"When you have a big tent, you don't nod politely and sympathetically as folks take an axe to the supports, snip at the tethers and rip up the pegs. There is a hardcore group for whom their opposition to Corbyn is a cypher for their opposition to what Labour is becoming: a mass, democratic movement informed by and responding to the lived experience of millions of people hitherto excluded from mainstream politics."
"...This drives their exaggeration of Labour Party anti-semitism."
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
So are Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson going to accept the blame too given this problem started on their watch?
If you want to offer odds against Gordon Brown still being Prime Minister this time next week, I'm sure some of the pb punters will be interested.
I know there are very few Gordon fans on this site. But honestly, does anyone think we would be in the mess the UK is in at the moment, if he had remained PM?
So are Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson going to accept the blame too given this problem started on their watch?
I don't think either is active politically, while a certain Home Secretary for 6 years of this period, during which it was ramped up, has put her deputy in the frame.
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
I suspect that Trump's 'I'm as mad as Nixon' routine scared the Chinese enough to want to finally sit on Kim until he agreed to descale things back a bit.
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
Busy day yesterday rounding off with an evening at Kempton Park for their first jump race evening for many years. I suspect it won't be repeated - had it not been for the roofers and builders attending their social evening, I suspect it would have matched an all-weather meeting. in terms of attendance.
Despite much hype, the QMUL poll told us very little. Much excitement about the rise of the Conservative vote in "Inner" London as the gap closed from 50 points to 34 points but if the pollsters themselves warn you can't necessarily extrapolate the numbers on a borough-by-borough basis why did the Standard immediately assume the Conservatives would hold Wandsworth and Westminster ?
The original 67-17 split in Inner London looked odd and 59-24 looks more reasonable. The Conservatives will probably win 15-20% even in Newham despite their pledge for all secondary school children to enjoy/endure a mandatory 12 hours of sport every week (no laughing at the back).
In Outer London the QMUL poll numbers look static - Labour down 1 if we're being pedantic. Those numbers hide a multitude of sins - large Conservative voters in many areas such as Bromley, southern areas of Croydon, parts of Havering, Bexley, parts of Hillingdon but no one is saying the Tories will regain Croydon but they will pile up votes in places like Sanderstead, Purley and Coulsdon as they always do.
It tells us little about how the likes of Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Hillingdon and Havering will turn out. I've seen a prediction in terms of Boroughs won/controlled of LAB 23, CON 5, LD 3, NOC 1. Not improbable.
So are Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson going to accept the blame too given this problem started on their watch?
If you want to offer odds against Gordon Brown still being Prime Minister this time next week, I'm sure some of the pb punters will be interested.
I know there are very few Gordon fans on this site. But honestly, does anyone think we would be in the mess the UK is in at the moment, if he had remained PM?
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Having said that, the Korean summit IS significant because of an implied promise that as long as it is left alone, North Korea won't cause trouble elsewhere. North Korea implicitly recognises South Korea as a sovereign state. Kim Jong-un doesn't seem interested in propagating the mumbo jumbo of his father and grandfather. His one aim is to keep the Kim flag flying in Pyongyang by any and all means.
Dr. Foxy, aye. Yet Brown was blaming Thatcher two decades after she left office.
I guess that's the price you pay when the other side of the coin says greatest PM ever, turned this country around, made this country what it is today etc.
Though I imagine at the moment there isn't a huge queue wanting to claim the title of maker of today's Britain.
Mr. rkrkrk, what does Australia spend on their healthcare, compared to us? Perhaps we should look at learning from their system.
I think it's similar, maybe a little less. I'm sure there are things both countries can learn from each other - but the systems are quite different. The point is that there is an increasingly global market for health professionals, the UK cannot be surprised to have such shortages of medical professionals when we have had pay restraint for so long.
"When you have a big tent, you don't nod politely and sympathetically as folks take an axe to the supports, snip at the tethers and rip up the pegs. There is a hardcore group for whom their opposition to Corbyn is a cypher for their opposition to what Labour is becoming: a mass, democratic movement informed by and responding to the lived experience of millions of people hitherto excluded from mainstream politics."
