Bank Holiday Edition - Saturday 28th - Monday 30th May 2016

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 28 May, 2016 8:41 am

Morning.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 28 May, 2016 8:44 am

It would be a "very dangerous experiment" for the UK to give Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn power, Tony Blair has told the BBC's This Week's World.
The former Labour prime minister said the centre ground needed to work out how to recover and get "its mojo back".
He also said he had "real humility" about the decisions he took on Iraq.
Mr Blair said the dislike many felt for him was less to do with the Iraq War and more to do with him winning three general elections for Labour.
"There are people who disagree with me for reasons that they say are to do with, say, Iraq, but actually are to do with the fact I won three elections for the Labour Party and they didn't like it," he said...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36401105" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does that sound like 'humility' to you?

Speechless at the assumptions and assertions he's flinging around there. Is he still a member of the Labour party? Sheesh.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 8:54 am

I'm ignoring it for the sake of my blood pressure. Blair helped keep out the Tories for 13 years, am eternally grateful for that, but he isn't worth risking a stroke for now. He should retire gracefully with his money & Murdoch's romantic seconds.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 9:05 am

Just had our EU referendum postal ballot forms arrive in the post.
Feels real now.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Sat 28 May, 2016 9:50 am

Tony Blair: Corbyn government would be a dangerous experiment

Dangerous for who? Let me guess.

Current govt is dangerous, and it's no experiment.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 9:57 am

Jo Maugham QC ‏@JolyonMaugham 31m31 minutes ago

Every time Blair opens his mouth he starts a fight about the past. Amazing a decade can change a man from so very astute to so very dumb.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 28 May, 2016 9:58 am

rebeccariots2 wrote: Does that sound like 'humility' to you?

Speechless at the assumptions and assertions he's flinging around there. Is he still a member of the Labour party? Sheesh.

Yes.

One of the things we can expect if Chilcot is as many predict is demands for that to change. Oh joy.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Sat 28 May, 2016 10:19 am

Dangerous Experiment.
a.k.a Democracy

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Sat 28 May, 2016 10:20 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
It would be a "very dangerous experiment" for the UK to give Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn power, Tony Blair has told the BBC's This Week's World.
The former Labour prime minister said the centre ground needed to work out how to recover and get "its mojo back".
He also said he had "real humility" about the decisions he took on Iraq.
Mr Blair said the dislike many felt for him was less to do with the Iraq War and more to do with him winning three general elections for Labour.
"There are people who disagree with me for reasons that they say are to do with, say, Iraq, but actually are to do with the fact I won three elections for the Labour Party and they didn't like it," he said...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36401105" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Does that sound like 'humility' to you?

Speechless at the assumptions and assertions he's flinging around there. Is he still a member of the Labour party? Sheesh.

Sounds delusional to me, but then everything that's come out of Blair's mouth since he resigned as PM has sounded delusional. Was he ever really taken seriously as a politician? It seems completely implausible.

Post by **refitman** » Sat 28 May, 2016 10:51 am

Good piece by Delia Smith, of all people.

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

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 28 May, 2016 11:01 am

refitman wrote:Good piece by Delia Smith, of all people.

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

Long standing Labour supporter who was offered a peerage by Blair soon after Labour took power in 1997, but declined due to work commitments.

howsillyofme1 · Post by **howsillyofme1** » Sat 28 May, 2016 11:28 am

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
refitman wrote:Good piece by Delia Smith, of all people.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ot-working" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Long standing Labour supporter who was offered a peerage by Blair soon after Labour took power in 1997, but declined due to work commitments.

Good morning all

It seems that the positive reasons for staying in the EU are coming from the left. I know there are risks and these have to be highlighted but we should learn from the Scottish referendum there has to be a view that remain does not mean the status quo and the focus should be on reforming it to something better

The right focus on immigration and want to put in controls that may seem easy but have no chance in the long-term, especially in a world under pressure. The left are actually looking at the more important underlying issues - climate change being huge and then proxy wars, financial inequality etc.

The only way to challenge these threats is via global cooperation - it may not work but it should not be because we were afraid of trying

The Smith article was positive and actually if you see what is coming from Miliband (a climate change geek - in a lovely sense of the word), Corbyn, McDonnell and Lucas we see a more positive side. Momentum (for all the criticism thrown at them) seem to be trying to swing their supporters round.

