Tuesday 5th May 2015

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:04 pm

The Narksists and 45%ers make one almost yearn for the return of some old style right wing trolls.
At least some of them were fairly polite and had a sense of humour.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:09 pm

Evan Harris is tweeting this - but Sturgeon & Salmond should be there with Cameron.
They are directly benefiting from his support.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:14 pm

"The Tories are getting excited about this quote from Lucy Powell, vice chair of Labour’s election campaign. “Labour know Ed Miliband has no intention of keeping the promises he makes during the election campaign,” says Grant Shapps, the Conservative chairman.

Here is the quote:
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the fact that [Ed Miliband has] carved them [his promises] into stone means, you know, means that he will absolutely, you know, not going to break them or anything like that. "

From AS Blog

I heard it live and did think Oh Lucy! no o o... because I knew it was a trap, as Andrew say's

"To my ears, Powell was just making the (fairly obvious) point that the fact that Labour’s election pledges have been carved in stone will not, by itself, guarantee that they won’t be broken. But the BBC are running this as one of their lead items in the World at One news bulletin."

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:20 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
pk1 wrote:Ed has done a youtube interview with somebody whose channel is I understand, usually dedicated to beauty tips

Whether it's Ed or Lucy Powell or David Axelrod or just the campaign in general, I'm impressed with how Ed has found ways in to different audiences outside the usual 'Westminster bubble' media. Perhaps it's just necessary given how hostile the conventional media is, but Blair was good at avoiding the traditional five-minutes'-masochism in front of Humphreys or Paxman and cosying up on the BBC Breakfast sofa (with much bigger audiences) instead. Ed seems to have taken this one step further for the new media age.

It's very noticable how different it is from the way the Tories have tried to use the digital media, which seems to mainly consist of spending millions bombarding people with ads on YouTube and getting their supporters to Tweet identikit messages of support whenever Cameron is doing some big non digital event. I would have thought that the Tories would be a bit more savvy really, becouse they have a lot of digital media types supporting them, but they dont seem to have attempted to reach out to these new media outlets at all.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:24 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:"The Tories are getting excited about this quote from Lucy Powell, vice chair of Labour’s election campaign. “Labour know Ed Miliband has no intention of keeping the promises he makes during the election campaign,” says Grant Shapps, the Conservative chairman.

Here is the quote:
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the fact that [Ed Miliband has] carved them [his promises] into stone means, you know, means that he will absolutely, you know, not going to break them or anything like that. "

From AS Blog
I heard it live and did think Oh Lucy! no o o... because I knew it was a trap, as Andrew say's

"To my ears, Powell was just making the (fairly obvious) point that the fact that Labour’s election pledges have been carved in stone will not, by itself, guarantee that they won’t be broken. But the BBC are running this as one of their lead items in the World at One news bulletin."

I can just hear Craig Oliver on the phone to BBC news saying "You're running that as a top item or I'll get very cross. Oh, and I know where you live..."

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:30 pm

Warning this is a link to The Mail
(Its about voting in Scotland, not UK as a whole)

PETER HITCHENS: When Tebbit says vote Labour, you know something's gone very wrong
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... z3ZGaTN47C" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:33 pm

Good morfternoon.

I've just seen the Guardian's Joseph Harker (remember him?) interviewed on the BBC News Channel. He came across as a surprisingly personable bloke.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:36 pm

nickyinnorfolk wrote:
pk1 wrote:
PaulfromYorkshire wrote: Just a reminder that if Labour win in Hallam it will be the first time they have ever done so.

I'm still hoping though
I bloody well hope they do win because I staked some cash on a Coppard win at the bookies & Coppard has been a direct recipient of my (irregular) donations !
Let's hope enough SH Tories revert back to their normal mode of considering Clegg an EU worshipping pinko and think better of voting for him.

If Oliver Coppard doesn't win,suspect it will be close,
and still be an impressive feat,
especially with Hallam being historically considered a Tory stronghold.

What would be interesting is how much the polls affected the result, especially if Clegg gets back in due to Conservative tactical voting.
Was thinking about similarity with Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle, where the act observing something changes it's behaviour, but found a blog where someone had addressed this already:

http://arandomwalk.blogspot.com/2004/10 ... ciple.html

nickyinnorfolk · Post by **nickyinnorfolk** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:46 pm

RobertSnozers wrote: Some may have seen I've been reconsidering my boycott of the Guardian recently. My original thinking was to revisit after Kath Viner took over from Rusbridger but with the declaration for Labour I had more or less decided to start reading articles again, though I don't think I will ever go back to posting. As it happens, the decision has been taken out of my hands - the Guardian site won't load on my iPad. Which says it all, really.