"...This drives their exaggeration of Labour Party anti-semitism."
Mark Drakeford is the early favourite but is also seen as Jeremy Corbyn/Momentum candidate which will not play well with the softer left. And although he is a Welsh speaker he has previously expressed some strong anti-Welsh comments. Justifiably favourite.
Vaughan Gething is supposedley Carwyn's favourite..and while being a BAME candidate may play well with Labours London leadership it will not play so well in Wales. Unlikely to succeed.
Ken Skates is the only north Wales candidate but has little backing outside of the north - especially after his backing of the Iron Ring fiasco. Not a Welsh speaker. Unlikely to succeed.
Elunded Morgan could emerge as the unifying candidate - if she can get enough votes to get on the ballot in the first place - and provinding she drops her Baroness title. The value bet in my opinion.
The bigest winners from this election should be Plaid or Conservatives but their current disorganisation means they are likely to miss a few open goals.
IMO, Eluned Morgan is the strongest candidate, so that is bad news for Plaid Cymru and the Tories.
But, I suspect she has been too slow to organise and Drakeford will now win.
Interesting development yesterday. The UK ratified the Unified Patent Court agreement. This means that for the first time in our history, non-UK courts will have jurisdiction over deciding patent validity and infringement in the UK. In practice, this means that a court in Germany hearing a case in German could decide in favour of a German patent holder against a British defendant and issue an injunction preventing the British company selling or distributing the infringing product in the UK. This has never been possible before and represents a significant transfer of sovereignty away from the UK. Ironically, the only thing holding implementation of the system up now is a challenge in the German Constitutional Court. If that fails, it's all systems go. Possibly by the end of this year.
Hmmm I wonder why people don't trust TMay when she says we are leaving THE customs union......
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
I suspect that Trump's 'I'm as mad as Nixon' routine scared the Chinese enough to want to finally sit on Kim until he agreed to descale things back a bit.
Thing is, Kim gets exactly what he wants - useable nuclear weapons AND international recognition. Why would he need to be pressured?
So are Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson going to accept the blame too given this problem started on their watch?
If you want to offer odds against Gordon Brown still being Prime Minister this time next week, I'm sure some of the pb punters will be interested.
I know there are very few Gordon fans on this site. But honestly, does anyone think we would be in the mess the UK is in at the moment, if he had remained PM?
No Brexit and I think the economy would have recovered faster than under Cam/Osb (hardly difficult). But new labour were running out of ideas - and I suspect there would have been more of the 'british jobs for workers' type policies...
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
I suspect that Trump's 'I'm as mad as Nixon' routine scared the Chinese enough to want to finally sit on Kim until he agreed to descale things back a bit.
Thing is, Kim gets exactly what he wants - useable nuclear weapons AND international recognition. Why would he need to be pressured?
Does South Korea recognise a second state on the peninsular? If not, might it be persuaded - I guess ending the war would amount to that?
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
I suspect that Trump's 'I'm as mad as Nixon' routine scared the Chinese enough to want to finally sit on Kim until he agreed to descale things back a bit.
No. It was Trump's trade war with China that scared them. No-one expected missiles to start flying.
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
Of course Trump has played a big part in this. The difference in our views is that we both dislike Trump intensely but I am willing to give credit where it is due and am not blinded by political dogma
I suspect that Trump's 'I'm as mad as Nixon' routine scared the Chinese enough to want to finally sit on Kim until he agreed to descale things back a bit.
Thing is, Kim gets exactly what he wants - useable nuclear weapons AND international recognition. Why would he need to be pressured?
Does South Korea recognise a second state on the peninsular? If not, might it be persuaded - I guess ending the war would amount to that?
Good question. No-one has paid the slightest attention to what South Korea thinks in this business. It's been entirely about Kim, Xi and Trump. But South Korea is the one living with the problem.
Amazing video of the joint tree planting ceremony on the North - South Korean border.
