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.

Robbed from db's thread on afn.



By Alan Cochrane

8:14AM BST 21 Apr 2015


The SNP's manifesto launch was a triumph of presentation, but its patronising tone would infuriate most tolerant of neighbours

They do a nice line in patronising the English, do the Scottish Nationalists. They always have. Alex Salmond, their ‘lost’ leader – he was nowhere to be seen at their manifesto launch yesterday – perfected the tactic over many a long opposition year.

And his successor, the lady who, incredibly, is already grabbing more headlines on a daily basis than Wee Eck notched up in a month, is proving herself to be pretty good at telling the English what’s good for them, too.

Nicola Sturgeon insisted that she had no intention of being destructive or disruptive if and when her expected small army of SNP MPs arrive at the Commons shortly after May 7. What she plans is for her party to use their considerable influence to improve the lives of the English ( oh yes, and the Welsh and Northern Irish, too) by making them sort of ‘honorary’ Jocks. That way they’ll get the same benefits as those who live north of the border.


Far from arguing for more powers for the Scottish Parliament, which is the normal SNP mantra, the Nats now plan to use the powers of Westminster to change the face of Britain.

Her manifesto was a remarkable document in that such things are normally aimed at the people you hope will vote for you. Given the opinion poll predictions that some kind of Nat tsunami is on the way, Ms Sturgeon clearly thinks that there’s not much point in adding to the seats she already reckons are in the bag in Scotland and so she’s directing her election promises as much at the rest of Britain as at her domestic audience.

It is an exaggeration to say that there’s a reference to the English on every page of the document ‘Stronger for Scotland’ but only just; it is littered with declarations that a huge SNP vote will be just what the doctor ordered for those poor benighted people south of the Cheviots.

And the lady brushed it aside with a wee giggle when Alex Thompson of Channel Four asked her why she thought the English were scared of her. They weren’t she insisted – in fact her in tray was full of letters from England, asking how people there could vote for the SNP.

That was because, she added, “people in the rest of the UK are as desperate for change as we are in Scotland.”

And change is what they’re going to get all right if Ms Sturgeon gets her way. The SNP will block all privatisation in the English NHS and will use its votes to restore to the public sector those bits in England that may already have been hived off. Indeed her manifesto notes with approval the target set in England, not Scotland, for an increase of £24 billion in NHS spending by 2021.

The SNP will also oppose all further spending cuts and instead recommend increases of £140 billion across the United Kingdom.

And cuts in welfare benefits, such as child benefit or tax credits, anywhere in the UK, will be opposed whilst the bedroom tax would be abolished because as the SNP’s manifesto points out there are one million children living in poverty in Britain at present.

Oh yes, and if the English think they can just vote to leave the EU they can think again, because Ms Sturgeon’s shock troops intend to apply a ‘triple lock’ to European membership – in that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as England, would have to vote for an exit. And if they didn’t all agree, the UK would remain a member. Just like that.

Yesterday’s launch was, as someone who’s covered them for over 30 years, a stunning occasion in presentational terms in spite of – or maybe because of – being set in a climbing centre outside Edinburgh. And we were treated to a tour de force by this lady who was a virtual unknown outside of Scotland only six months ago but who has emerged from Salmond’s shadow in sensational fashion.

We’re told that the poor old boy was out canvassing in his Gordon constituency yesterday – a likely story, if ever I heard one; kept well away from yesterday’s big event so as not to steal Nicola’s thunder, more like.

All of the above is, of course, dependent on the Nats being able to do a deal with Ed Miliband’s Labour Party, whom Nicola continually goads that she’ll make them proper Lefties

She airily dismisses any idea that anyone other than herself – Wee Eck perhaps - would handle the post May 7 negotiations with Labour, even though she’ll be 400 miles away. “ I’m in charge,” she declares. We shall see.

David Cameron thinks that a Labour Party so obviously in thrall to the SNP will aid his cause. However, might it be a lot more than that. La Sturgeon says Scottish independence isn’t an issue on May 7. But isn’t the patronising tone of the SNP towards their nearest neighbours - telling them what’s coming their way whether they like it or not - enough to infuriate and antagonise even the most tolerant of people?