I have that problem with the iPad as well - which considering they did all their market research for their horrendous makeover in some hipsters' cafe in Hoxton where everyone was wielding iPads and smartphones might seem a bit odd. But I suppose their cunning plan was that you need to subscribe to the iPad version of the Guardian if you want to read it without the site crashing after a few seconds.

RobertSnozers wrote:
yahyah wrote:The Narksists and 45%ers make one almost yearn for the return of some old style right wing trolls.
At least some of them were fairly polite and had a sense of humour.
Did they? Not to my recollection. I remember people saying 'you know what? I miss laverda. At least he meant what he said and wasn't just blindly parroting a party line'. Then laverda came back and everyone remembered what a bigoted, small-minded, offensive, angry, petty little arsehole he was.

Quite. Out of the troll contingency (I don't include Hugo) I can only think of RClayton who wasn't consistently stupid and rude, and even he could be a bit off sometimes. Some of Kipper Trolls were sort of entertaining in a perverse way - one called Sylviasprogeny (who'd frequently switch from Kipper to Scots Nat or a combination of the two) made numerous posts claiming Ed went to Eton, as part of her 'they're all the same' schtick - when it would have taken about 30 seconds to fact check that. I got the impression she (?) genuinely believed what she was saying, probably based on a Torygraph headline where BoJo described Ed as his former school mate (ie at Primrose Hill CE Primary School). That was no doubt the impression they hoped to convey to the hard of thinking. Numerous people pointed out to her that she was wrong, but she appeared not to get the message. Then eventually she did stop saying it. I bet she felt a right fool. Or maybe not ...

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:50 pm

Peter Jukes
‏@peterjukes Peter Jukes retweeted abby
The plot thickens. It seems @TheSunNewspaper lied about tracking down #milifandom Abby from the electoral register

Lied ? That's a shock.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:51 pm

Dentist checkup this morning and nothing needs doing,

so have brought a bar of chocolate and some water and tucked them into my handbag for Thursday.
Thursday I'm doing 11am - 1pm, and then 6pm probably until the polling station closes...so I'll need the choccy to keep my spirits up.

Also brought gin.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:56 pm

Caught a quick glimpse of a couple of tabloid headlines this morning, and for once they seemed fairly calm. One front page carried Ed's warning about losing thousands more nurses. Royal baby on another.

Lately the headlines have been so lurid they've smacked me between the eyes...Perhaps they're saving the best for Thursday?

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Tue 05 May, 2015 1:59 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Dentist checkup this morning and nothing needs doing, so have brought a bar of chocolate and some water and tucked them into my handbag for Thursday.
Thursday I'm doing 11am - 1pm, and then 6pm probably until the polling station closes...so I'll need the choccy to keep my spirits up.

Also brought gin.

Does oik's principle* not apply in Berkshire?

*states that: chocolate, once in one's possession, will be consumed within 10 minutes.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:06 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
yahyah wrote:The Narksists and 45%ers make one almost yearn for the return of some old style right wing trolls.
At least some of them were fairly polite and had a sense of humour.
Did they? Not to my recollection. I remember people saying 'you know what? I miss laverda. At least he meant what he said and wasn't just blindly parroting a party line'. Then laverda came back and everyone remembered what a bigoted, small-minded, offensive, angry, petty little arsehole he was.

Some may have seen I've been reconsidering my boycott of the Guardian recently. My original thinking was to revisit after Kath Viner took over from Rusbridger but with the declaration for Labour I had more or less decided to start reading articles again, though I don't think I will ever go back to posting. As it happens, the decision has been taken out of my hands - the Guardian site won't load on my iPad. Which says it all, really.

I never thought the day would come when I can say how much I miss notsopolitico ... and it still hasn't!!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:20 pm

frightful_oik wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:Dentist checkup this morning and nothing needs doing, so have brought a bar of chocolate and some water and tucked them into my handbag for Thursday.
Thursday I'm doing 11am - 1pm, and then 6pm probably until the polling station closes...so I'll need the choccy to keep my spirits up.

