After incurring your wrath over the last 24 hours, you will be pleased to know that blogging over the next forty eight hours will be very light, as I start to prepare for ANY QUESTIONS tomorrow night.
Should you feel in the mood to assist my preparations (which few of you probably are, judging by the reaction to the Georgia and Stagg posts...) do use the comments to suggest what questions you think might come up!
I'm on with Tim Smit from the Eden Project, Sarah Sands and Professor Mary Beard.
Georgia, Tibet/China, Olympics, Economy, Brown/Miliband, A Levels, Prices of Everything, Rise in Unemployment, Bank's Forecast.
ReplyDeleteWhere's it being held? Usually that's relevant to some of the questions. Appropriate flattery is useful to get them on-side too.
You'll be just fine. Enjoy!
We love you really
ReplyDeleteBlimey, you really have got everyone in a spin. Have you made some fascist comment that I've missed somewhere? Can't say I so much as battered an eyelid at either post...
ReplyDeleteWhat a sanctimonious group.
ReplyDeleteDimbleby was amanuensis to Charles Windsor when he was carrying on his adulterous affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and he holds similar views on rural issues and is anti American, Mary Beard said they had it coming in 2001, Tim Smit's Eden Project has some anti American clichés on its information panels, Sarah Sands! and Iain Dale who is an economic illiterate and innumerate, and also mildly anti American in the snobbish manner that afflicts many Tories.
But I will be listening, just to get angry and SHOUT.
There is obviously going to be a Gordon Brown/leadership question.
ReplyDeleteSo what's the topical angle? The topical angle is the Glenrothes by-election. The question is, will the SNP win or will Labour lose?
(See Weasel's Words) Shameless plug of my blog here)
Labour is playing very badly up here and one of the reasons why is the vast difference in they way they deal with problems that have occurred on their watch. I cite the Fishing industry, where the price of Marine Diesel has doubled this year and where the SNP will be spending £29 million to help in this very pressing crisis and the the London Government is doing diddly squat.
The Demographic in Glenrothes has changed a lot in the last few years. It is a lot "leafier" as you politicos say. Whereas the travelling Fifers happily voted Labour in the past, now, with the squeeze on ordinary, everyday necessities, especially fuel, they are not so sure. Remember, an awful lot of them commute into Edinburgh and one of the first things the SNP did when it achieved power was to abolish the bridge toll. Every time a Fifer crosses the Forth bridge for free, they might be tipping their hats to Alex Salmond. One example of the fact that the leader of the SNP is a supreme political operator. And Gordon.....better not show his face.
Good luck with AQ
Compensation awards
ReplyDelete(1) Is Staggs compensation appropriate?
Likely granted under miscarriage of justice Govermnment Scheme which is in process of reform to bring a little more into line with that provided to the victims of crime.
Useful background
http://www.legalappeal.co.uk/compensation.php
http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/how_it_works/wrongful_conviction/
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/compensation-miscarriage-justice
(2) Should a rape victims compensation be reduced due to their consumption of alcohol?
This Government in 2001 (Jack Straw) brought in the specific legislation concerning the requirement for the administrators of their Scheme (the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority - CICA) to take the excessive consumption of alcohol or illicit drugs into account under the conduct considerations in their assessment of whether an award should be reduced or withheld.
If the Government wish to exclude sexual offences or other assaults/injuries from this paragraph of the Scheme they should amend the legislation.
In the light of current ministerial comments any victims who have had their awards reduced (if of a sexual assault nature) under the 2001 Scheme (and since then ie not just the fourteen in the last year) under this paragraph (14) could apply to the CICA for an out of time review/appeal maintaining that it would be in the interests of justice for them to grant this.
Hope Friday goes well we will all be listening!
Do yourself a favour and talk about Gordon Brown or Labour - don't dabble in foreign policy! You get it soooo wrong.... Also, don't mention the 'bad guys'!! Self respect and all that.
