2015 Election season ..........stuff it in here.

[Guest MattP]

The SNP aren't going to be able to get rid of Trident anyway in a coalition with the Labour party, a vote on that in the house would have to be a free vote and there would be a large number of Labour MP's who would be voting to keep it anyway. You'd be talking a Labour majority and a significent number of Lib Dem and SNP MP's to get a majority vote.

 

Labour simply wouldn't agree to that anyway, it's political suicide, I can already see Trident becoming Sturgeon's 'Clegg school fees' and it's possible some shifty deal would just be done to move it South and they can both claim victory.

 

Regarding Non Doms - I can't actually make a decision on this until we actually know what Labour are actually proposing, I've heard Miliband say it's an abolitiion, Balls says it's a reform and now Shak Mahmood come on tv and tell us it can't be described as either of them.

 

The situation does need some sort of reform, I think most of us realise that, it's obscene an English born person with a US father who served at an Army Base can take us non-dom status to live here , problem is it does look like a cheap popular stunt that in the long run will cause the country to lose money and that's something we just literally can't afford in our current situation.

[Guest Bilo]

Anybody heard about the Bradford West election hustings last night?

 

Gold, pure gold.

 

Gorgeous George was waving a piece of paper (a marriage certificate or nikah) like Chamberlain on acid, saying it proved his opponent had lied about being forced into marriage at 15.....

 

Because she was 16 and a half.

 

It'd be funny if it wasn't so disturbing, his performing seals in the audience lapping it up.

 

The Bradford Brewery he threatened with closure over the weekend stayed away because they've apparently been threatened by his election team, and his Labour opponent has claimed that Galloway had somebody pose as her father (who's been dead for 12 years) to try and get hold of her copy of the marriage certificate, because she says it verifies her original claims in the press. She's also threatened to sue Galloway for defamation after the election.

 

I ask you, is there a weirder election anywhere in the country right now?

 

Everywhere that bloke goes, the cranks follow like lemmings. 

[Guest MattP]

The admin bill for that would surely be spectacular. It just seems like another ill-considered bit of blue sky thinking that'll fall apart under scrutiny.

 

Did anybody see Bennett's interview with Andrew Neil? In the words of The Thick of It, it was like watching a lion rape a sheep, but in a bad way.

 

Best interview I've seen. I'm hoping for a nother one if they are seriously bringing this policy back.

 

I think the shortfall was 273 billion out of 280 billion - anyone want to hazard a guess where the Greens have found 273 billion quid?

[Guest MattP]

Anybody heard about the Bradford West election hustings last night?

 

Gold, pure gold.

 

Gorgeous George was waving a piece of paper (a marriage certificate or nikah) like Chamberlain on acid, saying it proved his opponent had lied about being forced into marriage at 15.....

 

Because she was 16 and a half.

 

It'd be funny if it wasn't so disturbing, his performing seals in the audience lapping it up.

 

The Bradford Brewery he threatened with closure over the weekend stayed away because they've apparently been threatened by his election team, and his Labour opponent has claimed that Galloway had somebody pose as her father (who's been dead for 12 years) to try and get hold of her copy of the marriage certificate, because she says it verifies her original claims in the press. She's also threatened to sue Galloway for defamation after the election.

 

I ask you, is there a weirder election anywhere in the country right now?

 

Everywhere that bloke goes, the cranks follow like lemmings. 

 

Starting to sound like the election campaigns in Tower Hamlets or Birmingham.

 

Is his support base pretty much exclusively young impressionable Muslims?

[Guest Bilo]

Best interview I've seen. I'm hoping for a nother one if they are seriously bringing this policy back.

 

I think the shortfall was 273 billion out of 280 billion - anyone want to hazard a guess where the Greens have found 273 billion quid?

 

If any of the major party leaders had an interview that bad, I honestly think they'd have lost their gig within 24 hours. It was beyond catastrophic.

[Alf Bentley]

Best interview I've seen. I'm hoping for a nother one if they are seriously bringing this policy back.

 

I think the shortfall was 273 billion out of 280 billion - anyone want to hazard a guess where the Greens have found 273 billion quid?

