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.

impressive performance by the previous incumbents too, not forgetting the fine legacy left by them to the nation ... a legacy with no money remaining in the coffers of course

PS.

Anybody bored to-night, suggest looking at Foyle's Law in ITV at 8pm.

Interesting series and empathic to the 1946-7 post war period in UK.

.

EU "considering a ban on Islamophobia" after Paris attacks

After the Charlie Hebdo and related attacks, the European Union is being presented with proposals to ban Islamophobia, so as to stem a perceived backlash against Muslims. Eurocrats are sympathetic but do not believe they are practicable


http://www.thecommentator.com/article/5544/eu_considering_a_ban_on_islamophobia_after_paris_attacks


Diplomatic and NGO sources in Brussels say that the European Union is now considering proposals from Muslim groups to strengthen laws against "hate speech" following the fatal attacks in Paris at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish Supermarket.

The proposals are based on fears that the attacks by Islamists could provoke a backlash against Europe's growing Muslim community, leaders of which uniformly condemned the killings, while simultaneously protesting against denigration of Muhammed.

Mainstream Muslim leaders have close contacts with the European Union and its related institutions, as do the leaders of other faith groups.

The sources, consulted in the last two days, who insisted upon anonymity, said that senior EU officials were sympathetic to calls for libel and hate-speech laws to be strengthened, but were sceptical of getting support from member governments or from the European Parliament where Right-leaning parties increased their presence at last year's European elections.

One well-informed member of a non-governmental orgainsation in Brussels said:

"The conversation is going on. In fact, it's the only game in town after Paris. But you aren't going to get anyone to go on the record right now. Everyone's too scared, and I don't mean scared of the Islamists, I mean scared of being accused of being politically correct, even if they are. "

"The Jewish groups are terrrified, but let's face it, how many Jews are there in Europe against the number of Muslims? But, yes, they are considering a ban on Islamophobia".

Opinion polls show that the majority of European Union Muslims want Sharia law for their communities, but do not believe that that should extend to the non-Muslim majority. However, they do believe that insulting the Muslim Prophet should be against the law.

In 2003, the EU suppressed a report on anti-Semitism in Europe which concluded that attacks on Jews were mainly perpetrated by young Muslims.

I'm very bored of the rubbish you temp to put together Fred. :-))

Alf... Answer the question otherwise I may have to use this -):

"it is also pretty dull that you never ever answer a question"

Napoleon,

Have a look at the note tory Maudling, on being kicked out of power, left for the incoming Labour Chancellor.

1964 is an awfully long time ago, but then fred lives in the past and likes to quote from what he likes to believe was uk socialism's golden era ..... anyway i print same below ....

note left by Tory Reginald Maudling to his Labour successor James Callaghan in 1964: "Good luck, old cock ... Sorry to leave it in such a mess."

at least it was somewhat apologetic which is more than can be said to the one left by the last bunch of labour incompetents - swiftly followed by some tory incompetence it should be admitted, though not so much so with regard to the economy

http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/18/general-election-predictions-the-final-results-we-re-heading-for-a-three-party-coalition-or-a-second-election

This worth a read. It is a detailed prediction of the GE result. I don't agree with some of it, but it mostly makes good sense. It allows the possibility of a second GE in the autumn.

It makes sense only if you ignore the protest vote, and the remainder vote along party lines.

I don't think it will be that simple.

Simple would be if the party which polled the majority of votes, irrespective of the number of seats, won the GE. I think it is totally silly that a minority party, whether it is the Lib/Dems or the SNP or the Green Party, could be in a position to decide who is our next PM.

Haze again living in false hope.

Wonder who will be leading the splits in the tories Berlusconi Boris one pack and after her speech this weekend Cruella May leading the remnants.

If they turfed out Cameroon and installed Boris tomorrow, they would win by a landslide.

Cameron is still the most popular with Conservative MPs and with Conservative voters by a long way.

Conservative MPs are an endangered species.

Conservative supporters (members) are voting with their feet.

The main parties are all losing members. The same is true of the larger parties across Europe.

Come on this cannot be true, I trust this pair a 100%. :-)). Not going to be a good week for labour.

THE ABOVE WILL NO DOUBT HAVE DONE MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE LABOUR PARTY. IF I WAS VOTING FOR THEM, I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE NOW. CARRY ON JUST AS YOU ARE BOYS, :-))

Dreams.

You are in Cloud Cuckoo Land with DB4.

Many economists at that period were pointing to the problem.

------

Osborne promised what on the Debt and Deficit.

What has he done.

How many food banks have been open in the last three years.

What are wages like.

How many false promises are Cameron and Osborne making at the moment.

Four years of misery for the weakest in society, gluttony for the the wealthy with their noses in the trough.

What an outstanding record!

After weeks of dithering Brown only decided to abandon the idea of an election in 2007 when opinion polls turned against him. At the time it was stressed that the state of the economy was not a factor in when to call the election.
Mr Winter’s revelation casts doubt on this and reveals the politicking of the Labour leader and his shadow chancellor in the run-up to the general election.
The first public acknowledgement of a financial meltdown in the UK was made by the then Chancellor Alastair Darling in August 2008, who said Britain was facing the “worst economic crisis for 60 years”. He was roundly criticised by Brownites at the time.
But it is claimed that the threat faced to the UK economy was known at least a year before and Mr Miliband believed it was necessary to “either go now and risk losing, or wait and know we’re going to lose [the election]”.
In a further bizarre disclosure Mr Miliband was accused of mistakenly burning a hole in Mr Winter’s carpet, while he was staying with the former mayor, and then buying a prayer mat for his host to cover the damage.

Independent