ReplyDelete:)
Re Policy Exchange report:
ReplyDeleteMake clear it's an interesting document, but not commissioned by Tories and rejected by them.
Re Georgia:
Cameron had clear line on this. Condemn Russia for a clearly planned invasion. (Georgian leader Saakashvvili stupidly provided the excuse). Personally, I would favour giving South Ossetia and Abkhazia a referendum on who they want to be with. What's the point in trying to hold on to hostile provinces?
PS. Don't worry about hostile bloggers. They miss the point. It's your blog, not funded by tax payer's money and you can blog whatever you bloodywell like.
Here's the killer question:
ReplyDeleteYou think we live in a police state - but don't you want more police on the street?
Of course the truth is that we don't live in anything remotely resembling a police state, but you don't want to back down, do you? So you'll have a bit of a problem answering that one!
Please please please try and defend the Policy Exchange report - that would be hilarious! (You'll see I'm not rooting for you). There's still nearly 2 years for the public to cotton on to the horror of the Tory Party.
A-Level results, Northern cities stuff, Russia/Georgia and the Olympics, with China potentially relevant to that. Thats my interpretation of what they are likely to talk about.
ReplyDeleteIain, I have to admit that you are the only panellist I've heard of - that's something new. Googling I found that Sarah Sands was born in Tunbridge Wells.
ReplyDeletebebopper said...
ReplyDelete"Personally, I would favour giving South Ossetia and Abkhazia a referendum on who they want to be with."
The majority of the populations of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are holders of Russian passports so we know already where their sympathies lie. The would undoubtedly vote for separation from Georgia.
I'll promise to watch if you'll promise to say, in response to questions abot the Policy Exchange recommendations, "I think we should consider the policy of the sage "dearieme" that we move the capital of the UK to Berwick-upon-Tweed." Can't say fairer than that, guv.
ReplyDeleteThere might well be a question on Prince Charles's nutty pronouncements on GM crops in relation to climate change.
ReplyDeleteIt is likely that Dimbleby, as a former President of the Soil Association shares many of the prince's views.
That's all very useful...!
ReplyDeleteMary Beard
Iain,
ReplyDeleteBe your natural self. Do NOT have copious notes on every subject you can think of.
You are well aware of the items in the news and you have a view... give it!! even if it goes against the majority view!!people respect honestly held, and given, views!
Iain, you can be 'over prepared'!
The more you worry about it and read the more you will worry and think you dont know enough.
My advice, for one that has done both radio and TV question times, is that to try and forget about it. IN FACT Blog more today!
Good luck and always remember the audience is on your side! they want you to be both interesting, challenging and a little controversial wrapped up in being yourself! they also like a little laugh! you can be quite humourous, but you are no stand up comic-remember!
BE YOURSELF.
I went to school with Mary Beard's son.
ReplyDeleteHe is disgracefully intelligent.
A-levels. And, yes, they have been dumbed down. That fact is so obvious that even the Guardian now admits it.
ReplyDeleteIain, I shared your instinctive reaction to the Stagg story, if you think about it the settlement in both cases is actually quite reasonable.
ReplyDeleteStagg was directly wronged by the State. Rachel Nickell and her family were not.
The only way to make you or I feel better about this would be either to say that the Nickell family should get some kind of massive payout because they have been unfortunate, through no fault of the State (in which case the taxpayer would have to start paying out for people who, say, contract cancer, because they have been unlucky in life) or, alternatively, the payout to those directly wronged by the State, like Stagg, should be cut to make us all feel better.
On reflection, Iain, I share your initial response, but logically it doesn't hold water. Those the State has directly wronged must be properly compensated by the State, whilst those to whom we are giving money as a way of trying to make them feel better get whatever it is that we can afford.
This might come up...
ReplyDeleteWhat's Russia really up to with all that has happened therein since Putin came to power? Is what happened in Georgia part of a master plan and a sign of things to come for the former members of the USSR?
This ought to come up...
