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.

How Labour failed the John Lewis test
After Labour's Tristram Hunt said the party had failed the 'John Lewis test', The Telegraph asked shoppers at the department store what they thought of its election performance - and what would lead them to support it in future

By Patrick Sawer8:30AM BST 24 May 2015Comments35 Comments
Tristram Hunt, the Labour MP and historian who last week pulled out of the race to lead his party, described them as the “John Lewis community” voters whom Labour needs to attract if it is to stand any chance of winning back power.
The MP for Stoke-on-Trent said the party had to gain the support of more affluent and aspirational voters if it was ever to recover from this month’s general election defeat and Labour’s worst performance since 1983.
Mr Hunt said that Labour needed to show it was “also on the side of families who want to shop at John Lewis, go on holiday and get a new extension”.


Calling for Labour to reach out beyond its core working-class vote, he said: “The debate needs to be long and deep and painful for the Labour Party because we are in a real hole. The issue in England is this double bind of losing traditional Labour communities often under pressure from Ukip, and not speaking to an aspirational John Lewis couple who … we are on their side.”
The Telegraph carried out a straw poll of John Lewis ­shoppers at its flagship branch on London’s Oxford Street, to find out whether they can be persuaded to vote Labour in future.
Their comments show that the party has a long way to go, whoever it chooses as leader.

Malik Muhammad, 47, a self-empowerment specialist, from Paddington, who voted Green, said Labour had drifted too far to the Left: “Blair bought it back to the centre and that’s what put him in power last time, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. The Tories appear to have a 'pull up by your boot straps’ attitude. Labour are more status quo, focusing on welfare state and looking after everyone’s needs, rather than looking at aspiration.”

Emily Gray, 37, a PA in personal finance, from west London, described what Mr Hunt identified as the party’s “double bind”.
“Historically they are meant to represent the people who have it the worse, and no one aspires to that,” she said. “Even if you are better off under Labour, you want to be the sort of person who is better off under the Tories.”
Ms Gray said that although she had voted Labour it was more out of support for her local MP in Hammersmith, Andy Slaughter, than the party’s national campaign and policies, which she described as “rubbish”, adding: “They have to not be afraid to say they will represent people who are poor. They need to be more Left-wing.”
Several of the John Lewis shoppers criticised Ed Miliband’s leadership and what they regarded as his hostile attitude to business and entrepreneurs.

Patricia Wiseman, 59, a compliance officer at HMRC, from Manchester, who voted Conservative, said: “Ed Miliband didn’t do them any favours. He didn’t come across as a strong leader or even as a believable person. People have mixed views about Labour’s real policies and beliefs. Some people think they come across as extremely Left-wing.
“I also think a lot of people like the way our economy has bounced back. Labour have seemed to be against private enterprise; that has turned a lot of people against them. Small businessmen don’t want to vote for them.”
Mrs Wiseman added: “They’ve espoused the welfare state far too much and that’s definitely not aspirational. They could promote small businesses and try to help people get out of the welfare trap.”

Anita Towlson 66, of Bromley, Kent, who used to work in private banking and is now retired and voted Conservative, said: “Ed Miliband’s policies were too radically Left. I get the impression that they want to reduce everyone to the lowest common denominator.”

Brett Gascoine, 38, a sales director from Oxford who voted ­Conservative, also accused Labour of failing to appeal to aspirational voters. He said: “The difference with Labour is they were going back to the pre-Blair and Brown era, trying to separate everyone into the top 10 per cent of earners and really go at them, and then get the vote of the people on a lower wage. But that has started driving people to Ukip. They are losing aspiration. We shouldn’t be driving people like Richard Branson from the UK.”

