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[kitch9]

Labour are geniuses:

They tell the markets they are going to sell a shitload of gold days before they actually do it.

They tell everyone they are going to freeze energy prices years before they can actually do it. The fallout from this is potentially going to cost thousands of jobs in the green industries, and the energy companies now have two years to make sure they don't lose out.

They then tell everyone that they are going to break up the banks high street chains years before they can actually do it. Now we have bank clerks and the like shitting themselves and worrying about job security.

Nothing like a shit load of uncertainty in energy prices and the banking system just as we are starting to see growth and the green shoots, we then we have a total tard from Labour telling us how concerned he is with living standards.

You could not make this shit up, seriously.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Sounds good. I just doubled up on it yesterday. It's doing pretty well, it's going to start paying dividend soon and if you look beyond the 5yr chart to the Max, it used to be sooo much higher. I know the banks might never see their shares go back to the heady heights of the mid thousands, but still, I think they have a long way to grow.

The shares will never go as high as that because there are more shares in circulation now. The government bought newly issued shares in RBS and LLOY. The only way for LLOY shares to rise up to their old price of 500-600p is for LLOY to commence a huge share buy-back scheme over the next 5-7 years and take a shit load of shares out of circulation.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Labour are geniuses:

They tell the markets they are going to sell a shitload of gold days before they actually do it.

They tell everyone they are going to freeze energy prices years before they can actually do it. The fallout from this is potentially going to cost thousands of jobs in the green industries, and the energy companies now have two years to make sure they don't lose out.

They then tell everyone that they are going to break up the banks high street chains years before they can actually do it. Now we have bank clerks and the like shitting themselves and worrying about job security.

Nothing like a shit load of uncertainty in energy prices and the banking system just as we are starting to see growth and the green shoots, we then we have a total tard from Labour telling us how concerned he is with living standards.

You could not make this shit up, seriously.

You really couldn't make it up, and it is all in the name of short term poll gains. Every party does it but labour seen to have a certain knack for this shit.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

As I said before, Labour's idea to limit the number of branches on the high street is like mana from heaven for retail banking directors. They would love to fire thousands of what they see as unproductive staff under guise of new government regulations. It gets them off the hook.

Crazy policies from Labour that hit the small guys in the biggest corporation. Ill though out. No wonder Ed Balls has been strangely silent, whatever I think about him, he isn't stupid and knows that any possible short term gain from bank cashier bashing is not worth it.

 

[Scuderia]

Sounds good. I just doubled up on it yesterday. It's doing pretty well, it's going to start paying dividend soon and if you look beyond the 5yr chart to the Max, it used to be sooo much higher. I know the banks might never see their shares go back to the heady heights of the mid thousands, but still, I think they have a long way to grow.

That's true, i work for Lloyds and a few of my colleagues lost a LOT of money when the shares tumbled from £10+

I'd be happy if it's back above the 100p mark for when my time comes to sell

 

[kitch9]

As I said before, Labour's idea to limit the number of branches on the high street is like mana from heaven for retail banking directors. They would love to fire thousands of what they see as unproductive staff under guise of new government regulations. It gets them off the hook.

Crazy policies from Labour that hit the small guys in the biggest corporation. Ill though out. No wonder Ed Balls has been strangely silent, whatever I think about him, he isn't stupid and knows that any possible short term gain from bank cashier bashing is not worth it.

I'm embarrassed to say Milliband is my local MP. The guy is a complete idiot.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Unbelievable
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25796062

 

[Jackpot]

Clegg has fucked up the Rennard debacle. Spiked the internal investigation so that it didn't look into anything, thereby giving him a clean bill of health, now he wants Rennard to apologise for other people making allegations. May as well wave a giant sign saying "yeah, we know he's guilty but we wanted him to leave without having to deal with a sexual harrassment suit."

 

[dapperbandit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...rite-party-9069625.html?origin=internalSearch

this amuses me

 

[anonymous_abc]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...rite-party-9069625.html?origin=internalSearch

this amuses me

Amuses is not quite the right word.
more like

Spoiler

terrifies

This is interesting (only a german link)
So a research paper on those pesky foreigners coming to the UK is purposely being delayed by the government because the real numbers are too favorable and don't actually indicate all the vast negative claims that are being hauled at the ward working immigrants.