ReplyDeleteGiven the recently reported YouGov results (given on http://www.order-order.com/2008/08/snp-44-versus-labour-25-biggest-ever.html) has the Labour party run its course in Scotland nad is this likely to lead to independence?
You were right to support Bush and I am sick of this knee jerk whining about him. He has been a good President.
ReplyDeleteOk mistaking imam ridden Iran, with Danes and German waiting to get on with democracy counts as an oopsy daisy , but ,overall , America has fronted up to worldwide Islamic aggression and we are safer for it . From UAE to Indonesia to Pakistan , states ,previously supportive of jihad have caved in before the implacable cowboy . He successfully de-nuclearised Libya , then Syria and now North Korea . While Europe talked Iran built bombs , can anyone doubt what would happen without Bush or a similarly decisive President ?
The US has suffered relative decline but only because of the benign explosion of allies China , India Brazil and the like , none of them expansionist , it makes them richer . The problems are the non trading oil bubble countries like Putins bullying Russia , speaking of which ....
No,I am not doing outrage about poor little Georgia either . They invaded first , they have never controlled South Ossetia ,they threw grenades into basements full of Russian women and children, and I do believe the very people drivelling on about sovereignty are at this time still in Iraq , Afghanistan ....etc. BUT- Did Russia claim its opposition to US incursions into legitimate security zones was motivated by realpolitik ? No there are plenty of grey areas but there ARE goodies and baddies
The West is good and Russia is bad. Lose sight of that and you are in deep trouble
What a bunch of wimps ooo dear foreign affairs are so complicated ... NOT REALLY,. Afyter 9.11 the main thing was go and kick some rag head butt and Bush did it . The rest is less important
Strap world said Iain,
ReplyDelete"Be your natural self. Do NOT have copious notes on every subject you can think of."
Oh God no , on no account be yourself , pretend to be a clever and throughful opiner , honestly it will go down much better.And whatever you do don`t....
Would we have been £750,000 better off if Colin Stagg had been hung by the neck until dead?
ReplyDeleteGary
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteHere's the killer question:
You think we live in a police state - but don't you want more police on the street?
Of course the truth is that we don't live in anything remotely resembling a police state, but you don't want to back down, do you? So you'll have a bit of a problem answering that one!
Having more police on the street does not make it a police state. What makes it a police state is citizens being spied on by over zealous jobsworths, intrusions into our private lives..viz, the extension of the infamous RIPA. etc. etc.
Here's the killer question:
ReplyDeleteYou think we live in a police state - but don't you want more police on the street?
bet you hugged yourself with glee when you thought that one up, but that's because you're not too bright anon.
Yes we do, and yes we do, and no the two are not mutually exclusive at all.
The simple answer to your 'killer question' is yes, we want more police on the street and fewer powers of intrusion and surveillance, fewer 'offences' (such as the ones related to filling one's bin') fewer things classified under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, more arrests of criminals and fewer arrests of people defending themselves against assault.
Of course the truth is that we don't live in anything remotely resembling a police state
'Police State' does not mean that the constabulary have ultimate power, you fool, it means a state where there is little distinction between the exercising of political power and the enforcement of law and order, thus every aspect of your life is 'policed' by the executive.
So either you should check your terms, or this article - and all the other ones reporting the same fact - is calling you a liar.
On A levels: one certain way to restore credibility to the system overnight and to banish grade inflation permanantly would be to go back to the previous system under which a specified proportion of candidates each year received an A grade (B Grade, C Grade etc). The traditional argument against this is that if students have achieved a certain standard the performance of other students is irrelevant. However, the student pool is so large that the relative proportions exhibiting a set level of ability/achievement don't really change from year to year - unless the educationists are able to rig the system. Returning to a percentage grading system would stop that dead. And it would reinject an express element of competition back into the system to try to counter the "all must have prizes" attitudes that have prevailed for the last 30 years - which would be no bad thing.
