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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Why playing the man and not the issue might not be a good s

SystemSystem Posts: 11,693
edited April 2016 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Why playing the man and not the issue might not be a good strategy for LEAVE

Brexiteers have shown themselves to be very angry about many things.  These things include, but are not confined to, the conduct of the referendum campaign itself.  Their complaints are many and various but three in particular stand out:

Read the full story here


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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359
    edited April 2016
    Yet another Europhile Propaganda "Robust analysis" thread!
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359
    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?
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    I agree
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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,218
    A good article. Thank you.

    I think many people who will vote Leave will do so in spite of the Leave campaign not because of it. I also think that it will put off as many people as it might attract.
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    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584
    edited April 2016
    Remain are "appealing to authority" as part of their strategy.

    Therefore it is perfectly reasonable for Leave to challenge and show doubts about that "authority".

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    It was John Redwood's conspiracy comment that I found amusing.

    This really is a global conspiracy innit.
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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,218
    edited April 2016
    FPT
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Alistair said:

    DavidL said:

    Once again very grown up questions from Angus Robertson.

    Is it based on bullshit figures this time?
    No. They were about the murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow and the need to confront extremism and sectarianism both in actual thugs like the murderer and in those who whisper in their ears. He and Cameron on exactly the same page on this.
    This article is relevant to that - http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/sectarianism-is-on-the-rise-in-britain-as-any-ahmadiyya-muslim-can-tell-you/.

    Also relevant to Sadiq Khan: his local Tooting imam is one of those who has urged boycotts of Ahmadiyyas. Has Khan challenged him? If not, why should we believe him when he says that he will challenge extremists?
    Those two excellent programs on R4 recently about the Deobandis also touched on this. Unfortunately we have brought the troubles of the Punjab into our cities. Not sure it was the best idea.

    Indeed: and no reason for us to continue importing the troubles by permitting more such immigration.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,942
    Cyclefree said:

    A good article. Thank you.

    I think many people who will vote Leave will do so in spite of the Leave campaign not because of it. I also think that it will put off as many people as it might attract.

    Alot will vote "remain" in spite of the campaign too I think.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937
    The ERM references are just bizarre. I guess they have to use them because none of the leading Remainers or the Treasury were in favour of joining the Euro. But Tory cabinet ministers associating with comments to the effect that the PM and CoE cannot be trusted are playing with fire.
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800
    All the attack lines have substance.

    Which is a lot more than can be said for the Remain campaign.
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    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,492
    edited April 2016

    It was John Redwood's conspiracy comment that I found amusing.

    This really is a global conspiracy innit.

    Does it need to be a 'conspiracy' for supranational and national organisations to act and argue in their own interests? Some American former finance minister was on the Radio earlier arguing Brexit would 'damage London as a financial centre' - how caring and altruistic of him. Do you think he rates that above the success of New York as a financial centre? Or do you actually think he was sensibly (from his pov) arguing in favour of American strategic interests, which obviously favour having a close ally (to put it politely) within the power structure of the EU?
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    If Leave win on low turnout then a lot of personal negativity will probably work in their favour.

    I still think they need to work on a Hope narrative though.
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    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800

    The ERM references are just bizarre. I guess they have to use them because none of the leading Remainers or the Treasury were in favour of joining the Euro. But Tory cabinet ministers associating with comments to the effect that the PM and CoE cannot be trusted are playing with fire.

    Why? The PM and CofE are toast whichever side wins, so why not expose them for the charlatans they really are?
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,343
    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    The loons being TSE's fellow tories mostly. People he expects will simply fall into line on June 24.

    As Philip Johnstone notes in the Telegraph, the earth has been quite dramatically scorched by Remain 'conservatives' in their complete desperation to win. Its quite gut-wrenching to watch
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,610
    If Dave is the strongest asset for Remain (he is) then Leave will have to attack him. If Dave had listened to TSE and Richard N and stayed out of the campaigns and just made a few noises about supporting his deal here and there then he wouldn't be under such scrutiny from his own side At the same time, without him Leave would be basically nailed on to win.

    You talk abut shrill tones, but I was talking to my sister yesterday evening, and she is about as non-political as they get. Asked me about the Brexit vote and why there was so much "scaremongering" from the remain side. She's fairly representative of the kind of voter Remain needs to attract (young, female, professional) and her opinion was that everything was so over the top that the attacks have lost credibility. She can't understand how it would be possible for the same people running the same country to say on the one hand, we are the strongest economy in the developed world but then on the other say that if we vote to leave we will be among the weakest. I basically stayed silent because I didn't want to prejudice her opinion, which IMO, was quite telling. She also said that the remain side had pointed out all the downsides to leaving, but no upsides to staying. She's had no contact from Leave so far which is pretty lamentable.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    That's because you ARE traitor pig-dogs of the first order!
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359
    FPT
    taffys said:

    Ken Clarke mocking many on his own party. Disgraceful.

