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.

Manuel.

Cast your vote for fascists of the right teetering so called tory party if you wish. That is your choice.

A far right party whose leader is too frightened to take part in any public debate which isn't rehearsed.


But I suppose Dodgy Dave is a fair representative for you and peculiar views.

He looks in the mirror and sees this reflection of a coward!

Manuel,

Do you want to be led by a man of Cameron's calibre?

I suppose he is good enough for you!

Mind supporters, backers and donators are happy about the possible returns!

http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/apr/17/greek-crisis-markets-imf-varoufakis-live

UK unemployment rate falls to lowest since 2008

Prime minister welcomes news that Britain’s jobless rate has dropped to its lowest in over six years

UK jobless rate drops to 5.6%

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32346214

IMF chief Christine Lagarde praises UK economy

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has endorsed the UK government's economic strategy.

Speaking at an IMF meeting in Washington she said: "It's obvious what's happening in the UK has worked."

Ms Lagarde played down differences between the IMF calculation of the future deficit and the more optimistic one provided by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

She said the figures were virtually the same, but just calculated differently.

George Osborne was sharing a panel with Ms Lagarde and German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble when she made the remarks.

"Generally in any election year, the teams that provide the hypotheticals on which future deficits are forecast, err on the side of caution and assume that whatever is announced is not necessarily or inevitably going to happen," she said.

Ms Lagarde added that the UK authorities had managed to provide the right balance of spending cuts and revenue raising.

"It's clearly also delivering results, because when we look at the comparative growth rates delivered by various countries in Europe, it's obvious that what's happening in the UK has actually worked," she said.

The perfect combination :




The only support each of them have!

I can understand why the Nasty party are frightened of the SNP having deals with Labour, but the voters seem to be happy if that results.

Has the probability of a sensible alliance and government.

at least i actually vote, regardless of whether or not that makes any difference in my constituency

as far as i'm concerned, you (fred) get every gov't you deserve because you're too damn far up yourself to bother to vote at all

And it's Alfs 57,107 'th post on Fred's voting intention alert!... or non voting alert as he will no doubt bore us to death by reminding us -):

As Cameron has said, the Conservatives only need 23 more seats for a majority!

The prospect of a Labour/SNP alliance should make the UKIPs revert to voting Conservative

David Cameron: Labour facing ‘wipeout’ in Scotland


SCOTT MACNAB
14:51Thursday 16 April 2015
74
HAVE YOUR SAY
DAVID Cameron today said Labour is facing a “wipeout” in Scotland and will be “replaced” by the SNP because it has failed to speak up for the concerns of ordinary voters.

The Prime Minister hit the campaign trail in Glasgow this morning for the party’s Scottish manifesto launch.

I’m responsible for many things, many, many things. The total failure of Labour in Scotland, you cannot lay at my doorstep
David Cameron
Polls suggest the SNP is poised to make sweeping gains from the SNP in next month’s UK election.

The Tory leader warned this would mean the “terrible prospect” of an Ed Miliband government propped up the SNP who would push for their goal of independence.

“Let me address directly this issue about the battle here in Scotland,” Mr Cameron told supporters at the Emirates Arena.

“The fact that Labour is facing a meltdown and is failing to speak out about peoples’ concerns - I’m responsible for many things, many, many things. The total failure of Labour in Scotland, you cannot lay at my doorstep.

“There’s a fact that every single pollster and commentator agrees on that come May 7, Labour are going to have a dreadful time in Scotland and they’re going to be replaced in many, many constituencies by the SNP.”

This means that Ed Miliband cannot become Prime Minister without SNP support, he added.


“That has a consequence for Scotland and it has a consequence for the rest of the United Kingdom,” the Tory leader went on.

“It is an appalling prospect of having a Labour prime minister propped up by a group of people who: A - don’t want to be in that Parliament; B - don’t want to be in that country: C - would like to see the whole thing break up.

“In the meantime they’re going to push for an economy wrecking, borrowing and spending agenda.

“I say this because the country really needs to hear this, voters need to think about this. The ballot papers are about to arrive on the doorsteps. You can stop this from happening, but you can only stop it by electing a Conservative majority government.”


Mr Cameron said two new facts had emerged during the election campaign.

He said: “Fact number one, The Labour party in Scotland is facing wipeout at the hands of the SNP.