ReplyDeleteIf you talk about South Ossetia and Abkhazia, you might want to take a look at the HardTalk interview with Russian Deputy PM in which he denies that the international borders are relevant, states they were never part of an independent Georgia, were only in the Georgian SSR, they have had 3 referenda voting to break away and Russia will never accept anything against the wishes of the people of the two regions.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to NATO membership, are we prepared to go to war with Russia over this? Not a valid question. Russia would never risk attacking a NATO country. That is why they leave the Baltic states alone.
Why the diminutive cockerel M.Sarkozy is prancing around as peacemaker is beyond me. Just be glad it isn't Brown or the Millipede.
If A levels come up, you might mention that the Universities used to run the exam boards but priced themselves out of the market - they only have themselves to blame if standards have slipped...
Re Colin Stagg, he has had his life destroyed by this when he conclusively didn't do it. Yet he hasn't even had an apology. The payment is quite appropriate, but should be made by the Police officers who screwed up, and the CPS lawyers who carried on despite the problems. When the world thinks you're guilty of a horrendous crime you didn't do it is the loneliest place in the world.
Trying to guess what the topical "funny" question at the end will be would be useful. There's nothing like prepared impromptu humour !
ReplyDeleteI suspect it might be Olympics related:
"What Olympic event would the panellists be most likely to win ?"
I wonder if the parallels with the Balkans will come up in any discussion of the EU's proposals for a cease-fire in Georgia?
ReplyDeleteI thought Prince Charlie did alright really. A bit too hyperbolic and 'end of the world is nigh' stuff but I (hope) think his jist was if you rely on engineered strains and then something mental happens then we're all doomed, doomed I tells thee. Kinda made sense.
ReplyDeleteMy mum agrees with ya on the Stagg issue but fortunately I don't give a monkeys.
Break a leg etc etc
David Cameron has made two long visits to Cornwall in the last two months,including a working holiday, followed by a number of Shadow Spokespersons, some visiting the Eden Project. Is this a barometer of concern that in order to win the next election, the Conservatives must win Cornwall from the Liberal Democrats.
ReplyDeleteThere still appears to be an undercutting of the few official oldy Conservatives by ex younger Conservatives who were kicked out by CCHQ. None of this bodes well for a Tory win, despite a Minister for Cornwall having been appointed.
Surely, Stuart has got it exactly right.
ReplyDeleteI dont think Stuart has got it right. The state has responsibility for the protection of its citizens from crime (including terrorism) and law enforcement . When it fails, not only in its prevention, but also in many cases in the identification & prosecution of the offender then .......
ReplyDeleteMore importantly Anonymous at 1.44pm has certainly got it right.
Other possible questions
(1)What sport would the panelists like to see added to the Olympics?
(2)Where are/have the panelists spending/spent their summer holidays?
"Any Answers" is of course where the cretins amongst R4's audience come out to play. Little on R4 causesthe heart to sink as much as Any Answers, apart, perhaps, for the dread words "And now, Moneybox Live".
ReplyDelete"What Olympic event would the panellists be most likely to win ?"
ReplyDeleteWilful blindness to the obnoxious undertones of the whole stinking business?
If Prince Charles comes up, make sure, whatever your view on GM, that you make it clear that whether or not you agree or disagree with the Prince has absolutely nothing to do with either his suitability to be King or your absolute loyalty, as a royalist, to the Monarchy which has nothing to do with the particular occupant of the throne at any time.
If the death of the Labour MP comes up, take the moral high ground and say that it is inappropriate to make any comment on the political implications until at least the funeral has taken place.
I dare you to say
ReplyDelete"What Olympics??"
If you get the chance, point out how much Brown harps on about courage while showing so little of it himself, disappearing when he was Chancellor when the Blair government made one of their many dirty decisions, the election that never was, etc., etc., and more etc..
ReplyDeleteAll the best.
Would you propose a new law against corruption, dishonesty, and straight forward graft, by elected and other government officials. Requiring a mandatory 15-20 year jail term followed by full confiscation of the individuals private funds, on conviction?
ReplyDeleteThought not. As doing so would clearly destroy your party political prospects overnight.