Also brought gin.
Does oik's principle* not apply in Berkshire?

*states that: chocolate, once in one's possession, will be consumed within 10 minutes.

I am Very Strong Willed. It's a pack of Aldi's smooth praline milk chocolate. Five little bars. I have been known to buy chocolate and forget all about it.

I've found it's good for insomnia...A couple of squares if I can't get to sleep seems to help.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:27 pm

I have had to stop watching the DP "welfare" debate.

IDS is lying and lying and lying.

I simply cannot bear it.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:28 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: Did they? Not to my recollection. I remember people saying 'you know what? I miss laverda. At least he meant what he said and wasn't just blindly parroting a party line'. Then laverda came back and everyone remembered what a bigoted, small-minded, offensive, angry, petty little arsehole he was.

Some may have seen I've been reconsidering my boycott of the Guardian recently. My original thinking was to revisit after Kath Viner took over from Rusbridger but with the declaration for Labour I had more or less decided to start reading articles again, though I don't think I will ever go back to posting. As it happens, the decision has been taken out of my hands - the Guardian site won't load on my iPad. Which says it all, really.
I never thought the day would come when I can say how much I miss notsopolitico ... and it still hasn't!!
How is rusty these days?

I've counted at least five Rusty 'hats' today (the style is unmistakable), so at least he is keeping busy.

In other news ...... remember the demo against Jim Murphy yesterday which did "not in any way involve SNP activists and was actually planned by Murphy/MI5/our lizard overlords"? It appears the SNP have now suspended the infamous Piers Doughty-Brown following his participation yesterday.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... wn-5639869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:38 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:"The Tories are getting excited about this quote from Lucy Powell, vice chair of Labour’s election campaign. “Labour know Ed Miliband has no intention of keeping the promises he makes during the election campaign,” says Grant Shapps, the Conservative chairman.

Here is the quote:
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the fact that [Ed Miliband has] carved them [his promises] into stone means, you know, means that he will absolutely, you know, not going to break them or anything like that. "

From AS Blog
I heard it live and did think Oh Lucy! no o o... because I knew it was a trap, as Andrew say's

"To my ears, Powell was just making the (fairly obvious) point that the fact that Labour’s election pledges have been carved in stone will not, by itself, guarantee that they won’t be broken. But the BBC are running this as one of their lead items in the World at One news bulletin."

Well of course, AngryAsWell, should any of Ed's advisors visit here or read btl at the G, then they should tell him to backtrack and take heed of my advice. After all I explained why Ed commissioned it and he should ask everyone don't they recognise a joke when they see one. Of course I claim no credit for this, I just have special sources otherwise known as the voices in my head.

Edit: inserted a missing 'it' after commissioned. Still don't proof-read but at least my typing is coming back... almost.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:41 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote: I never thought the day would come when I can say how much I miss notsopolitico ... and it still hasn't!!
How is rusty these days?
I've counted at least five Rusty 'hats' today (the style is unmistakable), so at least he is keeping busy.

In other news ...... remember the demo against Jim Murphy yesterday which did "not in any way involve SNP activists and was actually planned by Murphy/MI5/our lizard overlords"? It appears the SNP have now suspended the infamous Piers Doughty-Brown following his participation yesterday.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... wn-5639869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good.

Just worry that the horrible scenes, rather than encourage Scottish voters to vote against the SNP, will help the anti-Labour vote in England.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:44 pm

yahyah wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: How is rusty these days?
I've counted at least five Rusty 'hats' today (the style is unmistakable), so at least he is keeping busy.

In other news ...... remember the demo against Jim Murphy yesterday which did "not in any way involve SNP activists and was actually planned by Murphy/MI5/our lizard overlords"? It appears the SNP have now suspended the infamous Piers Doughty-Brown following his participation yesterday.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... wn-5639869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good.

Just worry that the horrible scenes, rather than encourage Scottish voters to vote against the SNP, will help the anti-Labour vote in England.

