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.

LONDON/AMSTERDAM, May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's Eurosceptic UK Independence Party made strong gains but their Dutch counterparts stumbled as more countries voted on Friday in European Parliament elections expected to produce a widespread anti-EU protest vote on a very low turnout. Nigel Farage's UKIP, which wants to pull Britain out of the European Union and severely restrict immigration, grabbed seats from both the governing Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party in local elections held at the same time as the EU vote on Thursday, partial results showed. If those scores are confirmed or amplified in the European ballot, from which results will only be released late on Sunday, it could increase pressure on Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, a year before a general election, to take a harder line on reducing the EU's powers. "Looking at the average vote shares across the country, and without wishing to count any chickens before they're hatched, it looks pretty good," an ebullient Farage said as evidence of his anti-establishment party's surge trickled in. By contrast, far right Dutch populist Geert Wilders, whose anti-EU, anti-Islam Freedom Party had been forecast to top the poll in the Netherlands, was beaten into fourth place by pro-European parties in a surprise reverse, according to exit polls. His PVV was projected to get just 12.2 percent, behind the centrist Democrats 66, the centre-right Christian Democrats and Prime Minister Mark Rutte's right-wing liberals. Wilders blamed the disappointing score on a low turnout of around 35 percent, saying that "by staying home (voters) showed their loathing for and disinterest in the European Union. The Netherlands has not become more pro-European." Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic began casting their ballots on Friday but most of the EU's 28 nations hold the election on Sunday. Some 388 million Europeans are eligible to vote for 751 members of the parliament, which is an equal co-legislator with member governments on most EU laws.

By contrast, far right Dutch populist Geert Wilders, whose anti-EU, anti-Islam Freedom Party had been forecast to top the poll in the Netherlands, was beaten into fourth place by pro-European parties in a surprise reverse, according to exit polls


phew and thank goodness! ..... clearly the dutch perceived the hidden danger and voted accordingly, even if the turnout was low (35%)

Cynic well your wrong because I watched it life most of the night and UKIP gains by and large were Tory losses.

Ok they have taken a few off labour but by no way on the scale as tory to UKIP.

conservatives had most seats to lose and any incumbent party rightly expects the opposition to make significant gains .... however, even labour are forced to admit that their success has fallen well short of what they could reasonably have hoped

hung parliament remains strongest bet

I'd hang them all...

lol

Conservatives have won Kingston upon Thames from Libs.

It is now yes I agree but dont forget the bet is still on for the apology 'I got interest rates wrong'.

Its gong to happen cynic sooner than you think.

Underlying inflation RPI is roaring away.

Carney cant keep ignoring it and wages will fall once again below prices.

Those who had a good feeling about recovery will change overnight.

Ive been very consistent on this, and you know that.

absolutely old chap :-))
i have no problem apologising when i'm in the wrong - i've had plenty of practice!

Gawd this is going to be an exhausting next twelve months , my fingers needing some physio.

Prediction hung parliament with Labour short of majority by 18.

Shortie is that an ACTUAL picture.

Local elections: first signs from Sunderland of a Ukip surge at Labour's expense




By Tim Stanley Politics Last updated: May 22nd, 2014


http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100272782/local-elections-first-signs-from-sunderland-of-a-ukip-surge-at-labours-expense/




from the comment section:

bishopridley • an hour ago


I believe a great many ordinary people are also sick to death of being told they're racist bigots, when all they want is to live in a Britain they can recognise as Britain, not a suburb of Islamabad or Peshawar.

Labour

Hays theirs plenty of results to come in yet.

Lots of bad results for Labour!

MaxK isn't that a sight to behold someone saying that .

Im not in politics but by maths I dont how bad result is this 1400 seats, 28 counsils ..no one get close to it.