    Taught TSE everything he knows....Master and apprentice.

    TSE: What have I done?!

    Darth Gideon (aka. Chancellor Osborne): You are fulfilling your destiny, TSE. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the Daft Side of the Force. There's no turning back now.

    TSE: I will do whatever you ask. Just help me save Theresa's political career. I can't live without her. If she resigns, I don't know what I will do.

    Darth Gideon: To cheat political obscurity is a power only one has achieved through centuries of the study of the Force. But if we work together, I know we can discover the secret to eternal AV Threads.

    TSE: I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the REMAINERs.

    Darth Gideon: Good. Good! The Force is strong with you, TSE. A powerful REMAINER you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Eagles.

    TSE: Thank you... my Master.

    Darth Gideon: Lord Eagles... rise.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Lib Dems Winning Here
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Meeks must have missed the previous thread, where Remain supporters were branding those up for Leave, as 'Eurosceptic loons', and friends of Putin.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,526
    edited April 2016
    Interestingly enough it does look like there has been a shift to Remain in the polling, so Remain's strategy is working/Leave's isn't.

    Sir Lynton also agrees.
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    A few weeks ago you were a Leaver, now you are a Remainer?

    Have you had a bet yet, should be fun when you do.....
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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,655
    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822

    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.

    CLAPS
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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,218
    Pulpstar said:

    Cyclefree said:

    A good article. Thank you.

    I think many people who will vote Leave will do so in spite of the Leave campaign not because of it. I also think that it will put off as many people as it might attract.

    Alot will vote "remain" in spite of the campaign too I think.
    It might be better for all of us if there were no campaigns at all, frankly. Much of them seem to consist of "sound and fury signifying nothing".

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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124

    Interestingly enough it does look like there has been a shift to Remain in the polling, so Remain's strategy is working/Leave's isn't.

    Sir Lynton also agrees.

    Shhhhh. Let them keep on being stupid. I think pushing the 'let's be like Albania line' was the corker of the week.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    edited April 2016
    I'd rather read Don Brind's opinion, than this yet again.

    How about one re Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland...
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359

    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.

    Huzzah! A succinct and simple message!
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124

    I'd rather read Don Brind's opinion, than this yet again.

    Lol - soooooooo missing the point of the article it's unreal.
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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,218
    edited April 2016
    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,444

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
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    runnymederunnymede Posts: 2,536
    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    Yes, it's more tiresome and self-indulgent clickbait. Ho hum.

    btw David did you see my second post to you yesterday about passporting and financial services? Interested in your further thoughts (re-posted below).

    -------------------------------------------


    David - thanks. But what a lot of gaps in the picture there are, no?

    I don't have a precise figure for question 1 either, though have been asking around.

    UK financial services exports to the EU most certainly did not start in 1999 or 2000 and indeed were quite significant before that. So how great is the downside risk, really?

    Similarly, the big US (and many European) banks came here before the passporting regime as well. I know they say they like it, but that clearly wasn't the original motivation in arriving.

    I enclose FYI a report I have seen by PWC which produces rather small estimates of the long-term impact of Brexit on UK financial services GDP, which are moreover somewhat bulked out by questionable assumptions re, immigration and 'uncertainty'. The impacts are of the scale 2-4% by 2030 (depending on the post-Brexit trade regime) of which trade effects only are 0.6-2%. These translate into really small effects on broader UK GDP.

    They go on to caveat these results with some hand waving about relocation risks but without anything to back it up really (given who the client was, I imagine there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing on the drafting based on 'why can't we make the numbers bigger/stress more downside risks' etc.)

    https://www.pwc.co.uk/financial-services/assets/Leaving-the-EU-implications-for-the-UK-FS-sector.pdf
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited April 2016
    Hmm, I think Alastair is being a bit too logical here, when he says "It is hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a conscious strategy". I don't think it's that at all, I think it's a 'fingers in the ears' strategy.

    Whatever the reason behind it, the approach is counter-productive. We now have a daily ritual playing out: some very distinguished figure or respected institution pops up to say that Brexit is risky or damaging economically, the Leave campaign pop up to rubbish (and in many cases insult) said distinguished figure or respected institution, thereby giving the comments extra publicity and making the Leave side sound a bit unhinged.