Quote from last weeks Now Show
"They are both coming here for benefits and taking all our jobs"

 

[iapetus]

I'm embarrassed to say Milliband is my local MP. The guy is a complete idiot.

If we're having a 'my local MP is a cretin' competition, you've all lost already.

 

[Nicktendo86]

If we're having a 'my local MP is a cretin' competition, you've all lost already.

Well I had George Galloway while I was living at home in Bethnal Green, top that!

 

[CyclopsRock]

Well I had George Galloway while I was living at home in Bethnal Green, top that!

That's my constituency now! Luckily we have a sexy Labour woman.

 

[Nicktendo86]

That's my constituency now! Luckily we have a sexy Labour woman.

Haha I've only moved across the boarder to Limehouse and Poplar, have Labour Jim Fitzpatrick now. Seems a decent bloke, will take him over Galloway any day!

 

[8bit]

When I was living in Glasgow my MP was Ian Davidson, recently infamous for threatening other politicians with a 'doing' (colloquialism for a beating).

 

[kitch9]

If we're having a 'my local MP is a cretin' competition, you've all lost already.

Yeah, might let you have that one.

 

[iapetus]

Well I had George Galloway while I was living at home in Bethnal Green, top that!

While I was living at home:

Close, but I guess I have to let you have that one. Still think The Idiot Gove (as we call him) is about as bad as it gets currently.

 

[kharma45]

If we're having a 'my local MP is a cretin' competition, you've all lost already.

At least you don't have Young Earth Creationists as MPs.

 

[Yen]

At least you don't have Young Earth Creationists as MPs.

The "Gays are an abomination" crowd aren't great either.

 

[Nicktendo86]

More good economic news today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25823217

 

[kharma45]

The "Gays are an abomination" crowd aren't great either.

Aren't they the same guys?

 

[Nicktendo86]

Unemployment now down to 7.1%, my god labour's economic policy (or lack of) is in tatters.

 

[kitch9]

More good economic news today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25823217

Did Labour mention the cost of living crisis? Energy bills went up a bit.

 

[Jezbollah]

Did Labour mention the cost of living crisis? Energy bills went up a bit.

That's today's drinking game for PMQs later.

 

[CyclopsRock]

Hola wonks, I made a UK-politics thread here cause I thought the topic was a bit broader than our day-to-day punch and judy fund-fest would allow for, plus more people'll see it, if you're interested.

Today's figures are great, though as some are saying, it'll really test the BoE's forwards guidance. I know they said that 7% is a threshold and not a trigger, but if they delay a few years (their original estimate of when 7% would be hit was late 2015/early 2016 I think?) then the forward guidance wasn't really forward guidance.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

The primary determinant of interest rates and QE is still inflation. December's inflation rate was 2% which is exactly on target. The trend is downwards as core CPI is lower than 2%. As long as inflation stays on target the Bank won't raise interest rates regardless of the unemployment rate.

 

[pulsemyne]

Hola wonks, I made a UK-politics thread here cause I thought the topic was a bit broader than our day-to-day punch and judy fund-fest would allow for, plus more people'll see it, if you're interested.

Today's figures are great, though as some are saying, it'll really test the BoE's forwards guidance. I know they said that 7% is a threshold and not a trigger, but if they delay a few years (their original estimate of when 7% would be hit was late 2015/early 2016 I think?) then the forward guidance wasn't really forward guidance.