Obama got a peace prize for nothing
Trump should get one for his efforts over Korea - this would not have happened without Trump
(And I think he is an utter disaster but credit where it is due)
I don't think this has anything to do with Trump. A brutal but entirely rational dictator has got what he wants in terms of nuclear weapons looks to lock in his advantage by normalizing relations to help his economy.
I agree. Kim has turned the collapse of his nuclear testing site into an opportunity. He'll also use Trump's vanity as an opportunity by giving Trump credit for saving the world (but not giving up his nuclear weapons). Trump might even kiss him.
So are Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson going to accept the blame too given this problem started on their watch?
If you want to offer odds against Gordon Brown still being Prime Minister this time next week, I'm sure some of the pb punters will be interested.
I know there are very few Gordon fans on this site. But honestly, does anyone think we would be in the mess the UK is in at the moment, if he had remained PM?
The same Brown who left the country bankrupt and unemployment double its current level?
Mr. Divvie, if growth increases significantly in Q2, then it could be attributed to seasonal factors (bad weather most likely). If not, looks worse, but we are due for a cyclical recession.
Worth noting that GDP stats are often revised upwards, which gets little coverage (a decline would, of course, get more).
Its clear the EU is holding us back on growth - once we are free and out of this protectionist "OPEC for Cheese" cartel we can drive the economy forward.
Busy day yesterday rounding off with an evening at Kempton Park for their first jump race evening for many years. I suspect it won't be repeated - had it not been for the roofers and builders attending their social evening, I suspect it would have matched an all-weather meeting. in terms of attendance.
Despite much hype, the QMUL poll told us very little. Much excitement about the rise of the Conservative vote in "Inner" London as the gap closed from 50 points to 34 points but if the pollsters themselves warn you can't necessarily extrapolate the numbers on a borough-by-borough basis why did the Standard immediately assume the Conservatives would hold Wandsworth and Westminster ?
The original 67-17 split in Inner London looked odd and 59-24 looks more reasonable. The Conservatives will probably win 15-20% even in Newham despite their pledge for all secondary school children to enjoy/endure a mandatory 12 hours of sport every week (no laughing at the back).
In Outer London the QMUL poll numbers look static - Labour down 1 if we're being pedantic. Those numbers hide a multitude of sins - large Conservative voters in many areas such as Bromley, southern areas of Croydon, parts of Havering, Bexley, parts of Hillingdon but no one is saying the Tories will regain Croydon but they will pile up votes in places like Sanderstead, Purley and Coulsdon as they always do.
It tells us little about how the likes of Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Hillingdon and Havering will turn out. I've seen a prediction in terms of Boroughs won/controlled of LAB 23, CON 5, LD 3, NOC 1. Not improbable.
Some interesting comments, although I can assure you that Conservative voters in Bromley are no larger than those in other boroughs
For me, the most interesting question in the Outer boroughs is how the Tories do in the Brexitty wards that used to be good for Labour, but voted decisively for Brexit.
I think your council count understates the Tories and overstates the Liberals.
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
I agree with your last comment. Too many state schools don't know how to prepare their pupils for entry into competitive medical schools.
The large Coleg in my North Walian town has sent precisely ONE person to medical school in the last 10 years.
That is one of the things that I find desperately depressing -- there is so much talent in our schools already that is not being nurtured or encouraged, and then we find ourselves short of doctors.
" However, construction contracted by 3.3%, contributing negative 0.21 percentage points to GDP."
I.e. with flat construction we would have been at 0.3% , broadly flat q-o-q, possibly 0.4% given the effect on retail
No. If the weather hadn't been bad, so that construction could be flat, then you would also have to subtract from GDP the boost from increased energy supply.
I agree. Kim has turned the collapse of his nuclear testing site into an opportunity. He'll also use Trump's vanity as an opportunity by giving Trump credit for saving the world (but not giving up his nuclear weapons). Trump might even kiss him.
Kim is a young man who knows he has 50 years in power if he wants it. Why would he want to throw away what is (for him) a very comfortable and wonderful life by risking war with the US ? He knows Washington could destroy him and his lifestyle irrespective of the damage he could do.
