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C4 news have been banging on about his for some time now - they consider it to effectively be an exclusive I think. They asked Farage about it at one point as he seemed to be one of the main victims of the cheating. He didn't seemed that bothered about it - was happy to let the legal process deal with it or not, as the case may be. The thing is, whilst the Tories have been naughty boys, what could they do to them - fine them? Make them replay the election in those seats? - they've now done that voluntarily anyway. They can get out of any old mess at the moment by fighting an election - an option which a ruling party at this stage of its life normally doesn't have, because they are normally too unpopular. Few ruling parties are at this point in a better position than they were at the last election. It's not as if this is a particularly brilliant government - bang average I would say, on a good day. It's the pathetic opposition which gives them their lead - so they can do what they want and are doing what they want, because they can. Things like electoral misdemeanours can be brushed off - it's no inconvenience to them - they have too many options to worry about it.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2017 8:00]
Its true that the result side of it will be dealt with by the new election but the candidates could end up in the criminal courts .Their defence as I understand it is that they have an e mail from central office saying the bus expenses would be accounted for centrally and shouldnt be included locally .
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General Election? on 08:41 - Apr 19 with 3215 views
General Election? on 08:07 - Apr 19 by essextaxiboy
Its true that the result side of it will be dealt with by the new election but the candidates could end up in the criminal courts .Their defence as I understand it is that they have an e mail from central office saying the bus expenses would be accounted for centrally and shouldnt be included locally .
I doubt that the MP could end up in court over this and in any event that's not going to happen any time soon. And is it just the Tories? I'm surprised that not much is being made of it if it's a specifically tory crime.
I look at the Tories and I'm not sure about their campaign personalities. Rudd is annoying. Boris is their best campaigner but he isn't universally liked. May will be invisible. Who else is there? It sounds crazy but they'll miss Gove - whatever you say about him, he was a brilliant campaigner. He wasn't often on the losing side. Without him there's Boris and mostly a bunch of faceless tossers. It's not looking a good lineup. Against that nobody else looks particularly strong either, which makes me wonder who Labour will put up - they could keep it narrow and put up a fight. I'm tempted to back no overall majority as a fun bet, and for the Libs to do well as their pernickety army comes back to the fold.
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General Election? on 09:32 - Apr 19 with 3174 views
One thing that is mentioned in Tim Shipman's All Out War - How Brexit Sank Britain's Political Class (2016) is that these people all know each other well:
'Theresa May had been thinking about the top job since her days at Oxford University, where she was a contemporary of a group of future Conservative politicians that included Philip Hammond, Alan Duncan, Damian Green and Colin Moynihan, as well as the television journalist Michael Crick. May studied Geography, and was the tutorial partner of Alicia Collinson, who went on to become a barrister and Mrs Damian Green. The young Theresa Brasier was eighteen and in her first term when she told Collinson she wanted to be prime minister. Another leading light in the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) was Philip May, who would be introduced to Theresa by Benazir Bhutto, the future prime minister of Pakistan. Philip May was also friends with Richard Harrington, who later became a Home Office minister under Theresa. Harrington has told friends, 'Philip was the person we actually thought would be PM — the first election campaign I got involved in was Philip against Alan Duncan.' In turn, Michael Crick used to address Duncan as 'Alan Duncan: head boy, president, prime minister' — the third prediction of which he has not wholly abandoned hopes of fulfilling. Philip Hammond was not involved in politics at the time, but he knew Damian Green through mutual friends. Green, Philip May, Alan Duncan and Michael Crick were all presidents of the Oxford Union, the debating kindergarten for future leaders.'
This article from a couple of months back on the Philosophy Politics and Economics course at Oxford was pretty amazing
" 13 April 2015 was a typical day in modern British politics. An Oxford University graduate in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), Ed Miliband, launched the Labour party’s general election manifesto. It was examined by the BBC’s political editor, Oxford PPE graduate Nick Robinson, by the BBC’s economics editor, Oxford PPE graduate Robert Peston, and by the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Oxford PPE graduate Paul Johnson. It was criticised by the prime minister, Oxford PPE graduate David Cameron. It was defended by the Labour shadow chancellor, Oxford PPE graduate Ed Balls.