    What do you think the cumulative effect of that is? I can tell you: it is to make persuadable voters think that leaving might be a bit too risky.

    For this reason, I think the value now is probably in the Remain 60%-65% band at a stonking 7/1, and I've just bet accordingly. This is the first bet I've placed in the referendum, other than an old bet with Richard Tyndall.
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    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,758
    LOL

    so rising unemployment is the result of Brexit ?

    shit Chancellor methinks.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    Then where is the positive argument? When all you have is talking down your own country and doomsaying, what's their angle?
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937

    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.

    I don't see myself as a forelock tugger or a part of the great and the good. I just think that on balance we are better off staying in the Single Market rather than leaving it.

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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,359

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
    Turned to the Daft Side, young TSE has!
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    ...........
    For this reason, I think the value now is probably in the Remain 60%-65% band at a stonking 7/1, and I've just bet accordingly. This is the first bet I've placed in the referendum, other than an old bet with Richard Tyndall.

    Post of the day. One to save.
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    nigel4englandnigel4england Posts: 4,800

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
    He is definitely not to be trusted.
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    weejonnieweejonnie Posts: 3,820

    Lib Dems Winning Here

    Oxymoron
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Isn't it simply that redundancy or whatever coincides with year ends to get rid of numbers?

    LOL

    so rising unemployment is the result of Brexit ?

    shit Chancellor methinks.

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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966
    Cyclefree said:

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?

    Yes, but he has no more idea than we do if it is going to be right or wrong, so his criticism of Leave amounts to personal distaste and handwaving.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,343
    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    I think it raises legitimate questions about their judgment on analogous issues. But you are right, at the end of the day this is a matter of opinion and we will never in fact know which was the correct answer because the alternative will never happen. People have to choose. And the fact that some have been wrong before is a factor in trying to make that choice. It is not playing the man in an ad hominem sense, it is trying to persuade those who are unsure which way to jump.

    The same might be said, of course, about those who were so confident that the Euro would have ceased to exist by now, that Greece were going to get thrown out of it and possibly the EU as well. That would be equally valid.
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,444
    Cyclefree said:

    A good article. Thank you.

    I think many people who will vote Leave will do so in spite of the Leave campaign not because of it. I also think that it will put off as many people as it might attract.

    This is sadly probably true. I have my criticisms to make of the Leave campaign but will save them until the post-mortem in July.

    For now, it's all hands to the pump AFAIC.
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    I'd rather read Don Brind's opinion, than this yet again.

    How about one re Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland...

    Yes I would welcome threads on these and local elections.
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    edited April 2016

    LOL

    so rising unemployment is the result of Brexit ?

    shit Chancellor methinks.

    Crabb shouldn't be in the job if that's the conclusion he's drawn.

    Though, since HMG has spent weeks telling the world that the UK is too weak and feeble to go it alone, he might have a point.
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    TykejohnnoTykejohnno Posts: 7,362
    what ever happened to priti Patel today ? she usually does the unemployment numbers for the media.

    So we get Stephen Crabb blaming blexit for the rise of unemployment,wonder what Priti has to say about this.

    EU referendum: Tories go to war after minister blames unemployment rise on Brexit fears as Jeremy Corbyn savages PM over academies plan

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/20/eu-referendum-us-treasury-secretaries-brexit-pmqs-live/
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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,193

    I'd rather read Don Brind's opinion, than this yet again.

    How about one re Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland...

    Yes I would welcome threads on these and local elections.
    I know the Tories are starting from a relatively low base, but a poor showing on May 5 could put the cat among the pigeons.
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    Lib Dems Winning Here

    after all they were going to win the GE for Miliband a year ago.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,994
    Good afternoon, everyone.
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
    Well quite. He was "undecided" in the same way as Meeks and Nabavi were. At least Dr FoxInSocksEU had the intellectual honesty to wear his pro-EU credentials on his sleeve.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    Then where is the positive argument? When all you have is talking down your own country and doomsaying, what's their angle?

    The positive argument is that by remaining in the EU we can have full and unfettered access to Single Market of over 500 million consumers, the chance to influence the development of one of the world's biggest power blocs and the ability to take advantage of all the opportunities there are in other parts of the world too.

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    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,193

    Isn't it simply that redundancy or whatever coincides with year ends to get rid of numbers?

    LOL

    so rising unemployment is the result of Brexit ?

    shit Chancellor methinks.

    And sadly suicides go up in April. This shows up in the railway statistics every Period 1 (28 days) of the financial year.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    The Christian Democrats' average rating across 7 pollsters has dropped to 34%:

    http://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/
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    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460

    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.