The trip to Beijing is part of it - he needs China and he knows if he displeases Beijing enough they will remove him. Kim has therefore turned on the charm, toned down the rhetoric and basically said "leave me in peace and I'll leave you in peace". The South Koreans can go on being prosperous without having to worry about an attack from the north, China will be pleased and the US will look as though it has won.
The only losers in all this are or will be the North Korean people who will continue to be brutalised by Kim and his thugs but unfortunately and shamefully no one has been too bothered about them in all of this.
Mr. Divvie, if growth increases significantly in Q2, then it could be attributed to seasonal factors (bad weather most likely). If not, looks worse, but we are due for a cyclical recession.
Worth noting that GDP stats are often revised upwards, which gets little coverage (a decline would, of course, get more).
Nobody should pay too much attention to GDP figures. And yet, 0.1% is worse than 0.4%
" However, construction contracted by 3.3%, contributing negative 0.21 percentage points to GDP."
I.e. with flat construction we would have been at 0.3% , broadly flat q-o-q, possibly 0.4% given the effect on retail
No. If the weather hadn't been bad, so that construction could be flat, then you would also have to subtract from GDP the boost from increased energy supply.
Unlikely to be significant as they are not a driver of GDP:
"Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply grew by 2.3% and contributed 0.04 percentage points to GDP."
Some interesting comments, although I can assure you that Conservative voters in Bromley are no larger than those in other boroughs
For me, the most interesting question in the Outer boroughs is how the Tories do in the Brexitty wards that used to be good for Labour, but voted decisively for Brexit.
I think your council count understates the Tories and overstates the Liberals.
So easy to type voters when meaning votes and no auto-correction either.
Not my prediction by the way - I've said before the LDs will have a MeatLoaf election and be singing "two out of three ain't bad" next Friday morning.
Indeed, only twice (94-98 and 06-10) have the LDs held all of Kingston, Richmond and Sutton at the same time. It's a big ask.
You're a Tory and you obviously want to spin positively Conservative prospects so let's try a little honesty for a change.
I think the key Boroughs are Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth, Westminster, Barnet, Hillingdon and Havering. They currently split CON 6 LD 1 NOC 1
I think the post-election split will be CON 4 LD 2 LAB 1 NOC 1 - what do you think ?
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
I agree with your last comment. Too many state schools don't know how to prepare their pupils for entry into competitive medical schools.
The large Coleg in my North Walian town has sent precisely ONE person to medical school in the last 10 years.
That is one of the things that I find desperately depressing -- there is so much talent in our schools already that is not being nurtured or encouraged, and then we find ourselves short of doctors.
Some Universities, such as UEA, run foundation programmes for applicants from areas not traditionally going to Med School, so as to get these pupils up to speed. They do as well as other students post admission.
That is the sort of support we aim to give, and no dumbing down.
Mr. Meeks, mocking Faisal Islam's unique and unorthodox approach to a 0.1% rise in inflation is nothing to do with remain/leave or the EU, just ridiculing a very daft slant a journalist took when inflation rose by the smallest possible increment.
Never read too much into a single quarter's figures.
Indeed , particularly when said figures are invariably revised down the line.
I think that Q1 is always negative, it is the seasonal adjustment that keeps us from having a post Christmas recession every year. Nonetheless I think that the decline in a number of indicators, from car sales to housing starts to retail bankrupcies does ring alarm bells for me.
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
When I was a lecturer at a Russel Group Uni it was easy to tell the private school pupils because they all blew their own trumpet in the same style, ie. wrote and said what their school told them to. The good prospective students would come across as individuals regardless of school background and interview nerves.
Kim Jong-un has got the usable nuclear weapons he wants and is now turning his attention to shoring up his diplomatic position, mainly to help his languishing economy. Trump can either poop the party and keep applying sanctions, maybe turning the screw a bit, or he can declare peace in our time and congratulate himself on his negotiating prowess in getting the deal and in this way normalise North Korea. I wonder which he will do?