Gwynne Wilson-Brown, 71, a retired behaviour consultant from Lancashire, said she had lost faith with Labour and this time voted Liberal Democrat.
She said: “Ed just didn’t have appeal. It is sad that politics has come down to this but it has. ­People vote for leaders who they like. I’m from a Labour family in Lancaster, and my grandfather stood as a Labour candidate.”
Mrs Wilson-Brown had some intriguing advice for the party, stating: “Do some fun things. Tories seem to have all the fun. They are at parties and openings. Labour people seem dower and bad tempered. I find Labour negative.”
Others rejected Labour because they felt they could not trust them with the economy.

Sandra Robinson, 52, a medical secretary from Yorkshire, who voted Conservative, said: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. The economy is improving. You don’t know if it will all go t--- up under Labour.” Margaret Hathway 71, retired from Bedfordshire, who voted Conservative, said: “Labour didn’t do very well in the last government, they left us in a lot of debt. We seem to be thriving under Cameron.”

Terry Scott, 54, managing director of The London Carpet & Flooring Company, from Beckenham, south-east London, voted Conservative. He said of Labour: “They need a stronger leader, who can be more forthright, more assertive, more definite policies ... they just skirted around the edge. The Tories had such a good record on the economy, that was the issue.”

Jim Henderson 54, head teacher at the City Heights academy school in south London, who voted Labour, said: “They needed to have a clearer message about their core values: that sense of society being more about what we can all ­contribute ... There are different factions of the party pulling in different directions in terms of the definition of aspiration.”


comments
Conservative voter "What's my view on aspiration?...I want to work hard...do the best for my family...to better myself and those around me".
Labour voter "Aspiration?...Yeah...we want extra benefits for breathing".

perhaps they should give the impression of being less two faced and only saying what they think will get them elected and their snouts in the trough:

before the election: no EU referendum, and until their polling advised otherwise: immigration was not a problem, there was no problem with the economy before the crash, etc.

after the election: they support a EU referendum, and after their polling advised of a disconnect: immigration is a problem, there was a problem with the economy before the crash, etc.

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. The economy is
improving. You don’t know if it will all go t--- up under Labour.”

I'm sorry madam but you know it will go t--- up under Labour and has done every time they have been elected i.e. 1945 onwards. They are financially inept. They are the nasty party of division and strife, pitting one person against another. Their other main floor is they try to bolster their vote by mass immigration, then terrify these immigrants that they will be thrown out by the Conservatives. Apart from a few in the Labour party with a moral compass, Frank Field being a prime example, they are politicians whose only wish is to be elected, look for scapegoats, bribe what they consider their captive market for re-election and attack any free thinking, self supporting society that still exists. They appeal to the sick, elderly, those on low wages, unemployed and feeble minded, those most at risk in society with promises they cannot and have no intention of keeping and any lie they can concoct to make them more fearful.

The NHS is flawed from top to bottom. It is a great institution which either party will maintain. The main problem is Labour regard it as a power base and will not set about the root and branch changes which will take it from the 1940's union organised monolith employing in excess of 1.3 million people, to the center of excellence it should become. Why not? They would loose the votes from those who work in it.

The Labour party is a totally tyrannical, immoral and corrupt party who did better at the general election than they deserved.

How Labour failed the John Lewis test
After Labour's Tristram Hunt said the party had failed the 'John Lewis test', The Telegraph asked shoppers at the department store what they thought of its election performance - and what would lead them to support it in future

By Patrick Sawer8:30AM BST 24 May 2015Comments35 Comments
Tristram Hunt, the Labour MP and historian who last week pulled out of the race to lead his party, described them as the “John Lewis community” voters whom Labour needs to attract if it is to stand any chance of winning back power.
The MP for Stoke-on-Trent said the party had to gain the support of more affluent and aspirational voters if it was ever to recover from this month’s general election defeat and Labour’s worst performance since 1983.
Mr Hunt said that Labour needed to show it was “also on the side of families who want to shop at John Lewis, go on holiday and get a new extension”.