Elsewhere in the country, with the election three weeks away, the Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the Treasury, Oxford PPE graduate Danny Alexander, was preparing to visit Kingston and Surbiton, a vulnerable London seat held by a fellow Lib Dem minister, Oxford PPE graduate Ed Davey. In Kent, one of Ukip’s two MPs, Oxford PPE graduate Mark Reckless, was campaigning in his constituency, Rochester and Strood. Comments on the day’s developments were being posted online by Michael Crick, Oxford PPE graduate and political correspondent of Channel 4 News.
On the BBC Radio 4 website, the Financial Times statistics expert and Oxford PPE graduate Tim Harford presented his first election podcast. On BBC1, Oxford PPE graduate and Newsnight presenter Evan Davies conducted the first of a series of interviews with party leaders. In the print media, there was an election special in the Economist magazine, edited by Oxford PPE graduate Zanny Minton-Beddoes; a clutch of election articles in the political magazine Prospect, edited by Oxford PPE graduate Bronwen Maddox; an election column in the Guardian by Oxford PPE graduate Simon Jenkins; and more election coverage in the Times and the Sun, whose proprietor, Rupert Murdoch, studied PPE at Oxford."
Delighted that the best educated are running the country. It's frighteningly difficult to get in to Oxford to read PPE. People like me that care about Clint Hill an unnatural amount should not be running the country.
Delighted that the BBC is biased according to Labor and biased according to Conservatives. A clear demonstration of it being impartial if ever there was one.
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General Election? on 09:59 - Apr 19 with 3138 views
Conservatives win handsomely enough to get Brexit dealt with efficiently. We'd just be harming ourselves if there's a drawn out domestic row that will never change the eventual outcome.
Corbyn hangs on until the party conference and they use the Momentum votes to make changes to the party constitution that renders the party hard left forever. Then the moderate left/centre will get behind a new party with such force that it changes British politics for centuries to come and we can take it out on the Conservatives without having to vote Momentum Labour.
I reckon that's a fifty/fifty shout.
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General Election? on 10:03 - Apr 19 with 3123 views
General Election? on 09:41 - Apr 19 by hoof_hearted
Delighted that the best educated are running the country. It's frighteningly difficult to get in to Oxford to read PPE. People like me that care about Clint Hill an unnatural amount should not be running the country.
Delighted that the BBC is biased according to Labor and biased according to Conservatives. A clear demonstration of it being impartial if ever there was one.
My problem with GE's and I know many people feel the same and why there is nearly always a low turn out, being left without any real say.
Unlike in the referendum where every vote counts and so why there was a large turn out, if you are in a ward that is strong for any one party your vote is going to count for little more than a protest vote.
It's only in the marginals that there is any hope of change and where parties win or lose GE's
It will be another low turnout which means it's unlikely the Cons will get many more seats no matter what the polls say but also Labour won't either.
Libs may go from 6 to 10 seats but what use it that, for me only if they take them from the Con's
I don't think this is about Brexit at all but the rough water in the economy with inflation in the next year that will make the Con's very unpopular.
My problem with GE's and I know many people feel the same and why there is nearly always a low turn out, being left without any real say.
Unlike in the referendum where every vote counts and so why there was a large turn out, if you are in a ward that is strong for any one party your vote is going to count for little more than a protest vote.
It's only in the marginals that there is any hope of change and where parties win or lose GE's
It will be another low turnout which means it's unlikely the Cons will get many more seats no matter what the polls say but also Labour won't either.
Libs may go from 6 to 10 seats but what use it that, for me only if they take them from the Con's
I don't think this is about Brexit at all but the rough water in the economy with inflation in the next year that will make the Con's very unpopular.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2017 10:05]
Yeh that's the situation we're in here - because the ward has Totteridge Village bolted onto the side of it however any of us vote we end up with Theresa Villiers as our MP pursuing crucial issues for the people of Barnet such as repealing the fcking fox hunting ban.
Barnet voted 100,000-60,000 in favour of remain and yet there was our MP on every radio and TV programme the morning after the vote celebrating the leave victory having campaigned for it. Some representative she is.
This post has been edited by an administrator
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General Election? on 10:12 - Apr 19 with 3092 views
My problem with GE's and I know many people feel the same and why there is nearly always a low turn out, being left without any real say.
Unlike in the referendum where every vote counts and so why there was a large turn out, if you are in a ward that is strong for any one party your vote is going to count for little more than a protest vote.