You do realise it's very easy to massage the unemployment figures. It would be interesting to know just how many of the new jobs were zero hour contract jobs (my bet is quite a few). You can also argue that unemployment is falling inspite of government policy not because of it. Europe is slowly starting to turn it's ship around economy wise (unless your france of course), the US is growing as are others. Our primary trade partners are growing so it helps us to grow.
Anyway one thing is for sure, something has gone very wrong in the NHS in wales. Ambulance coverage is very bad at the moment because they are having to wait to drop off patients at A&E. This has led to people waiting long times and even a few deaths. The welsh government say that it isn't that there are too few ambulances but it's because A&E's are understaffed. There is actually some truth in this as if A&E's could process patients quicker then there would be more ambulance coverage. The welsh government is blaming the NHS trusts over them not recruiting enough people for A&E. The trusts meanwhile say that they don't have the money etc. Basically it's a blame merry-go-round. The welsh government does have to take some blame for this as ultimately the buck stops at them but the trusts also must share the blame as they have made mistakes.
Sadly, of course, the same is beginning to happen in England and there are calls being made for a so-called "safe" number of A&E staff to be on duty at any one time.
Our once great NHS has been corroded by poor government policy and poor management from the trusts who have been told that profit must come before patients.

 

[Nicktendo86]

You do realise it's very easy to massage the unemployment figures. It would be interesting to know just how many of the new jobs were zero hour contract jobs (my bet is quite a few). You can also argue that unemployment is falling inspite of government policy not because of it. Europe is slowly starting to turn it's ship around economy wise (unless your france of course), the US is growing as are others. Our primary trade partners are growing so it helps us to grow.
Anyway one thing is for sure, something has gone very wrong in the NHS in wales. Ambulance coverage is very bad at the moment because they are having to wait to drop off patients at A&E. This has led to people waiting long times and even a few deaths. The welsh government say that it isn't that there are too few ambulances but it's because A&E's are understaffed. There is actually some truth in this as if A&E's could process patients quicker then there would be more ambulance coverage. The welsh government is blaming the NHS trusts over them not recruiting enough people for A&E. The trusts meanwhile say that they don't have the money etc. Basically it's a blame merry-go-round. The welsh government does have to take some blame for this as ultimately the buck stops at them but the trusts also must share the blame as they have made mistakes.
Sadly, of course, the same is beginning to happen in England and there are calls being made for a so-called "safe" number of A&E staff to be on duty at any one time.
Our once great NHS has been corroded by poor government policy and poor management from the trusts who have been told that profit must come before patients.

I read that out of 280,000 jobs created 220,000 were full time posts. That's still a lot of part time work but anything is better than nothing...

I would argue, given that we seem to have the fastest growth in Europe, that the government is doing SOMETHING right. Labour have completely lost the economic argument.

 

[pulsemyne]

Those 220,000 full time jobs are largely temp jobs in the run upto christmas. They work full time hours and are classed as such. Also, slightly oddly, zero hour contracts can actually class as full time jobs. The contracts say you "may" be employed for a full hour full time job when infact your lucky to get ten hours a week, if that. They also class you as in full time work if your in workfare (or work unfair as it should be known). It's pretty easy to play with the figures. Not that I'm saying labour didn't do the same at some points either. All governments do it so that the real amount is never truly revealed.
While many conservatives maybe cheering the figures there is one figure that hurts them more than anything and that is wage increases being only 0.9 percent. This means that people have less money as inflation still outstrips wage growth. Also with public sector wages still being capped at 1 percent it means that life gets a little harder for people.
The irony of the current recovery is that it is very, very debt led. Strange what happens when you take the screws of austerity and pump money into the economy. It actually is a very Brown trick to us. He did the same to start the recovery towards the end of his being PM. Dump loads of cash into things and watch as an economy grows. Tories said this was bad and we were racking up a lot of debt, but they are now doing the same thing. It took them 4 years to figure out that austerity doesn't work well and that borrowing to fuel growth tends to paper over the cracks.

 

[kitch9]

You do realise it's very easy to massage the unemployment figures. It would be interesting to know just how many of the new jobs were zero hour contract jobs (my bet is quite a few). You can also argue that unemployment is falling inspite of government policy not because of it. Europe is slowly starting to turn it's ship around economy wise (unless your france of course), the US is growing as are others. Our primary trade partners are growing so it helps us to grow.
Anyway one thing is for sure, something has gone very wrong in the NHS in wales. Ambulance coverage is very bad at the moment because they are having to wait to drop off patients at A&E. This has led to people waiting long times and even a few deaths. The welsh government say that it isn't that there are too few ambulances but it's because A&E's are understaffed. There is actually some truth in this as if A&E's could process patients quicker then there would be more ambulance coverage. The welsh government is blaming the NHS trusts over them not recruiting enough people for A&E. The trusts meanwhile say that they don't have the money etc. Basically it's a blame merry-go-round. The welsh government does have to take some blame for this as ultimately the buck stops at them but the trusts also must share the blame as they have made mistakes.
Sadly, of course, the same is beginning to happen in England and there are calls being made for a so-called "safe" number of A&E staff to be on duty at any one time.
Our once great NHS has been corroded by poor government policy and poor management from the trusts who have been told that profit must come before patients.