    Quite. I was reminded last night on Nick Robinson's programme how the "European Constitution" as penned by Giscard d'Estaing circa 2002 was voted down by the Dutch and French and then pretty much retitled "The Lisbon Treaty" where it was described (by Peter Hain??) as a "tidying up exercise" and the then Govt promptly forgot all about Blair's referendum promise, and even had the temerity to have Brown skulk in to sign in the middle of the night.

    It is this kind of shenanigens that really gets my goat. The endless one way slice by slice movement by whatever means to get to a destination that nobody seems to want to spell out aside from a few Continentals who openly want a "USE".

    I am actually a reluctant if firm Leaver as I have lost all hope of any reform worthy of the name and pressing the "nuclear" button of actually leaving seems the only way to get the barstewards to listen to me, and actually have that root and branch conversation that Cameron so utterly flunked. Robinson's programme really was like Groundhog Day 1975/Wilson v 2016/Cameron in terms of perfunctory renegotiations for the sake of party management.

    I'd really honestly have more time for Juncker/Schulz and any of their sincere UK supporters if they actually spelled out what their ideal Europe looks like. At least it'd be honest rather than the constant under the radar skulduggery that appears to have been in the ascendancy for decades.


  • Options
    JonathanDJonathanD Posts: 2,400

    what ever happened to priti Patel today ? she usually does the unemployment numbers for the media.
    /


    In the past its been a mix of IDS or Patel doing the unemployment interviews, so no big conspiracy that Crabb was doing them today.

  • Options
    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    I think it raises legitimate questions about their judgment on analogous issues. But you are right, at the end of the day this is a matter of opinion and we will never in fact know which was the correct answer because the alternative will never happen. People have to choose. And the fact that some have been wrong before is a factor in trying to make that choice. It is not playing the man in an ad hominem sense, it is trying to persuade those who are unsure which way to jump.

    The same might be said, of course, about those who were so confident that the Euro would have ceased to exist by now, that Greece were going to get thrown out of it and possibly the EU as well. That would be equally valid.

    John Redwood said that 26 year old David Cameron was wrong on the ERM. Well so were Lord Lawson and Lord Lamont. Does that mean we should not trust their judgment either? Now, remind me what they are advocating on 23rd June.

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    Basically, the great and the good want us to vote Remain.

    We can either tug our forelocks and do as they say, or stick two fingers up and vote Leave.

    A victory for Leave will be a victory for the common man & woman.

    I don't see myself as a forelock tugger or a part of the great and the good. I just think that on balance we are better off staying in the Single Market rather than leaving it.

    Me neither. The loss of freedom of movement that the "splendid isolation" model that Vote Leave appear to be advocating worries me the most. I lived in Germany for 10 years and would quite like to be able to live there again, without worrying about eligibility. I'd also like my son to have the same opportunity. Leaving the EU, for me, represents a very concrete loss of freedom rather than a theoretical gain in freedom.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820

    John Redwood said that 26 year old David Cameron was wrong on the ERM. Well so were Lord Lawson and Lord Lamont. Does that mean we should not trust their judgment either? Now, remind me what they are advocating on 23rd June.

    Touché!
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    what ever happened to priti Patel today ? she usually does the unemployment numbers for the media.

    So we get Stephen Crabb blaming blexit for the rise of unemployment,wonder what Priti has to say about this.

    EU referendum: Tories go to war after minister blames unemployment rise on Brexit fears as Jeremy Corbyn savages PM over academies plan

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/20/eu-referendum-us-treasury-secretaries-brexit-pmqs-live/

    One could speculate that the PM or Osbrown saw the opportunity for another cheap point scoring exercise for remain, so sent Priti off to polish the silver somewhere while their man trotted out the party line.

    If Remain nudge into the lead the problem is a lot of ambitious politicians on Leave are going to start looking over their shoulder at Camborne and considering their position after the referendum, they might consider it better to be accommodating in exchange for not being sent to Northern Ireland, while Leave is level pegging they will feel braver. My guess is as soon as it starts to really slip there will be fightback except from a few diehards and lots of quiet deals being struck.
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    TykejohnnoTykejohnno Posts: 7,362
    JonathanD said:

    what ever happened to priti Patel today ? she usually does the unemployment numbers for the media.
    /


    In the past its been a mix of IDS or Patel doing the unemployment interviews, so no big conspiracy that Crabb was doing them today.

    So if we did get priti doing the media rounds today,would she be blaming brexit for the rise in unemployment ?
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    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    Then where is the positive argument? When all you have is talking down your own country and doomsaying, what's their angle?

