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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Welcome back Marf and the second 35% share for LAB from You

SystemSystem Posts: 11,005
edited May 2014 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Welcome back Marf and the second 35% share for LAB from YouGov this week

Looking back over the past decade there’s little doubt that Westminster voting intentions can be all over the place in the closing phase of the Euro elections campaign. It happened in 2004 and 2009 so maybe there’s a case for saying that we oughtn’t to read too much into the current comparatively poor shares for Labour.

Read the full story here


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    ToryJimToryJim Posts: 3,396
    I do like a good Marf cartoon.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Neat cartoon from Marf. It is strange how squeamish we are about thinking about how exactly what is on our plates has got there. Meat doesn't come into existence shrink-wrapped and if we're going to eat it, we should be able to acknowledge the existence of the animal that lived and died for our gullet.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,123
    Excellent cartoon. I heard some idiot on the radio yesterday arguing that all this should be on the packaging. Waaay too much information thanks.

    As TSE pointed out last night the really extraordinary part of current polling is that the tories are doing relatively well (only 2% off their GE) at the same time as UKIP is in the teens. There really ought to be a lot of upside from this for the tories in due course. For Labour, things can only get worse. And I think we need to keep reassessing where the UKIP support is coming from.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,914
    Very stormy here in Hong Kong.

    The shift in the Labour voting percentage looks significant to me. One more percentage point drop with YG and it will be time for EdM to get seriously worried.

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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    My latest post is now up, this time looking at the south west:

    http://newstonoone.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fighting-separate-battle-south-west-2015.html

    I shall probably be taking a break for a few days because I am away in northern Ireland for the weekend.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    The Lab - Con gap narrows as the Con EU vote share drops ?

    Doesnt sound like normal orthodoxies are in play.
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    Scrapheap_as_wasScrapheap_as_was Posts: 10,059
    The YouGov weekly average chart will be a welcome thread in some of these parts...
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880
    Miliband is really hopeless.

    He criticises the government for 'cheerleading' on the Pfizer / AstraZenica deal when a formal bid has not yet been made. He refuses to meet with the bidding company's chief executive, whilst accepting personal donations from a board member of the target company.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27336551

    God help the country if he ever gets into power. His 'intellectual self-confidence' will send us down the drain.
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Good morning all. 52 weeks from today, most of us will be ready for bed having been up all night, posting and tweeting like crazy as the exit polls lead on to the early results and by now we will have a new government (or not). I think we will be talking about the size of David Cameron's majority and when Ed will resign as Labour leader.

    Meanwhile back in 2014, I am wondering if this weekend will see the mythical crossover and I wonder which pollster will be first to stick its head above the parapet and give us a Tory lead over Labour? Presumably if Populus today shows a widening Labour lead, the weekend polls will be more of the same but if it also narrows to 1% then lots of bitten fingernails by early evening tomorrow.

    Do you guys win your bet if it is any YouGov poll or just a Mon-Thurs one?
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    TGOHF said:

    The Lab - Con gap narrows as the Con EU vote share drops ?

    Doesnt sound like normal orthodoxies are in play.

    The Con share for the EU has risen from 18% to 23-24% over the past fortnight. That is the kind of "falling" I like to see.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,123
    Alex has been having gentle digs at Nigel all week. This morning it is not quite so gentle: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/alex/

    The way he has managed to maintain the "not just another politician" schtick is remarkable. If that bubble ever bursts...
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    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095

    Miliband is really hopeless.

    He criticises the government for 'cheerleading' on the Pfizer / AstraZenica deal when a formal bid has not yet been made. He refuses to meet with the bidding company's chief executive, whilst accepting personal donations from a board member of the target company.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27336551

    God help the country if he ever gets into power. His 'intellectual self-confidence' will send us down the drain.

    That is immensely amusing.. He really is a dork.
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    Scrapheap_as_wasScrapheap_as_was Posts: 10,059
    edited May 2014
    Labour campaign - it's winning here!

    twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/464654058247454723/photo/1
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    Scrapheap_as_wasScrapheap_as_was Posts: 10,059
    Who came up with "Labour Hardworking Britain Better Off"...

