I've just arrived at the PlayRadioUK studios in Arundel to prepare for the show which starts at 6pm. Please use this as an open discussion thread in advance of the programme starting.
Feel free to let me have pieces of gossip and information relating to the Euro counts and I'll read the best or most interesting out on air in the first hour.
65 comments:
just seen sky's coverage of the dear leader's mini-nuremburg at west ham......unfortunately leni couldn't have been available as instead of stirring images of flaming torches and massed ranks all we got was five seconds desultory whooping from half a dozen spotty teenagers. Still i guess it beats being booed by octagenarians.
Word on the street is that possibly as many as 1 million people have had the audacity to vote for a democratic, legal party which was denounced by every national newspaper, the Churches and every other political party in a sustained and managed campaign with smears and unsubstantiated allegations.
Democracy - what a load of rubbish.
Good rumour for you Iain....The Sun, tomorrow, is running with the story that Brown has been caught in bed with Caroline Flint......
A political anorak point, but I think all parties missed the importance of the Verification Count yesterday.
A huge amount of information was ascertainable as individual ballot boxes were "tally" counted.
It was relatively straightforward to see which parties people had voted for and to tally 25-50% of the votes in each box, giving a real sense of how the votes were falling right down to individual polling districts.
The Election staff also made available a complete list of the number of ballots issued at each polling station so it is now possible to gauge turnout on a ward by ward basis and correlate this to where campaign efforts were targetted.
Whilst checking that dodgy ballots are not included is important, I suspect the next four hours are going to be quite dull by comparison!
Brown Spikes Blair's possible comeback, Flint makes renewed attack on Wee Jimmy Broon, Hain predicts Labour disaster in Wales
Hope I can listen to it this time. Friday's show was a real corker!
OK, here's a starter.
What will be the real difference between a Cameron and Blair/Brown NuLab government?
As far as I can see, almost none.
* They both support a privatised, corporatised state.
* They are both primarily media and spin driven.
* Both leaders are essentially shallow and motiveless.
* Neither have seriously opposed bank boss bailouts and both are committed to restarting the corrupted "merged bank" syndrome that started the crunch, whereby the old divisions between investment banks and retail banks were abolished.
* Both follow a City agenda and are basically indifferent to the rest of industry.
* Mandleson could and almost certainly will work happily with either.
* Both have very weak cabinets with even the Chancellor as a weak and chinless individual. Both are essentially one-man bands.
* Neither have really changed their parties - Brown/Blair didn't destroy Old Union Labour and Cameron hasn't destroyed Barmy Right Toryism, as in his frantic efforts to appease them by hobnobbing with East European Nazis.
* Both will make big spending cuts at some inderterminate point in the near future.
Goodness, what a choice we will have.
Brown's toast if Labour are beaten by UKIP and the BNP win more than one seat. Anyone agree or disagree?
george galloway is welcomed back as defence secretary
Andy: disagree
However, if Labour comes fourth and the BNP win 3 seats (especially if, as unlikely as it seems, they win 2 in the north-west) then I'd say it's likely, though far from certain, that a stalking horse will emerge from within the Labour party to challenge his leadership (e.g. Charles Clarke, Byers) that will successfully flush out Millyboy, Cruddas etc. thus finishing Brown.
I still think that Brown will be leader of the Labour Party at the General Election
I'm hearing reports that that only about ten people turned up to clap Gordon at his photo-op this afternoon.
Iain "West Ham till I die" With Brown about to descend on it West Ham might die first.
The big question is where is Harriet Harman. She has disappeared. When she reappears will she be weilding the knife?
Andy: I disagree, too.
Labour (who I think, realistically and seriously) are still going to finish second tonight, lack the nerve to remove him.
@Anon 3:19
I agree there may be a big BNP vote.
If so, it's a shameful day for this country to vote for racists.
McBean is speaking live on Sky Isn't News right now.
Saying "Our country" a lot to avoid saying the word E*ngla*d as he doesnt want the silly English to know that he has no say over scotland, wales and N ireland....only England.
Broon OUT!
Labour OUT!
So Sir Alan Sugar now goes into the government. Oh will that mean HIS companies won't get any more Government contracts like the one Viglen got recently? Or is that too much to hope for?
With all due respect I think Caroline Flint isn't Gordon's type, if you know what I mean.
Hands up if you feel sorry for Sarah Brown.
