Political round up.............

by GSC Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:14 am

First topic message reminder :

CaledonianCraig wrote:
GSC wrote:The Scots voted to remain part of the UK.

The UK voted to leave the EU. Every Scottish vote counted the same as every other UK citizen. I don't see the issue.

The Scots (a good number if you look at post-ref stats from neutral sources) decided to vote no on varying issues. One of the main ones was because they feared losing their place in Europe. That won loads of votes for Better Together and has proved to be fruitless for the voters as they are now out of Europe.

The issue is that many Scots sees Scotland as its own country - sure not independent - but very close to it as they have their own government. However, when they vote by 62% to remain in Europe and end up being taken out of Europe it becomes a big issue to many. Yes we know the UK voted to exit but there are perhaps a million plus Scots who fail to recognize or accept being part of the UK or see themselves Scottish first and foremost and feel how they vote should hold more water than it does in the current union.

Sorry Craig, but that's democracy. Why should somebody in Edinburghs vote count more than someone's in London? Almost as ridiculous as Mhairi Black complaining that a region with more inhabitants had more MPs representing it than another region with less MPs.

But such is the politics of the SNP, always phrasing as Scotland vs the rest of the UK (or more accurately England) when Scotland voted to be part of the UK.

by Duty281 Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:47 pm

Mad for Chelsea wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/11/imf-higher-taxes-rich-inequality-jeremy-corbyn-labour-donald-trump

This is interesting. While there's an easy joke about how the IMF now stands for the International Marxist Foundation or suchlike, I find it interesting that the generally accepted view that high taxes stifle growth doesn't appear to be backed up by empirical evidence. I've long argued that in the UK (and indeed France when I lived there) there is far too much of a stigma attached to the idea of taxes. It's often accompanied by the word "burden" and a reduction in taxes is almost always seen as a good thing, erroneously IMO.

Dear me, Journalism is an embarrassment in this country.

What the IMF actually said was that the evidence linking progressive rates of tax and growth was mixed - they could not definitely rule out negative growth resulting from extremely progressive tax systems (like the UK and Sweden in the 1970s); besides which, the UK already has one of the highest tax rates for top earners.

They then conclude saying there would appear to be (not definitely as the Guardian makes out) some scope for increasing tax rates without harming growth, whilst accepting this would be difficult to implement.

by TRUSSMAN66 Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:57 pm

Mad for Chelsea wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/11/imf-higher-taxes-rich-inequality-jeremy-corbyn-labour-donald-trump

This is interesting. While there's an easy joke about how the IMF now stands for the International Marxist Foundation or suchlike, I find it interesting that the generally accepted view that high taxes stifle growth doesn't appear to be backed up by empirical evidence. I've long argued that in the UK (and indeed France when I lived there) there is far too much of a stigma attached to the idea of taxes. It's often accompanied by the word "burden" and a reduction in taxes is almost always seen as a good thing, erroneously IMO.

Taxes are also accompanied to the word "aspiration"......As if people will just stop trying to succeed should the tax threshold move up.....

Though I must admit I'm not for raising tax levels on the middle classes........Happier to go after offshore tax evasion which accounts for 16 billion and counting...then look at other places like the foreign aid budget..

by TRUSSMAN66 Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:20 pm

Another London poll..

Labour 49 +6
Con 21 -7

The Tories are absolutely dire in London...If polls were the same around the Country...Labour would be looking at a 60 majority..

Be a worry for them....Some tight seats there..

Labour moving into second in Scotland too..

SNP 40 +3
Lab 30 +3
Con 23 -6

Forget Davidson leading the Westminster party if these figures sustain.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:33 pm

The one good thing about Labour's increased polling in London is that there's a chance that Boris will be voted out.

That would be worth a thousand George Galloway's...for the temporary time it lasts.

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:47 pm

About as likely to happen as me flying to the moon.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:46 pm

Boris’ majority isn’t the biggest, so never say never!

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:49 pm

There isn't any more UKIP voters for Labour to pick up so highly unlikely, they didn't gain any votes from the Tories.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:53 pm

LionsV2 wrote:There isn't any more UKIP voters for Labour to pick up so highly unlikely, they didn't gain any votes from the Tories.

I doubt the Kipper vote went away from Boris Johnson.