    It's fantastic.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    Miliband is really hopeless.

    He criticises the government for 'cheerleading' on the Pfizer / AstraZenica deal when a formal bid has not yet been made. He refuses to meet with the bidding company's chief executive, whilst accepting personal donations from a board member of the target company.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27336551

    God help the country if he ever gets into power. His 'intellectual self-confidence' will send us down the drain.

    That is immensely amusing.. He really is a dork.
    Been taking bravery tips from his old boss Gordon ?
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    Who came up with "Labour Hardworking Britain Better Off"...

    It's fantastic.

    They just dont like verbs...
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @GuidoFawkes: Survation/Mirror general election poll puts Labour on 34%, the Conservatives on 33%, UKIP on 18% and the Lib Dems on 8%.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    The Labour strategy is evidently all about cementing the base. That may well be appropriate for a low turnout election.

    But I thought the rule was that you don't kick dead dogs?
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.
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    ToryJimToryJim Posts: 3,396
    That Labour poster is incredibly misleading given food isn't subject to VAT.
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    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    ToryJim said:

    That Labour poster is incredibly misleading given food isn't subject to VAT.

    You would be amazed at how much of your weekly shop is subject to VAT.
    I
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    MillsyMillsy Posts: 900
    From a tentative look at recent YouGov polls it seems that 2010 LDs are shifting away from Labour, mostly towards the Tories. Will be interesting what happens over the next week or two
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    Eurovision winner - best prices

    Sweden 3/1 (various)
    Netherlands 5/1 (Betdaq)
    Austria 5/1 (various)
    Armenia 6/1 (various)
    Yookay 13/1 (Betdaq)
    Hungary 16/1
    Denmark 28/1
    Ukraine 33/1
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    That Labour shopping basket is informative - gallons of cooking oil, beer, fizzy high sugar cola, a tin with no label, piles of biscuits and worst of all yellow peppers - who eats those ? The worst of the pepper colours.

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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Have BBC staff gone on strike again? I am getting BBC World News instead of BBC Breakfast. I only turned it on to see Catriona Shearer so back to Stephen at SKY
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    TGOHF said:

    That Labour shopping basket is informative - gallons of cooking oil, beer, fizzy high sugar cola, a tin with no label, piles of biscuits and worst of all yellow peppers - who eats those ? The worst of the pepper colours.

    and of course one big lie as food does not attract VAT .
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    MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792
    TGOHF said:

    Who came up with "Labour Hardworking Britain Better Off"...

    It's fantastic.

    They just dont like verbs...
    With the verb;
    Labour Hardworking Britain Better Be Off

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    ToryJimToryJim Posts: 3,396

    ToryJim said:

    That Labour poster is incredibly misleading given food isn't subject to VAT.

    You would be amazed at how much of your weekly shop is subject to VAT.
    I
    Basic foodstuffs are exempt though, they are the most prominent part of the poster. Labour even draw attention to it. Barking.
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    Max_EdinburghMax_Edinburgh Posts: 347

    TGOHF said:

    That Labour shopping basket is informative - gallons of cooking oil, beer, fizzy high sugar cola, a tin with no label, piles of biscuits and worst of all yellow peppers - who eats those ? The worst of the pepper colours.

    and of course one big lie as food does not attract VAT .
    Some of it does. There are quite a few anomalies. So you pay VAT on biscuits but not cakes, hence the Jaffa Cake court case. The only bit of business law I remember from my CA training!

    Of course fresh fruit and veg (such as peas) don't attract VAT. So yes fairly misleading.
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    Blue_rogBlue_rog Posts: 2,019
    I read Dan Hodges column in the Tele this morning and finally succumbed and watched the Labour PPB.

    Isn't it dire!

    There was absolutely nothing in it about what Labour would do and the portrayal of Nick Clegg was cruel. Not even highbrow satire can explain that and Labours traditional target population will miss that anyway.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    edited May 2014
    'Trident to stay on Clyde until at least 2026 says Hammond'
    - An independent Scotland could not "unilaterally" expel nuclear weapons, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has warned, as he rejected the SNP's plans to get rid of Trident by 2020.