We have fastest growth in Europe, and with regards the employment figures I didn't see anyone arguing that they were lies in pmqs today, just a squirming opposition with nothing to say.

Hospitals do get busy sometimes yes, I agree with you. They always have.

Where's all this government dumping of cash you are on about?

Your post reads like a Daily Mail headline, the NHS does thousands and thousands of amazing things for normal people everyday, then you get stupid headlines saying that a hospital got busy and ambulances had to wait the NHS is DOOMED bollocks.

It's not perfect, it never will be.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Those 220,000 full time jobs are largely temp jobs in the run upto christmas. They work full time hours and are classed as such. Also, slightly oddly, zero hour contracts can actually class as full time jobs. The contracts say you "may" be employed for a full hour full time job when infact your lucky to get ten hours a week, if that. They also class you as in full time work if your in workfare (or work unfair as it should be known). It's pretty easy to play with the figures. Not that I'm saying labour didn't do the same at some points either. All governments do it so that the real amount is never truly revealed.
While many conservatives maybe cheering the figures there is one figure that hurts them more than anything and that is wage increases being only 0.9 percent. This means that people have less money as inflation still outstrips wage growth. Also with public sector wages still being capped at 1 percent it means that life gets a little harder for people.
The irony of the current recovery is that it is very, very debt led. Strange what happens when you take the screws of austerity and pump money into the economy. It actually is a very Brown trick to us. He did the same to start the recovery towards the end of his being PM. Dump loads of cash into things and watch as an economy grows. Tories said this was bad and we were racking up a lot of debt, but they are now doing the same thing. It took them 4 years to figure out that austerity doesn't work well and that borrowing to fuel growth tends to paper over the cracks.

Well first of all what can the government do to get firms to pay workers more? The government can do things to put money in people pockets such as freeze council tax, cut income tax and freeze fuel duty which they have done. They have helped to get inflation under control and the market will now sort itself out, the gap between inflation and wage rises has got smaller and smaller and is now starting to go the other way.

Not sure what you are on about regarding they took four years to realise austerity doesn't work, they have not deviated from plan a like labour, the IMF and armchair economists told them to. I think you have consumer and government borrowing confused, how is a services sector led recovery the government borrowing more to paper over cracks?

I'm really tired BTW so apologies if I don't make 100% sense

 

[CyclopsRock]

So, the Lib Dems, eh? What a sneaky bunch of rapists.

Their leadership over both Rennard and Hancock has been utterly awful, though. I think they've generally done a good job over the last 3 or so years of looking like a party that's "fit for government" but this has scuppered it somewhat. You can't really do anything about the existence of rotten apples, and I don't think they're any worse than any other party in that regard, but I'm pretty sure both Dave and Ed would have just killed them as soon as the rumours started - Dave basically forced Mitchell to resign and he was a) innocent and b) the chief whip, not just some random MP. Admittedly, Rennard was more significant-a figure but the allegations against him go back so far.

 

[phisheep]

So, the Lib Dems, eh? What a sneaky bunch of rapists.

I'm pretty pleased with what the LibDems have done in government so far. But they really do need to get their internal procedures sorted out. It might end up (as it is with Labour) different between when they are in opposition and when they are in government. but that's a bit of a mess and they need something more robust if they are going to be (as they hope) a more-or-less permanent party of government.

"Bunch of rapists" is probably pushing it a bit too far though, and "bunch of people who played at politics and never thought they would ever be in power and other stuff didn't matter" is probably closer to the mark.

I don't like the way they have handled this, but on balance (and as I am in a Con/Lib marginal) I am much more inclined to vote Lib on their overall performance. They do need a sweep-out though. Rennard would be a good start.