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
When I was a lecturer at a Russel Group Uni it was easy to tell the private school pupils because they all blew their own trumpet in the same style, ie. wrote and said what their school told them to. The good prospective students would come across as individuals regardless of school background and interview nerves.
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
I agree with your last comment. Too many state schools don't know how to prepare their pupils for entry into competitive medical schools.
The large Coleg in my North Walian town has sent precisely ONE person to medical school in the last 10 years.
That is one of the things that I find desperately depressing -- there is so much talent in our schools already that is not being nurtured or encouraged, and then we find ourselves short of doctors.
Some Universities, such as UEA, run foundation programmes for applicants from areas not traditionally going to Med School, so as to get these pupils up to speed. They do as well as other students post admission.
That is the sort of support we aim to give, and no dumbing down.
Ditch the interviews, ditch the personal statements and you'd also ditch the preparation bias, as well as saving time and money.
Well both - I think the casual observer will think: Trump gets involved with the Koreas...the Koreas seem to have sorted out an intractable problem...hence Trump sorted out an intractable problem.
Some interesting comments, although I can assure you that Conservative voters in Bromley are no larger than those in other boroughs
For me, the most interesting question in the Outer boroughs is how the Tories do in the Brexitty wards that used to be good for Labour, but voted decisively for Brexit.
I think your council count understates the Tories and overstates the Liberals.
So easy to type voters when meaning votes and no auto-correction either.
Not my prediction by the way - I've said before the LDs will have a MeatLoaf election and be singing "two out of three ain't bad" next Friday morning.
Indeed, only twice (94-98 and 06-10) have the LDs held all of Kingston, Richmond and Sutton at the same time. It's a big ask.
You're a Tory and you obviously want to spin positively Conservative prospects so let's try a little honesty for a change.
I think the key Boroughs are Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth, Westminster, Barnet, Hillingdon and Havering. They currently split CON 6 LD 1 NOC 1
I think the post-election split will be CON 4 LD 2 LAB 1 NOC 1 - what do you think ?
I don’t really feel inclined to share my predictions with someone accusing me of dishonesty. Besides, if I were spinning I would be downplaying Conservative prospects, not being optimistic.
Kim Jong-un has got the usable nuclear weapons he wants and is now turning his attention to shoring up his diplomatic position, mainly to help his languishing economy. Trump can either poop the party and keep applying sanctions, maybe turning the screw a bit, or he can declare peace in our time and congratulate himself on his negotiating prowess in getting the deal and in this way normalise North Korea. I wonder which he will do?
Somewhat answering my own question, I think other US presidents would be wary of going full in for a Kim lovefest. Trump doesn't care if he thinks it plays well with the US electorate and his self-regard. It doesn't make any difference to North Korean nuclear weapons - they are there for Kim to keep and threaten to use when the occasion arises. At least it recognises the reality of the situation, which is safety of a sort.
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
When I was a lecturer at a Russel Group Uni it was easy to tell the private school pupils because they all blew their own trumpet in the same style, ie. wrote and said what their school told them to. The good prospective students would come across as individuals regardless of school background and interview nerves.
I don't want to be picky but many Russell Group university lecturers know how to spell the name, almost none of them refer to universities as "Unis", and I think you give away more than you meant to about your biases.
Oh I think he does. As much as I hate him, I think being unpredictable can help in foreign affairs. Your adversaries will think "hmm you know what he's soooo crazy he might just do it".
He grew the economy, reduced both the deficit and the number of the work-shy claiming unemployment benefits.
One very good thing (and popular) Dave and George did was to cut significantly the amount people can claim in benefits. The £5 billion cuts in welfare pledge during 2015 election was a very clever wedge issue, where by you could say "look we are the party of strivers, labour are the party of scroungers".
Oh I think he does. As much as I hate him, I think being unpredictable can help in foreign affairs. Your adversaries will think "hmm you know what he's soooo crazy he might just do it".
Trump will benefit politically. It is just that his threats against NK had very little to do with it.