    ... The SNP claimed Mr Hammond had let the "cat out of the bag" that ministers were considering how to move Trident.

    ... "For technical and planning reasons it will take at least a decade - probably significantly longer than that," [Mr Hammond] said. On the 2020 aim, he added: "This will be a process of negotiation. It is not a question of one side saying 'these are the terms' - it is a question of both sides sitting down and having a discussion. Neither side can unilaterally impose its aims."

    ... SNP Westminster leader and defence spokesman Angus Robertson said: "He has always said the Tories think the people of Scotland will vote No and the MoD is not spending any time on planning for independence. Yet today it is clear he is looking at a timetable in the event of a Yes vote."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/trident-to-stay-on-clyde-until-at-least-2026-says-hammond.24175720

    The MoD are in for one almighty shock come 19 September.
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    UKIP's interest is not in having an in/out referendum per se; our sole relevant target is a Brexit.

    A referendum under Cameron, when he is PM and cheer-leading for a a stay-in vote, is unlikely to lead to a Brexit.

    The best (only?) scenario for a Brexit is a strong UKIP performance, a weak labour minority govt, and a united tory party lead by anybody who commits to campaign to take the UK out of the EU.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,964
    Good morning, everyone. [Actually it's pretty rubbish, but there we are].

    FPT: Mr. Putney, chance there won't be any F1 articles this weekend. Still trying to sort out my computer. I don't want to forgo accessing e-mail and the like for days but I can't afford to get screwed over by some ****ing virus stealing my data (I'll need to change some passwords, such as this one, but none of the sites have critical information on them).
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    Blue_rogBlue_rog Posts: 2,019

    Eurovision winner - best prices

    Sweden 3/1 (various)
    Netherlands 5/1 (Betdaq)
    Austria 5/1 (various)
    Armenia 6/1 (various)
    Yookay 13/1 (Betdaq)
    Hungary 16/1
    Denmark 28/1
    Ukraine 33/1

    Might be worth a small punt on Ukraine as it could get a sympathy EU vote as solidarity against Russia.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    UKIP's interest is not in having an in/out referendum per se; our sole relevant target is a Brexit.

    A referendum under Cameron, when he is PM and cheer-leading for a a stay-in vote, is unlikely to lead to a Brexit.

    The best (only?) scenario for a Brexit is a strong UKIP performance, a weak labour minority govt, and a united tory party lead by anybody who commits to campaign to take the UK out of the EU.

    So "vote Kipper for 5 years of abject misery and falling living standards which may take 5 more to recover from, on the off chance of a referendum reliant on another party picking a leader we like ! "

    Not exactly "jam today" is it ?
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633



    The MoD are in for one almighty shock come 19 September.

    Is that the date of the next Edinburgh derby ? Very generous of Hibs to take one for the City and choose relegation to preserve the fixture.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    UKIP's interest is not in having an in/out referendum per se; our sole relevant target is a Brexit.

    A referendum under Cameron, when he is PM and cheer-leading for a a stay-in vote, is unlikely to lead to a Brexit.

    The best (only?) scenario for a Brexit is a strong UKIP performance, a weak labour minority govt, and a united tory party lead by anybody who commits to campaign to take the UK out of the EU.

    That's an interesting gameplan, but there are many assumptions:

    1) That UKIP's performance at the 2015 GE will be 'strong' enough to severely influence the result in that manner.
    2) That it will lead to a weak Labour minority government.
    3) That in such event, a future Tory leader will be anti-EU.
    4) That even if they are anti-EU, the situation in 2020 will be suitable for an anti-EU party.
    5) That an anti-EU Tory party would win against even a weak Labour in 2020.
    6) That 'out' would win the resultant referendum.

    I want a referendum. I'm not sure which way I would vote in that referendum. What you are saying above is that it will be 2020, at the earliest, before I get one, and we have to suffer Miliband in power for five years to get it?