“Fact number two the Liberal Democrats are facing wipeout in many parts of the country. What the means is that Ed miliband can only get into Downing Street on the back of support from the Scottish National Party who will exact a terrible price in terms of even more borrowing, even more spending, even more unlimited welfare, even weaker defences.

“That is the terrible prospect that this country faces.”

He added: “The only way you can stop this dreadful outcome is by voting Conservative in England, in Scotland, in Wales and in Northern Ireland. We are the only people that can stop this from happening.”

it will certainly be a very curious situation if SNP, whose underlying and undeniable intent is to separate from the rest of uk, ends up pulling the strings in westminster

John Curtice: Nicola Sturgeon again the star


JOHN CURTICE
23:05Thursday 16 April 2015
5
HAVE YOUR SAY
DOUBTLESS a key reason David Cameron proposed that the five opposition leaders debate amongst themselves was that it would be one less occasion when Ed Miliband would have the chance to persuade voters he is in fact the Prime Minister’s equal.

However, he probably also hoped that the night would prove to be an internecine battle of the Left with Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett giving the Labour leader a hard time for not being radical enough.

Once again Miliband’s chief inquisitor was Nicola Sturgeon
At the beginning it looked as though this would be the dominant theme. In their opening statements the three female leaders all focused on the need for less austerity. Subsequently, in response to a claim from Mr Miliband that he represented a big change from the Conservatives, Nicola Sturgeon delivered one of the best lines of the night, arguing that the change Labour offered was too little and would be no more than a “Tory-lite” government. However, this theme then abated. While Mr Miliband and the three female leaders clearly took different positions on Trident, there was little heated debate about the issue – partly because Mr Miliband seemed concerned to take the opportunity to distance Labour from the war in Iraq and partly because he moved the subject on to Isis, an organisation that nobody was going to defend.

Only towards the end was Mr Miliband once again put under pressure for not being willing to embrace the more radical ideas of the Nationalists and the Greens. Once again his chief inquisitor was Nicola Sturgeon, undoubtedly the most effective performer of the night. She underlined her willingness to put Mr Miliband into Downing Street and “help Labour be bolder”. Miliband unsurprisingly rejected the offer but consequently he was left with the unanswered question of whether he would prefer Mr Cameron to remain in power rather than be helped himself into power by the SNP.

Not least of the reasons why the night did not prove any more difficult for Mr Miliband was the presence of Nigel Farage. The Ukip leader started confidently, pressing his immigration, Europe and anti-establishment buttons.

But he then made the mistake of attacking the audience and, with their sympathy lost, much of the middle of the programme saw Mr Farage on the receiving end of attacks from the other leaders, not least on housing and immigration. And for that, doubtless, Mr Cameron was duly grateful.

• John Curtice is professor of politics, Strathclyde University.


comments


Farage hit the nail on the head, for all the good it will do him. It was a very left leaning audience. Just amazing to hear Nicola Sturgeon gets whoops and cheers from a London Audience.

That was the most astonishing thing about it.

And Ed Miliband looked like Derek Zoolander, pouting and pulling his face into "the incredulous look" when Farage spoke, then "the mad stare into the camera" as he challenged Cameron for the Nth time.

I bet everyone watching thought, "No! We want to see the other 3!". Ed needs to get used to the new political reality...although the chances are that all this is academic and Cameron's calculation that Middle England will balk at "the room full of nutters" running the UK may well lead to another Lib/Con alliance.

That is where my money is right now.


This GE seems to be less and less about actual policies and much more about personalities and how well they "do" before a camera.


Farage was right, the BBC and the audience they selected were left wing. The most interesting thing about the whole evening was Nicola Sturgeon's heels.

Manuel,

One of the symptoms of Senile Dementia is constant repetition!

Another is incessant rumination.

You seem to have both failings.

-------

Get a small writing pad and a small pencil and tie them to your wrists wd write down what you intend posting.

Every time you read the pad it might excite you

That audience was packed with lefties, the beeb ought to be ashamed of itself.

Independently selected my ass, lefty central casting more like!

fred - as you are the master of incessant repetition, we could all take lessons from you ....... now try taking your head out of your arse

Max,

I thought the BBC gave Farage more than adequate time to present himself for what he is and what he stands for.

The audience fully understood his positioning, as will the voters.