Which means we will carry on trying to reduce an extremely lucrative, very serious crime indeed, with a half nasty piece in the Guardian, a Guido rant, and a light slap on the wrist from the respective party chairman. Which as we all now know full well, will never have anything like the desired result.
Atlas
I expect someone will trot out the 'Tories have no policies' line.
ReplyDeleteBBC Have Your Say currently asks:
ReplyDeleteWhich new word would you include in the new edition of the dictionary?
MY top reply:
'English' - Archaic term used to describe the language, ethnology and culture of the inhabitants of part of the British Isles.
Main characteristics, civility, tolerance, stoicism and cheerfulness, particularly in adversity.
No longer in common use.
Hmmm ... some people came out of the woodwork ranting about police states, but not as many as I hoped. A police state is of course a term without a precise definition, but to say that it isn't closely linked with the size, powers etc of the police is palpable nonsense. To say we live in one, likewise.
ReplyDeleteOne anonymous poster has insulted my intelligence, which is always the recourse of those without a counterargument - but then there isn't one.
One day, Cameron will be toppled by the authoritarian/libertarian faultline in his party. I'd say the party and its supporters are roughly 70% authoritarian and 30% libertarian, although the latter dominate the blogs and of course many people are a bit of both - classically economically libertarian but socially authoritarian. In a great West Wing line, the right "wants government to be so small that it fits in your bedroom".
Cameron, thankfully, is neither. He is pragmatic and flexible, and looking to win over floating voters who are the same, and who were drawn to Blair but repelled by Brown. It's the place that elections are won in the UK, and sadly I fear Cameron will do just that. But keep up the infighting and the police state nonsense - I love to see Tories baring their fangs, your "nasty party" image is Labour's last hope so keep playing up to it.
If asked about the Russia Georgia thing just say, 'Don't poke a Bear with a stick, you'll get yer f**king hand bitten off'
ReplyDeleteIain, you'll be fine and I look forward to hearing you. Have you agreed your billing yet? "Telegraph columnist and blogger..", "Journalist and blogger", "Editor of 'Total Politics'..", "Founder of Politicos, writer and broadcaster.."
ReplyDeleteThe only questions you need worry about are those for which he will come to you first - the rest you've got thinking time on. So apart from gay bishops (sooo last week) have a guess what these will be.
You come across strongly on TV as a nice bloke, and will do so on radio. And that's your biggest asset in promoting your party and putting another nail in the 'nasty party' coffin. So resist the opportunity for catty rejoinders no matter how witty.
And best of luck!
Stuart makes a good point: "Stagg was directly wronged by the State. Rachel Nickell and her family were not."
ReplyDeleteHowever it's fair to argue that the Nickell family have also been wronged by being denied justice and closure. Perhaps in these cases the victims' families should also recive compensation. I don't think anyone would complain if Mr. Stagg received say 600,000 and the Nickell family 100,000.
Remember that this will come up again soon as I'm sure the Barry George miscarriage will be before the courts before too long!
Here’s one that might come up!!
ReplyDeleteShould Ministers et al have PR/Press Advisor shadowing them during live interviews?
Mike
Re: Northern Cities - surely it is an issue about just not subsidising via "regeneration". If a city is ripe for regeneration, why does it take massive state involvement (and brown envelopes, I suspect)? If it is viable, just remove planning obstructions and let the private sector get on with it.
ReplyDeleteHeathrow - Thames Estuary replacement! How long before a 747 ploughs into Southall?
You must brief yourself on the "climate change" scam (DK and Bishop Hill have plenty of grist) and the admission that most wind turbines create more CO2 in their manufacture than they save in operation.
the grade inflation of A-levels and the force-fed diploma disaster in waiting (schools should be free to choose A-level, diploma or both without Central or LEA interference)
Georgia - exposes our energy insecurity and why we need to be building Nuclear NOW. Exposes how Miliband defers to the EU - I bet the silence was due to EU machinations.