    The positive argument is that by remaining in the EU we can have full and unfettered access to Single Market of over 500 million consumers, the chance to influence the development of one of the world's biggest power blocs and the ability to take advantage of all the opportunities there are in other parts of the world too.

    Fair enough, but is it this far and not an inch (centimetre?) further? Are we going to harmonise VAT or corporation tax or indeed income tax or school curricula or whatever? Straw men the lot, I know, but I have lost confidence that we are not on a slippery slope to somewhere I do not want to go.

    What's the next ratchet notch to come out of Brussels?
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    Then where is the positive argument? When all you have is talking down your own country and doomsaying, what's their angle?

    The positive argument is that by remaining in the EU we can have full and unfettered access to Single Market of over 500 million consumers, the chance to influence the development of one of the world's biggest power blocs and the ability to take advantage of all the opportunities there are in other parts of the world too.

    Not sure Scottish and English beef farmers will see it that way when the EU signs the Mercosur trade agreement shortly.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    FFS
    Some members of the conference were left in tears, because of the loud screaming which they found triggering.
    http://thetab.com/2016/04/20/malia-bouattia-elected-nus-president-face-controversy-87252
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,031

    Lib Dems Winning Here

    after all they were going to win the GE for Miliband a year ago.
    I think Plato missed out an 'h' from her comment.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,343
    edited April 2016
    runnymede said:

    DavidL said:

    Yes, it's more tiresome and self-indulgent clickbait. Ho hum.

    btw David did you see my second post to you yesterday about passporting and financial services? Interested in your further thoughts (re-posted below).

    -------------------------------------------


    David - thanks. But what a lot of gaps in the picture there are, no?

    I don't have a precise figure for question 1 either, though have been asking around.

    UK financial services exports to the EU most certainly did not start in 1999 or 2000 and indeed were quite significant before that. So how great is the downside risk, really?

    Similarly, the big US (and many European) banks came here before the passporting regime as well. I know they say they like it, but that clearly wasn't the original motivation in arriving.

    I enclose FYI a report I have seen by PWC which produces rather small estimates of the long-term impact of Brexit on UK financial services GDP, which are moreover somewhat bulked out by questionable assumptions re, immigration and 'uncertainty'. The impacts are of the scale 2-4% by 2030 (depending on the post-Brexit trade regime) of which trade effects only are 0.6-2%. These translate into really small effects on broader UK GDP.

    They go on to caveat these results with some hand waving about relocation risks but without anything to back it up really (given who the client was, I imagine there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing on the drafting based on 'why can't we make the numbers bigger/stress more downside risks' etc.)

    https://www.pwc.co.uk/financial-services/assets/Leaving-the-EU-implications-for-the-UK-FS-sector.pdf
    No I didn't see that. Thanks for reposting it. I will have a look at the PWC report. Their summary of it, however, seems to indicate that the effect would be quite significant. http://pwc.blogs.com/fsrr/2016/04/looking-at-the-hard-numbers-what-brexit-means-for-financial-services.html 100K jobs. £12bn contribution to GDP.

    I am conscious of the atmosphere in Edinburgh at the time of the Sindy ref. There is no doubt at all that much, probably most of the Scottish financial services industry would have left by now had the vote gone the other way (in fact some of it has even with a No vote, just rather more quietly). London is vastly stronger than Edinburgh as a financial centre but it still seems realistic to me to assume that being out of something which is such a great opportunity for it would hurt.

    With the Single market and passport I can see London going after insurance, fund management, capital raising and debt trading across the continent in an aggressive way and continuing to grow strongly. Without it London won't die but an opportunity will have been spurned.
  • Options
    runnymederunnymede Posts: 2,536
    Indigo said:

    what ever happened to priti Patel today ? she usually does the unemployment numbers for the media.

    So we get Stephen Crabb blaming blexit for the rise of unemployment,wonder what Priti has to say about this.

    EU referendum: Tories go to war after minister blames unemployment rise on Brexit fears as Jeremy Corbyn savages PM over academies plan

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/20/eu-referendum-us-treasury-secretaries-brexit-pmqs-live/

    One could speculate that the PM or Osbrown saw the opportunity for another cheap point scoring exercise for remain, so sent Priti off to polish the silver somewhere while their man trotted out the party line.