My hand is up
Brown won't go even if UKIP and the BNP got 100% of the vote. Socialists don't like the people having their say. Just look at Livingturd, he hangs around City hall all the time like some old sad wino.
I can imagine when Cameron wins next year that McTwat will be seen peering through the iron railings every day demanding 'his' job back.
I hate the BNP but I think if they do well it won't be so much because of racism itself, more a vote against the political class, political correctness, etc. I don't endorse any of that but I can understand it to a certain extent.
what a strange day, I find myself agreeing with a Liberal.... a DespairingLiberal perhaps but a liberal no less.
Live footage from Brown event with Labour bods in West Ham:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp7RkdvyDDI
heard a rumour
gord will go too wet-ham town hall
talk about an african child dying--get all emotional--live on SKY
For the last seventy-two hours, the ballot papers have been under the care of Local Government officers throughout the country- a Group who are committed more than most to the nulab project.
REMEMBER GLENROTHES
Iain....why is the Labour Incumbent being given a free 2 hour political braodcast FREE on National TV (albeit digital) on both SKY and BBC?? Placed questions and comments from about supporters making the sun shine out of Labours backside...I'm totally incensed!! I can appreciate them covering his speech, but the rest of it is sheer PPB!!
P.S. Got the hubby off down to get my Chardonnay ready for tonight's bonfire of the arrogants!!! Woohoo!
I saw Hopi saying that he would speak to the BNP on the basis that would just lie to you. I thought that was a little unreasonable in that all politicians lie but over the last day or two New Labour`s lie machine has gone into over drive .
Brown point blank refuses to admit that he wanted Darkling to move
Mandy claims he got the re-shuffle he wanted
Brown refuses to acknowledge the cuts in his budget identified by the IFS
Right from the fictitious claims of his early budgets Brown has been all about misrepresentation to put it exceedingly kindly
Natalie said...
Iain....why is the Labour Incumbent being given a free 2 hour political braodcast FREE on National TV (albeit digital) on both SKY and BBC?? Placed questions and comments from about supporters making the sun shine out of Labours backside...I'm totally incensed!!
THIS IS GREAT--THERE GETTING PLENTY OF ROPE TOO HANG THEMSELVES
Posted elsewhere, part of email to Labour supporters re: West Ham meeting
"..He’s right and he knows that there’s a whole generation of Labour people who will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Would you be free to join him at West Ham Town Hall, between four and six on Sunday?
He’d like to thank you in person and he wants to talk to you about what the role for this generation of Labour is going to be, because it’s time.
You can of course invite others you know, indeed please do. But I will need names for security, so if you could email me back with whether you can make it and who you’d like to bring, I’d appreciate it. I hope it’s going to be the start of something big."
Somethng big, like big f'in lie ....
Watched 15 mins of the leaders rally and had to turn it off. One bloke got up and said 'its good to be getting back to political debate that matters'. The fact is that there was no debate just mutual back slapping about how good Labour are. Why does no one ask how they are going to pay for all of this continued investment?
isn't it time for a cabinet reshuffle. I think that alistair and harriet should reshuffle the prime minister. Harriet, for all her 1980s wimmins politics, won the deputyship fair and square and has a stronger mandate within the party. I think she would get a lot of support if she declared she would an open leadership contest to be followed by an autumn general election.
Mandelson has plenty of enemies and no friends, he rules by fear. A third humiliating exit from cabinet would regain the Labour party some credibility.
With Gordon and Mandy gone it would be game on! Might even get a hung parliament.
I sincerely hope that the Conservative Party makes an official complaint regarding what is effectively a free party political broadcast for the Labour Party. This is absolutely outrageous.
Hey, if Cameron wants to set up his own press conference - possibly outlining something resembling policies - I'm sure the BBC would be there as well.
Course, we won't get a chance to find out, will we?
Oh, and I'm SO looking forward to seeing Tim Yeo with a shiny pink laptop at his next committee meeting.
Iain, I hope you will comment about the great leaders nauseating speech this afternoon, What was that all about?. Was it to get Labour Mp's not to sign the backbenchers e mail post the Euro results??
Rumour has it BNP are sure of getting a seat in the North West...ouch.
Ive sent a complaint to the BBC already
Iain - Sky and BBC covering continously the PM's Labour Party meeting - appalling and disgraceful.
Heads must roll
If there is a switch to the far right I totaly blame Labour and the BBC for the left wing stance on everything. They should be far more understanding of other points of view instead trying to air brush it out.