I am a skeptic because of the technocratic approach of the EU but it is part of the solution and we are better in. Imagine where Eastern Europe would be going now without an EU to act as a restraint. With a binary choice 'In' is the only response but I want to see this as being a wake up call rather than indicating support of the status quo

Cameron offers no answers to the long-term issues

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

tinybgoat wrote:Dangerous Experiment.
a.k.a Democracy

If he gets in: Will of the majority.

Edited to add. In as much as FPP gives a majority.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 11:44 am

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ealth-help" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NHS 'turning away children referred for mental health help'
Reseach finds 28% of children referred for support in England – including some who had attempted suicide – received no help

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 28 May, 2016 11:45 am

ohsocynical wrote:
tinybgoat wrote:Dangerous Experiment.
a.k.a Democracy
If he gets in: Will of the majority.

Blair of all people must be aware of the restraints of office. The left can only implement what is achievable and if it is achievable, how is it "dangerous"? The only danger I see is disillusionment as a left-wing government struggles to live up to the hype, much as happened with Hollande's and a danger that Ed was only too aware of and careful to avoid.

As for Blair branding Corbyn "populist", isn't the basis of populist policy that it is popular? I thought the issue with Corbyn was that his policies weren't popular and no one would vote for them. The Blairite/Progress position has hitherto seemed to be mostly that Corbyn can't win, rather than his political ideals being inherently wrong. Suddenly Blair has him winning but with policies that would somehow hurt people, yet isn't that exactly what with have from the right in the shape of austerity and the evisceration of welfare for the most vulnerable? Whose side is Blair on has never been so pertinent a question.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 11:47 am

Spartacus ‏@AHairyBiker 8m8 minutes ago Poplar, London

So government thinks if we vote for Brexit it means they can go back and renegotiate from stronger platform. Maybe we should make it clear?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:26 pm

Willow904 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
tinybgoat wrote:Dangerous Experiment.
a.k.a Democracy
If he gets in: Will of the majority.
Blair of all people must be aware of the restraints of office. The left can only implement what is achievable and if it is achievable, how is it "dangerous"? The only danger I see is disillusionment as a left-wing government struggles to live up to the hype, much as happened with Hollande's and a danger that Ed was only too aware of and careful to avoid.

As for Blair branding Corbyn "populist", isn't the basis of populist policy that it is popular? I thought the issue with Corbyn was that his policies weren't popular and no one would vote for them. The Blairite/Progress position has hitherto seemed to be mostly that Corbyn can't win, rather than his political ideals being inherently wrong. Suddenly Blair has him winning but with policies that would somehow hurt people, yet isn't that exactly what with have from the right in the shape of austerity and the evisceration of welfare for the most vulnerable? Whose side is Blair on has never been so pertinent a question.

There was no bigger populist than Blair on some subjects. Albeit the policy was usually better than the rhetoric.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:33 pm

HMRC loses £50m Chelsea Barracks tax appeal to Qatar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36397905

Christ!

They've even sold Chelsea Barracks! I can't keep up with it.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:36 pm

The Twitter kangaroo court (including some people I respect) in full effect on Jackie Walker. Don't like it at all. Want to hear her defence.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:37 pm

‎Andrew Hardman‎ to Corbyn 50yrs+ Supporters Group
7 mins ·

I've just had my postal vote package for the coming referendum. In the envelope is my official ballot paper with it's instruction page attached plus a single leaflet from the VOTE LEAVE campaign. NOTHING from the remain campaign. Surely this is designed to sway my vote. Can this POSSIBLY be LEGAL???

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:39 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
‎Andrew Hardman‎ to Corbyn 50yrs+ Supporters Group
7 mins ·

I've just had my postal vote package for the coming referendum. In the envelope is my official ballot paper with it's instruction page attached plus a single leaflet from the VOTE LEAVE campaign. NOTHING from the remain campaign. Surely this is designed to sway my vote. Can this POSSIBLY be LEGAL???

An answer to this posted below the line...

Pam Crossland There should be no political stuff from either side in with postal ballots. It's not legal. Suggest you contact the returning officer at your local town hall, and if no joy there, then the electoral commission too.