It does look like the Eurozone boom is turning, although Spain is doing well, which is great for them given the horrible unemployment rates they have had. Post-referendum we are trailing remaining EU economically and this drags us down further, unfortunately.
Kim Jong-un has got the usable nuclear weapons he wants and is now turning his attention to shoring up his diplomatic position, mainly to help his languishing economy. Trump can either poop the party and keep applying sanctions, maybe turning the screw a bit, or he can declare peace in our time and congratulate himself on his negotiating prowess in getting the deal and in this way normalise North Korea. I wonder which he will do?
Somewhat answering my own question, I think other US presidents would be wary of going full in for a Kim lovefest. Trump doesn't care if he thinks it plays well with the US electorate and his self-regard. It doesn't make any difference to North Korean nuclear weapons - they are there for Kim to keep and threaten to use when the occasion arises. At least it recognises the reality of the situation, which is safety of a sort.
I think we may be underestimating how quickly things could develop. Kim spoke about the Koreas being "one nation" and mentioned unification.
Oh I think he does. As much as I hate him, I think being unpredictable can help in foreign affairs. Your adversaries will think "hmm you know what he's soooo crazy he might just do it".
It is a variant of "good cop, bad cop" as well. I agree about the unpredictability, I think game theorists will be unpicking this.
Tier 2 visas are a Home Office responsibility, not Health Secretary.
A perfectly reasonable question is why -- when we are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world and when 50 per cent of our children go to University -- we are short of NHS doctors.
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
I was at an interesting meeting with our Medical School admissions lead the other day, preppping for next years round. The stats are pretty good for school leavers with AAA including Chemistry. Over half get a place with their first application, and a further quarter get a place the following year. presumably some of the unfortunate 25% are tempramentally unsuited.
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
I agree with your last comment. Too many state schools don't know how to prepare their pupils for entry into competitive medical schools.
The large Coleg in my North Walian town has sent precisely ONE person to medical school in the last 10 years.
That is one of the things that I find desperately depressing -- there is so much talent in our schools already that is not being nurtured or encouraged, and then we find ourselves short of doctors.
Some Universities, such as UEA, run foundation programmes for applicants from areas not traditionally going to Med School, so as to get these pupils up to speed. They do as well as other students post admission.
That is the sort of support we aim to give, and no dumbing down.
Ditch the interviews, ditch the personal statements and you'd also ditch the preparation bias, as well as saving time and money.
At Leicester we do not look at the Personal statements, and do 8 mini interviews including some with actors as patients.
Oh I think he does. As much as I hate him, I think being unpredictable can help in foreign affairs. Your adversaries will think "hmm you know what he's soooo crazy he might just do it".
It is a variant of "good cop, bad cop" as well. I agree about the unpredictability, I think game theorists will be unpicking this.
Presentation matters, so Trump will benefit. But in hard game theory outcomes, Kim Jong-un is the clear winner. No doubt at all.
Comments
Mr. Uprising, ha, I almost added a mildly expletive description of said mayors. Not in favour of that nonsense either.
"...This drives their exaggeration of Labour Party anti-semitism."
https://averypublicsociologist.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/len-mccluskey-on-labour-anti-semitism.html
https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/989773616446291968
I know people in Wales who wanted to go to medical school, and train as doctors but could not because of arbitrary quotas at medical schools. There is a shortage of GPs and dentists in Wales.
(I know the answer -- it is cheaper to let other countries pay for the education & training of our doctors. )
Busy day yesterday rounding off with an evening at Kempton Park for their first jump race evening for many years. I suspect it won't be repeated - had it not been for the roofers and builders attending their social evening, I suspect it would have matched an all-weather meeting. in terms of attendance.
Despite much hype, the QMUL poll told us very little. Much excitement about the rise of the Conservative vote in "Inner" London as the gap closed from 50 points to 34 points but if the pollsters themselves warn you can't necessarily extrapolate the numbers on a borough-by-borough basis why did the Standard immediately assume the Conservatives would hold Wandsworth and Westminster ?