    If Remain nudge into the lead the problem is a lot of ambitious politicians on Leave are going to start looking over their shoulder at Camborne and considering their position after the referendum, they might consider it better to be accommodating in exchange for not being sent to Northern Ireland, while Leave is level pegging they will feel braver. My guess is as soon as it starts to really slip there will be fightback except from a few diehards and lots of quiet deals being struck.
    Another low point today, with a government minister engaging in negative spin about what was actually a perfectly decent set of labour market figures.

    Rubbishing your own achievements to make a cheap political point. Embarrassing.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,526
    edited April 2016

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
    My patience is being tested by some on the Leave side.

    Don't be surprised if I reply in kind.

    You yourself talked about destroying the Tory Party to win.

    That's what actually convinced me in part to go campaigning for Remain.

    I know what happened the last time the Tory Party became obsessed with The EU
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    felix said:

    Interestingly enough it does look like there has been a shift to Remain in the polling, so Remain's strategy is working/Leave's isn't.

    Sir Lynton also agrees.

    Shhhhh. Let them keep on being stupid. I think pushing the 'let's be like Albania line' was the corker of the week.
    It's the politics of Enver.

    I'll get my coat
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    weejonnieweejonnie Posts: 3,820
    welshowl said:

    Cyclefree said:

    DavidL said:

    Sigh.

    Surely it is reasonable to point out that those who say leaving the EU will return us to some dark age said the same about failure to join the Euro? Surely it is reasonable to point out that the track of the EU has since its formation been towards ever more Europe and those that argue remain is the status quo have to face up to the fact that assurances given in the past have proven to be worthless? Surely it is reasonable, as Cameron himself somewhat indirectly confirmed at PMQs today, to point out that the assumptions behind the Treasury assessment were highly partial, contentious and made wholly negative assumptions about Leave?

    This is politics and I for one bear no grudges. I found Clarke's comments today amusing, I do not regard Cameron or Osborne as dishonest, merely as politicians trying to make a case that I happen to disagree with. Clearly some go further but this is straw man stuff Alastair. It really is.

    It is reasonable to do this and to do it in the sort of reasonable tones you are using.

    It is true that a lot of the people who said that disaster would happen if we didn't join the euro are saying the same thing now about Brexit. It is quite possible - even likely - that they are wrong now as they were then. It is also possible that, even though wrong then, they may be right now.

    Merely pointing out their wrongness then doesn't really deal - substantively - with whether they are wrong now. Isn't that the point Mr M is making?
    Then where is the positive argument? When all you have is talking down your own country and doomsaying, what's their angle?

    The positive argument is that by remaining in the EU we can have full and unfettered access to Single Market of over 500 million consumers, the chance to influence the development of one of the world's biggest power blocs and the ability to take advantage of all the opportunities there are in other parts of the world too.

    Fair enough, but is it this far and not an inch (centimetre?) further? Are we going to harmonise VAT or corporation tax or indeed income tax or school curricula or whatever? Straw men the lot, I know, but I have lost confidence that we are not on a slippery slope to somewhere I do not want to go.

    What's the next ratchet notch to come out of Brussels?
    June 24th 2016.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,130
    Next week: Alastair Meeks on why playing the issue and not the man might not be a good strategy for LEAVE.

    FFS. We get it. There is no strategy that the self-appointed experts can ever conceive of winning it for LEAVE.

    Other than REMAIN giving no rational, fact-based reason for voting for their position either.

    This Referendum is turning into a horribly unedifying public spectacle. Whoever wins, forty-odd percent of those who could be arsed to vote is still going to think they have been sold an unemptied septic tank by the winners. And then there will be those on the winning side who in short order will be suffering voters remorse....

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    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,492
    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    The time of maximum groupthink is the best time to place political bets... jus' sayin'.
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    John_N4John_N4 Posts: 553
    The bigger the media coverage of the EU membership issue, the better for LEAVE.

    That is clearly indicated by what has happened in the past few days. Osborne said the average family will lose lots of money if Britain leaves the EU, and in response there's a huge amount of activity at Betfair, pushing the implied probability of LEAVE up from 33% (where it was stuck for ages) to 37%. (Look at the bars on Michael Dent's chart to get an impression of the flow of money being staked.) The rush of investment in LEAVE wasn't in response to Gove; it was in response to Osborne.

    REMAIN are faced with a dilemma. Go big in the media and they get hurt. Keep quiet in the media and they won't demotivate many intending LEAVE voters, who are more motivated than intending REMAIN voters.

    It's clear that in the Commons a night of the long knives is coming. The question is who may fall before the referendum. The Tories and REMAIN will both be in terrible trouble between the locals and the referendum. Maybe a Scottish story can be used to distract?
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,942

    The time of maximum groupthink is the best time to place political bets... jus' sayin'.