Calling for Labour to reach out beyond its core working-class vote, he said: “The debate needs to be long and deep and painful for the Labour Party because we are in a real hole. The issue in England is this double bind of losing traditional Labour communities often under pressure from Ukip, and not speaking to an aspirational John Lewis couple who … we are on their side.”
The Telegraph carried out a straw poll of John Lewis ­shoppers at its flagship branch on London’s Oxford Street, to find out whether they can be persuaded to vote Labour in future.
Their comments show that the party has a long way to go, whoever it chooses as leader.

Malik Muhammad, 47, a self-empowerment specialist, from Paddington, who voted Green, said Labour had drifted too far to the Left: “Blair bought it back to the centre and that’s what put him in power last time, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. The Tories appear to have a 'pull up by your boot straps’ attitude. Labour are more status quo, focusing on welfare state and looking after everyone’s needs, rather than looking at aspiration.”

Emily Gray, 37, a PA in personal finance, from west London, described what Mr Hunt identified as the party’s “double bind”.
“Historically they are meant to represent the people who have it the worse, and no one aspires to that,” she said. “Even if you are better off under Labour, you want to be the sort of person who is better off under the Tories.”
Ms Gray said that although she had voted Labour it was more out of support for her local MP in Hammersmith, Andy Slaughter, than the party’s national campaign and policies, which she described as “rubbish”, adding: “They have to not be afraid to say they will represent people who are poor. They need to be more Left-wing.”
Several of the John Lewis shoppers criticised Ed Miliband’s leadership and what they regarded as his hostile attitude to business and entrepreneurs.

Patricia Wiseman, 59, a compliance officer at HMRC, from Manchester, who voted Conservative, said: “Ed Miliband didn’t do them any favours. He didn’t come across as a strong leader or even as a believable person. People have mixed views about Labour’s real policies and beliefs. Some people think they come across as extremely Left-wing.
“I also think a lot of people like the way our economy has bounced back. Labour have seemed to be against private enterprise; that has turned a lot of people against them. Small businessmen don’t want to vote for them.”
Mrs Wiseman added: “They’ve espoused the welfare state far too much and that’s definitely not aspirational. They could promote small businesses and try to help people get out of the welfare trap.”

Anita Towlson 66, of Bromley, Kent, who used to work in private banking and is now retired and voted Conservative, said: “Ed Miliband’s policies were too radically Left. I get the impression that they want to reduce everyone to the lowest common denominator.”

Brett Gascoine, 38, a sales director from Oxford who voted ­Conservative, also accused Labour of failing to appeal to aspirational voters. He said: “The difference with Labour is they were going back to the pre-Blair and Brown era, trying to separate everyone into the top 10 per cent of earners and really go at them, and then get the vote of the people on a lower wage. But that has started driving people to Ukip. They are losing aspiration. We shouldn’t be driving people like Richard Branson from the UK.”

Gwynne Wilson-Brown, 71, a retired behaviour consultant from Lancashire, said she had lost faith with Labour and this time voted Liberal Democrat.
She said: “Ed just didn’t have appeal. It is sad that politics has come down to this but it has. ­People vote for leaders who they like. I’m from a Labour family in Lancaster, and my grandfather stood as a Labour candidate.”
Mrs Wilson-Brown had some intriguing advice for the party, stating: “Do some fun things. Tories seem to have all the fun. They are at parties and openings. Labour people seem dower and bad tempered. I find Labour negative.”
Others rejected Labour because they felt they could not trust them with the economy.

Sandra Robinson, 52, a medical secretary from Yorkshire, who voted Conservative, said: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. The economy is improving. You don’t know if it will all go t--- up under Labour.” Margaret Hathway 71, retired from Bedfordshire, who voted Conservative, said: “Labour didn’t do very well in the last government, they left us in a lot of debt. We seem to be thriving under Cameron.”

Terry Scott, 54, managing director of The London Carpet & Flooring Company, from Beckenham, south-east London, voted Conservative. He said of Labour: “They need a stronger leader, who can be more forthright, more assertive, more definite policies ... they just skirted around the edge. The Tories had such a good record on the economy, that was the issue.”

