Wednesday 4th May 2016

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 04 May, 2016 6:50 am

Morning all.

So Cruz has suspended his nomination, all eyes switch to the Democrats. With Sanders saying he's continuing until the convention, can Clinton make it over the line prior (ie without the superdelegates), it doesn't look likely.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 04 May, 2016 6:59 am

Doh. Date needs correcting.

Post by **refitman** » Wed 04 May, 2016 7:11 am

StephenDolan wrote:Doh. Date needs correcting.

Sorted.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Wed 04 May, 2016 7:46 am

Good morning, and a Happy Star Wars Day to one and all!

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 04 May, 2016 8:12 am

Good morning.

Much as I dislike Cruz, the world has just become a much scarier place now that Trump has no real opposition for the GOP nomination.

The Tweets of Laura Kuensservativeberg have been monitored by people who go in for that sort of thing. For 5 days, every single one has been on the subject of Corbyn and the anti-semitism row. Norman Smith and John Pienaar likewise.
I've been looking at the BBC News website, and there is nothing about the investigations into possible Tory election fraud. Plenty of other stories, but absolutely nothing on it - there are some old articles about Newark earlier this year, but nothing on the current accusations.

As the Electoral Commission is meeting with police today, you'd think our national broadcaster would have at least something on this.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 8:35 am

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hillsborough families criticise South Yorkshire PCC over inquest tactics

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 8:50 am

Barclays offers 0% deposit mortgage to home buyers
British high street bank increases the multiple of earnings against which people can borrow on its ‘family springboard’ mortgage
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... ome-buyers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's only for those who've got the help of the bank of mum and dad though. The divide is ever increasing.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:03 am

Barbara Keeley Retweeted
johannmalawana ‏@johannmalawana 36m36 minutes ago
johannmalawana Retweeted NHS Health Ed Eng
Desperation to fill posts. No further announcements on fill rates because of how appalling they are. Total disaster

NHS Health Ed Eng
‏@NHS_HealthEdEng
Foundation doctor posts available in England for drs eligible for full GMC registration. Apply before 11 May 2016.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:12 am

https://www.buzzfeed.com/sirajdatoo/a-m ... rtzer7YLDw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A mosque in Zac Goldsmith’s constituency has branded his campaign “deeply irresponsible” and warned his approach risks dividing communities in London.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:14 am

In Italy, the Supreme Court of Cassation (the highest appellate court in Italy) has ruled that stealing a small amount food is not a crime if you are poor and hungry.

Good.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:17 am

Good-morning, everyone

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:18 am

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/je ... rs-7890253" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jeremy Hunt has been blasted for using a “snapshot” of just 14 hospitals to figure out how many junior doctors work weekends.

Campaigners say the Tory Health Secretary’s “inadequate” evidence shows his plans for seven-day NHS working are a "castle built on sand".

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:55 am

Here's the (new, anti-establishment) Yorkshire Post again.

Exclusive: The links between South Yorkshire Police Hillsborough and Orgreave ‘cover-ups’ five years apart
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/cri ... -1-7890633" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 04 May, 2016 9:56 am

Willow904 wrote:https://www.buzzfeed.com/sirajdatoo/a-m ... rtzer7YLDw

A mosque in Zac Goldsmith’s constituency has branded his campaign “deeply irresponsible” and warned his approach risks dividing communities in London.

We can worry about the locals and the EUref, but we really don't need to worry about London.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 10:06 am

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is private equity really fit to run care homes?
Graham Ruddick

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 04 May, 2016 10:18 am

For a non political intervention the timing is somewhat, erm, political?

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 04 May, 2016 10:41 am

FOI request made by Ian James on the percentage of Mandatory Considerations/overturned ESA decisions refused.

whatdotheyknow.com

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 10:46 am

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

20 think tanks and campaigns rated for funding transparency
We asked 20 leading UK-based think tanks and political campaigns to disclose their major funders. Here are the results.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:10 am

HindleA wrote:http://whofundsyou.org/

20 think tanks and campaigns rated for funding transparency
We asked 20 leading UK-based think tanks and political campaigns to disclose their major funders. Here are the results.

Thank you for this, A.

Interesting to see the tendency of the more right-wing inclined think tanks to not disclose their donors......

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:10 am

Good morfternoon.

2m ago 11:04
Khan extending his lead over Goldsmith, poll suggests

That's good.

The poll also suggests that, if Boris Johnson were the Conservative candidate, he would beat Khan by by 41% to 39%.

But that's incomprehensible.

Both quotes are from Politics Live, Guardian.

Edited

"Good" for "God" (so to speak). And quote put right. I hope.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:18 am

Not that surprising that some have a rose tinted view of BoJo's mayoralty as it comes to a close.

Also, there will be those saying they would support a hypothetical Boris 3rd term bid as a way of expressing disapproval of Goldsmith's campaign.

After transfers, that surely suggests Khan and Johnson would be pretty much neck and neck? Encouraging, if anything......

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:23 am

PorFavor wrote:God morfternoon.