I hope that Tories and Lib Dems are timing this meeting's broadcast to the minute and demand equal airtime next week.
Otherwise I'm moving to North Korea
an absolute disgrace, it's frightening.
complain to news@sky.com and the BBC now!
WELCOME TO THE BUNKER.
The coverage of this Labour love in is disgusting.
It's a free and live Labour party political.
I suggest people lodge a complaint with the Beeb.
If this was a real open meeting of the grass roots of the Labour party then I wouldn't have a problem but it's all I'd like to congratulate the Prime minister etc etc.
The total coverage of Labour by the BBC at the exclusion of all others is nothing short of a national disgrace.
I have not seen a single Tory commening on the election results.
Steve Expat on Guido's blog reminds us of Dan Han's speech.
"And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we’re well place to weather the storm, I have to tell you, you sound like a Brezhnev-era Apparatchik giving the party line."
Apt very apt.
BBC complaints.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
Bloody hell. There is 20-20 World Cricket on the TV and you guys are watching Brown talking to a crowd rented by Mandelson!
Apart from that the sun has come out.
Is a trans parent a mother or father who has undergone gender reassignement?
@Victor
Lol - fair point. May be I am getting a little obsessive.
Seems to me the BBC and Sky are congratulating Brown on giving an "impressive" performance. Unbelievable.
This man is unbalanced.
Another "Brown bounce" narrative coming from the BBC very soon.
I was going to complain to Ofcom about the BBC coverage of Mad Broon's love-in at West Ham - then I read the following on Ofcom's website. What the f&%$? So who DO we complain to??
Ofcom's advice on your next step
Programmes on TV or radio -
A specific programme
'Ofcom can consider complaints about programmes transmitted by all broadcasters licensed in the UK as well as the BBC and S4C.
However, we cannot consider complaints about accuracy in BBC TV and radio news or complaints about impartiality in BBC TV and radio programmes. These complaints have to be dealt with by the BBC.'
What do you expect from a West Ham Supporters rally? :)
This is not on Euro, but a friend of mine has just told me that he was only given a Euro Ballot paper and not as well a County Council Ballot paper as he was entitled - for Derbyshire CC elections in an Ilkeston Ward (Labour were returned in Ilkeston). Can anyone throw any light on this?
Johnny Norfolk
You haven't been watching very often then. Hague, Spellman, Pickles and Cameron himself have all commented on election results amongst others.
Anonymous - they only said his delivery was impressive. Sky also said many of the supporters were in a parallel world and BBC pointed out how extremely stagemanaged it was, with both saying it was unlikely to make a difference to Brown's situation.
Paul Halsall said...
"I agree there may be a big BNP vote.
If so, it's a shameful day for this country to vote for racists."
Maybe it's more a case of sheer bloody mindedness. So many officials have told us not to vote for them that many may choose to do so, just to stick one up 'em.
If Labour crash ...
Lab manifesto was to have a referendum on Lisbon. They haven't and have got some stick for it.
Lab use dire result to u turn.
Then we have a political debate on Europe for 6 months keeping all busy, making current shambles look more like a Govt.
i'm going to be on radio new zealand and deutsche welle radio in germany talking about gordon brown tonight.
what does everyone on here suggest i tell them? that brown's got days left? that he's made a rowsing speech in front of tens of thousands of jubilant, admiring supporters?
http://fsn.typepad.com/blog/
Paul said...
I sincerely hope that the Conservative Party makes an official complaint regarding what is effectively a free party political broadcast for the Labour Party. This is absolutely outrageous.
Absobloodylutely. This was just a propaganda exercise reminiscent of North Korea and Stalinist Russia. I couldn't see the bloke who was telling them to clap though. Beeb and Sky gonna get huge complaints over this. Beebn has done its chances of survival no good at all.
@ollybarratt
tell them he's just done a Liebour version of a Nuremburg Rally.
'The primary aspect of the Nuremberg Rallies was to strengthen the personality cult of Adolf Hitler, portraying Hitler as Germany's saviour, chosen by providence.'
Shades of Nicolae Ceausescu in West Ham today.
A grim performance from Brown and cronies which beyond the carefully chosen activist support, only amplifies Labour's desperation.
No doubt its coverage will be curtailed when the real news of the day occurs later.
Another PR disaster prime minister.