If so, and they lose any residual affection they ever had for the 300-year-old union and said ‘good riddance’ to the Scots once and for all wouldn’t that suit Ms Sturgeon down to the ground.

Boris Slams 'Namby Pamby' Campaign Complaints

Boris Johnson has refused to apologise about negative campaigning by the Conservative party, saying that people should stop being so "namby pamby" about political attacks.

On a day that the Mayor of London was unleashed to try to woo back UKIP voters, he told Sky News that he could not understand when Britain had become so unable to cope with the ferocity of the campaign trail.

Mr Johnson said comparing the SNP in Westminster to a fox in the henhouse was not unfair but a "deeply accurate" representation.

"This is politics. I just can't understand what has happened to us as a country," he said.

"I had someone saying to me that Nicola Sturgeon was deeply offended because I said putting the SNP in charge of running England is like putting Herod in charge of a baby farm. Actually the whole charter of the SNP is to break up Britain."

The interview took place during a day in which Sky News accompanied Mr Johnson on the campaign trail.

As well as walkabouts in London, the Mayor travelled to Ramsgate, in Kent, to try to win over voters who may be considering backing the UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

His comments on personal attacks will be seen as supportive of the campaign being choreographed by Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who has been accused by critics of being too negative.

He also ran Mr Johnson's 2012 campaign against Labour's Ken Livingstone.
Mr Johnson added: "If we've become so namby pamby and sensitive and so offended by a spot of common or garden political imagery then what is happening to us as a nation?" he asked.

He then repeated attacks of the idea of the SNP propping up Labour after the election. But he rejected those who have said the Tory message was putting the union at risk by encouraging Scots to vote SNP.

"The polls are obvious, Labour has given up in Scotland. I keep reading these devastating accounts, they are miles behind.

"They could lose 40 seats. Total massacre. Perhaps more. You could have 50 SNP members of parliament, so the only way you can have a Labour parliament is bolting them on," he said.

He admitted that his own party had to think about how to address the nationalist surge, because it could mean a chance of another referendum that might not be won.

I think the risk is that you'll have a long and very scratchy, difficult, chaotic period in which Labour is held to ransom by the SNP. Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond wearing the tartan trousers, Scottish tail wagging the English dog.

"I think that will build up such a sense of impatience in the English electorate then there is a real risk of a rupture."

He said that he and Nigel Farage had last spoken years ago, once trying to persuade each other to join their parties.

Not only chicken but scared s------ of Sturgeon.

Needs Farage to protect his a...... and the DUP to blackmail him for chicken feed and out of the EU.

Not his fault Gov.

He is just chicken feed.

Any truth in the rumour that Boris is joining the UKIP party?


-=-=-=asa

Grant Shapps accused of editing Wikipedia pages of Tory rivals
Online encyclopedia administrators block user account believed to be run by Tory party co-chairman or ‘someone else ... under his clear direction’


Grant Shapps.
Grant Shapps did not respond after he was sent a detailed exposition of the changes made by Contribsx. Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex
Randeep Ramesh Social affairs editor
Tuesday 21 April 2015 15.55 BST Last modified on Tuesday 21 April 2015 21.53 BST
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Wikipedia has blocked a user account on suspicions that it is being used by the Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps, “or someone acting on his behalf” to edit his own page along with the entries of Tory rivals and political opponents.

The online encyclopedia, where pages are edited and created by readers, has tracked the changes made by a user called “Contribsx” who has systematically removed embarrassing references on Shapps’ Wikipedia page about the Tory chairman’s business activities as Michael Green, the self-styled millionaire web marketer.

A Guardian investigation found about a third of the contributions made by this user were to Shapps’ own Wikipedia entry while the rest are made up largely of unflattering changes to the online pages to senior political figures – including prominent figures in the Tory party such as Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, Justine Greening, the international development secretary, and Lynton Crosby, Conservative election campaign strategist.