 

The answer seems to be that it is a long-term aspiration taking more than a parliament to introduce: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32203799

 

"The Citizens' Income, the commitment to that, is in this manifesto - but we've seen the difficulties that Iain Duncan Smith has got into in introducing Universal Credit, so we're saying it would take more than the term of one parliament to actually introduce this," Bennett said.

[Guest Bilo]

Starting to sound like the election campaigns in Tower Hamlets or Birmingham.

 

Is his support base pretty much exclusively young impressionable Muslims?

 

Looking at social media, it seems to be young, impressionable people of whom Muslims are a large part. There are some disillusioned far left elements from across the racial divide as well. It'd be interesting to see how diverse their membership base was, small as it is at around 300 people, to see if it was as diverse as the Green Party membership albeit in favour of a different racial group.

 

The independent councillors who've defected up there seem to be largely Labour rejects. 

 

It's the oddest election I've seen in a while actually, even Bethnal Green was fought on Oona King's parliamentary record to some extent due to her support for the Iraq War, but this one seems to be fought from Galloway's side more or less exclusively on personalities. 

 

Am I right in saying that Yvonne Ridley stood for Respect in Leicester a few years ago but barely returned her deposit? It seems that where there isn't significant racial tension, poverty or division that Respect become rather irrelevant.

[Alf Bentley]

Anybody heard about the Bradford West election hustings last night?

 

Gold, pure gold.

 

Gorgeous George was waving a piece of paper (a marriage certificate or nikah) like Chamberlain on acid, saying it proved his opponent had lied about being forced into marriage at 15.....

 

 

Even as a leftist, I find Galloway a fairly scary character. He is obviously highly intelligent and articulate, with a gift for rhetoric - but is also a potentially dangerous demagogue.

 

Probably not as bonkers as someone like Hitler, but has a lot of similar qualities. I hope he gets booted out of Bradford.

[Guest MattP]

Looking at social media, it seems to be young, impressionable people of whom Muslims are a large part. There are some disillusioned far left elements from across the racial divide as well. It'd be interesting to see how diverse their membership base was, small as it is at around 300 people, to see if it was as diverse as the Green Party membership albeit in favour of a different racial group.

 

The independent councillors who've defected up there seem to be largely Labour rejects. 

 

It's the oddest election I've seen in a while actually, even Bethnal Green was fought on Oona King's parliamentary record to some extent due to her support for the Iraq War, but this one seems to be fought from Galloway's side more or less exclusively on personalities. 

 

Am I right in saying that Yvonne Ridley stood for Respect in Leicester a few years ago but barely returned her deposit? It seems that where there isn't significant racial tension, poverty or division that Respect become rather irrelevant.

 

I don't remember that but our Asian population is mainly of a vastly Hindu and to a lesser extent Sikh demographic, which has probably been the main reason we haven't experienced any severe racial tensions in the city.

 

I remember the Oona King stuff, that was a nasty election but that's how George likes it, I'll be honest though, I'd miss him in parliament, he is so articulate and his speech in the commons on the Syria debate was one of the political highlights for me of the last term.

 

Postal voting will probably decided that seat in Bradford West, you'd imagine every supporter of Galloway will be the sort who can fill out every voting form in his house without anyone raising a question, let's see how many he can do.

[Guest Bilo]

Even as a leftist, I find Galloway a fairly scary character. He is obviously highly intelligent and articulate, with a gift for rhetoric - but is also a potentially dangerous demagogue.

 

Probably not as bonkers as someone like Hitler, but has a lot of similar qualities. I hope he gets booted out of Bradford.

 

His intellect means he knows precisely what he's doing, a dangerous rabble-rouser who has certainly contributed to the rise in anti-semitism. The election campaign in Bethnal Green in 2005 saw Jew-baiting return to the East End on a scale not seen since Cable Street. Whether directly perpetrated by Respect or not, only the most fervent Galloway supporter would claim it didn't have a part to play.