Don't blame people for voting BNP, blame the incumbent politicians for failing the nation.
Just exactly what kind of debate has there been in the run up to these EU elections?
Just what effort has ever been made to educate the public about the role and purpose of the EU and how continued membership is to the benefit, or otherwise, of the UK?
If you want your bin emptied one a week, forget it. It doesn't matter who you vote for locally, or centrally, because the EU dictates how waste management works in the UK.
If you don't want your local Post Office to close, or RM to be split up, forget it. The EU is about to destroy our RM as we know it with the willing help of two of our main parties.
People vote for the "others" out of desperation, not because the UK is suddenly become a bunch of racists.
In case you're wondering, I took the Tebbit option and voted UKIP. Call me irrational if you like, and I certainly don't support much of UKIP's manifesto, but on this single issue of the EU I believe it is totally undemocratic and the same poisons spreads to its member states.
Paul Halsall said...
@Anon 3:19
I agree there may be a big BNP vote.
If so, it's a shameful day for this country to vote for racists.
June 07, 2009 3:41 PM
Perhaps if labour had run a campaign instead of telling people who not to vote for things may have been different.
When someone you no longer trust tells you not to do something are you going to listen?
@Norton Folgate
I realise this is a counsel of perfection, but people who vote should be able to identify who they are voting for.
It would not happen in our system, but, I would have held my nose and voted for Chirac vs. La Pen (as did the vast majority of French leftists).
In our case, there were lots of options for protest votes. I am not fan of UKIP nor the (now openly anti-gay) English Democrats, but there were other options for votes on the left (Greens, perhaps Lid Dems), and on the right UKIP, ED, JT).
Anyone who voted for the BNP was either Racist or Stupid, but most probably both.
For those caravan lovers out there wondering what happened to Margaret Beckett, aAccording to this morning's Observer...
It also emerged last night that Margaret Beckett, the veteran housing minister, was summarily sacked by Gordon Brown after also making clear that she wanted to become a full cabinet member. One former colleague said there was shock at the way Beckett, one of Labour’s most senior and well-respected women, was treated: “After Gordon begged her to come back last year, it is astonishing. It just seems so unnecessary.”
But of course McMad proudly boasts how he is helping people to stay in their homes. A scheme which has been reported has helped exactly TWO families since around April of this year.
So did he sack for being useless, or would her presence in the cabinet just have reminded him of how useless he is?
" Paul Halsall said...
@Norton Folgate
I realise this is a counsel of perfection, but people who vote should be able to identify who they are voting for.
It would not happen in our system, but, I would have held my nose and voted for Chirac vs. La Pen (as did the vast majority of French leftists).
Anyone who voted for the BNP was either Racist or Stupid, but most probably both."
Anyone who can make a statement like that is as narrow minded and bigoted as the BNP.
Mentioned this on another post, but it really should be here: I was talking to Nigel Farage on Friday. He was at the Westminster Arms and he gave me 2min. He said:
1. Legal challenge over badly folded ballot papers in Yorkshire & Southeast
2. He think's Labour will get 18% of the vote
3. He thinks UKIP will definitely beat Labour, but wouldn't be drawn on figure
4. LibDems might save Labour from humiliation as they are hemorrhaging votes to the Greens
There you go!
@ Norton
"Anyone who can make a statement like that is as narrow minded and bigoted as the BNP."
Nonesense.
A vote for a party that limit's it's membership by race is, by, definition, racist.
Anyone who voted and did not know that is, by definition, stupid.
If you believed in a Government having a social and welfare policy similar to that offered by the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson in the 1960s, if you felt the same way as Hugh Gaitskill did about Europe in the 1950s, if you believed in supporting lame duck industries such as coal and steel as proposed by Tony Benn in the 1970s. If you loathe Gordon Brown and whole nulab project as much as you loathe the Tories. If you are white, semi-skilled or unemployed or concerned about you job, then I can see how people voted for the BNP.
Just for information, I loathe, old Labour, New Labour, the BNP and the equally National Socialist inclined Greens.
OT: Pakistan 37/1 after 5 overs chasing 186 in the Twenty20.
Anyone else think its strange that the BBC do a "live text commentary" basically some bloke in London watching Sky and text commenting on their commentary and we pay for that. They do it for F1 (ok that's now on the beeb) but also football, rugby, tennis, etc.
They've run out of ways to spend money.
And cricinfo is better.
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