    And normally in the opposite direction.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited April 2016
    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited April 2016
    Rare double blue plaque award for home of Nobel Prize winners

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36089471

    Whatever happened to the claim that cuts would mean an end to blue plaques?
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    edited April 2016

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.
    EU migrants with families and kids abroad? Trying to bring them here? In the context of benefits?
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,994
    Mr. N4, welcome to pb.com.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,783
    edited April 2016
    felix said:

    Interestingly enough it does look like there has been a shift to Remain in the polling, so Remain's strategy is working/Leave's isn't.

    Sir Lynton also agrees.

    Shhhhh. Let them keep on being stupid. I think pushing the 'let's be like Albania line' was the corker of the week.
    That's a keeper - and from such an unexpected source too!

    < pedant > http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/begging-the-question-again/ < / pedant >
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited April 2016

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.
    EU migrants with families and kids abroad? Trying to bring them here? In the context of benefits?
    Do we count EU migrants has ethnic minorities? I wouldn't have thought so.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,031

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs?
    Yeah, I must admit that the YouGov survey is mystifying.

    Bad for politicians! (Surely, the extra opportunities from being a Commisionar, plus the boondoggles for MEPs, make politicians the major benificiaries of the EU)
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820

    Rare double blue plaque award for home of Nobel Prize winners

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36089471

    Whatever happened to the claim that cuts would mean an end to blue plaques?

    They are having to economise by putting two on one house.
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    logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,723

    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.

    So, you think that Leave should indulge in personal attacks rather than engage on the issues?
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    IndigoIndigo Posts: 9,966


    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.

    Presumably this is the scare story about how we will apparently cancel all visas the day after BrExit and frog march all the nasty foreigners (especially one presume the brown ones, since Leave are supposedly a pile of racists) on to airplanes "home"

    It's bollocks.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,031
    Indigo said:


    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.

    Presumably this is the scare story about how we will apparently cancel all visas the day after BrExit and frog march all the nasty foreigners (especially one presume the brown ones, since Leave are supposedly a pile of racists) on to airplanes "home"

    It's bollocks.
    The YouGov chart makes no sense. Ignore.
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    John_N4John_N4 Posts: 553
    edited April 2016

    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.

    All LEAVE have to do is keep talking about the EU. It's REMAIN who've got to have an impact. All surprises are likely to help LEAVE. REMAIN have got a bad hand and it's they who should be playing the man.

    Trouble is, that probably won't work. Wasn't there a poster showing Gove, Johnson, Galloway, Farage and someone else, with the slogan "Five reasons to stay in the EU"? You can't fool all the people all of the time. People realise that with the exception of Johnson, a vote for LEAVE isn't going to help the political chances of any of those people. And while Cameron remains in office, I can't imagine that the REMAIN campaign, in which he's playing a far more hands-on role than Harold Wilson did, pillorying Johnson as an arrogant posh Old Etonian berk, somehow.

    It's looking very difficult for REMAIN. Which is probably why a lot of betting money has been rushing to buy LEAVE. Basically LEAVE has clonked from 33% to 37%, in response to what's been in the media about the EU issue in the past few days, principally Osborne and Gove. Three more clonks like that and LEAVE will be the "bookies' favourite". The local elections will be a clonk, probably at least a clonk and a half. It's almost all over.
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    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    Rare double blue plaque award for home of Nobel Prize winners

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36089471

    Whatever happened to the claim that cuts would mean an end to blue plaques?

    They are having to economise by putting two on one house.
    *like*
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    I don't understand, it's saying leaving is bad for gravy trainers - isn't that obvious?

    Am I missing something?
    rcs1000 said:

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs?
    Yeah, I must admit that the YouGov survey is mystifying.

    Bad for politicians! (Surely, the extra opportunities from being a Commisionar, plus the boondoggles for MEPs, make politicians the major benificiaries of the EU)
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,855

    How about calling us LEAVERs "loons"? Is that not playing the man (or woman)?

    In the past 24 hours us Remainers have been called traitors.

    All you Leavers are doing is awaken the sleeping giant that are Remainers and fill them with a terrible resolve
    TSE - Christmas 2015 "my friends think Leave will win because I'm planning to vote Leave"
    TSE - February 2016 - "awful deal - firming up"
    TSE - 2 weeks ago "my heart says Leave"
    TSE - last weekend "you pb'ers have convinced me to campaign for Remain - thanks"
    TSE - today "eurosceptic loons", "us Remainers"
    My patience is being tested by some on the Leave side.

    Don't be surprised if I reply in kind.

