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.

zzzzzzzzzz... Have an early night, you're clearly very tired.

Populous poll had Labour just 3% ahead

This morning’s daily YouGov poll for the Sun had topline voting intention figures of CON 33%, LAB 39%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 14%. Full tabs are here.

Meanwhile today’s twice-weekly Populus poll has topline figures of CON 35%, LAB 38%, LDEM 12%, UKIP 7%

Those figs you quote Haystack, suggest Big Dave will have to get into bed with ukip.

No. UKIP won't get enough seats, probably none. It would be Libs again.

phew! sure glad i'm a long way away and in the warm ...... it was lovely eating outside this evening and watching the amazing Dubai Fountain outside the Burg Khalifa .... eat your hearts out - literally! :-)

"phew! sure glad i'm a long way away and in the warm" Yeah, So are we... Any chance of making it permanent? -):

I hope you are enjoying the benefits of capitalism cynic.

I hope they get an unexpected sand storm and have to move inside sharpish like -):

UKIP will take so many votes from the tories, they will have no chance of victory.

They'll also nick them from Noo Lab, no idea how that will end up.

Dim/Libs are finished, they wont be a credible force after the electors take revenge for broken promises (think student vote)


Call Me Dave (or his to be replacement) had better start making plans, cos they aint gonna win at the next one. They have lost too many formally loyal voters since CMD got the top job.

Hays these days appears to be in a perpetual state of denial. And its getting worse.

He lives in a fantasy world where everything he believes in he cant debate but as to preach it to others.

In fact their is no debate, he just believes all the time he is right.

Put another way its not worth bothering to debate with him, hel just come out with some codswallop.

Hel get a right shock when fat dave is dumped on his ass at the next general election.

At least with Cynic you can debate and sometimes he admits his short comings.

stan - there's certainly a lot to commend working over here ...... the place is absolutely flying again with property and rental prices zooming over the last 6 months or so, and with the awarding of expo 2020 here, there'll be lots of opportunity and jobs and the like

if you're unattached of either sex, then working over here for a few years is a great way of building up some decent capital - no tax!
it's a somewhat odd way of life here, but really not that bad, though perhaps a bit claustrophobic if you stick with the ex-pat community

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

not now the sandstorm season - bad luck :-)

Give Nick Clegg a year of unpaid leave. No, make it 20 years



By Iain Martin Politics Last updated: November 29th, 2013

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin1/100248314/give-nick-clegg-a-year-of-unpaid-leave-no-make-it-20-years/






It was one of those mornings when you wake up to a Nick Clegg announcement. Even on the radio – where I could hear him, but mercifully not see him – it was obvious that the Deputy Prime Minister had his sad face on. You can tell because when he is putting on his sad, pious face his voice dips in mock sincerity, as though he's announcing to the nation that Chris Huhne has been run over by his former wife Vicky Pryce. He also does this voice when he is announcing a giveaway that shows how modern and morally superior he is.

Today, Cleggie is unveiling the government's plans on maternity and paternity leave. I must say, the scheme sounds completely nuts to me, considering what the economy has just been through. Fathers will be able to share in 50 weeks of leave. Almost a year.



Never having worked for a small company, or had a job for any serious length of time that didn't involve having his salary paid by you and me, Clegg of course cannot envisage or understand the increased burdens on business. But imagine the disruption if you are running a small or medium-sized business trying to compete and create the wealth politicians love spending. The scheme is, of course, supported by the Tory and Labour leaderships because there is a stifling consensus on such matters at Westminster – just as there was a consensus on green matters, and the indestructible nature of the economy pre-2007.

It is quite incredible that even as we emerge from the worst slump in 70 years, the political class is already looking for new ways to dish out expensive goodies or impose costs on business in search of votes. How quickly they forget.

In response, I suggest we give Nick Clegg a year of unpaid leave, so we don't have to listen to him make any more announcements. Tell you what. Let's make it 20 years.

Just one TV debate and he ends up as Deputy PM

27 Nov 2013

Ukip emerging as challenger to Labour, says Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, says they are threatening Labour seats as by-elections prove their popularity in the party's strongholds

Ukip is now threatening the Labour party, leader Nigel Farage has claimed as he said that they are “emerging as the challenger” in the North of England.

In some marginal seats Ukip is the only one who can take on Ed Miliband’s party and strength of his party is changing the entire political landscape, he believes.

Mr Farage said that it is a myth that Ukip, whose policies have “huge support” amongst some Conservative members, was only a threat to the Tories.

While he may pose a “psychological threat” to David Cameron it is Labour who risk losing seats to Ukip, he claims.

He is so confident of his influence he claims that Mr Miliband will pledge a referendum on Europe before the next MEP elections.

“At the moment the Labour party are not pledging to hold a referendum on the European question,” he said.

“But mark my words that will change. I have absolutely no doubt that in the run up to the European elections we will hear a speech from Ed Miliband. I mean goodness me, even Nick Clegg has supported this so called toughening on restrictions to benefits for migrants.

The bill calling for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU in 2017 has been approved by the Commons.

The legislation passed its final stage in the Commons on Friday despite efforts by Labour and the Liberal Democrats to delay its passage.

The bill now moves to the Lords for further scrutiny.

By Steve Robson
,100,000 sign War On Welfare petition asking for assessment of cuts to the sick and disabled
30 Nov 2013 20:35

The achievement means the issue must be considered for debate in the House of Commons


Ian Duncan Smith: The petition is addressed to Mr Smith's work and pensions department

A hundred thousand people have signed a petition calling on the Department for Work and Pensions to look again at all cuts affecting sick and disabled people.

Led by comedian and campaigner Francesca Martinez, the War On Welfare or WOW e-petition asks the government to carry out a Cumulative Impact Assessment looking at the overall effect of cuts to sick and disabled people, as well and their families and carers.

It also asks for MPs to be given a free vote on the repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.

Campaigners are demanding an end to the Work Capability Assessment, and an independent inquiry into issues including charges for care homes, ATOS, and the closure of Remploy factories.

They also want to put a stop to "forced work under threat of sanctions for people on disability benefits".

The petition has achieved its target of 100,000 signatures with 12 days to spare before it closed.

Celebrities including Stephen Fry, Russell Brand, Yoko Ono and Bianco Jagger have endorsed the campaign.

This means is now must be considered for a debate in the House of Commons.

The Leader of the House of Commons will now write to the Backbench Business Committeeto notify them that a petition has collected the necessary100,000 signatures.

A backbench MP must then come out in support of a debate at the Committee's weekly meeting.

If the Committee agrees, then a debate will be scheduled in the House of Commons and televised.

A spokesman for the WOW campaign said: "We would like to thank the Mirror for its unwavering support for the petition and highlighting the draconian cuts to the sick and disabled and carers.

"We hope the Labour MP John McDonnell will take this forward to a hearing in the House of Commons calling for a cumulative impact assessment of cuts to support set to be around £28.3 billion as suggested by DEMOS report.

"We are delighted, overjoyed and very tearful, this was a petition for and by the disabled. With less than 1% fraud in welfare claims we see the recent cuts as chasing Tory ideology not cutting costs in the long term."



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/war-welfare-petition-100000-sign-2870513#ixzz2mBtZSPrf
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The bill calling for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU in 2017
that's not only an awful long way away, but in any case, surely any incoming gov't can just repeal it