    No thanks.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    World Cup - To qualify from Group D

    Italy 1/2 (BetFred)
    Uruguay 1/2 (various)
    England 4/6 (various)
    Costa Rica 12/1 (bwin)

    England are currently 33/1 to win the tournament.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,584

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,584
    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/farage-warns-over-repeat-of-racist-protests-on-scots-visit.24181107

    ... and Mr Farage following the Tories in claiming that any criticism of him and UKIP in Scotland was, and will be, a priori racist.

    Not only is this a great big misunderstanding (to be polite), given who were doing the protesting (lefties, some from south of the border and so presumably not Scots) but it doesn't say much for his ability to win over hearts and minds.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,584
    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    Nope. I could have posted that on every day during the last two years. In fact, if anything, she is getting even worse over time. One would have hardly thought it possible.

    I have been monitoring the main Scottish Labour politicians in the news flood for several years. Apart from very rare Jim Murphy and Wee Dougie press releases (seldom Scotland-related) they are all pretty much invisible. But the biggest No Show is the boss herself: Lamont. Has a political "leader" ever been so invisible? There is a reason why her minders keep her out of the way.

    My ernest hope is that she'll be flushed out of cover soon. Then the real fun begins.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    Basil and the goalpost.....still not parted. That's one exhausted squirrel. 22 days to go and polling prediction reputations will be smashed.

    Basil is now officially knackered http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/2009/TiredSquirrel.jpg
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,919

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 4m
    Labour's VAT poster contains series of items that are in fact zero rated. From a party struggling to communicate economic competence.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    You are in dubious company: Tony Blair once compared the Scottish Parliament with a "parish council".

    The only way arrogant folk like you ever learn is by defeat at the ballot box.
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    VerulamiusVerulamius Posts: 1,435

    UKIP's interest is not in having an in/out referendum per se; our sole relevant target is a Brexit.

    A referendum under Cameron, when he is PM and cheer-leading for a a stay-in vote, is unlikely to lead to a Brexit.

    The best (only?) scenario for a Brexit is a strong UKIP performance, a weak labour minority govt, and a united tory party lead by anybody who commits to campaign to take the UK out of the EU.

    David

    I saw in a recent EBU mag that you had played for the EBU team in the Camrose; congrats.

    I would expect that given the number of bridge players on here that we could put forward quite a good team, although not at Camrose standards of course!
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    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    Nope. I could have posted that on every day during the last two years. In fact, if anything, she is getting even worse over time. One would have hardly thought it possible.

    I have been monitoring the main Scottish Labour politicians in the news flood for several years. Apart from very rare Jim Murphy and Wee Dougie press releases (seldom Scotland-related) they are all pretty much invisible. But the biggest No Show is the boss herself: Lamont. Has a political "leader" ever been so invisible? There is a reason why her minders keep her out of the way.

    My ernest hope is that she'll be flushed out of cover soon. Then the real fun begins.
    On a somewhat related note, why is she your avatar picture?
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Were you meeting with 4 women ?
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    MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792
    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Anyone stupid enough to base their voting on football results will already be a Nat.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    You are in dubious company: Tony Blair once compared the Scottish Parliament with a "parish council".

    The only way arrogant folk like you ever learn is by defeat at the ballot box.
    How do arrogant folk like you ever learn?
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting?
    The further England get, the better for the Yes campaign.

    If they fail to get out of the group it is no biggie, but thereafter it becomes boon, boon, boon for Yes.

    If you wonder why I have come to that conclusion then I could summarise it in three letters: B, B, and C.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,584
    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
    Wouldn't dream of it - that would be inhospitable and we can't have that. He might want to immigrate after independence, after all. But I must admit I would be tempted just to sit back with a cup of tea and slice of Selkirk Bannock and home made blackcurrant jam, and wait to see what the local Labour students and activists get up to. (BTW, it was a bit rich of Willie Rennie the LD to sort of blame their last year's efforts on Mr Salmond personally. Doesn't say much for him if he thinks Mr S controls the Labour party machine!).
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    TGOHF said:

    Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 4m
    Labour's VAT poster contains series of items that are in fact zero rated. From a party struggling to communicate economic competence.