 

I'm disappointed that the likes of the UAF and Hope Not Hate aren't tackling Respect, when it's clear that they are potentially far more dangerous than UKIP who, while not so much flirting with racism as having it on all fours doggy style, don't seem to have the violent, lunatic fringe that Galloway and Respect have. I'm old-school when it comes to anti-racism, if you're fighting one form of racism, you're fighting them all.

 

I'd also question how left-wing they really are. Their twelve pledges certainly read like a socialist party, but there's rampant misogyny within the party on the issue of rape, and they've abandoned a lot of LGBT issues in the past to appeal to socially conservative Muslims. 

[Alf Bentley]

Another interesting UKIP candidate: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-UKIP-councillor-s-secret-life-porn-star/story-26303054-detail/story.html

 

"A UKIP candidate and senior party official works in his spare time as a porn star and adult movie mogul - the Bristol Post can reveal. John Langley, who is standing as a councillor in the Stockwood constituency in the coming city council elections, is known in adult film circles as Johnny Rockard".

Nothing wrong with Mr. Rockard standing as a boner fide candidate, I suppose. He has the same right to stand for erection, I mean election as anyone else. I hope his campaign stiffs, though.

 

[Guest Bilo]

I don't remember that but our Asian population is mainly of a vastly Hindu and to a lesser extent Sikh demographic, which has probably been the main reason we haven't experienced any severe racial tensions in the city.

 

I remember the Oona King stuff, that was a nasty election but that's how George likes it, I'll be honest though, I'd miss him in parliament, he is so articulate and his speech in the commons on the Syria debate was one of the political highlights for me of the last term.

 

Postal voting will probably decided that seat in Bradford West, you'd imagine every supporter of Galloway will be the sort who can fill out every voting form in his house without anyone raising a question, let's see how many he can do.

 

No doubt he's a brilliant orator, but as Alf says, so was Hitler. It's absolutely justified to call him a demagogue, and a demagogue with a very curious friends list for an anti-racist.

[Guest Bilo]

Another interesting UKIP candidate: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-UKIP-councillor-s-secret-life-porn-star/story-26303054-detail/story.html

 

"A UKIP candidate and senior party official works in his spare time as a porn star and adult movie mogul - the Bristol Post can reveal. John Langley, who is standing as a councillor in the Stockwood constituency in the coming city council elections, is known in adult film circles as Johnny Rockard".

Nothing wrong with Mr. Rockard standing as a boner fide candidate, I suppose. He has the same right to stand for erection, I mean election as anyone else. I hope his campaign stiffs, though.

 

 

[Guest MattP]

Even as a leftist, I find Galloway a fairly scary character. He is obviously highly intelligent and articulate, with a gift for rhetoric - but is also a potentially dangerous demagogue.

 

Probably not as bonkers as someone like Hitler, but has a lot of similar qualities. I hope he gets booted out of Bradford.

 

I'd love to get to hear his private views, I really would, I can imagine when it comes to the Jews they wouldn't be too dissimilar to what Adolf used to speak.

 

I'm disappointed that the likes of the UAF and Hope Not Hate aren't tackling Respect, when it's clear that they are potentially far more dangerous than UKIP who, while not so much flirting with racism as having it on all fours doggy style, don't seem to have the violent, lunatic fringe that Galloway and Respect have. I'm old-school when it comes to anti-racism, if you're fighting one form of racism, you're fighting them all.

 

Not only did groups like this fail to tackle them, but they actually were actively encouraging them in the late 90's and early/mid 2000's. I remember watching a speech on youtube from someone from HNH that was a joint production with Respect and it was basically a war cry to get young muslims rioting and everyone from the 'BNP march' (which apparantly didn't exist) to the police to the big businesses who supported Israel were a target - he wasn't taken off stage, he was applauded and allowed to go on for quite a while - ever since that day I've seen these 'Anti-Racism' groups as nothing but a front for the extreme far left to push their politics and I've not seen or heard anything since to thing that opinion is wrong.#

 

Just a look on the HNH page and you can see it's from the extreme left of the political scale.