2m ago 11:04
Khan extending his lead over Goldsmith, poll suggests
That's good.

The poll also suggests that, if Boris Johnson were the Conservative candidate, he would beat Khan by by 41% to 39%.

But that's incomprehensible
Both quotes are from Politics Live, Guardian.

Just the usual incumbency effect I suspect. Boris is the devil you know. And he did manage a more balanced campaign against Livingstone, even while skewering him on tax returns. I don't remember him ever being as negative and while he attacked Ken personally, he didn't insult swathes of voters in the process as Goldsmith seems to have done.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:28 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
ephemerid wrote:Good morning.

Much as I dislike Cruz, the world has just become a much scarier place now that Trump has no real opposition for the GOP nomination.

The Tweets of Laura Kuensservativeberg have been monitored by people who go in for that sort of thing. For 5 days, every single one has been on the subject of Corbyn and the anti-semitism row. Norman Smith and John Pienaar likewise.
I've been looking at the BBC News website, and there is nothing about the investigations into possible Tory election fraud. Plenty of other stories, but absolutely nothing on it - there are some old articles about Newark earlier this year, but nothing on the current accusations.

As the Electoral Commission is meeting with police today, you'd think our national broadcaster would have at least something on this.
And the 'ongoing investigation' argument doesn't hold water given that the Beeb was happy to hang around filming live outside Cliff Richard's house while it was searched.

I have mixed feelings re the US Presidential race. I always regarded Cruz as somewhat scarier than Trump, and would be taken more seriously. But these are scary times.

Even my daughter who was 'for' Trump at the beginning has had second thoughts.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 04 May, 2016 11:35 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
ephemerid wrote:Good morning.

Much as I dislike Cruz, the world has just become a much scarier place now that Trump has no real opposition for the GOP nomination.

The Tweets of Laura Kuensservativeberg have been monitored by people who go in for that sort of thing. For 5 days, every single one has been on the subject of Corbyn and the anti-semitism row. Norman Smith and John Pienaar likewise.
I've been looking at the BBC News website, and there is nothing about the investigations into possible Tory election fraud. Plenty of other stories, but absolutely nothing on it - there are some old articles about Newark earlier this year, but nothing on the current accusations.

As the Electoral Commission is meeting with police today, you'd think our national broadcaster would have at least something on this.
And the 'ongoing investigation' argument doesn't hold water given that the Beeb was happy to hang around filming live outside Cliff Richard's house while it was searched.

I have mixed feelings re the US Presidential race. I always regarded Cruz as somewhat scarier than Trump, and would be taken more seriously. But these are scary times.

Looks like we are all going to have to get behind Hillary, even if many of us aren't far short of despising her. Still, quite a few felt a similar way about LBJ back in 1964.......

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 04 May, 2016 12:35 pm

The Green MP Caroline Lucas asks Cameron to define a “modal verb”.

Cameron says the whole point of these tests is to ensure that the next generation is better educated than we are. (Politics Live, Guardian)

So six year olds should be better educated than a 49 (?) year old privileged, Eton and Oxford educated Prime Minister?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 1:57 pm

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

Miners' strike: IPCC considers unredacted Orgreave report

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:06 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... e-mid-2013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UK construction sector sees slowest expansion since mid-2013

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:07 pm

Ah yes, "absolutely no recollection" - in other words, "you've got me bang to rights even if you can't actually prove it".

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:21 pm

PorFavor wrote:

The Green MP Caroline Lucas asks Cameron to define a “modal verb”.

Cameron says the whole point of these tests is to ensure that the next generation is better educated than we are. (Politics Live, Guardian)
So six year olds should be better educated than a 49 (?) year old privileged, Eton and Oxford educated Prime Minister?

He means better educated than us oiks....

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:27 pm

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 10451.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
'Cruel' government policies blamed for depression and stress levels at Department for Work and Pensions

We do not accept these findings .DWP staff will be shortly applying increased support to each other to iron out any difficulties they may have said a robotic bullshit generator.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:28 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
PorFavor wrote:

The Green MP Caroline Lucas asks Cameron to define a “modal verb”.

Cameron says the whole point of these tests is to ensure that the next generation is better educated than we are. (Politics Live, Guardian)
So six year olds should be better educated than a 49 (?) year old privileged, Eton and Oxford educated Prime Minister?
He means better educated than us oiks....

Ha! But this oik knows what a modal verb is (and much good it's done me). Whereas our glorious leader doesn't, seemingly. So I assumed he was covering up his ignorance by suggesting that children should be better educated than "even" himself.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:30 pm

Just seen a lesser redpoll on the feeder. First time.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:30 pm

I could have been a contender but for my ignorance of what a modal verb.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:33 pm

I have absolutely no recollection of ever hearing the phrase "modal verb" before today.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:34 pm

Shapps throws Feldman under the battle bus
http://order-order.com/2016/05/04/shapp ... attle-bus/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:34 pm

HindleA wrote:I have absolutely no recollection of ever hearing the phrase "modal verb" before today.