Bank of England chasing price inflation and not currency inflation causing this mess.
Govt. dithering over Stamp duty (easy to fix - just say any changes will be back dated) shows utter incompetence
Govt borrowing - through the roof yet no cuts in spending (goes against all sensible housekeeping) Likey to hit £700bln by year end not even including the PFI elephant.
Snooping on Emails and the reduction of things demanding a warrant - disgraceful.
enough already. Enjoy - you cannot possibly make as much an arse as Billy Bragg did when he blurted out the delusional but oh so common cant about NHS at any price. What a total turnip.
word verification (down to BB I think) : vcqnka
If you're interested the Huffington Post has documents which shows that 3 of the 5 Chinese girl gymnasts are actually 14 and ineligible to compete.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-flumenbaum/scandal-of-the-ages-docum_b_118842.html
Look at me I'm
ReplyDeleteOn Any Questions
In the Telegraph
On Sky
On Breakfast Time
On ITV
On the Daily Politics
In the Eastern Daily Press
At the opening of an envelope.
Is there anything you won't do for cheap publicity? Go on Big Brother? I'm a Nonentity?
Showing you arse in Harrod's window will surely be next.
Just be careful Iain, you can hear the BBC using anything you say (probably taken out of context) to give them their next headlines
ReplyDeleteKen, I am very proud to have been asked to appear on Any Questions. Whatever you may say or think.
ReplyDeleteI can assure you I would never set foot in H*rrods while the Phoney Pharoah owns it. I do have some self respect.
Russian invasion of Georgia and Britain non-reaction, A level results,impending Scottish by-election, The crazy think thank report suggesting moving people from Liverpool to SE.
ReplyDeleteYou will do well. Give the Labour and LibDem desparado collegue on the panel well aimed verbal kicks. I need not tell you!
For those calling for a referendum in S.Ossetia, one was held in 2006 and they voted overwhelmingly for autonomy. Mind you Georgia contested the results. For useful background information this article from Open Democracy written after S.Ossetia's referendum in Nov 2006 is well worth reading, even if it's conclusion has sadly proved to be too optimistic:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-caucasus/south_ossetia_4100.jsp
You could try "where do flies go to in the winter?" - that's always a popular one.
ReplyDeleteRemember that the live audience will be the local 'greyheads', i.e. > 55 years, with attitudes to match. `No doubt the radio audience is much the same, i.e. my age [63]. So try to say something that at the very least surprises them and if you can, try to upset them by reminding them that they are past it. The programme has become very predictable and boring of late.
ReplyDeleteThere's bound to be something about the Policy Exchange report, so do try to have a look at it beforehand so you can claim to have done so. You can point out, as the report does, that regeneration spending will be cut to the bone by Cameron so it's time now to be thinking of what else can be done.
Say what you have to say briefly and shut up: most panelists witter on too much, as does young Dimbleby: I was at school with him when he intended to become a farmer.
Prepare something about the place you're at and drag it in somehow.
Good luck!
We're candid friends Iain. Don't worry. My husband & I love your blog. And my husband usually watches you on Sky.
ReplyDeleteAnyway for tomorrow, should the anti-Northern report by the Policy Exchange come up, do mention that perhaps the Tory leadership should distance itself from the Policy Exchange and Nicholas Boles if they wish to win. I'd hate to wake up Friday after the election to find that Labour is the biggest party with no majority. It's not in the bag yet for Cameron, so he could do without banana skins like the Policy Exchange 'think tank'.
Hmmm ... some people came out of the woodwork ranting about police states, but not as many as I hoped. A police state is of course a term without a precise definition, but to say that it isn't closely linked with the size, powers etc of the police is palpable nonsense. To say we live in one, likewise.
ReplyDeleteWell, yes Anonymous, I suppose you consider "ranting" to mean "anyone who disagrees with me" in true New Labour style.
