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.

Hays Hays Hays.......

electionista‏@electionista8h
UK - YouGov/Sun poll: CON 34%, LAB 40%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 11%


still not making inroads are you despite the nasty tricks deployed by your nasty man Linton Crosby over Unite.

Dont worry Labour in a few weeks time will do the same with Pritchard and take a 20 point lead.

Portsmouth is being sacrificed to save the Union



By Con Coughlin Politics
Last updated: November 6th, 2013





The Government's decision to end centuries of shipbuilding at Portsmouth is going to leave a very nasty taste indeed in the mouths of the hundreds of workers who are about to lose their jobs.

At a time when Portsmouth's shipyard workers are helping to build the two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the decision is nothing less than an insult to the huge effort they have made to provide the nation with the two biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy

By deciding to keep the two BAE Systems shipyards on the Clyde open at the expense of Portsmouth, there can be little doubt that the Government is blatantly pandering to Scottish voters ahead of next year's referendum vote on independence.



Read the comments: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100244665/portsmouth-is-being-sacrificed-to-save-the-union/

Stan - to answer in some way your question of this morning ......

1) i think it obligatory on all (including fred) to cast a vote in some way, especially at a general election

2) all the parties have a fine selection of skeletons in the cupboard as well as pretty flakey minority of MPs in their trains ..... we i'll set that aspect to one side entirely

3) i could invalidate my ballot paper, but to me, that would be copping out

4) ukip- i can't see that this bunch has any substance let alonew much credibility, and their few populist policies smack (for me) as being far too nationalistic and protectionist and worse ...... so not for me

5) labour - i think milliband is a total mupppet, but that is somewhat irrelevant, but it worries me greatly that he and his buddies are far too closely linked (married even) to militant unions like unite ..... if he gets elected, i fear the socialist tilt and (significantly?) raised taxes that will come in his wake ...... so not for me

6) lib/dems - who?

7) conservatives - hardly the most impressive performance since they came to power, but undoubtedly they have managed to bring the economy around, modestly reduced unemployment and seem to be working hard behind the scenes to renegotiate and secure an acceptable deal with EU, culminating in a referendum..... i can't say they deserve a ringing endorsement, but for me, they currently and probably remain the least worst

==============

by the way, i'm not remotely interested as to whether you or fred or any of your other acolytes (or even hays) agrees with my reasoning or not

Cynic,

Firstly I suspect that no one on here has an acolyte as we are all probably our own man to a great extent.

Where politics are concerned I think for most people when it boils down to it, it is about our own short term "Selfishness, Level of Greed" and Generosity towards other people in the rest of the Country.

There lies the difference of many on here and the Country, On this Island the former is most prevalent sadly.

Why? well one good reason is that being an Island we don't "physically" cross mainland European borders like they do in other parts of Northern Europe, so do not experience the higher standard of living in the German and Nordic Countries, which is something to aspire to in "general" I feel.

one man's perception of greed is another's prudent accumulation for a rainy day or another's wish to look after his family

That I'm afraid is a narrow "knee jerk" response on a number of points outlined in my post.

ED: That should read a "Small" number.

I have seen the MP's video. It doesn't seem to be anything illegal and not particularly against parliamentary rules.

don't think so ... it seemed to be the nub, the rest just being fluff

Again your immaturity shows through, along with all your other defects.

Cynic posted,

"but undoubtedly they have managed to bring the economy around, modestly reduced unemployment and seem to be working hard behind the scenes to renegotiate and secure an acceptable deal with EU, culminating in a referendum..... i can't say they deserve a ringing endorsement,"


I would suggest with all of the skill of the Captain of the Titanic heading into an Iceberg..

Did he go down with his ship?

Stan / Fred - slate me or attempt to belittle me as much as you like .... all water off a duck's back

There is a difference though, the captain of the Titanic didn't scuttle his boat in the same way as Cameron is scuttling the economy and the country.

Manuel,

What I post about you is praise, you wait until I getting insulting about you.

8-)

Indeed Fred... Thought he realised that -):

Those two comedians Dumb & Dumber should be on the stage , sorry i ment under it

A Labour motion, calling for a price freeze on energy bills, has been defeated by 295 votes to 237

Not a good result for Milibland as Labour has 258 MPs. So not all Of Labour were on Milibland's side and the 57 Libs didn't vote for him. That's apart from the other 28 odds and sods parties. A bit embarrassing really for Labour.

I think Call Me Dave can kiss his ass goodbye...



The Union: Better off together? Tell that to Portsmouth


By Benedict Brogan Politics Last updated: November 6th, 2013


http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100244723/the-union-better-off-together-tell-that-to-portsmouth/







"My heart goes out to the people of Portsmouth today," Nicola Sturgeon has just told the BBC. She, of course, is the deputy leader of the SNP and a leading campaigner for Scottish independence in next year's referendum. I'm not sure her sympathy will win her many friends in the south of England, which has learned today just how far David Cameron is prepared to go to keep the Scots sweet and maximise the chances of a vote in favour of the Union. The people in the northern recruiting grounds of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers will also have a view – they suspect the regiment's 2d Battalion was abolished to save cap badges in Scotland. At every turn we are discovering the price of the Union. How much is England prepared to pay?


Portsmouth will lose 940 skilled jobs with the end of shipbuilding at what is one of the world's most advanced shipyards. For the home of the Royal Navy, this is a bitter blow, in particular as it means that shipbuilding at the the yards in Scotland – Govan and Scotstoun – can survive. The clue that it was a political deal comes in the Government's point that if Scotland votes to leave the Union, shipbuilding will return to Portsmouth (interesting though that Ms Sturgeon challenged that assumption: she said an independent Scotland would want to procure its own advanced frigate, presumably for the a new Scottish navy, itself a major spending commitment), which suggests the business case takes second place to the political one. True, defence spending has been slashed and the Navy reduced: it is hardly surprising that demand for shipbuilding has fallen if fewer ships are needed. But let's not kid ourselves, this is a piece of tartan-wrapped pork, and Westminster knows it.

The challenge for ministers then is this: over the next 10 months the referendum campaign will be fought in Scotland, and the messages will be aimed at a Scots audience, the one with the votes. But the Union is a shared venture. England may not have a vote, but it will have a view. Mr Cameron and his colleagues need to think how they manage that end of the debate. Mr Cameron might also consider that, as John Major found out, there is precious little gratitude in Scotland for English charity. Bribes poisoned the Act of Union, and bribes can poison the campaign to save it. It is worth considering how the efforts to save the Union will colour the relationship, whatever the outcome.

Hays.

You are being comical again.

Should read The Comedians * GG same humour.

"Not a good result for Milibland as Labour has 258 MPs. So not all Of Labour were on Milibland's side and the 57 Libs didn't vote for him. That's apart from the other 28 odds and sods parties. A bit embarrassing really for Labour."


I would have thought that it was a good result for Ed.

If he goes into the election pointing out that caring parties "tories and Lib/Dems" voted against keeping a "check" on the energy bills and trying to reduce the "deaths" for some of the "less fortunate" from hypothermia and couple that with the warnings he has given on the A+Es I would think he is onto a winner.

Mind the reverse may appeal to the "we are all in it together party" .

We will see.

Good point made Fred.