You haven't lived!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:36 pm

HindleA wrote:I could have been a contender but for my ignorance of what a modal verb.

It's what marks us out as 'low achievers' along with lack of scads of money PF.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:42 pm

I was educated in Scotland and comprehensive,not a grammar school.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:43 pm

Anna Turley MPVerified account
‏@annaturley
Jeremy Hunt just told off by speaker for sitting discourteously looking at his phone during health debate that he's refusing to speak in

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:44 pm

RR2 you are confusing me I thought you meant a lower lead for Labour on a twitter feed.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:49 pm

HindleA wrote:RR2 you are confusing me I thought you meant a lower lead for Labour on a twitter feed.

I suppose they're not quite as glaringly unmistakeable a subject as a speeding mallard HindleA.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:55 pm

Grammar experts,has A.Turley missed an apostrophe out prior to "phone" in lieu of "tele" or is this viewed as redundant?

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Wed 04 May, 2016 2:57 pm

PorFavor wrote:
HindleA wrote:I have absolutely no recollection of ever hearing the phrase "modal verb" before today.
You haven't lived!

Of course, here on the South Derbyshire Riviera, we know all about modal verbs. We do admittedly fret a bit over whether we're talking about deontic, epistemic or dynamic modality.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:06 pm

I wasn't deemed clever enough to go into the top echelons of English classes,nor indeed to be taught Latin,perhaps the select were taught such things.I content myself in doing the Times crossword in reasonable time-the beauty of cryptics is that you can construct the answer without knowing the definition,my brother was the top in English of the whole school,yet he can't get one-pah.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:06 pm

The following from Andrew Sparrow's blog is really interesting:

There was some confusion after PMQs about Jeremy Corbyn’s statement on Tuesday that: “We are not going to lose seats, we are looking to gain seats where we can.”

Asked whether he really meant this, an aide to the leader said Corbyn may have been “slightly misinterpreted”, adding that “what he said was that he said he would make no predictions about the number of seats to be won or lost.”

That assertion was challenged by the Daily Mirror’s political editor, who pointed out that Corbyn had clearly said Labour was “not going to lose seats”.

Corbyn’s aide clarified that the leader said in his previous sentence and elsewhere on many occasions that he was not going to make predictions about gains and losses.

Asked whether Corbyn had misspoken, the spokesman said: “I’m telling you what he intended to say. He was saying we are not in the business of losing seats.”

I listened to that entire interview yesterday and came away with the impression Corbyn had repeatedly insisted he wasn't going to make any seat predictions. I later read everywhere that Corbyn had said Labour wouldn't lose any seats and was confused as to where this had come from, to the point I commented on it here. The point I'm making is that if it was clear to me what Corbyn meant to say and appeared to be saying, how did journalists manage to not hear all the times he wouldn't be drawn but confidently reported the one mis-spoken sentence when he seemed to contradict himself without even double checking if they had heard it correctly? Surely it would be more factual to report him refusing to make predictions then point out he seemed to slip up and make a prediction after all. Instead this small snippet was reported as the entire gist of what he said, without context and, I believe, without quotation marks, as fact. No wonder I was so confused.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:07 pm

Tim Shipman ‏@ShippersUnbound 9m9 minutes ago
Tim Shipman Retweeted Katie Hopkins
The ghost of @DPJHodges laughs uncontrollably

Katie HopkinsVerified account
‏@KTHopkins
If Sadiq Khan wins London, I will run naked down Regent Street with a sausage up my bum in protest #LondonMayor2016

Possibly the only thing that might make me hope Khan doesn't win ...

Nah, not really (repulsive though that image is). Just hope it would be a major humiliating experience for her.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:12 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Tim Shipman ‏@ShippersUnbound 9m9 minutes ago
Tim Shipman Retweeted Katie Hopkins
The ghost of @DPJHodges laughs uncontrollably

Katie HopkinsVerified account
‏@KTHopkins
If Sadiq Khan wins London, I will run naked down Regent Street with a sausage up my bum in protest #LondonMayor2016
Possibly the only thing that might make me hope Khan doesn't win ...

Nah, not really (repulsive though that image is). Just hope it would be a major humiliating experience for her.

It's not like you have to watch or anything

Is that what Keith Vas was alluding to when eulogising on the importance of keeping promises?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:12 pm

A former Tory Parliamentary candidate says the Welsh Conservatives are anti-woman and racist
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/polit ... ar_twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... "As a life-long Conservative voter, and indeed the first Asian woman to even address a Welsh Conservative conference, I am fundamentally unable to cast a vote for the party I have supported since i was a teenager.

"I will firmly and proudly be casting a vote for Welsh Labour.”...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:31 pm

She has come in for a fair amount of abuse for her stand, brave lady.

Of course, if (as we all hope) Zac does indeed crash and burn, there will be lots emerging from the woodwork to agree......

TobyLatimer · Post by **TobyLatimer** » Wed 04 May, 2016 3:32 pm

What type of sausage ? i hope it is one of those long curly Cumberland things with extra pepper