Jim Henderson 54, head teacher at the City Heights academy school in south London, who voted Labour, said: “They needed to have a clearer message about their core values: that sense of society being more about what we can all ­contribute ... There are different factions of the party pulling in different directions in terms of the definition of aspiration.”

Conservative voter "What's my view on aspiration?...I want to work hard...do the best for my family...to better myself and those around me".
Labour voter "Aspiration?...Yeah...we want extra benefits for breathing".

perhaps they should give the impression of being less two faced and only saying what they think will get them elected and their snouts in the trough:

before the election: no EU referendum, and until their polling advised otherwise: immigration was not a problem, there was no problem with the economy before the crash, etc.

after the election: they support a EU referendum, and after their polling advised of a disconnect: immigration is a problem, there was a problem with the economy before the crash, etc.

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. The economy is
improving. You don’t know if it will all go t--- up under Labour.”

I'm sorry madam but you know it will go t--- up under Labour and has done every time they have been elected i.e. 1945 onwards. They are financially inept. They are the nasty party of division and strife, pitting one person against another. Their other main floor is they try to bolster their vote by mass immigration, then terrify these immigrants that they will be thrown out by the Conservatives. Apart from a few in the Labour party with a moral compass, Frank Field being a prime example, they are politicians whose only wish is to be elected, look for scapegoats, bribe what they consider their captive market for re-election and attack any free thinking, self supporting society that still exists. They appeal to the sick, elderly, those on low wages, unemployed and feeble minded, those most at risk in society with promises they cannot and have no intention of keeping and any lie they can concoct to make them more fearful.

The NHS is flawed from top to bottom. It is a great institution which either party will maintain. The main problem is Labour regard it as a power base and will not set about the root and branch changes which will take it from the 1940's union organised monolith employing in excess of 1.3 million people, to the center of excellence it should become. Why not? They would loose the votes from those who work in it.

The Labour party is a totally tyrannical, immoral and corrupt party who did better at the general election than they deserved.
4 • Reply•Share ›

Labour have confirmed their position as the hypochrit party by making a massive U turn and now supporting a referendum on the EU. They will support the government in introducing a bill to enable the referendum as they believe the public deserve a vote on the matter.

.

Labour spokesperson on Murnaghan this morning that the Mansion Tax was only symbolic and would have been unworkable at the local level

.

re; €uropa and the nu lab about face.


All points to the fix is in.

SNP have said that they will be campaigning heavily for the UK to stay in the EU. There was never much chance of us leaving the EU. Now the chances are even less. The public will vote to stay in out of fear of leaving as did the Scots with their referendum. That will settle the position for at least a generation.

Why did Tristram Hunt drop out of the leadership race?


He seemed to have all the NuLab qualities.

ie, he is rich, privately educated, a toff, and can string a sentence together.


Would have thought he would be a shoo-in.

Haystacks doing morse code .

Tristram Hunt could not get the number of MPs to support his nomination. It is 35 that is necessary.

