Is anybody actually watching?

[Richard Tarleton]

I think you may have failed to notice Nick Clegg's famous abandonment of the non-negotiable during his coalition phase.

No I haven't, that's precisely the point. He negotiated, compromised. He's a politician.

And the political situation is quite different now from when Crick was writing.

The political landscape, yes, but his thoughts are relevant today. The book was reprinted in 2005.

(Can you sort your quotes out please? You've got me saying things I didn't say.)

Sorry, where?

[MrGongGong]

No I haven't, that's precisely the point. He negotiated, compromised. He's a politician.

[Serial_Apologist]

The latest smear against the SNP is truly imaginative - however shows that the Tories have adopted USA style smear tactics and now even adenoidal kid is repeating it but then he has the most (if not all) Scottish seats to lose - which he will if the smear is shown to be a Torygraph plant).

Milliband's premature judgement over Nicola's alleged remarks about his suitability as premiereship material has probably done for my supporting Labour in the election, as he seems unable to wait until the evidence presents itself, and for me this says a lot about his personality.

I had been thinking about this, given available choices for getting Cameron out.

[jean]

No I haven't, that's precisely the point. He negotiated, compromised. He's a politician.

What you have missed is that he only did the negotiating and compromise after he was invited to participate in coalition.

And then, he capitulated totally on things he'd indicated previously were not up for negotiation.

None of yesterday's leaders, except him, have yet been put in that position.

Sorry, where?

Somebody's righted it - or it's righted itself.

[teamsaint]

My son is listening to the " debate " on his phone.

I am listening to the Liszt B minor sonata.
With headphones.
Pretty loud.

And i can STILL hear the bloody politicians.

[ahinton]

My son is listening to the " debate " on his phone.

I am listening to the Liszt B minor sonata.
With headphones.
Pretty loud.

And i can STILL hear the bloody politicians.

I think that I might be able to tell who is getting the better deal (subject to who's playing, of course)...

[teamsaint]

I think that I might be able to tell who is getting the better deal (subject to who's playing, of course)...

LaPlante, somewhat coincidentally.

[Anna]

Milliband's premature judgement over Nicola's alleged remarks about his suitability as premiereship material has probably done for my supporting Labour in the election, as he seems unable to wait until the evidence presents itself, and for me this says a lot about his personality.

I had been thinking about this, given available choices for getting Cameron out.

No need to think about available choices, it's been made for you by the SNP, so you'd best vote for Miliband if you don't want a Glasgow handshake!

Nicola Sturgeon has offered to help make Ed Miliband the next prime minister even if Labour wins fewer seats than the Tories on 7 May. Her appeal comes as she angrily rejects claims that she thinks he is not up to the job.

Writing in the Observer – as a furious row erupted over disparaging private remarks she allegedly made about the Labour leader – Sturgeon challenges Miliband to lead Labour into an anti-austerity alliance with the SNP whichever party is the largest in the House of Commons on 8 May.

In terms that will enrage many MPs, Sturgeon throws down the gauntlet to the Labour leader, saying: “If together our parties have the parliamentary numbers required after 7 May, and regardless of which is the biggest party, will he and Labour join with us in locking David Cameron out of Downing Street?”

That'll go down well with English Conservative voters won't it - being governed by the Scots, the very same Scots who wanted full independence from England will now be running the shop?

This could backfire dreadfully of course and cause an enormous swing to the Conservatives ......

[mangerton]

In terms that will enrage many MPs, Sturgeon throws down the gauntlet to the Labour leader, saying: “If together our parties have the parliamentary numbers required after 7 May, and regardless of which is the biggest party, will he and Labour join with us in locking David Cameron out of Downing Street?”[/I]

That'll go down well with English Conservative voters won't it - being governed by the Scots, the very same Scots who wanted full independence from England will now be running the shop?

I do hope so. As I wrote to a relative only yesterday:

"It's all very interesting, and if the SNP ends up holding the balance of power between Con and Lab, that'll be fine by me. I am singularly unimpressed by the English yelping about this. Last September they begged us not to break up the Union, and for years Scotland has been ruled by Tories for whom we did not vote. They should think about the law of unintended consequences, and be more careful about what they wish for.

This could backfire dreadfully of course and cause an enormous swing to the Conservatives ......

Probably not, though nothing is certain.

A Happy Easter to all - especially English Conservatives.

[Anna]

I do hope so. As I wrote to a relative only yesterday:

"It's all very interesting, and if the SNP ends up holding the balance of power between Con and Lab, that'll be fine by me. I am singularly unimpressed by the English yelping about this. Last September they begged us not to break up the Union, and for years Scotland has been ruled by Tories for whom we did not vote. They should think about the law of unintended consequences, and be more careful about what they wish for.
A Happy Easter to all - especially English Conservatives.