    You yourself talked about destroying the Tory Party to win.

    That's what actually convinced me in part to go campaigning for Remain.

    I know what happened the last time the Tory Party became obsessed with The EU
    I get the impression that the view on both sides of the argument within the Conservative Party is that the Party has to be destroyed in order to be saved.
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    watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    edited April 2016

    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.

    Come now. Personal attacks never work.

    Which must be why the Tories employed them to such great effect with the Crosby guided ones on Miliband during the GE. Has Meeks forgotten the posters of hapless Ed in Eck's shirt pocket already? And the oft reprinted bacon sandwich photos.
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    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,031

    I don't understand, it's saying leaving is bad for gravy trainers - isn't that obvious?

    Am I missing something?

    rcs1000 said:

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs?
    Yeah, I must admit that the YouGov survey is mystifying.

    Bad for politicians! (Surely, the extra opportunities from being a Commisionar, plus the boondoggles for MEPs, make politicians the major benificiaries of the EU)
    Oh yeah. I was misreading it.

    Ignore me.

    I still think the whole chart is bizarre.
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    runnymederunnymede Posts: 2,536


    I am conscious of the atmosphere in Edinburgh at the time of the Sindy ref. There is no doubt at all that much, probably most of the Scottish financial services industry would have left by now had the vote gone the other way (in fact some of it has even with a No vote, just rather more quietly). London is vastly stronger than Edinburgh as a financial centre but it still seems realistic to me to assume that being out of something which is such a great opportunity for it would hurt.

    With the Single market and passport I can see London going after insurance, fund management, capital raising and debt trading across the continent in an aggressive way and continuing to grow strongly. Without it London won't die but an opportunity will have been spurned.

    -------------------------------

    David - what interested me most about the report was that the estimated trade-only effects were really quite small and PWC seemed to be suggesting that passporting was not necessarily such a big deal or that there were alternatives to it (current or forthcoming).

    As noted above there are various add-ons to the basic 'impact' numbers there as well, which are of questionable provenance and obviously provide scope for the report to be spun in different ways.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,942

    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.

    So, you think that Leave should indulge in personal attacks rather than engage on the issues?
    Sir Lynton's tactics worked well in the General Election, don't seem to be doing so well in London mind.

    One of "Leave"'s biggest problem is that the character assassinations so far just haven't been all that good or memorable. Osborne in particular is low hanging fruit here.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    watford30 said:

    Once again Alistair Meeks shows astonishing kindness in offering free, unsolicited advice to the Vote Leave campaign, despite being a passionate (rabid is such an ugly word) supporter of the other side. In terms of the advice offered, it's totally the opposite of what Vote Leave should be doing, but I'm sure that's cock up rather than conspiracy.

    Come now. Personal attacks never work.

    Which must be why the Tories employed them to such great effect with the Crosby guided ones on Miliband during the GE. Has Meeks forgotten the posters of hapless Ed in Eck's shirt pocket already? And the oft reprinted bacon sandwich photos.
    I do sometimes wonder whether anyone actually bothers to read the articles at all and whether everyone just makes up their own version of what I've written.
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    John_N4John_N4 Posts: 553
    edited April 2016
    Indigo said:

    Presumably this is the scare story about how we will apparently cancel all visas the day after BrExit and frog march all the nasty foreigners (especially one presume the brown ones, since Leave are supposedly a pile of racists) on to airplanes "home"

    It's bollocks.

    That's a shame, for those of us who have ex-spouses from EEA countries who enjoy "EU residence rights" here.
    rcs1000 said:

    The YouGov chart makes no sense. Ignore.

    Agreed. Most of the polls have been complete crap, as has the academicising about "how many pounds would buy someone's vote" and even "what issues people see as most important".

    Like it or not, the main perceived issue is immigration. I don't care what people are telling pollsters, or what graphs pollsters are drawing to show the distribution of answers they get to whatever silly questions they've asked.
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    Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    How else would you describe them in a multiple choice survey? I'm guessing here.

    Why would BREXIT impact ethnic minorities significantly more than other groups of people e.g. people in low paid jobs? I am not sure even what spin line people will have swallowed to come to that conclusion.
    EU migrants with families and kids abroad? Trying to bring them here? In the context of benefits?
    Do we count EU migrants has ethnic minorities? I wouldn't have thought so.
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,855

    Interestingly enough it does look like there has been a shift to Remain in the polling, so Remain's strategy is working/Leave's isn't.

    Sir Lynton also agrees.

    The average lead for Remain in April has been 3%. If there has been a shift, it's almost imperceptible.
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