Irvine Welsh: 'Labour is finished in Scotland'
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh says there is 'no way back' for Labour after 2015 election wipeout
By Martin Chilton, Culture Editor online7:15PM BST 23 May 2015 Comments158 Comments
Irvine Welsh, the Edinburgh-born playwright and author of Trainspotting, said he believes the Labour Party "is finished" in Scotland as a political force.
In the May general election, Labour lost 40 seats in Scotland and now has just one MP north of the border, compared to 56 out of 59 for the Scottish National Party.
Welsh told the Hay Festival that he thought the political sea change was so great that Labour would not recover. Welsh said: "I think the Labour Party is finished in Scotland. There is no way back. I just don't think there is any way back for Labour in a unitary state. Their strength was being a regional party and building a coalition around inner-London and the de-industrialised areas of the Midlands and the north of England but that coalition building has fragmented and it won't happen in Scotland."
Even the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Jim Murphy, lost his East Renfrewshire seat in the election wipeout.
• Hay Festival 2015 in pictures
Welsh, whose latest novel A Decent Ride was shortlisted for the 2015 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction, said that he thought Scottish nationalists had become "more pragmatic" over time and this was a contributory factor behind the success of Nicola Sturgeon's party.
The 56-year-old, who divides his time between Chicago, Miami and LA, said: "When I went to London at the age of 18, Scotland was very nationalistic, in the sense that they didn't like England, but in quite an adolescent way. It was almost as if England was to blame for everything that was wrong in Scotland.
"The after the 1979 Scottish devolution referendum [which did not get enough votes to create a devolved legislature] I was living in Leith, near Edinburgh, and knew a lot of actors and would-be poets and artists and they were very angry and shifted the focus to it being Scotland's fault. But I thought that was too victim-orientated and with too much self-flagellation.

"Then after more than a decade of living outside Scotland, with five in Ireland and six in the United States, whenever I returned I thought that the Scots had grown up with a different mindset, that it doesn't matter whose fault it is but they had to be more pragmatic and sort it out. The blaming culture had gone. It was a lot more positive."
Welsh believes that one beneficial effect of the SNP surge has been its effect on the arts in Scotland. "There has been a cultural renaissance along with the independence movement," Welsh said. "There are so many people who are getting the chance to express themselves."

comments
What goes around, comes around Welsh.

In the mean time carry on living that champagne socialist lifestyle in America, that bastion of social equality, you two faced hypocritical w@nker.
I suspect that Labour is also finished in England.
We're sick of the "Benefits Street" types that Labour espoused.
Sick of being threatened with severe taxes just for working hard and providing for our families.
Time for Labour to disband and give people a new party, with sensible policies.

rvine Welsh, I suspect is right. Labour is finished in Scotland and is also in the intensive care ward in England and Wales. You only have to look at the safety first, timid soundings of the leadership candidates to see that they are terrified to say anything that will be contentious for fear of ruining their career prospects.


Agreed. Maybe Labour was just a product of 20th Century class warfare and have gone from representing working people and fighting for their rights to a bunch of middle class whiny bleeding heart liberals that working class people just don't get anymore. Although I think the Conservatives did deserve to win this time round we do need an effective opposition to provide a viable alternative, but its difficult at the moment to see Labour or anyone else providing it.

He probably realises at this moment in time he has not got the all the requisites and experience for the management job, which will be a hornets nest for the individual who takes it on.

Far wiser for him to wait and see for the next few years in order to mature.

Like the 50+ year old port I have.

It is the Hypocrit Party once again

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11627101/Andy-Burnham-claims-17000-a-year-on-expenses-for-London-flat.html

Andy Burnham claims £17,000 a year on expenses for London flat

Labour leader candidate charges taxpayer to cover rent despite owning a property in walking distance to Westminster

Andy Burnham is claiming £17,000 a year in expenses to rent a flat in London despite owning a property in the capital.

The favourite to win the Labour leadership has been receiving £1,449.98 each month for a flat in Kennington, southeast London since July 2012.

Mr Burnham, the shadow health secretary, also gains an income from renting a nearby two-bedroom flat in Kilner House, near and Kennington.

even such a slow developer as taylor's '63 will not benefit from further cellaring
the next memorable earlier vintage was '55 and i'm quite sure fred won't have any of that, though no doubt the ob clubs, guilds and oxbridge colleges almost certainly will

I am glad your are that sure.

I played with a tennis partner who was a Taylor's rep back in 60s, but also provided me with Crofts and Cockburn's advice and access.

Long departed, like some of his port!

Fred you got a girl in every Port , or a Port in every girl , Hello Sailor .

My mum told me that I shouldn't talk to girls.

Sometimes, I wish I had listened to her.