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.

surely you don't mean that scallywag fred?
he votes not to vote!

Post 48489 may be his cousin but certainly of no resemblance to Fred . :-))

Manuel.

Check my posts.

I thought the swing of public feeling would take it to a Labour or Lab coalition.

The way the Scottish cards were played make it more probable of Lab. SNP/ LIB/lab with a sprinkling of a small number of left of centre individuals.

They wouldn't touch the KIPPER party even with rubber gloves on.

PS.

What certainty have the markets got with a here to-day gone to-morrow PM.

He seems to be preparing a place in the EU when he goes in to hiding.



Job there for you Napoleon carrying his bags, DB4 will carry yours.


8-)

I was used to holding the casting vote.

25 Oct

Dead heat

Opinium’s fortnightly poll for the Observer tonight has topline figures of CON 33%(+5), LAB 33%(-2), LDEM 6%(-3), UKIP 18%(+1), GRN 4%(nc). This is the first time that Opinium haven’t shown Labour ahead since March 2012

Yesterday’s YouGov/Sun poll also had Labour and the Conservatives equal

It all sounds good Haystack.

But with figs like that, they have no idea where the domino's will fall.

Sqeaky bum time for marginal MP's.

And even some who thought they was sitting pretty.

Plenty of time for the Conservatives to pull ahead

Kiss your ass goodbye sitting mp's of all flavours :-)



Rochester & Strood By Election Betting

Party To Win Rochester & Strood By Election; Nov 20; click best odds bold


UKIP odds between 1/6 and 1/8 to win.



http://www.justbookies.com/election-odds/

The two defection MPs have to win their seats again next May.

Tony Blair thinks Tories will win election as Ed Miliband has failed to connect with voters, claim political allies
Former PM has apparently said Labour leader ‘cannot beat’ Cameron
Mr Blair’s office said story was ‘absurd’ and that he believes Labour can win
Polls have shown Labour’s lead over the Tories narrow to just one point



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2807353/Tony-Blair-thinks-Tories-win-election-Ed-Miliband-failed-connect-voters-claim-political-allies.html

Perhaps Tony is planning a comeback?! He 's probably making too much money as an ex-PM, but power can be a dangerous drug to some people.

There are calls for Brown to become the leader of Labour in Scotland.

I think whoever Labour appoint as leader in Scotland isn't going to make any difference in the GE, the SNP are going to run rampant.

SPECULATION has begun over who will replace Johann Lamont after the Scottish Labour Party leader quit with an attack on Westminster colleagues who made her position "untenable".

Lamont accused some in the UK party of treating Scotland as a "branch office" and called for greater autonomy north of the border.

Labour former first minister Lord McConnell said UK party leader Ed Miliband had questions to answer, while his predecessor Henry McLeish said the party faced a problem of "historic, epic proportions".

First minister-in-waiting Nicola Sturgeon said the resignation revealed Labour to be in "complete meltdown" in Scotland.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown MP, Jim Murphy MP and interim leader Anas Sarwar MP have all been linked to the leadership role.

Michael Connarty, Labour MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, has backed Mr Brown for the job as "a towering figure" who was "speaking the language of the people of Scotland".

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We should be talking about Gordon and Gordon alone. I'll be seeking him out and so will other people."

Murphy had previously ruled himself out of mounting a challenge to Ms Lamont and urged the party to unite around her last weekend.

Sarwar praised the former leader's "selflessness" in standing down, adding: "The Scottish Labour Party will now consider and set out in due course the process for electing a new leader as we continue to work to return a Labour government at the general election in 2015 and in the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016."

Glasgow MSP Lamont had pledged to lead Labour into the 2016 Holyrood elections despite questions over her political future in the wake of last month's Scottish independence referendum, in which large numbers of Labour supporters voted to leave the UK.






Who would you like to see in charge of the Labour Party in Scotland?


Gordon Brown


Jim Murphy


Anas Sarwar


Someone else



Announcing her resignation exclusively in the Daily Record, Lamont said: "Just as the SNP must embrace that devolution is the settled will of the Scottish people, the Labour Party must recognise that the Scottish party has to be autonomous and not just a branch office of a party based in London.

"Scotland has chosen to remain in partnership with our neighbours in the UK. But Scotland is distinct and colleagues must recognise that.