Is this right?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 12:59 pm

Good-afternoon, everyone.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:00 pm

Special good-afternoon with baked goods and beverages to PorFavor and TobyLatimer

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:03 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
refitman wrote:Good piece by Delia Smith, of all people.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ot-working" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Long standing Labour supporter who was offered a peerage by Blair soon after Labour took power in 1997, but declined due to work commitments.

Brilliant
'I can't accept a peerage, I've too much work to do. Thank you for thinking of me.'

MsChin · Post by **MsChin** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:14 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
‎Andrew Hardman‎ to Corbyn 50yrs+ Supporters Group
7 mins ·

I've just had my postal vote package for the coming referendum. In the envelope is my official ballot paper with it's instruction page attached plus a single leaflet from the VOTE LEAVE campaign. NOTHING from the remain campaign. Surely this is designed to sway my vote. Can this POSSIBLY be LEGAL???

An answer to this posted below the line...

Pam Crossland There should be no political stuff from either side in with postal ballots. It's not legal. Suggest you contact the returning officer at your local town hall, and if no joy there, then the electoral commission too.

Is this right?

Don't think it's lawful, OhSo, not if it's political material in the same envelope.
Councils are not permitted to be political in their public functions and anything
to do with elections has to be impartial and follow the law to the letter. The person
who received it needs to contact the Monitoring Officer at the council - they deal with
legal stuff.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:45 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
‎Andrew Hardman‎ to Corbyn 50yrs+ Supporters Group
7 mins ·

I've just had my postal vote package for the coming referendum. In the envelope is my official ballot paper with it's instruction page attached plus a single leaflet from the VOTE LEAVE campaign. NOTHING from the remain campaign. Surely this is designed to sway my vote. Can this POSSIBLY be LEGAL???

Wonder which council that is ? My postal vote bumpf is just the official stuff to do with casting the vote

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:50 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote: Long standing Labour supporter who was offered a peerage by Blair soon after Labour took power in 1997, but declined due to work commitments.
Brilliant
'I can't accept a peerage, I've too much work to do. Thank you for thinking of me.'
Too busy getting tipsy and trolling the crowd at Norwich City

She boils a mean egg though

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:54 pm

No Internet Access ‘Leading To Sanctions’

https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-b ... -sanctions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:56 pm

Maybe this will help left wing undecideds:

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

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 1:56 pm

Éoin ‏@LabourEoin May 27 Belfast, Northern Ireland

28 Tory MPs now being investigated by 19 Police Forces for Election Fraud. Just yesterday, 4 police forces escalated

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:03 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
mbc1955 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Does that sound like 'humility' to you?

Speechless at the assumptions and assertions he's flinging around there. Is he still a member of the Labour party? Sheesh.
Sounds delusional to me, but then everything that's come out of Blair's mouth since he resigned as PM has sounded delusional. Was he ever really taken seriously as a politician? It seems completely implausible.
Does he honestly think this is helping Labour? He probably did more than any other person to drive soft left members into the arms of Corbyn. Is he trying to reinforce his 'Labour only won because of me' 'legacy'? The best thing Blair can do for his legacy would be to STFU and hope that in years to come people remember the early stuff, forgetting foundation trusts, Iraq, academies, overreliance on PFI, Iraq, tuition fees, deregulation, Iraq... And he REALLY needs to shut up about the Middle East.

I saw this last night, but no comments were allowed.

I thought exactly the same - 'Does he think he's helping?'. My next thought was perhaps he's ill, he's having difficulty
understanding boundaries and would benefit from seeing a psychiatrist or neurologist. I'm serious, it's not a joke.
It may be the press report everything coming out of him. Regardless of the reason, I don't think these interventions
from the former Labour leader are appropriate.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:08 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... -hampshire" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Horrible, there are some sick people around.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:12 pm

Off to hunt for slugs. May be some time.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:15 pm

ohsocynical wrote:No Internet Access ‘Leading To Sanctions’

https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-b ... -sanctions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I knew it would happen.

ONS - Household internet access

In 2015, 86% of households in Great Britain (22.5 million) had an internet connection.

For households with one adult aged 65 or over, only 49% had internet access.
In contrast 80% of households with only one adult aged 16 to 64 years, had internet access.

In 2015, of the 14% of households in Great Britain with no internet access, 31% reported that this was due to a lack of skills.
Further barriers reported included equipment costs being too high (14%) and access costs being too high (12%), while 53%
of households without internet access reported that this was because they didn’t need it.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationa ... net-access" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(my bold)

Those are sizeable demographic groups without reliable Internet access.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:16 pm

yahyah wrote:Off to hunt for slugs. May be some time.