Likely that some 2015 Tory voters switched to Labour, with 2015 UKIP votes making up the Tory shortfall.

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:56 pm

The big swings to Labour were in areas that UKIP did well in 2015, I doubt many Tory voters switched.

by TRUSSMAN66 Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:14 pm

Survation..

Lab 44
Con 38..

Majority territory for Labour.....

See how long the Tory patience lasts...

by TRUSSMAN66 Fri Oct 20, 2017 2:26 pm

So where are we ??....(ONS figures)

*Only 1 Hospital has hit its targets in England in the last 12 months...
*Waiting times going through the roof
*1 in 9 peopled wait over 4 hours to be seen in A+E....Doubled since 2012..

*Knife crime up 13%
*Sex Crimes up 13%
*Murder rate up 8% (Excluding Terrorist atrocity)
Burglary, Stalking etc etc all sharply increasing....
(Police numbers down)

*7 million working families living in poverty..

Yes we don't want that Left Loony Jeremy Corbyn ruining the Country.....Heaven forbid !!

by LionsV2 Fri Oct 20, 2017 2:57 pm

Just imagine how much worse it would be with him in charge, frightening thought.

by Duty281 Fri Oct 20, 2017 3:26 pm

Crime on the increase, but the police seem preoccupied with painting their nails, getting rainbow colours for their cars, or making threats towards people who write nasty things on the Internet.

The standard of all present UK political parties is dismal.

by Scottrf Fri Oct 20, 2017 3:30 pm

Duty281 wrote:Crime on the increase, but the police seem preoccupied with painting their nails, getting rainbow colours for their cars, or making threats towards people who write nasty things on the Internet.

The standard of all present UK political parties is dismal.

Yep, murder rate is directly related to police painting their nails.

by TRUSSMAN66 Fri Oct 20, 2017 3:32 pm

LionsV2 wrote:Just imagine how much worse it would be with him in charge, frightening thought.

Becoming less frightening every day..

by Muscular-mouse Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:06 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:So where are we ??....(ONS figures)

*Only 1 Hospital has hit its targets in England in the last 12 months...
*Waiting times going through the roof
*1 in 9 peopled wait over 4 hours to be seen in A+E....Doubled since 2012..

*Knife crime up 13%
*Sex Crimes up 13%
*Murder rate up 8% (Excluding Terrorist atrocity)
Burglary, Stalking etc etc all sharply increasing....
(Police numbers down)

*7 million working families living in poverty..

Yes we don't want that Left Loony Jeremy Corbyn ruining the Country.....Heaven forbid !!

These are actually very worrying figures but it comes as no surprise when the tories cut police figures by 20,000 and cut budgets for outreach work and youth work aimed at keeping youngsters away from crime.

by LionsV2 Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:31 pm

The number living in poverty seems to rise by a million each week, altogether a total nonsense.

by CaledonianCraig Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:06 am

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Another London poll..

Labour moving into second in Scotland too..

SNP 40 +3
Lab 30 +3
Con 23 -6

Forget Davidson leading the Westminster party if these figures sustain.

So much for the collapse of the SNP that some parts of the media reported.

by lostinwales Mon Oct 23, 2017 12:41 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
LionsV2 wrote:Just imagine how much worse it would be with him in charge, frightening thought.

Becoming less frightening every day..

In a two horse race all you have to do to win is be a little bit better than the other horse. (Or at least convince everyone else that you are a little bit better).

I am no fan of Corbyn at all, and in some ways I despair of what his special buddies might bring to government. But then the current government are the greatest shower of brown stuff that I have seen in my lifetime, and he cannot be worse.

Politics in this country are in a terrible state.

by TRUSSMAN66 Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:58 pm

Wow this Labour lad from Sheffield Hallam has really been writing some inflammatory things about homosexuals and ladies..

Shows you the problem in vetting for snap Elections..

Corbyn and Labour are going to be repenting at leisure with this guy.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:58 pm

Sadly not surprising where the Labour Party is concerned. They have bigger issues than Jared, though. Amusing/excruciating to see that Owen Jones has bathed himself in hypocrisy once again.

Tories and LDs asking for the whip to be removed.

by TRUSSMAN66 Tue Oct 24, 2017 6:12 pm

Be more of a problem in more lucrative times.....Average Joe has more imminent concerns most probably than getting upset by this Muppet.