    Never has one man continued such bitterness over not getting a job.To think, if David had won, he would have the media job in the Labour Party he was promised.****Shudders ****
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,954
    rcs1000 said:


    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.

    I daresay not. On a 'wisdom' index, were they all complacent about their desired result?
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting?
    The further England get, the better for the Yes campaign.

    If they fail to get out of the group it is no biggie, but thereafter it becomes boon, boon, boon for Yes.

    If you wonder why I have come to that conclusion then I could summarise it in three letters: B, B, and C.
    Arrogant like not giving me a vote but saying I can have a tartan passport if I like afterwards ?

    Now that's arrogance....
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557

    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Anyone stupid enough to base their voting on football results will already be a Nat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with soccer results. Everything to do with the way the English media cover those results.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,964
    Must agree that any Scot basing their vote on England's performance in a football contest is likely to be Yes already. And stupid, for that matter.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Anyone stupid enough to base their voting on football results will already be a Nat.
    Demographic groups D, E and definitely not women...
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    Re; VAT on Food

    VAT rated items include all alcoholic drinks, carbonated and energy drinks, anything with more than 15% chocolate (e.g. double-sided choc bars), energy bars, crisps (except vegetable crisps and twiglets), all confectionery - you see a lot of these items in shopping carts - none of which is necessary for survival if you are on a limited income.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,964
    F1: P1 starts in about a quarter of an hour.

    As I mentioned below, possible there'll be no F1 articles. I'm hoping that everything goes smoothly, and I'll be able to put some up.

    I think the question is likelier to be about the size of the advantage Mercedes has rather than whether they've been passed on pace terms by another team. Their advantage in the first 4 races was very significant.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Anyone stupid enough to base their voting on football results will already be a Nat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with soccer results. Everything to do with the way the English media cover those results.
    "Waaah - I was going to get on in life, start a successful business and make something of my life until the evil English soccer media crushed my dreams" said no one ever..



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    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,704

    TGOHF said:

    Dan Hodges ‏@DPJHodges 4m
    Labour's VAT poster contains series of items that are in fact zero rated. From a party struggling to communicate economic competence.

    Never has one man continued such bitterness over not getting a job.To think, if David had won, he would have the media job in the Labour Party he was promised.****Shudders ****
    Maybe instead of playing the man, as normal, you might want to see if he's right or wrong on what he's saying.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453


    The best (only?) scenario for a Brexit is a strong UKIP performance, a weak labour minority govt

    Every vote for UKIP at the GE is a vote for Miliband.

    A strong UKIP performance and a weak Labour minority government are mutually exclusive.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,584

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    Nope. I could have posted that on every day during the last two years. In fact, if anything, she is getting even worse over time. One would have hardly thought it possible.

    I have been monitoring the main Scottish Labour politicians in the news flood for several years. Apart from very rare Jim Murphy and Wee Dougie press releases (seldom Scotland-related) they are all pretty much invisible. But the biggest No Show is the boss herself: Lamont. Has a political "leader" ever been so invisible? There is a reason why her minders keep her out of the way.

    My ernest hope is that she'll be flushed out of cover soon. Then the real fun begins.
    Ah! Thank you. Like metals, in which IIRC it's the electron-less holes that count just as much as the electrons. I must say she got off very lightly indeed in the media after she came out with her statement that Scots "are not genetically programmed to make political decisions" - if a London pol had said that of English/Northerners/Cornish etc. ...

    And we haven't even mentioned the event which General Flashman (decd.) thinks is of no importance to him, so we have kept him happy over his kedgeree..
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    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,964
    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Good morning. I see Vanilla playing up again. I had to sign in twice this morning.

    Here is a joke sent to me, unattributed:

    An Israeli doctor says: “in Israel, medicine is so advanced that we cut off a man’s testicles, put them on another man and in 6 weeks, he is looking for work
    “The German doctor says: “that’s nothing, in Germany we take part of a brain, put it in another man, and in 4 weeks he is looking for work
    “The Russian doctor says: “gentlemen, we take half a heart from a man, put it in another’s chest and in 2 weeks he is looking for work.
    “The United States doctor laughs: “You all are behind us. Five years ago, we took a man with no brains, no heart and no balls and made him President. Now, the whole country is looking for work!