"There is a danger of Scottish politics being between two sets of dinosaurs ... the Nationalists who can't accept they were rejected by the people, and some colleagues at Westminster who think nothing has changed."

She attacked those who had attempted to undermine her position as she sought to reform the party in Scotland.

Moves to replace Scottish Labour general secretary Ian Price without her consultation appear to have been the final straw.

"Any leader whose general secretary can be removed by London without any consultation is in an untenable position. That has to change.

"The Scottish Labour Party should work as equal partners with the UK party, just as Scotland is an equal partner in the United Kingdom. Scotland has chosen home rule - not London rule."

Lamont said some Westminster colleagues "do not understand the politics they are facing" in Scotland after the referendum.




Getty Images Ed Miliband in Edinburgh

Ed Miliband in Edinburgh


She was standing down "so that debate our country demands can take place".

Lamont said she was proud of what had been achieved under her leadership, particularly the No vote in the referendum.

She urged Westminster politicians not to hamper the Smith Commission process on devolving further powers for the Scottish Parliament.

"The new devolution settlement must start with what is best for Scotland and not what suits Westminster MPs. Colleagues need to realise that the focus of Scottish politics is now Holyrood, not Westminster."

Lamont pledged to back her successor, adding: "I believe the Scottish Labour Party is a family. It is my family. And I hope it is led by someone who knows how to treat family members properly."

Miliband praised her contribution to the referendum campaign.

He said: "She campaigned the length and breadth of Scotland making the case for social justice within the United Kingdom. She has led the Scottish Labour Party with determination. I know she will continue to serve her constituents."

Lord McConnell told Good Morning Scotland: "She (Ms Lamont) clearly blames today publicly Ed Miliband and those around him and that's a very serious accusation that requires answers, and it requires answers not just from him but from those closest to him."

McLeish told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Lamont had been unable to lead the party in Scotland amid "constant sniping" from MPs.

He said: "There has been a suffocating atmosphere of control that Westminster have been trying to put on Scotland. That's what led Johann, I think, finally to leave.




SNS Group Henry McLeish

Henry McLeish


"Labour in Westminster, Labour in London has not a clue about the realities of Scottish politics. Johann has been badly advised. The influences on Ed Miliband have not been helpful.

"Now what we've got is a situation after a decade that Labour is still in denial in the UK and ... if there's any hiccup in the number of MPs we send to Westminster in 2015 this could be catastrophic for Ed Miliband's effort to become prime minister."

Sturgeon highlighted polling analysis putting Labour at 26 per cent for next year's UK general election, compared with SNP support of 43 per cent.

She said: "Johann Lamont carries my personal best wishes, including in continuing to represent the people of Glasgow Pollok, but there is no question that her shock resignation reveals Labour to be in complete meltdown in Scotland.

"Labour were already a party in crisis, and Johann Lamont's resignation - caused by infighting and deep division - has plunged them to a new low."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "It was always very clear that Johann Lamont was never able to be meaningfully in charge of Labour in Scotland, and that is laid bare in dramatic fashion in her resignation comments."

Cynic thankyou for your post 48444 this morning and DM, I have taken legal advice.

I will be in touch.

DB4,

I don't think that will do anything to help the con party.

Like Plaid, I doubt many SNP would shake hands with tories, unless both hands were immersed in disinfectant.

=========

I am sure that Miliband is prepared to lose Rochester with sad smiles on his face and a chuckle in the bellies of his advisors.

======

As far as Brown or Blair coming back into national politics, I would doubt that very much.

At least he is giving much of his private earnt "income" to charity.

Whereas, some in the nasty party would like to charge charities for their services.

======
But when you consider the the leadership for the Con party it is a one donkey race.

Unless, Boris has an "open" marriage I doubt that many would trust him far even if they had a signed contract validated by a court.

Mind Haze, you are entitled to you choice. So are the public.

The con party at the moment like a pack of over grown spoilt school boys fighting in their own playground.

Hazyone, hop along the central office they may offer you a job as advisor, or more probably, find you a more suitable job as a flunky!

Demand the minimum wage, and tell them you can make up stories.

I think we could do with another Fred cartoon.


altho, it might be cutting a bit close to the bone.

I think its cowardship that HAYS posts the Fred Cartoons on Fred but at the same time says he's filtered him.

It proves hes a coward and dare not take him on in debate.

Hays prove your a man and stand up to Fred rather than being a coward and slipping out silly childish cartoons aimed at him.