Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Unfortunate pixel problem by BBC

Hays,

Before you rejoice to loudly over Godfrey Bloom's remarks, it may be reasonable to listen to the audience’s response and the "laughs" it produced.

Also, many of the UKIP and BNP will quite happy that "Michael Crick" received a paper whipping, often thinking his "provoking" style "justifies" a more physical response.

The following of both parties (UKIP and BNP) see themselves as outspoken, straight talking good old little Englanders, irritated by Political Correctness restrictions and defending their “rights” to say and “do” what they want.

The crudities or simplicities of Farage and Bloom have a appeal to many of those who see themselves as “Middle Englanders”. A large number of tories, who may denounce publicly the style of Farage and Bloom, but are privately sympathetic to what they think is the underlying messages.

I think Bloom’s remarks were politically stupid and Farage’s response to the bloomer, were maladroit.

It will be interesting to see what the long term effects on the polls over the next few months will be, but I guess very little and more dissenting tories will privately consider voting for UKIP in the next election.

======

As far as trusting Cameron or Farage is concerned, the mention of Cameron and Osborne produces a groan when you mention their name in public, while Farage at least produces a smile.

Not sure what they are smiling about.

DC - whatever the alleged intent, NF clearly considered it sufficiently serious - GB's second mega gaffe in a week! - to chuck the guy out of the party .... the media of course are having great fun, as would be (is!) the case when any politician drops a clanger (except "Plebgate" looks to be backfiring spectacularly)

NF is very very unhappy as it was meant to be a keystone of this conference to show that UKIP was not just a bunch of "fruitcakes and loonies" .... however, (effectively) in NF's own words, this has now caused severe structural damage to the party's "new" image, even if it hasn't holed it below the waterline

long-term damage? ..... not this one (or two) incident in itself, but a pretty severe setback nevertheless

I think the Bloom incident was a set up, Im sure Farage wanted it just to get more media recognition.

What Hays is forgetting is that the Euros come up before the general election and that will dictate what happens after.

I dont think UKIP will lose any support in fact I think they will gain support.

Farage is out to get the normal working class vote and all this having a pint in the pub etc etc hes trying to prove hes one of them.

Milliband certainly has to pull out the stops this week.

Should be an interesting week politicaly.

like so many of your comments, totally asinine, but then no surprise there

I think the average man in the street wont give a toss, indeed probably agrees.

What the average woman thinks is another matter, but I suspect they wont be burning their bra's down Whitehall any time soon.

Even the Gruaniad isn't making too much of it.

Yep agreed Max. I think hes trying to divert attention from labours confrence.

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BNP = British Nutters Party
EDL. =English Downright Loonies

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I realised that, but the names escaped me.

Around 130 people contracted a gastroenteritis-type illness on the Fred Olsen-operated Black Watch, so there are plans afoot to re-launch the boat as Black Death

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possibly exchanged for bunches of grapes?

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It is a ship. I was told off by the owner of the biggest ferry company in the world for calling his new ship a boat. He said that a boat might be used to get to a ship. I was invited to a ship launch abroad a few years ago by the ferry company that was a client. I asked him how long they had been in the ship building business as a family. He said it was a long time - about 400 years.

Hays,

If you are going in for Hays party abreviations, I would

suggest the the CON Party of the present stands for the Party of Confidence Tricksters


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GF.

I think the demeanour of Farage on hearing the "slut" comment, showed that he was to say the least "shocked" and "gutted" by the apparent stupidity.

I doubt, even for the publicity Nigel would have taken the risk.

I doubt that it will effect them long term and may lead to them tightening up their act.

======

I would like to be a fly on the wall at the next conversation of Nigel, George and a few others.

I hope they haven't downed too many pints when it occurs.

All talk to win votes, Utility bills, petrol, food etc are only going one way and that is up in price. Another £10 in the average mans wage is going to do nothing. One big con artist is Ed .



Labour Pledge To Tackle 'Cost Of Living Crisis'
Sky NewsSky News – 9 minutes ago..

Labour leader Ed Miliband has declared he will fight to tackle what he described as Britain's "cost of living crisis", as he set out his party's plans to help struggling households.

Taking to the streets of Brighton on the eve of his party's conference, he said if in power Labour would strengthen the national minimum wage and provide "childcare for parents who need it".

He also confirmed his promise to abolish the "bedroom tax" cut to housing benefit, and pledged an "economy that works for working people".

Mr Miliband accused David Cameron's Government of only standing up for the "privileged few", and promised those gathered for his street rally "a government that fights for you".

Addressing the crowd from a small platform, he said it was "wrong that millions of people in our country are going out to work unable to afford to bring up their families".

He attacked the Government for failing to take steps to help people struggling to cope with rising prices.

"Right across the country, from all walks of life, people are facing this cost of living crisis," he said.

"Living standards falling month after month after month. Gas and electric bills, train fares, petrol prices, the weekly food shop and a Prime Minister who refuses to act.

"Why does he refuse to act? He refuses to act because of who he stands for, he stands for just a privileged few at the top."

He went on: "The way a country succeeds is not just with a few at the top it's with what I call the forgotten wealth creators.

"The people who put in the hours, who do the work, who do two jobs, who do the shifts.

"They are the people we should be supporting in this country.

"That's how we tackle the cost of living crisis, that's how we have an economy that works for working people again in our country."

Labour is proposing to give the parents of primary school children guaranteed access to childcare between 8am to 6pm under its plans to help working families.

The initiative, which Labour is expected to say can he be paid for through existing central government funds, is one of several cost of living issues which are to be the focus of its conference.

Other policy pledges include strengthening the minimum wage in specific sectors such as retail and catering, as well as fresh action to crack down on energy bills.

Mr Miliband has appointed Alan Buckle, deputy chairman at accountants KPMG, to investigate how the role and powers of the Low Pay Commission could be extended to strengthen the minimum wage.

Mr Buckle will consult widely with employers and employee groups on ways to restore the value of the minimum wage so that it catches up with where it was in 2010.

He will also look at which particular sectors can afford to pay more.

Earlier, Mr Miliband, took a stroll along Brighton seafront with his wife Justine and children Daniel and Samuel.

Sky's Sophy Ridge, in Brighton, said: "I think this all does feed into the image that Ed Miliband wants to project of himself - somebody who's a family man, someone who's sticking up for hard-working people and the cost of living - particularly trying to appeal to female voters, who have become really crucial in the next election."

The conference comes as Mr Miliband has been forced to deny any involvement in attempts to smear opponents amid claims that "damaging" emails could have been sent by him to one of the key figures in a plot to attack senior Tories.

The potential link between Mr Miliband and Derek Draper, who was behind a proposed Labour-supporting political gossip website, is among the latest allegations in a memoir from Gordon Brown's former spin doctor.

The drip-feed of claims from Damian McBride threatens to overshadow the Labour Party conference despite Mr Miliband's efforts to seize the initiative by announcing he would scrap the "bedroom tax" if he wins the 2015 General Election.

In the latest extracts from Mr McBride's memoir Power Trip, being serialised in the Daily Mail, the former member of the Brown inner circle suggests Mr Miliband could "have problems" if any emails to Mr Draper became public.

Labour sources denied that Mr Miliband had any involvement in the proposed Red Rag website, which ultimately brought about the downfall of Mr McBride.

Compared with Muddy entering No 10 through the back door and Rebecca chumming up with Dodgy Dave it is nothing.

Forgetting about the Fox and the Hunt having seemingly strange dealings over TV and Arms.
Of course having Ashcroft pulling the strings is also a little suspect.

Laughable.