Another interesting UKIP candidate: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-UKIP-councillor-s-secret-life-porn-star/story-26303054-detail/story.html

 

"A UKIP candidate and senior party official works in his spare time as a porn star and adult movie mogul - the Bristol Post can reveal. John Langley, who is standing as a councillor in the Stockwood constituency in the coming city council elections, is known in adult film circles as Johnny Rockard".

Nothing wrong with Mr. Rockard standing as a boner fide candidate, I suppose. He has the same right to stand for erection, I mean election as anyone else. I hope his campaign stiffs, though.

 

 

Well he knows something about giving a good shafting at least, which could be useful when it comes to our relationship with the EU.

[Guest Bilo]

All kicking off between Ed Miliband and Michael Fallon over the 'backstabbing' allegations regarding Trident and defence. It's all getting a little personal there; thoughts on that incident, all?

 

I am in favour of careers' advice being offered by Labour though; it's something that young people desperately need, especially if they're one of the 50% of students not going to university. 

 

As vocational education has been somewhat devalued in recent years, this would be a positive step forwards.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-32223556

[Sir Fynwy]

The SNP want to get rid of Trident, and wouldn't join a coalition with Labour with that in the agreement. Can we trust Ed with this most important of decisions?

We would be beyond stupid to get rid of Trident. Russia is becoming an increasing threat again for a start, and we only have a seat on the UN Security council because of it.

Personally I'd prefer replacing it with a deterrent that we actually have the keys to rather than one we can't fire without US approval. A seat on the permanently unable to do anything UN Security Council isn't exactly the prize it once was.

[Guest Bilo]

Personally I'd prefer replacing it with a deterrent that we actually have the keys to rather than one we can't fire without US approval. A seat on the permanently unable to do anything UN Security Council isn't exactly the prize it once was.

 

Agree with that.

 

The four new nuclear subs promised seem a bit of a needless luxury as well.

[ADK]

I wouldn't mind us looking at sharing a nuclear deterrent with France and Germany or going the whole hog and producing one of entirely our own making. And I don't have a problem with a decision to abolish it either.

[Guest Bilo]

I wouldn't mind us looking at sharing a nuclear deterrent with France and Germany or going the whole hog and producing one of entirely our own making. And I don't have a problem with a decision to abolish it either.

 

Massively expensive I wager.

 

This is the issue, we have a choice between sharing a nuclear deterrent with the US, European nations or scrapping it altogether. I'm not really in favour of the last one.

[Sir Fynwy]

Massively expensive I wager.

This is the issue, we have a choice between sharing a nuclear deterrent with the US, European nations or scrapping it altogether. I'm not really in favour of the last one.

There are far cheaper options than buying the downgraded Trident that we currently have from the U.S. and an always at sea submarine fleet that would provide a decent deterrent to the current live threats faced but that would mean dropping the UK subsidy to the U.S. military

[ADK]

I think we risk becoming a bit of a military full of white elephants. Aircraft carriers with no aircraft on them, a nuclear deterrent that isn't under our control, a handful of ships that could just about control the Thames and an Army that would barely fill a football stadium.

[Buce]

Another interesting UKIP candidate: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-UKIP-councillor-s-secret-life-porn-star/story-26303054-detail/story.html

"A UKIP candidate and senior party official works in his spare time as a porn star and adult movie mogul - the Bristol Post can reveal. John Langley, who is standing as a councillor in the Stockwood constituency in the coming city council elections, is known in adult film circles as Johnny Rockard".

Nothing wrong with Mr. Rockard standing as a boner fide candidate, I suppose. He has the same right to stand for erection, I mean election as anyone else. I hope his campaign stiffs, though.

[ADK]

2015 Election season ..........stuff it in here.

 

I'm sure John Langley would agree.

[bovril]

I think we risk becoming a bit of a military full of white elephants.

 

I like it. Medieval style. Taking on Tamerlane and shit.

[Christoph]

 

https://vimeo.com/107255568 [sfw kiind of...no nudity anyway]

 

https://vimeo.com/johnnyrockard

 

if you google johnny rockard porn...pretty easy to find the dirty stuff loooool