    The joke may be known to others, but I thought it worth a retread.
    Nice to see Marf back on PB.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    TGOHF said:


    "Waaah - I was going to get on in life, start a successful business and make something of my life until the evil English soccer media crushed my dreams" said no one ever..

    Given that every event since the dawn of time is "good for the YeSNP campaign", it's astonishing they are still behind in the polls...

    None of the Nats found this article in the Edinburgh Law Review yet?

    http://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/elr.2014.0207
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280

    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.

    What happened the last time a team from the UK played Costa Rica in the World Cup ?

    *Innocent Face*

    Nats = Ally McLeod.

    Discuss.

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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280
    Even the writers from season 3 of Homeland were putting the boot into the Scotland football team.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,964
    Mr. Eagles, they were?

    Incidentally, live coverage of practice has now begun (online or on BBC2, I think).
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280
    On topic, the trend is clear.

    Will it last ?
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    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,964

    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.

    What happened the last time a team from the UK played Costa Rica in the World Cup ?

    *Innocent Face*

    Nats = Ally McLeod.

    Discuss.

    I think Ally McLeod was manager in 1978, when Scotland succumbed to the might of Peru. Costa Rica was 1990.
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    MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792

    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.

    What happened the last time a team from the UK played Costa Rica in the World Cup ?

    *Innocent Face*

    Nats = Ally McLeod.

    Discuss.

    The tragedy was that the 1978 Scotland team was good enough to have won the World Cup.

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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916

    The YouGov weekly average chart will be a welcome thread in some of these parts...

    @Scrapheap_as_was

    I have just started compiling a spreadsheet of the 2010 splits for each of the three (then) main parties. Have done April and May (only 7 polls) to date and will finish Jan-March this weekend.

    So far looking at the LD split there appears 1% more going to Cons, 2+% less going to Labour, 2% less going to LDs, 2.5% more going to UKIP and 0.5% more going to Greens.

    For Labour, 0.5% more going to Cons, 2% less to Labour, nearly 1% more going to UKIP and bits more to LDs and Greens.

    For Conservatives, very steady but bits less to Labour, LDs and UKIP.

    I will publish full figures for 2014 this weekend.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280

    Mr. Eagles, they were?

    Incidentally, live coverage of practice has now begun (online or on BBC2, I think).

    They were, one of the main protagonists of season 3, was a member of the 1978 Iranian world cup team.
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    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664

    ToryJim said:

    That Labour poster is incredibly misleading given food isn't subject to VAT.

    You would be amazed at how much of your weekly shop is subject to VAT.
    I
    Don't be patronising. I wouldn't, and nor would almost everyone on twitter by the looks of it. This is like politicians being ambushed with "how much is a pint of milk?" except Labour have kindly ambushed themselves.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280

    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.

    What happened the last time a team from the UK played Costa Rica in the World Cup ?

    *Innocent Face*

    Nats = Ally McLeod.

    Discuss.

    I think Ally McLeod was manager in 1978, when Scotland succumbed to the might of Peru. Costa Rica was 1990.
    I know, I was making two different points.

    That said, I was born after the 1978 World Cup.

    A lot of my knowledge of Scotland at the 1978 World Cup was gleaned from the film Trainspotting.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280
    Backed Scotland to beat England today, 8/1

    http://www.oddschecker.com/cricket/scotland-v-england/winner
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811

    World Cup - To qualify from Group D

    Italy 1/2 (BetFred)
    Uruguay 1/2 (various)
    England 4/6 (various)
    Costa Rica 12/1 (bwin)

    England are currently 33/1 to win the tournament.

    Stuart , surely you have missed at least one zero at the end there
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,964
    Bah, just got logged out.

    Mr. Eagles, ah, I remember that now.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280
    That said, no Jade Dernbach in the squad.

