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.

You misunderstand. The EU requires free movement of people if you want a free trade agreement. It is what Norway had to sign up to.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3039112/There-10-seats-hope-winning-admits-Ukip-Party-concentrates-key-constituencies-loses-ground-polls.html

There are only 10 seats we have any hope of winning, admits Ukip: Party concentrates on key constituencies after it loses ground in polls

Nigel Farage has abandoned hopes of winning dozens of seats next month
Among the seats dropped from the list of hopefuls is Folkestone and Hythe
Ukip candidate for the seat Janice Atkinson was replaced after allegations of fraudulent expenses claims
Target list includes South Thanet, where leader Nigel Farage is standing

58623 - good morning fred ...... i'm not actually on holiday over here, but i confess the weather at this time of year is absolutely blissful ..... gentle heat though perhaps hotter than it feels, and low humidity; in a month's time it'll be really hot

and yes, i thoroughly agree; the election antics of all the monkeys has reached ludicrous levels .... they should all be sent to the sin-bin until after the event

So much for cast iron dave's promises...



Juncker blocks EU treaty negotiations until after 2019

There will be no negotiations whilst Jean-Claude Juncker is president of the European Commission, it is claimed, two years after the promised referendum



EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker Photo: AP



12:01AM BST 15 Apr 2015





Jean-Claude Juncker has ruled out any treaty negotiations on Britain’s relationship with Europe whilst he remains president of the European Commission.


In a blow to David Cameron, this would leave the country with no prospect of change until the end of 2019, two years after he has promised the public vote.


If he is re-elected it will force the Prime Minister to hold a referendum on membership of the EU without reclaiming any power from Brussels, a position which is will make an exit more likely.


“No treaty change proposals are envisaged until after November 2019, the end of Mr Juncker’s mandate as president of the commission,” an official told the Times.


Negotiations would not begin until the following year, the source added.


It comes after a very public spat in which Mr Cameron attempted to block Mr Juncker from getting the top job last summer.



More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/11537057/Juncker-blocks-EU-treaty-negotiations-until-after-2019.html

juncker may fancy himself as blatter's alter ego, but he will be shown to be more blather and less corrupt

if there is enough underswell for reform from other countries, as is not impossible, then he will have his hand forced

Even Germany and France are in favour of reform. The decision is not his to make.

This is another example of Cameron's bluster without substance.

The EU will be there a long time after he disappeared.

Another tory and kipper party u-bend policy around the bend.

Europe may be happy to see the riddance of the UK with the centralising of the Financial Services in Europe.

What a catastrophic period of tory misgovernment!

fred.

What do you think drives Call Me's position?

Ongoing reforms and negotiations are always necessary in dynamic "institution", but one doesn't enter into the debate rolling up one's sleeves and making demands on others to concede to your wishes, when you are more dependant on them, than they are on you.

It is typical arrogance of the schoolboys who lead the present tory party and can't understand why they are going to lose the election in May.

=-====

PS.

I hope that after May and with a labour led coalition, there will be a move to proportional representation and reform or the Lords.

That should sink the tory boat until they come to their senses.

are you saying DC's rather like union leaders bob crowe, len mccluskey and others of similar vein?

funny thing though ..... in one breath you blather like juncker that DC has no backbone, and in the next you maintain he shouldn't enter the arena to demand significant eu reform

it should also be noted that DC does not want uk to leave eu, but assuredly needs to find (negotiate) some significant reforms if the country is not to vote otherwise

how long eu will or even can survive without some major reforms is a great unknown

Given a referendum on the EU, I think the UK population will vote to stay in even without any reforms. The case for staying will be made strongly with dire warnings on leaving. It was the same with the Scottish referendum. Irrespective of reforms, we should get used to staying in the EU.

Agreed. Bummer in some ways but nevertheless, agreed.

Manuel,

Go back on holiday!

I think many on the left, or right of the political spectrum have/had principles, some of which are questionable and often would have difficulties in practice.