The original 67-17 split in Inner London looked odd and 59-24 looks more reasonable. The Conservatives will probably win 15-20% even in Newham despite their pledge for all secondary school children to enjoy/endure a mandatory 12 hours of sport every week (no laughing at the back).
In Outer London the QMUL poll numbers look static - Labour down 1 if we're being pedantic. Those numbers hide a multitude of sins - large Conservative voters in many areas such as Bromley, southern areas of Croydon, parts of Havering, Bexley, parts of Hillingdon but no one is saying the Tories will regain Croydon but they will pile up votes in places like Sanderstead, Purley and Coulsdon as they always do.
It tells us little about how the likes of Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Hillingdon and Havering will turn out. I've seen a prediction in terms of Boroughs won/controlled of LAB 23, CON 5, LD 3, NOC 1. Not improbable.
https://twitter.com/BigBroHeavy/status/989560186565267457
Though I imagine at the moment there isn't a huge queue wanting to claim the title of maker of today's Britain.
But, I suspect she has been too slow to organise and Drakeford will now win.
Which is what I predicted it to be a few weeks back - I just didn't see how it could be any better with the March weather.
I would expect though that this ends any chance of an interest rate rise in May.
We need more, much more, of that forgiving generous attitude
What is lacking is good application and advice at State Schools compared with Private ones in terms of interview preparation, though we do try to level that playing field.
https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/989785655592062977
*Insert bête of choice.
Worth noting that GDP stats are often revised upwards, which gets little coverage (a decline would, of course, get more).
I.e. with flat construction we would have been at 0.3% , broadly flat q-o-q, possibly 0.4% given the effect on retail
For me, the most interesting question in the Outer boroughs is how the Tories do in the Brexitty wards that used to be good for Labour, but voted decisively for Brexit.
I think your council count understates the Tories and overstates the Liberals.
The large Coleg in my North Walian town has sent precisely ONE person to medical school in the last 10 years.
That is one of the things that I find desperately depressing -- there is so much talent in our schools already that is not being nurtured or encouraged, and then we find ourselves short of doctors.
Anyway, the fall in GDP growth is a trend over the last couple of years now and as the ONS says, its broad based.
https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/989788351564861440
The trip to Beijing is part of it - he needs China and he knows if he displeases Beijing enough they will remove him. Kim has therefore turned on the charm, toned down the rhetoric and basically said "leave me in peace and I'll leave you in peace". The South Koreans can go on being prosperous without having to worry about an attack from the north, China will be pleased and the US will look as though it has won.
The only losers in all this are or will be the North Korean people who will continue to be brutalised by Kim and his thugs but unfortunately and shamefully no one has been too bothered about them in all of this.
"Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply grew by 2.3% and contributed 0.04 percentage points to GDP."
@JonathanD
Obviously GDP growth is subdued. 1.2% is nothing to shout about. We will have another year of the same no doubt, maybe more
Mr. Me, aye. Although some silly persons would describe a 0.1% rise as a spike.
0.1% is... Bad!
Not my prediction by the way - I've said before the LDs will have a MeatLoaf election and be singing "two out of three ain't bad" next Friday morning.
Indeed, only twice (94-98 and 06-10) have the LDs held all of Kingston, Richmond and Sutton at the same time. It's a big ask.
You're a Tory and you obviously want to spin positively Conservative prospects so let's try a little honesty for a change.
I think the key Boroughs are Kingston, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth, Westminster, Barnet, Hillingdon and Havering. They currently split CON 6 LD 1 NOC 1
I think the post-election split will be CON 4 LD 2 LAB 1 NOC 1 - what do you think ?
That is the sort of support we aim to give, and no dumbing down.
He grew the economy, reduced both the deficit and the number of the work-shy claiming unemployment benefits.
Tyres are soft, supersoft and ultrasoft. The latter may harm Mercedes' prospect in qualifying.
And Spanish GDP was +0.7% for Q1 2018.
Its just as well the UK has Europe to pull us along at the moment.
Does AfD have a British branch then?
And who's to say that is misguided?
The shame. THE SHAME.
This truly is a national humiliation.