I think that most people in England will feel sympathy, and some admiration, for Murphy. I certainly do and I am no big fan of his

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:45 pm

I don't know why but this Tweet made me chuckle.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:47 pm

Afternoon.
I am having a lot of trouble with my tablet,it charges up when it wants to.And the battery drains when it is plugged in.Yikes,hope it behaves on Friday.Bought my new book to read on Friday if necessary,so all set otherwise.
Did anyone post yesterday about the citizen uk thingy?Where Clegg was received well?
That's as maybe,but Ed raised the roof and was given a standing ovation.
He was lovely in that YouTube interview ,thanks for posting it.Has anyone noticed the look in female eyes when they are next to Ed?Like they want to eat him up.
Last thing,in case I lose power again,how could Sturgeon say the thugs who stopped Murphy and Izzard from talki ng in the streets had nothing to do wit the SNP?Was she there?No.Oh,and yes,of course,they were SNP supporters. Hope,but don't expect,her to give a speech admitting she was wrong.

Edited to add,I am desperate to start reading my new book..nnooooo,stop me!!

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:54 pm

One final thing on the Independent endorsing the coalition - I expect Lebdevev thought he was being clever by having the i (and Sindie) not backing anybody, as if he could have his cake and eat it. I doubt if many who are genuinely naffed off about this will make any such fine distinctions, and the sales of all his papers will suffer

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 05 May, 2015 2:57 pm

Tory Wilson defends criticisms over 'lack of public appearances'

A CAVERSHAM resident has criticised Rob Wilson for not turning up to a husting event in the “heartland of his constituency”.

Rob Wilson said he likes to keep his Sunday's free to spend with his family
The Conservative candidate, who has held the Reading East since 2005, has also been picked up by opponents for what they describe as a lack of public appearances.

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... pearances/

I suspect this has been happening all over the country...

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:02 pm

If anyone had a stop-watch running on each of the people taking part in the DP Welfare Debate, I'd lay odds that IDS spoke for longer than any of the others! His take translated, roughly, as I'm right, all the others are wrong, everyone else's statistics are wrong, and it's all Labour's fault anyway because they crashed the economy.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:08 pm

Here's a little story about putting too much trust in opinion polls (and/or the way they're reported)

The SNP is the party most trusted on the NHS in Scotland, according to a new poll.

the second paragraph reads:

Almost a third of respondents trust the SNP most on the NHS, compared to 22 per cent for Labour, the Dods Research poll of 2,000 health workers UK-wide found.

So the poll was UK wide, but how many of the 2000 questioned actually responded isn't stated. If 'a third of respondents trust the SNP' either the geographic spread of respondents was skewed or a chunk of the responses were likely to be from people with no direct knowledge of the Scottish NHS.

Needless to say, the SNP and their supporters btl are over the moon.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “These are very welcome figures which show the high level of trust our hard-working NHS staff have in the SNP’s stewardship of our health service.
“With NHS staff numbers and the NHS budget in Scotland both standing at record highs, the SNP has a strong track record of delivery – but we are clear that there are still challenges facing our health service.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3763310

And for anybody who thinks the poll is credible:

HEALTH experts have warned the NHS will “fall apart” unless the Scottish government takes urgent action to tackle growing staff shortages.
The British Medical Association of Scotland have warned health chiefs that they must tackle recruitment problems which are scaring off consultants, GP’s and specialists.
Chairman Peter Bennie accused health chiefs of covering up the true extent of the shortages by counting temporary staff as permanent workers.
And he claimed that growing pressures on new doctors are forcing them to leave the NHS after completing their training.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/healt ... sh-5116888

Maeght · Post by **Maeght** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:18 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
yahyah wrote:The Narksists and 45%ers make one almost yearn for the return of some old style right wing trolls.
At least some of them were fairly polite and had a sense of humour.
Did they? Not to my recollection. I remember people saying 'you know what? I miss laverda. At least he meant what he said and wasn't just blindly parroting a party line'. Then laverda came back and everyone remembered what a bigoted, small-minded, offensive, angry, petty little arsehole he was.

Some may have seen I've been reconsidering my boycott of the Guardian recently. My original thinking was to revisit after Kath Viner took over from Rusbridger but with the declaration for Labour I had more or less decided to start reading articles again, though I don't think I will ever go back to posting. As it happens, the decision has been taken out of my hands - the Guardian site won't load on my iPad. Which says it all, really.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:20 pm

@peterjukes
WTF? £100 for your positive Tory story? @TheSunNewspaper perilously close to trying to buy votes this election

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:32 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
I think that most people in England will feel sympathy, and some admiration, for Murphy. I certainly do and I am no big fan of his

He doesn't look too worried in this picture.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3763386

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:35 pm

Peter Jukes
‏@peterjukes WTF? £100 for your positive Tory story? @TheSunNewspaper perilously close to trying to buy votes this election

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:35 pm

So Rupert Murdoch, Evgeny Lebedev, Barclay Brothers, Joan Collins all tell us to vote Tory and Katie Hopkins says she'll leave if Miliband wins.