 

[CyclopsRock]

I'm pretty pleased with what the LibDems have done in government so far. But they really do need to get their internal procedures sorted out. It might end up (as it is with Labour) different between when they are in opposition and when they are in government. but that's a bit of a mess and they need something more robust if they are going to be (as they hope) a more-or-less permanent party of government.

"Bunch of rapists" is probably pushing it a bit too far though, and "bunch of people who played at politics and never thought they would ever be in power and other stuff didn't matter" is probably closer to the mark.

I don't like the way they have handled this, but on balance (and as I am in a Con/Lib marginal) I am much more inclined to vote Lib on their overall performance. They do need a sweep-out though. Rennard would be a good start.

I think their (ideologically laudible) hamstringing of themselves via their long-winded democratic processes (ALL the MP's in the party get consulted and have a say before basically anything happens, unlike the Tories and Labour, not to mention their weird votes at their party conferences) is as much to blame as anything. It makes it very hard for them to act decisively. Maybe it comes as a result of their having little ideological underpinning, unlike the Tories (conservative) and Labour (demos socialism).

 

[Nicktendo86]

I think their (ideologically laudible) hamstringing of themselves via their long-winded democratic processes (ALL the MP's in the party get consulted and have a say before basically anything happens, unlike the Tories and Labour, not to mention their weird votes at their party conferences) is as much to blame as anything. It makes it very hard for them to act decisively. Maybe it comes as a result of their having little ideological underpinning, unlike the Tories (conservative) and Labour (demos socialism).

Their handling of both affairs has been disgusting. Have you been reading the guidio Fawkes blog? Clegg knew about the allegations but did nothing. I know the lib dems have complicated procedures but the way he seemed to turn a blind eye is nothing short of shocking.

Edit: And Clegg has admitted he knew about Hancock on Fen 2013. This is looking vey bad for Clegg...

 

[Jezbollah]

This latest LibDem news sounds incredibly cynically timed, in my opinion.

Makes me think there are some internal smearing going on given how long the Rennard saga has been going on. I think that someone wants a change in leadership before Easter.. That's the last possible time they could install a new leader before it's too late for the election.

Squeeky bum time in the Clegg household IMO.

 

[CyclopsRock]

This latest LibDem news sounds incredibly cynically timed, in my opinion.

Makes me think there are some internal smearing going on given how long the Rennard saga has been going on. I think that someone wants a change in leadership before Easter.. That's the last possible time they could install a new leader before it's too late for the election.

Squeeky bum time in the Clegg household IMO.

Already far too late imo, especially after Clegg managed to pass all the economic ... things at the conference. Usually the LD grassroots are a bunch of loons but he even got them to pass support for the cuts. I think he's safe.

Which isn't to say that the timing of this isn't part of something else, but I'm not sure it's a leadership challenge.

 

[phisheep]

This latest LibDem news sounds incredibly cynically timed, in my opinion.

Makes me think there are some internal smearing going on given how long the Rennard saga has been going on. I think that someone wants a change in leadership before Easter.. That's the last possible time they could install a new leader before it's too late for the election.

Squeeky bum time in the Clegg household IMO.

If so, then it is incredibly stupid of them. Right now, Clegg is the best electoral asset the LibDems have - first time in power (in any meaningful sense) since 1916, honourable following the election, reasonably responsible in Government. predominantly sane policies - can't see that anyone else would make it better.

 

[Nicktendo86]

If so, then it is incredibly stupid of them. Right now, Clegg is the best electoral asset the LibDems have - first time in power (in any meaningful sense) since 1916, honourable following the election, reasonably responsible in Government. predominantly sane policies - can't see that anyone else would make it better.

I thought Clegg's personal ratings were lower than a bow legged caterpillar?

 

[Yen]

A few days ago Kharma and myself denounced the DUP as a bunch of homophobic, fundamentalist loonies. Now they've done this:

Bible play axed in 'anti-Christian' row

The Reduced Shakespeare Company was due to kick off its latest UK tour by presenting The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at the council-run venue on 29 and 30 January.

