ... .124941669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?
This profoundly honest man appears to have had a brain fade. He somehow forgot to mention the SNPs desire to break up the union.

Ah - Ian Bell, writing in the Herald. Nothing biased there then.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:01 am

An interesting read, courtesy of my friend Boodge on another forum.

http://www.headoflegal.com/2015/04/19/e ... olas-keys/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:04 am

yahyah wrote:

Salmond paying court to Murdoch.

Gotta love those new politics. The SNP are so different.

Payback for publishing Salmond's memoirs of the referendum?

Hugh Andrew, managing director of Edinburgh-based Birlinn, the independent publisher, said that Mr Salmond had allowed himself to be “bought and sold for English gold” by choosing William Collins, an arm of Harper Collins, a subsidiary of Mr Murdoch’s News Corporation.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3713408

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:08 am

Ooh - I've been promoted to chief whip.

Get that main gate open you f****** plebs.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:10 am

For anyone interested ... here's a link to the video interviews with all the candidates in Preseli Pembs made by our fab new newspaper / media outlet the Pembrokeshire Herald. It shows what an interview can be like when there are no unnecessary interruptions ... and also shows what a great candidate Labour has here.

Video guide to candidates in Preseli Pembrokeshire
http://www.pembrokeshire-herald.com/159 ... rokeshire/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:12 am

Morning all. Just seen William Hague & his "young gentleman friend" at Darlington station

fedup59 · Post by **fedup59** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:21 am

yahyah wrote:

Salmond paying court to Murdoch.

Gotta love those new politics. The SNP are so different.

Okay I’ll buy it

Evil Emperor – Rupert
Peter Cushing character with a Death Star – tempted by Gove here more for the maniacal lunacy and his current mask fetish than anything else
Yoda’s not up to the double dealing required for his role in this production so I’m going on the basis that he has been replaced by canny Yoda clone (how easy is it to clone a rubber puppet?) while the real Yoda is being held in Barlinnie
The Princess Nicola has been confused by the fact that the evil plot is about a cosmic empire and not just Scotland so has to be saved from her confusion by the Scottish rebels (we said No last year but the evil emperor has whispered success in his sibilant way) so Luke and Hans have to come to the rescue.
I’ve agonised (as you do) about choices for Luke and Hans. Luke can’t be Ed cos then he’s be her brother (and we all know what that would mean) so I think I’ll go for Andy Burnham (mainly cos it makes me smile to think of him wielding his trusty light sabre in the cause of the right to health care!)
Which means that Ed is very definitely Hans Solo – challenging the accepted system, leading through doing and looking really good while he does.

Darth Vader defeated me for a while – they are all so possible but none seem feasible. I can’t see Dave doing it (everyone would be so horrid to him). George Osborne is a possible but somehow I can’t see him actually doing his own sabre wielding when you can pay for troops to do things like that, Nero would never have set fire to Rome himself. The thought of Jeremy as Darth just made laugh. It looks like it will have to be Linton but open for offers as it is obviously not cast yet.

Anyway those are my suggestions for the moment, any improvements welcome.

PS thanks for the Hero video Tish, cheered my morning- oh and good morning everyone

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:21 am

For the record nothing had come to me this morning but the above story, the last bit anyway, is based on something that actually happened to me. In somewhat similar to Rowley Birkin fashion, I'm afraid that I was very, very stoned at the time. The officers in question were not amused.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:25 am

Jonathan Portes ‏@jdportes 28m28 minutes ago
Commendably thorough correction by @thetimes of an absolutely disgraceful & misleading front page story

Click through to his twitter to see the pic that illustrates what he's talking about - a Times front page story that claimed Labour plans would saddle every working family with more than £1000 extra tax ... which is /was very far from the truth.
https://twitter.com/jdportes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But the correction is, needless to say, not on the front page - it's a tiny side column tucked away somewhere.

