Posh Boys in trouble?

[Serial_Apologist]

and the prospect of winning and having to spend time with the kind of people who really enjoy it ...... and all to be despised and ridiculed and abused

and there is that dismal experience ...canvassing when you realise just what the great british public can be like ...... [out mostly or having supper]

How well I remember canvassing in Bristol W for that infamous 1979 election!

Being greeted by the growling, snarling letterbox that chewed up our leaflets, and the sign in the window, saying "Give Blood"!

The "old dears" needing transporting to the polling stations, who afterwards told us they'd voted "Conservative this time, dear".

The crowing Libdems in the local at the end of the day sarcastically commiserating at our foretold doom and offering our inclusion in a round of drinks!

[Frances_iom]

It is a literal fact. Where you see old documents, such as Wills, signed by people who were unable to sign their own names, ...

they may well have been able to read but writing with an 18th C pen (pre invention of metal nibs that some may still recall from childhood) requires a little skill if a mess of the paper (which was taxed in England) was to be avoided

[french frank]

The crowing Libdems in the local at the end of the day sarcastically commiserating at our foretold doom and offering our inclusion in a round of drinks!

That would be the old Liberals, then, S-A, since the LibDems weren't around until 1988 . They were considerably civilised later by the polite, shiny-faced SDP political newbies. But, 1979? We all lost by several miles, didn't we? Except the Hon. Wm Waldegrave [Consah-vehtive]

As for what the great British public can be like. My first leaflet goes through a letterbox this afternoon. A cry of, Hey! comes instantaneously from inside the house and within seconds the door opens 50 cms and my leaflet is spewed out on to the path. There absolutely would not have been time to read it, or even identify what it was about.

[french frank]

what the great british public can be like ...... [out mostly or having supper]

The best excuse I heard when a so-called supporter was called on for the requested lift to the polling centre, was : "No. I've got me slippers on."

[amateur51]

Speaker Bercow has granted Harriet Harman an Urgent Question to Cameron about the Jeremy Hunt business

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/leveson-inquiry/9235978/David-Cameron-to-face-Jeremy-Hunt-questions-in-Commons-this-afternoon.html

Cameron will begin his statement/answer around 15:30. He's had to cancel a meeting in Milton Keynes

Appparently this is the first time that the Urgent Question process has been used since it was introduced about 10 years ago.

Tories in Westminster are going bonkers about Speaker Bercow's 'bias' - they're furious. Baroness Warsi was not persuaded to go down that route by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4 at lunchtime, choosing rather to sneer at Labour for trying to make political capital out of ... well you couldn't make it up, could you?

[MrGongGong]

Do you have an objection to writing it on the ballot paper yourself? Surely the defence of democracy is worth that amount of effort? (A problem, of course, for those for whom the X (that mark of the illiterate) is the limit of their capability.)

Not at all , I frequently have
but it is a sign of the arrogance of politicians that we are unable to express a "none of the above" choice without it being considered an irrelevant action

So all this talk of only 2 main parties now, and they both agree on most things... irritates me a lot. Why don;'t these people stand for election themselves?

It might irritate you , but sadly it's very true I'm afraid

[teamsaint]

I have a very good Green councillor to re-elect.

And a good Green candidate for Mayor, who is doing surprisingly well in the hustings, though if the Labour leader doesn't get 50% of the vote, there's an interesting independent who may stand a chance.

So all this talk of only 2 main parties now, and they both agree on most things... irritates me a lot. Why don;'t these people stand for election themselves?

A better answer than might be the lib dems actually standing up for their beliefs at cabinet level, or the labour party rediscovering its soul, and not being the puppet of the banks, big business, and the arms industry any more.

[MrGongGong]

A better answer than might be the lib dems actually standing up for their beliefs at cabinet level, or the labour party rediscovering its soul, and not being the puppet of the banks, big business, and the arms industry any more.

They don't believe in anything anymore apart from clinging onto a bit of power while it lasts....... all the nonsense about providing "balance" and an "alternative" voice in government is empty words while they prop up the immoral behaviour of Cameron and his chums.