    Rejoice.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811
    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
    Wouldn't dream of it - that would be inhospitable and we can't have that. He might want to immigrate after independence, after all. But I must admit I would be tempted just to sit back with a cup of tea and slice of Selkirk Bannock and home made blackcurrant jam, and wait to see what the local Labour students and activists get up to. (BTW, it was a bit rich of Willie Rennie the LD to sort of blame their last year's efforts on Mr Salmond personally. Doesn't say much for him if he thinks Mr S controls the Labour party machine!).
    Carnyx, I wonder if the protesters will be English again or will we see a few Scots involved.
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811
    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
    Wouldn't dream of it - that would be inhospitable and we can't have that. He might want to immigrate after independence, after all. But I must admit I would be tempted just to sit back with a cup of tea and slice of Selkirk Bannock and home made blackcurrant jam, and wait to see what the local Labour students and activists get up to. (BTW, it was a bit rich of Willie Rennie the LD to sort of blame their last year's efforts on Mr Salmond personally. Doesn't say much for him if he thinks Mr S controls the Labour party machine!).
    Rennie calling people protesting "dogs" seems to be a bit intemperate and very stupid even for a Lib Dem.
  • Options
    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    Nope. I could have posted that on every day during the last two years. In fact, if anything, she is getting even worse over time. One would have hardly thought it possible.

    I have been monitoring the main Scottish Labour politicians in the news flood for several years. Apart from very rare Jim Murphy and Wee Dougie press releases (seldom Scotland-related) they are all pretty much invisible. But the biggest No Show is the boss herself: Lamont. Has a political "leader" ever been so invisible? There is a reason why her minders keep her out of the way.

    My ernest hope is that she'll be flushed out of cover soon. Then the real fun begins.
    Ah! Thank you. Like metals, in which IIRC it's the electron-less holes that count just as much as the electrons. I must say she got off very lightly indeed in the media after she came out with her statement that Scots "are not genetically programmed to make political decisions" - if a London pol had said that of English/Northerners/Cornish etc. ...

    And we haven't even mentioned the event which General Flashman (decd.) thinks is of no importance to him, so we have kept him happy over his kedgeree..
    The Economist is both a wonderful and a dreadful publication. But there is little doubt that its obituaries are one of the wonderful bits. Here is a snippet from their George MacDonald Fraser obit.
    Would Flashman have liked [Fraser], had they met? Mr Fraser was a Scot, of course, solidly and loudly so, and Flashman had no love for Scotland. He found it (on his visits to Balmoral to the girlish Queen Victoria, all popeyes and buck teeth but “pretty enough beneath the neck”) a place of gloom and drizzle and long-faced holiness. He preferred Indian heat and sun. But Mr Fraser was a devoted son of the borders, born in Carlisle and writing both fact and fiction about the ruffian-reivers and cattle-stealers of the region: men who, in their shameless venturing and whoring and disrespect for law, were quite a lot like old Flashy, except that they were brave.
    http://www.economist.com/node/10492913
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    Personally, I expect England to lose to Italy and Uruguay. In other words they'll triumphantly surpass the records for earliest exits from a tournament established by Scotland.

    What happened the last time a team from the UK played Costa Rica in the World Cup ?

    *Innocent Face*

    Nats = Ally McLeod.

    Discuss.

    I think Ally McLeod was manager in 1978, when Scotland succumbed to the might of Peru. Costa Rica was 1990.
    I know, I was making two different points.

    That said, I was born after the 1978 World Cup.

    A lot of my knowledge of Scotland at the 1978 World Cup was gleaned from the film Trainspotting.
    The Scotland team in 1978 was pretty good - apart from the goalie who was worse than abject. Oh and Willie Johnston failing a drugs test didn't help.

    I was greetin during the Peru game - toughened me up for a lifetime supporting Scotland at football though.


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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811
    TGOHF said:

    rcs1000 said:

    World Cup: England are 15/8 (Bet365) to reach the quarter finals and 11/2 (various) to reach the semi finals.

    If they get to the semis I'll be a very happy chappie indeed.

    If England do very well in the World Cup, how do you think that will affect SIndy voting.