Jonathan Portes ‏@jdportes 15m15 minutes ago
To all those on my timeline who say this should be on page 1 too - Pl email http://www.ipso.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; who will rule idc pic.twitter.com/rQ1wiM2waT

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:34 am

For anyone wondering where IDS has been hiding ... in the Sun apparently.

Craig Woodhouse retweeted
Tim Gatt ‏@TimGatt 12m12 minutes ago
Iain Duncan Smith accuses Labour of "sneering" over low-paid jobs, in exclusive chat with @steve_hawkes #SunNation

: IDS Says Labour Sneering At Low Paid Jobs.jpg (40.7 KiB) Viewed 19779 times

I know who I think comes across as sneering from this episode ... and it ain't Labour.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:37 am

Huw Irranca-Davies ‏@IrrancaDaviesMP 17m17 minutes ago
Pity about the local weather on World Naked Gardening Day, otherwise ... still, I'm wrapping up warm and off campaigning instead

and so am I folks. Ta ta for now.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:42 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:An interesting read, courtesy of my friend Boodge on another forum.

http://www.headoflegal.com/2015/04/19/e ... olas-keys/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very interesting.
I think though there's one snag to all that. In the past PMs have done the 'right' or 'honourable' thing. David Cameron won't. He and his party will try every trick in the book to stay in office. He'll have to be hauled screaming and kicking from no 10.

Thankfully, I believe from reading a couple of articles not long ago, that Labour is aware of what he'll do and at least are preparing for a bumpy ride.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:52 am

yahyah wrote:
But, am mindful of PK's warnings yesterday. It may just be his twin brother !

Now now yahyah, some of you may mock my concern for the truth but imagine how any of you would feel if Ms Shuttleworth was the litigious sort like Lord McAlpine or George Galloway......

Just because it's on the t'internet, doesn't necessarily make it true & I'd hate for any of you to find yourselves having a libel writ served against you.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:55 am

Good morftertoon.

So - to sum up:

The Conservatives think that Labour should redraft its manifesto and rethink its whole philosophy just in case something comes up that the SNP might agree with.

@tinyclanger2

Thanks for the link to the interesting Guardian article (which, incidentally and not surprisingly, failed my punctuation test).

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 02 May, 2015 10:56 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:For anyone wondering where IDS has been hiding ... in the Sun apparently.

Craig Woodhouse retweeted
Tim Gatt ‏@TimGatt 12m12 minutes ago
Iain Duncan Smith accuses Labour of "sneering" over low-paid jobs, in exclusive chat with @steve_hawkes #SunNation

IDS Says Labour Sneering At Low Paid Jobs.jpg
I know who I think comes across as sneering from this episode ... and it ain't Labour.

A bit of a slip there too. He doesn't say working class, which is what you'd expect. He says middle class which I thought included professions like teaching and white collar work, many of whom would be expected to vote Conservative.

He really is a despicable snob because his background puts him firmly in the middle class.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:13 am

RobertSnozers wrote:... (Apologies if I seem ratty today by the way, I had a spat with a clueless Tory on Facebook last night and am still fuming at their ability to absorb Tory spin while seemingly remaining impervious to basic facts).

I don't do Facebook or suchlike, Robert, only the G... and here of course but no need for spats here (I resist the thanks button if I sense one developing). Anyway I no longer get worked up by them. Occasionally I'll respond to a particularly ignorant comment or to someone who just won't shut up, constantly shouting others down, but leave it at that. Either give them a link to non-partisan material that counters what they say or give a harsh or witty put down. If they're curmudgeon enough to come back with a final word just ignore them and just skip their comments in future, they're really not worth the upset. It's different of course if they engage in reasoned argument.

Edit: I don't know why I'm telling you this judging by what I remember of what you used to post at the G (re. Health and Social Care Bill), the getting upset bit I guess.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:17 am

So - Empty Dave is now promising pensioners he will ensure that the state pension will be £7,000PA by 2020.

Empty promise from an empty innumerate plonker.

First - the new state pension, only available to those claiming for the first time after 2016, is already due to be more than £7,000PA.

