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.

Camorons seat you numpty.

Haystack.

What about the seat he has been promised (Hillingdon?)

Nov 16, 2014 11:50
OPINION BY MAILOPINION
MAIL OPINION welcomes Nicola Sturgeon as the country's next First Minister and hopes she can demonstrate the same hard-working ethos as leader as she did as a deputy.
YESTERDAY was a big day for Nicola Sturgeon and a big day for the country that she will, within a few days, be leading.

Smart, hard-working and capable, she shares all of our aspirations to live in a smart, hard-working and capable Scotland.

She comes from the same streets as the rest of us and seems to understand more than many of her colleagues what we want and expect from our government.

And, for the first time, the First Minister is a lady. That can only be a good thing.
It would be nice to think every day that she is in charge of Scotland could be as successful as yesterday. Then a whole nation, and not just a hall packed with SNP faithful, would rise in acclamation.
Sturgeon would be foolish to believe or expect these giddy days of surging SNP
membership and political dominance will last forever and she’s no fool.

As the applause and plaudits rained down on her yesterday, they might have drowned out the tiny, little voice at the back of her mind telling her this might be as good as it gets.

But when the cheers die down, it’ll be how Sturgeon responds which will shape how history will judge her time in office.
We’ve all had one – a colleague who works tirelessly, driven and determined, right up to the day they get The Big Job.

Then, once safely berthed in the corner office with the potted plant, they stop working tirelessly and start caring more about their air miles than their business.

Nothing Sturgeon has done in recent years would suggest she is one of them.

But, however nice it must be to be the lauded new leader of a resurgent party, she must get down to work – and soon.

After the flags are packed away from her stadium tour, Sturgeon needs to get back to Bute House and put a shift in.

She is too astute not to realise that Scots have had two years of constitutional debate and that, for many, is enough for now.

The new First Minister will lead a newly enthused and engaged party desperate to heave their fellow Scots over the line and win independence.

No one would expect her to miss any and all appropriate opportunities to bang the drum for that cause.
But, and it’s a big but, she must understand that what might strike the SNP and other Yessers as an appropriate opportunity might strike 55 per cent of the population as a waste of time and energy better spent improving our schools, hospitals and services; creating jobs and protecting workers; building homes and restoring communities.

In other words, improving Scotland and improving the lives of those who live here.

Stable and competent governance is the rock that, over the last seven years, the SNP have built their success on. It is the rock our new First Minister must continue to build on.

We wish her good luck.

Rowena Mason, political correspondent
Sunday 16 November 2014 15.03 GMT

Labour is going through “squeaky bum time” and some of its MPs need to get on the pitch to start helping win the election instead of complaining from the sidelines, Sadiq Khan, a shadow cabinet minister, has said.

Khan, who is a close ally of Ed Miliband, issued the call to his colleagues after anonymous briefing against the Labour leader from some within his own party.

A ComRes poll shows Labour has recovered a four-point lead over the Conservatives, suggesting Miliband and his team have managed to reverse the narrowing polls after a difficult few weeks.

There was speculation some Labour MPs would like to see the back of Miliband amid his low personal ratings and frustration at a disappointing party conference speech. However, talk of rebellion appears to have quietened down since former home secretary Alan Johnson ruled himself out of any leadership race and Miliband gave a well-received speech attacking what he called a “zero-zero Britain” where some of the wealthy were allowed to get away with avoiding tax while others were forced to work on unfair employment contracts.

Khan said some of his colleagues had failed to “understand the rhythm of opposition” in a fixed-term parliament whereby the leadership was working backwards from May with a plan to win the election.

Acknowledging the threat of division to Labour’s chances of winning the election, he appealed for calm to make sure the party did not “wake up on 8 May saying ‘if only we’d been more united, if only we’d been more disciplined’”.

Asked whether he had seen evidence of unrest in Labour, Khan, a Liverpool fan, used a football phrase to explain how he saw Labour’s current situation: “There’s a great Alex Ferguson saying …where in a season when Man United and Newcastle were neck-and-neck, he said it’s squeaky bum time. And I think it’s squeaky bum time for Labour.

“History tells us that whenever Labour loses a general election, we spend aeons out of office,” he told the Guardian. “We fight among ourselves and often spilt … What we’re trying to do is something not done since 1974 – that’s to be a one-term opposition and bounce back from the second worst result in our history. Some of my colleagues need to recognise there’s no rule of politics that means you bounce back like a pendulum. You’ve got to have the humility to learn the right lessons, be proud of the things you got right and earn it.