Errr....

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:39 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:So Rupert Murdoch, Evgeny Lebedev, Barclay Brothers, Joan Collins all tell us to vote Tory and Katie Hopkins says she'll leave if Miliband wins.

Errr....

Oh, no! If I'd known, I'd have filled out my postal ballot differently. Too late now. Or can I do a Nigel Farage (ref the EU expenses thing)?

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:41 pm

pk1 wrote:
@peterjukes
WTF? £100 for your positive Tory story? @TheSunNewspaper perilously close to trying to buy votes this election

Ooops double post - sorry

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:43 pm

Andrew Spooner retweeted

Tim Reid ‏@TimReidBBC · 1 min1 minute ago
SNP suspend 2nd member over Glasgow protest yesterday. James Scott under "administrative suspension" pending investgation #ge2015

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:44 pm

So another SNP member is suspended re the Murphy protest yesterday - despite the SNP having nothing to do with it apparently.

Alan Roden ‏@AlanRoden 7m7 minutes ago
Leader of "Scottish Resistance" James Scott, an organiser of y'day's protest, has been placed under "administrative suspension" from #SNP

Past form (eg those SNP councillors who publicly burnt the Smith agreement who were quietly reinstated a few months after being suspended) tells us Sturgeon will probably readmit these members pdq as soon as it seems there is less focus on SNP activities.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:45 pm

Snap AAW. We're looking at the same stuff again ...

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:46 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
pk1 wrote:
@peterjukes
WTF? £100 for your positive Tory story? @TheSunNewspaper perilously close to trying to buy votes this election
Ooops double post - sorry

There doesn't seem to be any intention to verify these stories, either (which does, of course, leave them with the scope to simply make them up - which they'd never do, I realise).

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:49 pm

Iain Martin ‏@iainmartin1 1m1 minute ago
SNP suspends party members who organised yesterday's disgraceful anti-Murphy demo. SNP officials to charge them with getting caught...

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:52 pm

PorFavor wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:
pk1 wrote:
Ooops double post - sorry
There doesn't seem to be any intention to verify these stories, either (which does, of course, leave them with the scope to simply make them up - which they'd never do, I realise).

£100 for a short piece of fiction seems quite generous. Of course it would have to be declared to HMRC as income. If it wasn't for the requirement for a photo for that rag... Or maybe I could wear an Alex Salmond mask... Hmm...

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:55 pm

Dear Scum Journalists,

My name is A C Bastard, and I couldn't run my business without David Cameron's government. I work in packing and I am making a killing. Here is how:

I recruit my workforce from Eastern Europe using an agency.
I pay them minimum wage, to avoid prosecution, but I house them in sub-standard barely habitable Accomodation six to a room. Here is the best bit I also charge them rent, thus clawing back a chunk of my wage costs and making a huge profit.
Any complaints about working conditions, no worries I just fire them and get some new workers in.

Sure the locals don't like it, but I don't give a toss. Of course Ed Miliband would stop all of this tomorrow and then where would I be. Still that is why I pay my £500k to get special access to David Cameron's dinner club.

Dave Cameron I love him, now give me my £100 pounds.

Yours,

A.C. Bastard - Tory businessman, Tory donor.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 3:55 pm

We've got the wildest and most on / off weather today. Pelting down one moment and then brilliant sunshine the next. But the wind is up something fierce. I've had to work today despite whatever the sky chucks at me - because tomorrow is forecast to be much worse - gales and heavy rain. Mr Riots has gone off to do another canvassing session in Goodwick. Those marking up sheets are going to be absolutely sodden by the end of it - and so will he be in all likelihood.