    As an aside, I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow yesterday. Based upon asking everyone I had meetings with (4 people), I forecast 100% for 'Better Together'.

    However, I would admit that people I met might not have been a particularly representative sample.
    Anyone stupid enough to base their voting on football results will already be a Nat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with soccer results. Everything to do with the way the English media cover those results.
    "Waaah - I was going to get on in life, start a successful business and make something of my life until the evil English soccer media crushed my dreams" said no one ever..



    LOL, Flash you are really dreaming now , you and success are unlikely ever to be bedfellows
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    MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792
    malcolmg said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
    Wouldn't dream of it - that would be inhospitable and we can't have that. He might want to immigrate after independence, after all. But I must admit I would be tempted just to sit back with a cup of tea and slice of Selkirk Bannock and home made blackcurrant jam, and wait to see what the local Labour students and activists get up to. (BTW, it was a bit rich of Willie Rennie the LD to sort of blame their last year's efforts on Mr Salmond personally. Doesn't say much for him if he thinks Mr S controls the Labour party machine!).
    Carnyx, I wonder if the protesters will be English again or will we see a few Scots involved.
    Those embarrassing scenes in Edinburgh. How reassuring that it was the English at fault, as ever.
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    eekeek Posts: 24,932
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    ToryJimToryJim Posts: 3,396
    @SkyTimW: Sepp Blatter's told Swiss newspaper Blick he will stand for another term as FIFA president in next year's elections. He's 78.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    malcolmg said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    TGOHF said:

    Carnyx said:

    Two words which must be especially worrying for the red team are 'Johann' and 'Lamont'. Dearie, dearie, dearie, dearie me.

    Any special reason today, please?

    I think the reason was that we'd had 50 comments and none of them were about the council bye election thing you guys are having in September.
    Well, Ms Lamont could have been talking about UKIP or voting systems for all we know!

    I think Stuart's latest post suggest alas that that was not the case.

    Farage is up in Edinburgh today - have you put the pitchforks into the furnace to warm up ?
    Wouldn't dream of it - that would be inhospitable and we can't have that. He might want to immigrate after independence, after all. But I must admit I would be tempted just to sit back with a cup of tea and slice of Selkirk Bannock and home made blackcurrant jam, and wait to see what the local Labour students and activists get up to. (BTW, it was a bit rich of Willie Rennie the LD to sort of blame their last year's efforts on Mr Salmond personally. Doesn't say much for him if he thinks Mr S controls the Labour party machine!).
    Rennie calling people protesting "dogs" seems to be a bit intemperate and very stupid even for a Lib Dem.
    Intemperate and stupid are two of the kinder things one could say about Mr Rennie. Just compare him the the giants of Scottish liberalism. It really is toe-curling stuff.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557

    Backed Scotland to beat England today, 8/1

    http://www.oddschecker.com/cricket/scotland-v-england/winner

    That was brave. In the 'Yes Minister' sense of the word.
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    eekeek Posts: 24,932
    ToryJim said:

    @SkyTimW: Sepp Blatter's told Swiss newspaper Blick he will stand for another term as FIFA president in next year's elections. He's 78.

    If you know there are plenty of skeletons to be found, its best to ensure they are only found after you are dead.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,280

    Backed Scotland to beat England today, 8/1

    http://www.oddschecker.com/cricket/scotland-v-england/winner

    That was brave. In the 'Yes Minister' sense of the word.
    You haven't been following the England cricket team this winter.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    While it obviously isn't great for Labour that they put a picture of VAT-free items on a poster talking about the coalition raising VAT, it's not great for the Conservatives and Lib Dems either to have a big fuss made that reminds the public that the coalition raised VAT.
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    dyedwooliedyedwoolie Posts: 7,786

    Backed Scotland to beat England today, 8/1

    http://www.oddschecker.com/cricket/scotland-v-england/winner

    That was brave. In the 'Yes Minister' sense of the word.
    No, it's a good bet. England alWays perform atrociously against smaller nations in the cricket, they normally fall over the line, but 8/1 is value.
    Against that, Super Jimmy is back.
This discussion has been closed.