Second - the current state pension is protected by the triple lock. It is currently £6,029PA. It needs to rise by £1.41 a week every year of the next Parliament in order to reach £7,000PA.

Third - the annual rate rise for 2015/16 is £2.85 a week. That is based on one part of the triple lock, ie. a guaranteed rate rise of 2.5% PA irrespective of low inflation or low wage growth. Therefore the rate rise will always be a minimum of 2.5% of a rising pension award which is currently £115.95PW.

Therefore - even if there is no rise in inflation or wages higher than the guaranteed 2.5%, the pension will still reach the target of £7,000 by 2020.
It MUST rise by a minimum of £2.85 now, and a higher amount year on year. By 2020, it will be more than £7,000 a year anyway.

I am now wondering how many pensioners will buy into this. I doubt there will be many - people who are surviving on the state pension know exactly what it's worth and I just hope that they're not taken in by this flagrant attempt to bribe them with, erm, nothing.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:19 am

RobertSnozers wrote:Royal baby - 8.34

Rejoice and all that.

Republic now

Well timed in a way - the bank holiday weekend was always likely to see a bit of an election lull before the final push.

Its a girl, so not being named Edward alas

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:20 am

RobertSnozers wrote:Royal baby - 8.34

Rejoice and all that.

Republic now

Thank god she's done it on a Saturday when I can watch football all weekend instead of having the news channels shoving the sprog shoved down my throat.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:29 am

ephemerid wrote:So - Empty Dave is now promising pensioners he will ensure that the state pension will be £7,000PA by 2020.

Empty promise from an empty innumerate plonker.

First - the new state pension, only available to those claiming for the first time after 2016, is already due to be more than £7,000PA.

Second - the current state pension is protected by the triple lock. It is currently £6,029PA. It needs to rise by £1.41 a week every year of the next Parliament in order to reach £7,000PA.

Third - the annual rate rise for 2015/16 is £2.85 a week. That is based on one part of the triple lock, ie. a guaranteed rate rise of 2.5% PA irrespective of low inflation or low wage growth. Therefore the rate rise will always be a minimum of 2.5% of a rising pension award which is currently £115.95PW.

Therefore - even if there is no rise in inflation or wages higher than the guaranteed 2.5%, the pension will still reach the target of £7,000 by 2020.
It MUST rise by a minimum of £2.85 now, and a higher amount year on year. By 2020, it will be more than £7,000 a year anyway.

I am now wondering how many pensioners will buy into this. I doubt there will be many - people who are surviving on the state pension know exactly what it's worth and I just hope that they're not taken in by this flagrant attempt to bribe them with, erm, nothing.

Don't worry Ephie. Even if you're totally innumerate as I am, you know without a shadow of doubt there'll be a catch somewhere or fiddled figures.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:30 am

She's had it on the best date of the year. It's also my son's birthday

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:32 am

Though today's news does create a dilemma for all those Tory papers who had been planning to devote their final Sunday editions to banner anti-Labour/Ed headlines?

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:33 am

RobertSnozers wrote:Royal baby - 8.34

Rejoice and all that.

Republic now

Got my fingers crossed for them naming her Frogmella.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:37 am

pk1 wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:Royal baby - 8.34

Rejoice and all that.

Republic now
Thank god she's done it on a Saturday when I can watch football all weekend instead of having the news channels shoving the sprog shoved down my throat.

I'm guessing you will be rooting for Crystal Palace?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:37 am

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 3 hrs3 hours ago
@tingedfringe

If it is level pegging in England and Wales that represents a 5.1% CON to LAB swing since 2010

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:37 am

ohsocynical wrote:She's had it on the best date of the year. It's also my son's birthday

Happy birthday to Mr ohsocynical Jnr.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 02 May, 2015 11:47 am

Well, what a bumper day for great news.

Live in Portsmouth? You’re likely to die earlier (News)

Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown joins election campaign trail in Portsmouth South (News)

To William and Kate, a princess (News)

And, on the basis of that last quote, can they please name the child "Raspberry"?