Good luck.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:19 pm

Longhairedgit ‏@lhgmk2 29m29 minutes ago

I'll never be king. Wise though I would be, I'd have a cabinet of dark things. One would be Tony Blair's tongue in a fucking jar.

Quote of the month

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:29 pm

Popped back to post this:

Post by **refitman** » Sat 28 May, 2016 2:35 pm

yahyah wrote:Popped back to post this:

[youtube]s6jYoagXmZE[/youtube]
" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:17 pm

The Independent @Independent
Ken Livingstone has been fired from his weekly LBC show http://ind.pn/25s94S" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Michael Dugher MP ‏@MichaelDugher 31m31 minutes ago
Michael Dugher MP Retweeted The Independent
Good.
Michael Dugher MP added,

Sorry but everytime I read one of Dughers Tweets I get a strong urge to stick the toe of my shoe up his arse.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:22 pm

Éoin ‏@LabourEoin 20h20 hours ago

Political activists from 5 political parties are now working on investigating Tory Election Fraud. 6 news outlets are also now investigating

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:24 pm

"Steel-capped ?"

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:34 pm

HindleA wrote:"Steel-capped ?"

And studs !

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:35 pm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/te ... ng-8065125" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Terrified mum films rat scuttling around infested council flat she was forced into by Bedroom Tax

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:41 pm

Wasted time interacting with Andrew Old.

I don't like him at all. Said people expelled from school were all "dangerous criminals" on the basis that lots go to prison later. And gave it really large v an anti-semitic phrase on Facebook (by Jackie Walker) while not being at all bothered by the PM and Tory candidate for Mayor of London being consistently anti-semitic.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 3:48 pm

How much are academy trusts top-slicing from schools?

Multi-academy trusts top-slice a percentage of income from their schools’ budgets to fund their operational costs. That includes paying central staff, such as the chief executive, and providing services for their academies, such as school improvement, human resources and financial services.

A Schools Week investigation has also found how trusts have skimmed cash from pupil premium funds, raided their schools’ reserves and built up their own cash supply

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/top-slice-how-much-do-you-pay/

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 28 May, 2016 4:04 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Wasted time interacting with Andrew Old.

I don't like him at all. Said people expelled from school were all "dangerous criminals" on the basis that lots go to prison later. And gave it really large v an anti-semitic phrase on Facebook (by Jackie Walker) while not being at all bothered by the PM and Tory candidate for Mayor of London being consistently anti-semitic.

Pleased to say that I have no idea who he is.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 28 May, 2016 4:05 pm

Or Nobel Prize winners for Physics-expel them all!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 28 May, 2016 4:08 pm

Kevin Schofield @PolhomeEditor
NEW: Fresh Labour anti-Semitism row after leading activist re-instated to party http://bit.ly/1UbuTu6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Michael Dugher MP ‏@MichaelDugher 2h2 hours ago
Michael Dugher MP Retweeted Kevin Schofield
I think we are owed a full and proper explanation as to why this person has been readmitted to the Labour Party.Michael Dugher MP added,

jolly_angelina ‏@jolly_angelina 37m37 minutes ago
@MichaelDugher Try to keep up. It was all a set-up. Shame on any who gave it agenda driven oxygen

Dugher should watch his blood pressure. That much bile is really bad for you.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 28 May, 2016 4:10 pm

I note Jackie Walker is Jewish, and her partner.

What she said was wrong and evokes a racist trope. But I'd like to see more than a Facebook post as evidence she's anti-semitic.

You might wish to compare what happens when black Britons and Muslim Britons go out on a limb against their own group, and stray into ignorant racist tropes. The Right tend to treat them as "they're telling it how it really is". The left criticize them as fools, at worse. Nobody wants them expelled from political parties.

See eg Trevor Phillips (stick low achieving black boys in class on their own) and Khalid Mahmoud (who reckoned, on no obvious evidence, that far more Muslim Britons were fighting for ISIL than anyone else).

This all stinks.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 28 May, 2016 4:12 pm

The important thing to me with Walker, as for others caught up in this, is that they realise they have been stupid and know that they shouldn't do it again.

Expulsion should be reserved for unrepentant repeat offenders IMO.