But mangerton - You Scots didn't have the courage of your convictions said NO to independence in the referendum - so don't blame the English!!
I suppose this SNP deal is the famous Revenge of the Reivers?
And a Happy Easter to you too!

[P. G. Tipps]

I think even the most fervent pro-Union Scot ... and, yes, there are still plenty of them, including myself .... will share Mangerton's sentiments about some of the 'yelping' south of the border about how unfair things are suddenly turning out for the poor English. Dearie me, after all those decades of reading about 'whingeing Scots'. And we still read about the 'English Taxpayer' propping up those ungrateful natives north of the border as if those huge oil and whisky revenues syphoned-off to London had not been happening all those years. And, of course, Scotland is one heck of a lot more than just oil and whisky. There is even talk of the English wanting our water now.

More seriously, I am deeply worried about the way things are going for this country, and I mean the whole of the UK. Scottish Nationalism has always existed and every Scot worthy of the name has at least a bit of it in him or her, but it has been regularly trumped by the realities of the modern world and the common interests of all the people of these islands... until now, apparently.

Though I was relieved by the result of the 'Independence' referendum I was also struck by the relatively close result ... it was never 'decisive' as the pro-Union media claimed. Instead, it just made matters more uncertain and all because David Cameron (like Thatcher before him) thought he could use the Scots (of all people!) for political advantage. The Complete & Utter Fools.

Cameron may have had a Scottish granddaddy or whatever but he obviously hadn't read his history books properly and learned what a stubbornly proud and determinedly bloody-minded lot we can be, and, sadly, that has not always been in our better interests.

The dangerous thing for me is that people now seem to be voting for things about which they haven't really a clue as to what it will actually mean in reality, whether that be for the SNP or UKIP. Oh yes, just break away from our close friends, neighbours and even relatives in the rest of the UK or Europe and it'll suddenly be Paradise Gained. Jus' like that ... pure Tommy Cooper Magic. Oh dear, it's not just Cameron who hasn't learned the clear and often bitter lessons of human history!

Personal evidence exists for this voter ignorance. I have four dearly-loved female siblings who are all pro-SNP, two of whom voted 'Yes' in the referendum, the other two being unable as one has lived near London for half-a-century and the other lives in the USA.

When I asked one of the two actual voters why she had voted 'Yes' the answer ranged from 'well, I like Alex Salmond, he stands up for us' to 'I think it's high time for a change'. The one in England said she would have voted 'yes' because she is an active member of CND and believes in scrapping Trident. That's clear enough, at least. What would happen to a non-Trident Scotland (and the rest of the UK) after 'independence' is slightly less clear. The one who lives in the USA said Scotland should be 'a free country'.

Bizarrely, the remaining sibling who voted ''Yes', and who didn't reveal her reason for doing so, has since been spotted on television, sporting a red-white-and-blue hat, and flaunting a huge Union Flag in support of Andy Murray and the UK Davis Cup team last month in Glasgow ....

Sometimes I honestly don't know whether to howl with laughter or to burst into floods of tears, but up until now, at least, I have opted for the former!

Happy Easter, everyone!

[Observation Postr]

I think even the most fervent pro-Union Scot ... and, yes, there are still plenty of them, including myself .... will share Mangerton's sentiments about some of the 'yelping' south of the border about how unfair things are suddenly turning out for the poor English. Dearie me, after all those decades of reading about 'whingeing Scots'. And we still read about the 'English Taxpayer' propping up those ungrateful natives north of the border as if those huge oil and whisky revenues syphoned-off to London had not been happening all those years. And, of course, Scotland is one heck of a lot more than just oil and whisky. There is even talk of the English wanting our water now.

More seriously, I am deeply worried about the way things are going for this country, and I mean the whole of the UK. Scottish Nationalism has always existed and every Scot worthy of the name has at least a bit of it in him or her, but it has been regularly trumped by the realities of the modern world and the common interests of all the people of these islands... until now, apparently....

.... Sometimes I honestly don't know whether to howl with laughter or to burst into floods of tears, but up until now, at least, I have opted for the former!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Stop worrying. Why don't you make yourself a nice cup of tea?

OP

[MrGongGong]

The dangerous thing for me is that people now seem to be voting for things about which they haven't really a clue as to what it will actually mean

What David says @ 1:43"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU&spfreload=10

(for those who don't like this kind of thing)

"Same as it ever was"

Now, shouldn't you be in church?

[P. G. Tipps]

Stop worrying .... OP

What, when I'm totally surrounded on this beautiful planet by a multitude of idiots ... ?

[Frances_iom]

the Tory Scottish secretary states the 'leak' was just one of those things - surprise surprise - the R4 correspondent's theory that Nicola's lack of enthusiasm for adenoidal kid meant she favoured Camerloon was something inserted by the Scottish office who it seems kept the memo on file for release as part of the Tory smear campaign (who honestly believes in civil service neutrality now they are full of political advisors etc)