I think Labour should withdraw the whip....Social media is becoming so prevalent in politics he won't be the last to be burned..

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 24, 2017 6:24 pm

Duty281 wrote:Sadly not surprising where the Labour Party is concerned. They have bigger issues than Jared, though. Amusing/excruciating to see that Owen Jones has bathed himself in hypocrisy once again.

Tories and LDs asking for the whip to be removed.

For the many not the few as long as you're not part of a minority group seems to be Corbyns Labour.

by TRUSSMAN66 Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:03 pm

You'd think the Tories would be doing better with minorities then..

Perhaps it doesn't help when we have just seen a Tory Mp losing the whip for using the 'N' word.

Labour = Bad
Conservative = Good.

I think we get it.

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:09 pm

Corbyns Labour- abhorrent
The Tories- better

by **Pr4wn** Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:51 pm

Don't feed the troll, Truss.

by Muscular-mouse Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:04 pm

Pr4wn wrote:Don't feed the troll, Truss.

I learnt pretty quickly he is just a troll and now I ignore him.

by catchweight Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:09 pm

Hes a creep with a weird obsession for this Forum. I think hes been thrown off several times only to resurface under a new alias each time.

by CaledonianCraig Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:38 pm

Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:39 pm

I'm hungry, feed me.

Ps. Please use correct grammar.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:46 pm

CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

by CaledonianCraig Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:49 pm

Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

by **JuliusHMarx** Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:52 pm

LionsV2 wrote:I'm hungry, feed me.

P.S. Please use correct grammar.

Fixed your punctuation for you. Smile

by Duty281 Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:00 pm

CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

I believe he’s retiring from refereeing after the next World Cup.

Can’t vouch for his short time as a MSP because I can’t locate attendance records. What I am sure of, however, is that he hasn’t been a part-timer during his time in Westminster. An actual part-timer would be someone like Mhairi Black, who has only bothered to vote 21% of the time.

by CaledonianCraig Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:05 pm

Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

I believe he’s retiring from refereeing after the next World Cup.

Can’t vouch for his short time as a MSP because I can’t locate attendance records. What I am sure of, however, is that he hasn’t been a part-timer during his time in Westminster. An actual part-timer would be someone like Mhairi Black, who has only bothered to vote 21% of the time.

There is differences there though - big differences.

One has other interests which leads him to miss votes. The other is a member of a party elected for a Scottish constituency for a party who realize that their vote counts for diddly squat on the passing of bills at Westminster hence they tend to abstain hence 21% record.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:10 pm

CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

I believe he’s retiring from refereeing after the next World Cup.

Can’t vouch for his short time as a MSP because I can’t locate attendance records. What I am sure of, however, is that he hasn’t been a part-timer during his time in Westminster. An actual part-timer would be someone like Mhairi Black, who has only bothered to vote 21% of the time.

There is differences there though - big differences.

One has other interests which leads him to miss votes. The other is a member of a party elected for a Scottish constituency for a party who realize that their vote counts for diddly squat on the passing of bills at Westminster hence they tend to abstain hence 21% record.

If you think such votes count for so little, why do you care if a Tory MP in Scotland misses 1 vote in every 25?

by CaledonianCraig Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:14 pm

Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

I believe he’s retiring from refereeing after the next World Cup.

Can’t vouch for his short time as a MSP because I can’t locate attendance records. What I am sure of, however, is that he hasn’t been a part-timer during his time in Westminster. An actual part-timer would be someone like Mhairi Black, who has only bothered to vote 21% of the time.

There is differences there though - big differences.

One has other interests which leads him to miss votes. The other is a member of a party elected for a Scottish constituency for a party who realize that their vote counts for diddly squat on the passing of bills at Westminster hence they tend to abstain hence 21% record.

If you think such votes count for so little, why do you care if a Tory MP in Scotland misses 1 vote in every 25?

I was thinking more of his duties at Holyrood that he has missed more than Westminster.

by LionsV2 Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:16 pm

Craig talking nonsense again.

by CaledonianCraig Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:18 pm

Anyways great to see the Scottish Parliament voting to ban fracking. A vote for common sense and for environment. The only opposers - the Tories.

by Duty281 Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:00 pm

CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:
Duty281 wrote:
CaledonianCraig wrote:Hopefully, voters will get wise to the Scottish part-time Tory MP who deems it more important to be a stand-by UEFA official than attend votes at parliament.