“We lost really badly and people forget that. But we’re competitive again, and we’ve great set of candidates and policies. Politics is a team sport. It’s really easy to blame the leader. We’ve all got a role to play  … Rather than people complaining on the sidelines, they should get on the pitch and help us win the election.”

He also said people should not be surprised that Miliband, who he said had stood up to the Murdoch press and the Daily Mail editor, Paul Dacre, should be on the receiving end of harsh criticism in the same way as his predecessors as Labour leader Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had been.

“Labour leaders on the verge of winning a general election are given a hard time,” he said. “So when people are critical it is worth them asking whose agenda they are following and who it helps, this infighting. United parties win, divided parties lose.”

Polls-of-polls and more detailed analysis of marginal seats still suggest Labour is on course to win a majority at the next election in May. The latest ComRes study for the Independent on Sunday and Mirror puts Labour on 34%, with the Conservatives down one point on 30%.

However, the proportion of those who said they could picture Miliband as prime minister has fallen to 20%, a five-point fall on a year ago, with just 50% of Labour supporters saying they could imagine him leading the country.

The Guardian

By Peter Dominiczak, Political Editor10:25AM GMT 16 Nov 2014 Comments1941 Comments
The UK Independence Party is “profoundly un-British in every way”, Sir John Major has said.
In an extraordinary attack on Nigel Farage’s party, Sir John, the former Conservative prime minister, said that Ukip is “anti-everything” and “anti-foreigner”.
People are only voting for Ukip because they are “frustrated” at the state of the economy, Sir John said.
He said that that the popularity of Ukip will “fade away” in the coming months as the economy improves.
Sir John also warned that Britain would sink "to a much lower level of relevance" if it left the European Union.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Sir John said: “Well let’s look at Ukip for a moment. And let’s draw a distinction between the leadership and those who have been voting for them.
“I think many of the people who’ve been voting for them are doing so out of frustration at the ongoing difficulties of the recession, the belief that they’re losing out and falling behind.
“That will fade away as the economy improves and it is materially improving. But the policies of Ukip, the direction of Ukip is it seems to me profoundly un-British in every way. They are anti-everything, they are anti-politics, they are anti-foreigner, they are anti-immigrant, they are anti-aid. I don’t know what they’re for. We know what they are against.”
Sir John added: “That’s the negativity of the four-ale bar. That’s not the way to get into Parliament, it’s not the way to run a country. So they may be elected because people are frustrated.”
It came as Sir John warned that Britain would have a “lesser future” if it was to leave the EU.
Sir John has warned that Britain has just a 50-50 chance of remaining in the European Union and said that opposition to continued membership of the EU has reached “a critical mass”.
He also appeared to criticise Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, who on Saturday said that Britain “must be prepared” to exit the EU if a renegotiation with Brussels in unsuccessful ahead of the in-out referendum David Cameron has pledged to hold in 2017.
Sir John said: “I don't think it's a question of saying we would walk away if we fail."
Asked about the prospect of Britain leaving the EU, Sir John said: "On every count, despite its frustrations, of which there are many, despite the reforms we need, which are many, we are far better off in the European Union than outside."

By Peter Dominiczak, Political Editor10:25AM GMT 16 Nov 2014 Comments1941 Comments
The UK Independence Party is “profoundly un-British in every way”, Sir John Major has said.
In an extraordinary attack on Nigel Farage’s party, Sir John, the former Conservative prime minister, said that Ukip is “anti-everything” and “anti-foreigner”.
People are only voting for Ukip because they are “frustrated” at the state of the economy, Sir John said.
He said that that the popularity of Ukip will “fade away” in the coming months as the economy improves.
Sir John also warned that Britain would sink "to a much lower level of relevance" if it left the European Union.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Sir John said: “Well let’s look at Ukip for a moment. And let’s draw a distinction between the leadership and those who have been voting for them.
“I think many of the people who’ve been voting for them are doing so out of frustration at the ongoing difficulties of the recession, the belief that they’re losing out and falling behind.
“That will fade away as the economy improves and it is materially improving. But the policies of Ukip, the direction of Ukip is it seems to me profoundly un-British in every way. They are anti-everything, they are anti-politics, they are anti-foreigner, they are anti-immigrant, they are anti-aid. I don’t know what they’re for. We know what they are against.”
Sir John added: “That’s the negativity of the four-ale bar. That’s not the way to get into Parliament, it’s not the way to run a country. So they may be elected because people are frustrated.”
It came as Sir John warned that Britain would have a “lesser future” if it was to leave the EU.
Sir John has warned that Britain has just a 50-50 chance of remaining in the European Union and said that opposition to continued membership of the EU has reached “a critical mass”.
He also appeared to criticise Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, who on Saturday said that Britain “must be prepared” to exit the EU if a renegotiation with Brussels in unsuccessful ahead of the in-out referendum David Cameron has pledged to hold in 2017.
Sir John said: “I don't think it's a question of saying we would walk away if we fail."
Asked about the prospect of Britain leaving the EU, Sir John said: "On every count, despite its frustrations, of which there are many, despite the reforms we need, which are many, we are far better off in the European Union than outside."