But at least they had principles and tended to believe in them, even if modifying with practice and experience!

The present tory crew, appear to me, to have only self-serving principles and values and are a led by an incompetent con, or PR man and a second rate chancellor.

Shooting one’s mouth off like football hooligan going to a ”game” is not the best way of approaching negotiation in Europe.

Not against strong argument and debate, but with detailed analysis, not “sound bites” for party political consumption at home.

But Europe does not like smash and grab of UKIP or the present Tory right wing.

==========

There won't be a referendum in the next parliament and the UK will remain in EU.

The majority of the UK know which side their bread is buttered.

''The majority of the UK know which side their bread is buttered.''-------- That is why the Tories will form the next government.
2517

Put a £1000 on it at the bookies.

Sounds the easiest money you will ever make!

Cameron won't give them a referendum.

He will duck and dive as usual!

What a bunch of hypocrites the Labour party has become, in their manifesto they plan to ban zero hours contracts, yet they are quite content to utilise such employment within the Labour party.
2517

Labour councils use zero hours contracts extensively.

Sturgeon chasing Labour votes in Gordon Brown seat


SCOTT MACNAB
10:03Wednesday 15 April 2015
33
HAVE YOUR SAY
NICOLA Sturgeon today hit the election campaign trail in Gordon Brown’s former Kirkcaldy seat - and insisted more and more Labour voters are switching to the SNP.

The First minister insisted that only the SNP offer an alternative to five more years of the “Westminster austerity consensus” during a visit to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Jim Murphy can’t keep ducking and diving and trying to hide the impact of Labour’s cuts plans.
Nicola Sturgeon
The SNP says it is committed to a 0.5 per cent real terms increase in public spending to allow investment in public services, while both the Tories and Labour have said there will need to be more cuts.

Labour has faced difficult questions in recent days as Ed Balls and Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna publicly rejected Jim Murphy’s claim that there would be no Labour cuts in Scotland.

“Now that it has been established by Labour’s leaders in Westminster that they plan more cuts in Scotland, Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy now need to spell out exactly where their axe would fall,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“With only a week to go before postal voting begins, Jim Murphy can’t keep ducking and diving and trying to hide the impact of Labour’s cuts plans.

“Austerity is causing real harm in communities across the country – hurting our must vulnerable people, putting family budgets under strain and holding back economic growth. And the Labour-Tory plans for a further £30bn of cuts will only see the situation get even worse.”

Ms Sturgeon launched the SNP Guarantee to Labour voters at the weekend, and according to the most recent YouGov poll 41 per cent of people who voted Labour in 2010 now intend to vote SNP which represents over 400,000 people.



comments


Funny how Sturgeon recently described Labour in England as a 'progressive' party.


What about an alternative to Nationalism?

After all in world history Nationalism has caused more misery than austerity ever could.

The graveyards of Europe are full of deluded nationalists.


Is there no end ti the unionist partys lies and deceit.Libs asking fir labour ti vote fir them ti save their skins!Remember the last election? The libs couldn't wait ti jump into bed with the Tories? They will do the same again, after all nick has just said (judge us on our record). Well labour folk do just that.The libs are playing you for fools!Vote labour if you must but far better vote snp and keep the Tories and the lieing libs out!


If Labour are so ghastly and there's no difference between them and the Tories then why on earth does Sturgeon want to prop up a Labour Government? If that was true then Labour and the Tories would combine together to 'lock' the SNP out. Only a fool would be taken in by this nonsense.

This is the Sophistry Nationalist Party.


The tories are only fighting one election, in England for the English votes, their policies show this. Labour is fighting 3 elections In England against Tories, in Scotland against SNP and Wales against Plaid. The different reports in English media is giving mixed messages whereas Tories have one message "WE will bribe the English electorate with their own money"

Still not to worry Labour are going to solve the long-term unemployment problem after just 12 months in charge, so why didn't they solve it during the 13 years they were in charge.
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