Wikipedia says that “sock-puppetry” – creating a fake online identity “for an improper purpose, such as to mislead other editors, disrupt discussions, distort consensus or avoid sanctions” – is not permitted.

=-=-=-=-=-

What a party, even smearing their own.


Has he been fired?

.

Once a Tory clown... always a Tory clown.

Any truth in the rumour that Boris is joining the UKIP party?

It's high time we had a piece on here about these bastards....

Let's see if we can hunt them out to name them and shame them. What they have done cannot possibly equate with doing any kind of a good, conscientious job in their remit of managing and getting the best out of our NHS. All these bastards have been doing is milking the system and feathering their own nests. They ALL deserve the sack!

Hey Tanker! Where are you? This is right up yuor street! Help me on this one, will you please?

NHS bosses 'receive £35m in pay rises' despite hospital funding crisis
Ewan Palmer By Ewan Palmer
April 20, 2015 09:46 BST 11

NHS
Hospital executives received £35 million in pay rises despite pressures on NHS spending(Getty)

NHS bosses have been accused of "shamelessly milking the NHS" after they were found to have earned more than £35m ($52m) in pay rises despite unprecedented spending cuts.

Some executives were found to have earned more than £1m last year, while a handful of bosses at some of the worst-performing hospitals still received bonuses of up to £5,000 a day, reported the Daily Mail.

An investigation found some executives saw pay rises of 6% while nurses at the same hospitals have faced pay freezes for the past five years.

The highest paid boss was Tricia Hart at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who was paid up to £1.26m last year, according to the investigation. This was despite the Trust currently running a £4.4m deficit.

Overall, the number of bosses who earn more than David Cameron's salary of £142,500 a year have risen by 30% to nearly 600 in the past year. A total of 47 hospital bosses received more than £400,000 last year at a time when 53% of Trusts are in deficit.

The average salary for a nurse in the UK is £26,000.

Government adviser Ros Altmann said the findings were "on the scale of the MPs' expenses scandal".

Both Labour and the Conservatives have promised to launch a review into the findings.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "A future Conservative government would ask the Department of Health to look at the Mail's investigation in detail to ensure taxpayers are getting the best value for money from managers who must always deliver the best patient care.

"People who do a good job for patients should be paid fairly, but the NHS is a public service and too often high executive pay has been awarded as a matter course, not because of exceptional performance.

"Our tough new inspection regime shines a light on leadership, and our redundancy payment cap is already eliminating some of the worst abuses of the system that grew up under Labour."

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary added: "If there has been any abuse it has to be tackled."

"This is excessive at a time when we are asking other NHS staff to exercise restraint.

"There has to be fairness top to bottom in the National Health Service."

Sir Brian Jarman, former president of the British Medical Association, said: "It is wrong. It is as simple as that. It seems to be manipulating the system.

"They should be putting their attention on to lowering their death rates or seeing if there is a problem with the quality of care rather than getting themselves higher incomes."

Altmann added: "It is outrageous, it is so wrong. The bosses who have access to top financial advice are milking the system. The rules would never have been intended to be used in this manner.

"They think they can get away with it just because the law allows it. But morally it is questionable. It is like the MPs' expenses scandal.

"Just as politicians felt entitled to claim money they should not receive so senior managers in the NHS feel entitled to this money just because it is not against the rules. It is not the right thing to do."

The tories have been in "charge" of the NHS for 5 years.

Overpaying their mates, perhaps?

The tories have been in "charge" of the NHS for 5 years.

Overpaying their mates, perhaps?


-=-=-=-=-=

EL Just leave it to the Hunt to do his worst.

Your lot where in for three terms Fred, have you got an eye/memory problem ?

He must have been looking for Edwina!

Bring back the good old days!

Why is it OK for the UK to leave the EU in order to rule itself, but not for Scotland to leave the UK?

Standaaaard! (as the paper seller used to shout)... double Standards as the lesser crested Tory moans.

Fred.

The jocks were given the chance to rool themselves, and bottled it.

What don't you understand about recent history?

.