By Peter Dominiczak, Political Editor10:25AM GMT 16 Nov 2014 Comments1941 Comments
The UK Independence Party is “profoundly un-British in every way”, Sir John Major has said.
In an extraordinary attack on Nigel Farage’s party, Sir John, the former Conservative prime minister, said that Ukip is “anti-everything” and “anti-foreigner”.
People are only voting for Ukip because they are “frustrated” at the state of the economy, Sir John said.
He said that that the popularity of Ukip will “fade away” in the coming months as the economy improves.
Sir John also warned that Britain would sink "to a much lower level of relevance" if it left the European Union.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Sir John said: “Well let’s look at Ukip for a moment. And let’s draw a distinction between the leadership and those who have been voting for them.
“I think many of the people who’ve been voting for them are doing so out of frustration at the ongoing difficulties of the recession, the belief that they’re losing out and falling behind.
“That will fade away as the economy improves and it is materially improving. But the policies of Ukip, the direction of Ukip is it seems to me profoundly un-British in every way. They are anti-everything, they are anti-politics, they are anti-foreigner, they are anti-immigrant, they are anti-aid. I don’t know what they’re for. We know what they are against.”
Sir John added: “That’s the negativity of the four-ale bar. That’s not the way to get into Parliament, it’s not the way to run a country. So they may be elected because people are frustrated.”
It came as Sir John warned that Britain would have a “lesser future” if it was to leave the EU.
Sir John has warned that Britain has just a 50-50 chance of remaining in the European Union and said that opposition to continued membership of the EU has reached “a critical mass”.
He also appeared to criticise Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, who on Saturday said that Britain “must be prepared” to exit the EU if a renegotiation with Brussels in unsuccessful ahead of the in-out referendum David Cameron has pledged to hold in 2017.
Sir John said: “I don't think it's a question of saying we would walk away if we fail."
Asked about the prospect of Britain leaving the EU, Sir John said: "On every count, despite its frustrations, of which there are many, despite the reforms we need, which are many, we are far better off in the European Union than outside."

Yesterday, Ed Miliband made these 15 promises to every UK voter. We need to share these widely because we know the mainstream media will never mention them.

MaxK
The Uxbridge/Hillingdon seat is not vacant until the GE in 2015. The current MP is standing down next May.

Soaking the rich won’t cut poverty or inequality
Last week Ed Miliband appeared to claim that the super-wealthy pay no tax. He was wrong.
By Telegraph View7:00AM GMT 16 Nov 2014Comments90 Comments
The Left’s concern about inequality in modern Britain is entirely understandable. Everyone, regardless of their politics, is troubled by the thought that while some enjoy historically high levels of wealth, the middle class feels squeezed, and many of the poor seem locked out of social advancement. But while Ed Miliband and the Labour Party are fine at identifying problems, their solutions are informed by misguided dogma. Taxing, spending and regulating our way to fairness does not work – and the evidence is there to prove it.
Fraser Nelson shares some fascinating data on poverty and tax that turns many Left-wing assumptions on their head. Comparing the very richest and very poorest parts of the country, he found that the problems in society are not always defined by money. For example, while the Left traditionally rails against private education, the fact that 93 per cent of pupils are educated at state schools that sometimes display shocking differences in quality suggests that cultural attitude and management play a bigger role. A school in a poor area that emphasises discipline and rigorous teaching methods can do wonders for its students. Michael Gove’s excellent reforms were all about trying to drag failing schools into the 21st century – to reject the grisly idea of a “bog-standard comprehensive”. It is in the area of education that we really see the poisonous legacy of state-financed egalitarianism. Playing down individual aspiration among children from poor backgrounds has not made society any less equal, but it has prevented many people from realising the potential of their talents. Labour typically wants to soak the rich, but the evidence shows that this is a foolish design. Last week Ed Miliband appeared to claim that the super-wealthy pay no tax, but new data shows that the top 0.01 per cent pay an astonishing 4.2 per cent of all income tax. That means that the top 3,000 contribute more than the lowest-paid nine million taxpayers put together. Given how much they help to subsidise the NHS and other social benefits, the rich ought to be encouraged rather than attacked. Of course, their money benefits them personally – but when taxes are raised and used efficiently they can help Britain to fulfil its ambitions of building a fairer and more compassionate society. It is the height of foolishness to drive wealth creators away through threats of raising the highest rate of income tax or a “mansion tax”. Rather than trying to squeeze more from Britain’s tax base, it would be better if the Government spent money more wisely. Time and again, it has been shown that reforms to working practices in hospitals, schools or social services deliver better value.
David Cameron understands the need for public-sector reform, as well as both the personal and social benefits of letting people keep more of the money that they earn. He has announced that a future Conservative government would “ensure that no one earning less than £50,000 pays the higher rate of tax”, while the tax-free threshold would rise to £12,500 – “lifting a further one million out of income tax altogether”. We welcome that commitment, in part because it reflects a profoundly sensible understanding of how economic growth fuelled by aspiration helps everyone. The Labour Party, by contrast, seems to have surrendered to socialist ideas that belong to an earlier era. Which is why, regardless of the defeat that the Tories may well suffer in Rochester and Strood this week, the Conservative Party deserves the support of the electorate in 2015. It alone understands that the secret to fighting poverty is encouraging success.