However - Thursday is fried eggs all day as Mr Riots would say. Lovely little symbols of white cloud with a yellow sun in front all the way across the BBC weather chart. Let's hope that brings out as many voters as poss.

fedup59 · Post by **fedup59** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:00 pm

On the bus this morning two older men sitting behind, with one holding forth about politics and the other agreeing. Started out talking about how someone had asked him if he was voting Labour. His vote, his intention so nothing to do with anyone else. Then he went on to talk about how awful things were and nobody at Westminster knew anything about people's lives. I thought probably SNP then. Then talked about how things were better with Labour, more subsidies (I think he meant benefits) and it was good. I thought - ah Labour then. Then he went on to how socialism, fascism, communism and thatcherism were all the same and they all just let lots of immigrants into the country. In the end I had no idea who he might vote for but was really thankful that I was listening on a bus rather than participating in the conversation!

I didn't see many posters of any kind as we trundled through town and countryside (long bus ride), which is very unusual. Nothing on lamposts or in people's windows. Unless there is going to be a real poster splurge around here tomorrow it will be the least visual election I've ever seen.

I wonder if this will be the election where it was the Sun what lost it (as in Labour win because the Sun is doing so much to own us) - well I can live in Hope.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:00 pm

Eric_WLothian wrote: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/healt ... sh-5116888

That sounds remarkably like England under Jeremy Hunt. Unfilled consultant posts, reliance on expensive locums, can't get young doctors to be GPs.

One day I'll understand what the SNP are supposed to have done.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:00 pm

Torcuil Crichton ‏@Torcuil 10m10 minutes ago
@iainmartin1 As Clydebank bookburners show the penalty for suspension is promotion.

steve hawkes ‏@steve_hawkes 10m10 minutes ago
SNP has now suspended two people caught up in yesterday's scuffle with Jim Murphy... Sturgeon holds to line that nothing to do with them

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:05 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft final poll details
CON 32%, LAB 30%, LDEM 11%, UKIP 12%, GRN 7%

Labour unchanged, Tories down 4, still undoubtedly a load of old twaddle.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:06 pm

Eric_WLothian wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
I think that most people in England will feel sympathy, and some admiration, for Murphy. I certainly do and I am no big fan of his
He doesn't look too worried in this picture.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3763386

If he had any doubts about giving up his cushy Westminster seat to run for leader of Scottish Labour and having to try to get a seat in Holyrood instead, I suspect the way things are going, with the possibility of losing his Westminster seat anyway, he's probably thinking he's ended up with the best of a bad lot. And as it seems the only way for Scottish Labour from this point is up, he's going to take credit for something positive sometime down the road. It really can't get any worse, after all!

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:07 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft final poll details
CON 32%, LAB 30%, LDEM 11%, UKIP 12%, GRN 7%
Labour unchanged, Tories down 4, still undoubtedly a load of old twaddle.

Scope for Labour to squeeze both LibDems and Greens there

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:11 pm

Willow904 wrote:
Eric_WLothian wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:
I think that most people in England will feel sympathy, and some admiration, for Murphy. I certainly do and I am no big fan of his
He doesn't look too worried in this picture.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3763386
If he had any doubts about giving up his cushy Westminster seat to run for leader of Scottish Labour and having to try to get a seat in Holyrood instead, I suspect the way things are going, with the possibility of losing his Westminster seat anyway, he's probably thinking he's ended up with the best of a bad lot. And as it seems the only way for Scottish Labour from this point is up, he's going to take credit for something positive sometime down the road. It really can't get any worse, after all!

Indeed. With the numerous predictions of Labour around 265-270, are these based upon only a couple of Scottish MPs?

I've yet to hear Cameron asked whether ending up with less Conservative MPs in 2015 than 2010 is a resigning matter. He's opened himself up to this line of questioning with his 'legitimacy' rants.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:14 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft final poll details
CON 32%, LAB 30%, LDEM 11%, UKIP 12%, GRN 7%
Labour unchanged, Tories down 4, still undoubtedly a load of old twaddle.

Saw a comment on CIF today from someone who said they were planning to vote Labour having last cast their vote for Kinnock and asking if the polls were taking into account new and newly re-registered voters like themselves. It's an interesting question. I also wonder how many people are willing to do phone polls these days. I did a random one for Populus a few months back but they had to ring me 3 times before I was free enough to give up 10 minutes of my time - a lot of people wouldn't bother, I suspect.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 05 May, 2015 4:14 pm

Craig Murray is, of course, claiming that the picture of Jim Murphy managing to smile while the protestor screams in his face is photoshopped. It's all part of the big conspiracy. Reading that blog and BTL is deeply scary.

Herald in World’s Worst Photoshop
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives ... photoshop/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;