But earlier this month, calls for the show to be cancelled were made by DUP councillors.

The party's Robert Hill told UTV on Thursday that members of the public had approached representatives asking them to "get it stopped" on the grounds that it was offensive.

He said the council was "willing to take a moral stand" and hit back at those who have criticised the decision by claiming it amounts to censorship of the arts.

"Every film in the theatre is censored - that's why there are age limits on what can be seen and what can't. And where do you stop? There has to be a limit somewhere," Mr Hill said.

If somebody said there's going to be a live sex show at the Mill, would people say: 'Yes, that's okay'?

UUP Mayor Fraser Agnew also told UTV that he felt the right decision had been made regarding the controversial play, adding that a professional facilitator had been brought in to resolve the issue.

"There were a lot of people concerned about the nature of this play, that it was anti-Christian - and we have established indeed it was anti-Christian," he said.

"I believe there's got to be some form of censorship, otherwise you'll have all sorts of things happening."

The DUP councillor Robert Hill was previously in the news for drinking Bacardi Breezer in a council meeting.

These people are NI's largest party.

 

[kharma45]

A few days ago Kharma and myself denounced the DUP as a bunch of homophobic, fundamentalist loonies. Now they've done this:

Bible play axed in 'anti-Christian' row

[/B]The DUP councillor Robert Hill was previously in the news for drinking Bacardi Breezer in a council meeting.

These people are NI's largest party.

They claim it's offensive to Christians. However homophobic cure the gay sessions are a-okay in their books.

Only in Northern Ireland can a play be pulled for being blasphemous, it's like taking a time machine back to 1690. I imagine the DUP are all going to get together tonight and storm HMV to burn any copies of Monty Pythons Life of Brian before writing angry letter of complaint to get Graham Norton of the telly.

 

[Yen]

They claim it's offensive to Christians. However homophobic cure the gay sessions are a-okay in their books.

Only in Northern Ireland can a play be pulled for being blasphemous, it's like taking a time machine back to 1690. I imagine the DUP are all going to get together tonight and storm HMV to burn any copies of Monty Pythons Life of Brian before writing angry letter of complaint to get Graham Norton of the telly.

Still, could be worse. We could be run by Tories...

 

[Nicktendo86]

Speaking of Tories, the new strategy of saying we are better off real terms due to tax cuts etc is interesting. I said something similar the other day, I personally feel better off than I did in 2010 and had very meagure pay rises, the freeze of council tax and cut in income tax has helped. They seem to want to get off the back food on the cost of living argument, labour has had a great stick to beat them with.

In other news, the Guido Fawkes blog has a report on Gordon brown today, they claim his 'charity' has raised 3 million since 2010 but has only passed on less than 1 million and the browns claim £10k of expenses a month from the 'charity'.

 

[operon]

Still, could be worse. We could be run by Tories...

The DUP have to be worse then the tories surely

 

[CyclopsRock]

Still, could be worse. We could be run by Tories...

I don´t know how to break this to you, Yenrot, but...

 

[WayneMorse]

Hand guns should be legalised and licensed, Nigel Farage has said

muh guns.

 

[kharma45]

Also on that play, Jake O'Kane recites one of the jokes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25883183

Oh my

 

[Nicktendo86]

Hand guns should be legalised and licensed, Nigel Farage has said

muh guns.

That ukip-tea party comparison keeps getting stronger. Fucking nutters, anyone who votes for them just because they are not labour or the Tories should be ashamed IMHO.

 

[Nicktendo86]

So Ed Balls is going to have a 'major' speech tomorrow and will announce that the next labour government will do what George Osbourne has promised and clear the deficit and run a surplus in the next parliament.

I hope this speech has a bit more substance, I've had farts linger for longer than Milliband's economic speech last week...

 

[CyclopsRock]

That'll be quite interesting, actually - the more nailed down their policy, the more they'll be held to account (I hope) when they talk about opposing this cut or that reduction in funding etc. If they do sign up to the idea of eliminating the deficit entirely in the next parliament, they'll need to be able to explain where the extra money is coming from - "too far, too fast" won't cut it then (though admittedly, he has basically stopped saying that now anyway).