ComRes’s monthly online poll for the Indy on Sunday and Sunday Mirror is out tonight and has topline figures of CON 30%, LAB 34%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 19%, GRN 3%

Haystack.

The seat could be vacant tomorrow.

DB4,

Is May really a woman?

Hey that does surprise me.

I thought it was a drag artist.


--------
Max.

Nothing that a bullet couldn't settle.

The ratio of haves to have nots is increasing in "wealth and income", but the number of votes for the moderates and left is not!

The majority of voters are although apathetic at the moment by the time of the G.E. will be more aware of the damages done by Osborne and IDS and Cameron in different ares.

1) NHS Failings.
2) Welfare cuts of extended families.
3) Repayments of University fees
4) Lack of housing.
5) FOOD BANKS queues.
6) Scorn of other EU members.
7) Soured EU and International relationships. Who see Cameron for what he is and don't like him.
8) Probably downward moving GDP, partially due to previous.
9) Failure in Education
10) Failure on their cock eyed boasts on immigration
11) Failure on recruitment for cut back military forces.
12) Corruption charge and Loss of evidence from Paedophile investigations
14) Power shortages?
15) Exposure of TAX DODGING
ETc, ect

What are the tory odds?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/15/coalition-helped-rich-hitting-poor-george-osborne


Revealed: how coalition has helped rich by hitting poor
Study shows gains for wealthier half of population, delivering a blow to George Osborne’s claims on fairness


======


■ Sweeping changes to benefits and income tax have had the effect of switching income from the poorer half of households to most of the richer half, with the poorest 5% in the country in terms of income losing nearly 3% of what they would have earned if Britain’s tax and welfare system of May 2010 had been retained.

■ With the exception of the top 5%, who lost 1% of their potential income, it is the better-off half of the country that has gained financially from the changes, with an increase of between 1.2% and 2% in their disposable income.

■ The top 1% in terms of income have also been small net gainers from the changes brought in by David Cameron’s government since May 2010, which include a cut in the top rate of income tax.

■ Two-earner households, and those with elderly family members, were the most favourably treated, as a result of direct tax changes and state pensions respectively.

■ Lone-parent families did worst, losing much more through cuts in benefits and tax credits and higher council tax than they gained through higher income tax allowances. Families with children in general, and large families in particular, also did much worse than the average.

■ A quarter of the lowest paid 10% have shouldered a particularly heavy burden, losing more than 5% of what would have been their income without the coalition’s reforms.

Fred, would you vote for Katie Price if she was your local Labour candidate?!

fred doesn't vote!

while you guy have been have been wasting your w/e by bickering on and on and on, you might have found reading ST financially beneficial for the morrow ..... both QPP and (i think) IGas Energy are due for further tumbles

Fred has a signed portrait of Gordon Brown on his living room wall. A Neil Kinnock alarm clock which plays the red flag to get him up in the morning.

Lol

MaxK
There is no incentive to get Boris into parliament. The party is happy with Cameron. There may be a few eurosceptics that are not, but they don't have enough influence.

Realistically, we are not going to leave the EU no matter what variety of government gets in. The closest to it will be a Conservative clear majority. Even then, there will be talks over rules changes. The upshot is most likely that the government will recommend a stay in response in a referendum and the public will go for that. The public doesn't like uncertainty and that is why the Scottish referendum failed.

At least with the scenario above, you have a chance of a vote. No other combination of parties will give you that.