Politics

[Howmanheyman 33845]

1. There's sweet FA he can do about Scotland. It's gone.

 

2. He could have continued with his awkward angry persona of the last 5 years. He's visibly changed. He's calm even coming over cool.

 

3. From non doms to zero contracts and no stamp duty to rent controls, their message has been beautifully delivered to outstep the Tories "ed is shit" campaign.

 

4. He knows SNP can't hurt him much or they will risk letting Dave in.

 

I think they've played an absolute spotless campaign.

As good as your 1991 'corner group' campaign in South Shields?

[Gemmill 46030]

Dreamt up in the VIP section of Oz.

[Howmanheyman 33845]

http://www.toontastic.net/board/topic/34863-boycott/page-7

[catmag 337]

Dreamt up in the VIP section of Oz.

 

The Discotheque Fantasy

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3973]

1. There's sweet FA he can do about Scotland. It's gone.

 

2. He could have continued with his awkward angry persona of the last 5 years. He's visibly changed. He's calm even coming over cool.

 

3. From non doms to zero contracts and no stamp duty to rent controls, their message has been beautifully delivered to outstep the Tories "ed is shit" campaign.

 

4. He knows SNP can't hurt him much or they will risk letting Dave in.

 

I think they've played an absolute spotless campaign.

I must have travelled in many hundreds if not thousands of taxis in my life all over the world. The one thing they all have in common is their belief in the shite they spout on subjects about which they know absolutely nothing. You reinforce my opinion of taxi drivers so well.

[Makom 0]

From the panorama peeps:

 

http://electionforecast.co.uk/tables/predicted_vote_by_seat.html

 

 

For my seat, Newcastle Central, they're predicting a 10% increase in Labour's vote to hold the seat, no change in the Tory vote but seeing them come a distant 2nd, the Lib Dem's crashing from 2nd to 3rd (24% to 7%), and only a 25% increase in the Nazi vote (assuming all the BNP scum transfer to UKIP) which sees them tied for 4th with the same as the Greens, who will supposedly rocket from 1.7% to 7%

 

For those of you with local knowledge, this is for the seat which covers Benwell and Scotswood, Blakelaw, Elswick, Fenham, Kenton, Westgate, West Gosforth and Wingrove wards, so I think you can probably realise why I'm currently making *skeptical cat* face.

 

They seem to be claiming that the only major change in this seat will be a shift of voters from the Lib Dems to Labour and the Greens, at a ratio of roughly 2 to Labour for every 1 to Green. Doesn't seem likely to me, not in a seat which has its fair share of affluent voters, who surely can't be blind to the fact that in this seat, if they didn't want a Labour/SNP government because they're worried about their economic competence or what price the SNP would extract for support, they'd need to stick with the Lib Dems and hope for another ConDem coalition. Indeed, if this turns out to be one of those seats where it's speculated lots of disaffected Labour supporters unhappy because of immigration are about to turn to UKIP, you could even see a Tory getting in here, if enough Lib Dems switch and others desert them to Greens.

[Makom 0]

Let's see if anyone can spot what the person who wrote Chi Onwurah's Wikipedia page really really cares about....

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chi_Onwurah&oldid=654311597

 

I thought politicians had their flunkies massaging their Wikipedia pages? Surely she's said/done more than that in 5 years in Parliament?

 

As for this...

 

"Outside of politics Onwurah enjoys music, reading and long walks in the countryside."

 

gotta be a windup, surely?

[Howmanheyman 33845]

Onwurah has knocked back your election advice as well, hasn't she?

[Meenzer 15718]

From the panorama peeps:

 

http://electionforecast.co.uk/tables/predicted_vote_by_seat.html

 

 

For my seat, Newcastle Central, they're predicting a 10% increase in Labour's vote to hold the seat, no change in the Tory vote but seeing them come a distant 2nd, the Lib Dem's crashing from 2nd to 3rd (24% to 7%), and only a 25% increase in the Nazi vote (assuming all the BNP scum transfer to UKIP) which sees them tied for 4th with the same as the Greens, who will supposedly rocket from 1.7% to 7%

 

For those of you with local knowledge, this is for the seat which covers Benwell and Scotswood, Blakelaw, Elswick, Fenham, Kenton, Westgate, West Gosforth and Wingrove wards, so I think you can probably realise why I'm currently making *skeptical cat* face.

 

They seem to be claiming that the only major change in this seat will be a shift of voters from the Lib Dems to Labour and the Greens, at a ratio of roughly 2 to Labour for every 1 to Green. Doesn't seem likely to me, not in a seat which has its fair share of affluent voters, who surely can't be blind to the fact that in this seat, if they didn't want a Labour/SNP government because they're worried about their economic competence or what price the SNP would extract for support, they'd need to stick with the Lib Dems and hope for another ConDem coalition. Indeed, if this turns out to be one of those seats where it's speculated lots of disaffected Labour supporters unhappy because of immigration are about to turn to UKIP, you could even see a Tory getting in here, if enough Lib Dems switch and others desert them to Greens.

 

How things change this time also depends on how you read the last election. Even at a time of huge dissatisfaction with the Blair/Brown axis, when the council in Newcastle was still Lib Dem (just) and the LDs were ploughing resources into what they saw as potential scalps in the north-east (Newcastle North, Blaydon etc.), the LD+Tory vote combined wouldn't have been enough to beat a largely unknown, black, female Labour candidate replacing a long-standing incumbent. Even with some drain from Labour to UKIP (which there undoubtedly will be), a Tory MP being elected in a city where there hasn't been a single Tory councillor since the mid-1990s would be little short of miraculous.