No Anon, "police state" does not mean more bobbies on the beat. To repeat the earlier comment: it means the state policing your life, through constant surveillance, monitoring, information holding and sharing with consent neither required nor sought. Numbers of uniformed officers are frankly irrelevant to that. They don't and can't do that job. Electronic surveillance can, does and is intended to.
I really doubt whether all those Stasi agents wore uniforms and nodded "Evenin' all" as they walked by. "Now just you make sure you lock your Marxist-Leninist principles up safe at night, you never know where lackeys of the imperalists might be lurking" - well, maybe they did.
Anonymous - why does the state have the right to observe us whereever we go? Why should we consent to it? And why is it so wrong to object to it? You clearly believe that it is, judging by your recent flurry of posts.
Come on, Anon, what does the state have to hide? If it's done nothing wrong, it's got nothing to fear surely.
And if someone disagreeing with your desire to watch everyone all the time is the tories "baring their fangs" then count me an incisor, and give me a hunk of meat.
Read the comments and learn. You have the voice. We don't.
ReplyDeleteHints of a suitably chastened Iain Dale here (and, goodness knows,. I've written some crazy columns myself when the Red Mist hit) so happily restoring your blog to my Favourites. Life would be so dull without you.
ReplyDeleteBe yourself on Any Questions - decent, honest, vulnerable - and you'll wing it.
You're more fickle than me in your affections! Welcome back!
ReplyDeleteYou can be sure that there will be little or nothing on why Al-beeb are giving virtually no coverage at all to China's failure to fulfill the assurances it gave the hopeless IOC regarding human rights.
ReplyDeleteHow about something along the lines of,"Just how long does this unelected and out-of-touch government think it can foist Big Brother erosion of personal liberties combined with punitive taxation before there is rioting on the streets and the tumbrils arrive at No 10?"
ReplyDeleteOr how about," Explain to the members of the public/viewers why any single member of this government is worth his index-linked, perks inflated pay-packet when the vast majority of the country are struggling to pay essential bills. If theCabinet were a High Street shop, most customers would be screaming for cash refunds."
Just look for a weak spot in the oppo's Harperson-style body armour and stick the verbal knife in. Have fun!
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"One anonymous poster has insulted my intelligence
...
I love to see Tories baring their fangs, your "nasty party" image is Labour's last hope so keep playing up to it."
There is no hope for the Labour Party. Moron.
Colin Stagg came across as a bit strange - a bit of a loner, maybe a fantasist with perhaps a less than average intellect who enjoyed walking his dog - some-one who aroused suspicion but turned out to be harmless.
ReplyDeleteA bit sad really.
And you're wondering why your readership identify with him?
(Only joking, don't spill your dentures, ladies!)
How much compensation did the police woman receive who went 'undercover' as his girlfriend and extracted a confession from him?
ReplyDeleteShe went crazy, I heard.
Auntie Flo' said...
ReplyDelete'English' -
'Main characteristics, civility, tolerance, stoicism and cheerfulness, particularly in adversity.
No longer in common use'
And who would disagree with that analysis?
Which raises the interesting question - What is the country of origin of those folk contributing to the 'Out of touch, soon out of office' thread who are offensive, intolerant, belligerent and furious particularly in adversity (ie. don't win their argument?)
GEORGIA. Ian, I haven't seen it generally reported that the senior foreign policy advisor to John McCain, one Randy Scheunemann, was until last March, a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government. In 2006, while on the Goergian payroll he accompanied McCaain on a visit to Georgia to meet Shaakashvili and support his bellicose views towards Russia. Brave little Georgia, struggling with the Russian bear! - and all, just maybe, in the cause of McCain's election in November!
ReplyDeletewww.truthout.org/article/georgia-war-neocon-election-ploy Check it out...Good luck!
Iain
ReplyDeleteWho is Ken Hurst 8.41pm?
Sound like someone you "dissed" in Old Compton Street.
Gary Elsby, rejected by stoke, said...
ReplyDelete"How much compensation did the police woman receive who went 'undercover' as his girlfriend and extracted a confession from him?
She went crazy, I heard."
Vice is its own reward.