"one of the basics of dealing with people with abusive habits is that you shouldn't facilitate their abusive behaviour ! junkies, alcoholics and tories alike"

[handsomefortune]

choosing rather to sneer at Labour

crikey........the exact same tactic she used on tv, when the woman who followed maude's advice got badly burned by petrol vapours then.....? according to barrelorgan warsi, it was apparently 'labour's fault' for drawing attention to maude's folly.... ??????????? i hope martha gave mrs warsi a tough & awkward lunchtime.

(whilst we're on the subject of sneering: no* .....how about 'jeremy chunt' instead then amatuer51 :-) ?

[amateur51]

choosing rather to sneer at Labour

crikey........the exact same tactic she used on tv, when the woman who followed maude's advice got badly burned by petrol vapours then.....? according to barrelorgan warsi, it was apparently 'labour's fault' for drawing attention to maude's folly.... ??????????? i hope martha gave mrs warsi a tough & awkward lunchtime.

(whilst we're on the subject of sneering: no* .....how about 'jeremy chunt' instead then amatuer51 :-) ?

Cheers my 'andsome

[handsomefortune]

"No. I've got me slippers on."

that's a classic ..but tbh i've always been suspicious of slippers, and 'no, i've got my slippers on' suggests that once on, slippers are in fact irreversabley addictive, and permanently incapacitating....(best not start such rampant self harming)!


still, as responses go, less frightening than ripping leaflets up, (and then rageing at hungry pet staffy who wants to eat something for lunch - even paper)...in front of leafleter, as recently experienced by mr handsomefortune. although lots of people are less aggressive obviously, in fact receiving a political leaflet that then gets ritually binned, makes people feel a rare solidarity, comforted that 'tut, nothing changes'.... whereas in fact a lot has, especially behind the scenes. the threats to the nhs will change quite alot about almost every aspect of uk life. people will compete with each other about their health insurance policy, for starters .... rather than which footbal team's the best, or 'x factor' contestant. it's 'gonna b gr8', people can look down on those without a health insurance policy, feel newly smug.... till they get ill, and find they're not covered.......... but it'll all be too late.

apparently, the tory changes will occur right under our noses, but be gradual, beginning with certain operations 'not being available in this area' ... (unfortunately, it's enough to bring on a stroke just contemplating it tbh). for those who believe that they have 'no choice' ...for the moment, labour will at least abstain from pedaling the 'unsustainability' jargon about nhs healthcare. so, in this sense an x is pointless, in view of what's immediately at stake.

perhaps the upside of being represented politically by complete numpties from mainstream left and right, is that it suggests 'anyone can do it' ...so logically 'anyone' will, and new, independent politics will develop, (hopefully). gorgeous george has his faults, but his election was good timing, in terms of people having the confidence, and motivation required to get off their butts and vote for 'outsiders' where this choice is available - (other than the terrifically silly sids in the bnp of course, whose only actual 'policy' is hatred....arguably, you can't exactly vote for 'hatred', ....nor self harm, though some 'slipper users' might justifiably be accused of this)?

[amateur51]

Speaker Bercow has granted Harriet Harman an Urgent Question to Cameron about the Jeremy Hunt business

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...afternoon.htmlA lot of smoke & not much light but Cameron has firmly wedded himself to Leveson's sorting this out.

Cameron will begin his statement/answer around 15:30. He's had to cancel a meeting in Milton Keynes

Appparently this is the first time that the Urgent Question process has been used since it was introduced about 10 years ago.

Tories in Westminster are going bonkers about Speaker Bercow's 'bias' - they're furious. Baroness Warsi was not persuaded to go down that route by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4 at lunchtime, choosing rather to sneer at Labour for trying to make political capital out of ... well you couldn't make it up, could you?

Personally I can't wait to see Mr Hunt being dissected by Mr Jay but of course the timing is all - we'll be well past the local elections by then, won't we

[gamba]

After reading through this lot I'm beginning to wonder if Alex Salmond is THAT bad after all - yes of course he is, what am I thinking of, silly me !

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

After reading through this lot I'm beginning to wonder if Alex Salmond is THAT bad after all - yes of course he is, what am I thinking of, silly me !

I quite like him actually. The only Scotsman I really do not trust is Danny Alexander.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

.... are Scotswomen reliable?