[Gemmill 46030]

Good, long read in The Guardian today from @@ChezGiven ''s posterboy Krugman on how Britain's continued obsession with austerity is wrecking the economy, whilst everyone else in the world has moved on and realises austerity is a huge mistake.

 

Article summarised here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/28/top-economist-attacks-tory-austerity-labours-limp-response-paul-krugman

[Gemmill 46030]

In which he talks about the cringeworthy stupidity of trying to compare government budget management with running a household budget. Hello CT.

[Alex 35583]

Think the latest economic figures more or less confirm it'll be a hung parliament. Tories needed a boost and however they try to spin it, it's anything but. Hope a Labour led coalition leads to the much needed electoral reform to reengage the public

[ewerk 31203]

I see that the Tories are actually fielding a candidate in my constituency this year. A candidate from Durham who doesn't appear to have ever set foot in NI never mind campaigned in my area.

 

What's the point?

[NJS 4411]

Ideally it would be good for NI to leave sectarian parties behind but it's a long way off.

 

I also note that the Tory scare tactics over the SNP's role post election ignores how they did a cosy deal with the dup/uup to keep Major in power at one point which cost some lovely human rights being removed.

[ewerk 31203]

Cameron has refused to rule out a deal with the DUP despite most of their party coming out against gay equality with some even going so far as to say that homosexuality should be made illegal (though it may have saved a lot of lives http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/new-year-honours-dup-politician-maurice-mills-who-blamed-hurricane-katrina-on-gay-people-is-awarded-mbe-by-queen-9952928.html)

[PaddockLad 17654]

Good, long read in The Guardian today from @@ChezGiven ''s posterboy Krugman on how Britain's continued obsession with austerity is wrecking the economy, whilst everyone else in the world has moved on and realises austerity is a huge mistake.

 

Article summarised here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/28/top-economist-attacks-tory-austerity-labours-limp-response-paul-krugman

 

That smarm bucket Cameron was on Jeremy Vine chuntering along the same old shit again today..."Labour will be borrowing forever"....this after the coalition have borrowed more in 5 years thatn Labour did in 12 but with this bullshit austerity narrative. What government doesnt borrow?? Why Labour aren't pushing that right down the tory's throats am not sure?...

[Makom 0]

Milliband is coming across as a right bellend with all this 'Look Russell, I 'aint about to tell you this or that'. Stop trying to talk like you're down with the kids, you're a PPE graduate and career politician. The 'ordinary people' already think politicians are fake, he's only reinforcing this view with this shit.

[Makom 0]

Onwurah has knocked back your election advice as well, hasn't she?

 

She's not asked. But if she had, I'd have told her to sort out that Wikipedia page. For a new MP, who I assume hasn't done anything embarrassing yet, it's bloody awful.

[Gemmill 46030]

Milliband is coming across as a right bellend with all this 'Look Russell, I 'aint about to tell you this or that'. Stop trying to talk like you're down with the kids, you're a PPE graduate and career politician. The 'ordinary people' already think politicians are fake, he's only reinforcing this view with this shit.

Nah it's normal human behaviour to adopt mannerisms, including speech etc of the person you're talking to. I thought he came across well - stood up for himself without acting like a knob. I mean it's all flimflam the stuff he had to say, but at least he had the balls to out himself in that position cos it could have backfired horribly. Cameron wouldn't fucking dare put himself in that position.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

Perfect publicity stunt for Red Ed, the amount of followers Brand has it was a no brainer for Labour. Regardless of how shit the interview was.

[Makom 0]

Nah it's normal human behaviour to adopt mannerisms, including speech etc of the person you're talking to. I thought he came across well - stood up for himself without acting like a knob. I mean it's all flimflam the stuff he had to say, but at least he had the balls to out himself in that position cos it could have backfired horribly. Cameron wouldn't fucking dare put himself in that position.

 

That's just it, it wasn't normal. Him saying 'aint was like watching a yoot say nevertheless. He has so obviously been told at some point in the campaign to start altering the way he speaks to make him sound more normal, this isn't the first time I've noticed it.

[Monkeys Fist 43067]

Milliband is coming across as a right bellend with all this 'Look Russell, I 'aint about to tell you this or that'. Stop trying to talk like you're down with the kids, you're a PPE graduate and career politician. The 'ordinary people' already think politicians are fake, he's only reinforcing this view with this shit.

Oh Alannis.

[Makom 0]

I'm going to stick my neck out and make a prediction.

 

Conservative minority govt, with the Queen's Speech passing with the help of the Lib Dems, DUP and UKIP.

 

I think this will be the inevitable result of the Tories being the largest party and benefitting from the 'shy Tory' factor, an unconvincing Labour campaign, and them being wiped out in Haggisland. The Lib Dems won't be decimated as much as some have predicted, and they will stick to their pledge to approach the largest party first. Unable to form an actual coalition due to insufficient seats, they'll instead be happy to support a minority Tory govt. as and when, seeing it as preferrable to supporting a programme/budget resulting from any Labour/SNP negotiations. Whatever gains made by UKIP, if any, will be offset evenly as losses to the main three, thereby not ultimately affecting who the largest party is or the Lib Dems ability to prop up the Tories. The Greens simply won't make an impact at all.

[Park Life 71]

 

That's just it, it wasn't normal. Him saying 'aint was like watching a yoot say nevertheless. He has so obviously been told at some point in the campaign to start altering the way he speaks to make him sound more normal, this isn't the first time I've noticed it.

I'm guessing your new to the politics shabang.

[Park Life 71]

Perfect publicity stunt for Red Ed, the amount of followers Brand has it was a no brainer for Labour. Regardless of how shit the interview was.

It wasn't about the content.