Part-time? He has attended 96% of votes in this Parliament, which is more than most MPs, including John McNally (the SNP bloke who brandished a red card).

He has been hauled up before for missing votes in past parliaments for his 'other pursuits' and promised pre-election he wouldn't do it again. BS

I believe he’s retiring from refereeing after the next World Cup.

Can’t vouch for his short time as a MSP because I can’t locate attendance records. What I am sure of, however, is that he hasn’t been a part-timer during his time in Westminster. An actual part-timer would be someone like Mhairi Black, who has only bothered to vote 21% of the time.

There is differences there though - big differences.

One has other interests which leads him to miss votes. The other is a member of a party elected for a Scottish constituency for a party who realize that their vote counts for diddly squat on the passing of bills at Westminster hence they tend to abstain hence 21% record.

If you think such votes count for so little, why do you care if a Tory MP in Scotland misses 1 vote in every 25?

I was thinking more of his duties at Holyrood that he has missed more than Westminster.

That wasn't your original point. As you know.

by Duty281 Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:04 pm

To the surprise of no one, Labour have suspended Ginger Jared.

Only question now is whether he’ll labour on as an independent, or resign and trigger a by-Election.

by lostinwales Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:21 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:You'd think the Tories would be doing better with minorities then..

Perhaps it doesn't help when we have just seen a Tory Mp losing the whip for using the 'N' word.

Labour = Bad
Conservative = Good.

I think we get it.

The Tories are all for minority groups. After all its a very exclusive bunch who get to go to Eton.

by Muscular-mouse Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:01 pm

Duty281 wrote:To the surprise of no one, Labour have suspended Ginger Jared.

Only question now is whether he’ll labour on as an independent, or resign and trigger a by-Election.

Doesn't really matter if a by election is triggered as it will either be a liberal democrat or Labour who win the seat as it is a massive student city which lib dems/labour have held for 25 years.

by TRUSSMAN66 Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:09 pm

You elect the person not the party...

Only way an Election is triggered over this is if he quits parliament or is convicted of a crime..Like hate speech I suppose..

Both are unlikely..

by Duty281 Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:11 pm

Muscular-mouse wrote:
Duty281 wrote:To the surprise of no one, Labour have suspended Ginger Jared.

Only question now is whether he’ll labour on as an independent, or resign and trigger a by-Election.

Doesn't really matter if a by election is triggered as it will either be a liberal democrat or Labour who win the seat as it is a massive student city which lib dems/labour have held for 25 years.

Exactly - it matters. It’s not a safe seat: Nick Clegg could get re-elected, or David Miliband/Ed Balls I suppose.

Agree with Truss, though, that Jared quitting Parliament completely is unlikely (but not impossible).

by Muscular-mouse Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:35 pm

Duty281 wrote:
Muscular-mouse wrote:
Duty281 wrote:To the surprise of no one, Labour have suspended Ginger Jared.

Only question now is whether he’ll labour on as an independent, or resign and trigger a by-Election.

Doesn't really matter if a by election is triggered as it will either be a liberal democrat or Labour who win the seat as it is a massive student city which lib dems/labour have held for 25 years.

Exactly - it matters. It’s not a safe seat: Nick Clegg could get re-elected, or David Miliband/Ed Balls I suppose.

Agree with Truss, though, that Jared quitting Parliament completely is unlikely (but not impossible).

It really doesn't matter tho. Labour are in opposition and they pretty much team up against the tories on most things so if it is a labour mp or a lib dem mp they will both have probably the exact same voting pattern.

by LionsV2 Wed Oct 25, 2017 5:56 pm

It makes a big difference to the perception of a party moving forward, losing a by election wouldn't be a sign of a party ready to govern.

by TRUSSMAN66 Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:42 pm

They will be able to make up for it at the Local Elections next May..

Things move on very quickly...Only seemed like yesterday the Tories were 20 points ahead and looking at a 100 majority.

by **Pr4wn** Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:51 pm

Theresa May has dropped plans to cap housing benefit for social and supported housing. Yet another big win for Labour. This government is a total mess.

by LionsV2 Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:53 pm

All hail Corbyn, what a man.

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