It's only in the marginals that there is any hope of change and where parties win or lose GE's
It will be another low turnout which means it's unlikely the Cons will get many more seats no matter what the polls say but also Labour won't either.
Libs may go from 6 to 10 seats but what use it that, for me only if they take them from the Con's
I don't think this is about Brexit at all but the rough water in the economy with inflation in the next year that will make the Con's very unpopular.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2017 10:05]
I used to get frustrated too when I lived in London. I lived in Brent in a safe Labour constituency and felt my vote was meaningless. I wouldn't have voted Tory anyway but felt little elation heading out to vote when I knew it was purely symbolic.
Somewhere between Britain's 'first past the post' system and PR lies the answer, I feel.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
This article from a couple of months back on the Philosophy Politics and Economics course at Oxford was pretty amazing
" 13 April 2015 was a typical day in modern British politics. An Oxford University graduate in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), Ed Miliband, launched the Labour party’s general election manifesto. It was examined by the BBC’s political editor, Oxford PPE graduate Nick Robinson, by the BBC’s economics editor, Oxford PPE graduate Robert Peston, and by the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Oxford PPE graduate Paul Johnson. It was criticised by the prime minister, Oxford PPE graduate David Cameron. It was defended by the Labour shadow chancellor, Oxford PPE graduate Ed Balls.
Elsewhere in the country, with the election three weeks away, the Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the Treasury, Oxford PPE graduate Danny Alexander, was preparing to visit Kingston and Surbiton, a vulnerable London seat held by a fellow Lib Dem minister, Oxford PPE graduate Ed Davey. In Kent, one of Ukip’s two MPs, Oxford PPE graduate Mark Reckless, was campaigning in his constituency, Rochester and Strood. Comments on the day’s developments were being posted online by Michael Crick, Oxford PPE graduate and political correspondent of Channel 4 News.
On the BBC Radio 4 website, the Financial Times statistics expert and Oxford PPE graduate Tim Harford presented his first election podcast. On BBC1, Oxford PPE graduate and Newsnight presenter Evan Davies conducted the first of a series of interviews with party leaders. In the print media, there was an election special in the Economist magazine, edited by Oxford PPE graduate Zanny Minton-Beddoes; a clutch of election articles in the political magazine Prospect, edited by Oxford PPE graduate Bronwen Maddox; an election column in the Guardian by Oxford PPE graduate Simon Jenkins; and more election coverage in the Times and the Sun, whose proprietor, Rupert Murdoch, studied PPE at Oxford."
Yeh that's the situation we're in here - because the ward has Totteridge Village bolted onto the side of it however any of us vote we end up with Theresa Villiers as our MP pursuing crucial issues for the people of Barnet such as repealing the fcking fox hunting ban.
Barnet voted 100,000-60,000 in favour of remain and yet there was our MP on every radio and TV programme the morning after the vote celebrating the leave victory having campaigned for it. Some representative she is.
This post has been edited by an administrator
Let's also not forget that it's said that the Brexit vote had a lot to do with a protest vote against the Con's with austerity
Well if you vote Con there is going to be a hell of a lot more but as always the rich and elite won't care a jot.
General Election? on 10:12 - Apr 19 by BrianMcCarthy
I used to get frustrated too when I lived in London. I lived in Brent in a safe Labour constituency and felt my vote was meaningless. I wouldn't have voted Tory anyway but felt little elation heading out to vote when I knew it was purely symbolic.
Somewhere between Britain's 'first past the post' system and PR lies the answer, I feel.
I tell you what, I'd love it if Labour won, just to see the look on May's face.
Well, me too - as this election is dangerous and self-serving at a time when Europe and the World needs Britain to do some work and stop fugging around.
The only problems are that (a) this has nothing to do with May as she's not in charge, and (b) I would only be happy if the eventual result brought stability and not more childishness.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
General Election? on 10:12 - Apr 19 by BrianMcCarthy
I used to get frustrated too when I lived in London. I lived in Brent in a safe Labour constituency and felt my vote was meaningless. I wouldn't have voted Tory anyway but felt little elation heading out to vote when I knew it was purely symbolic.
Somewhere between Britain's 'first past the post' system and PR lies the answer, I feel.
I had almost forgotten about this, but the peoples said no to AV voting quite recently. Eddie Izzard strikes again!
General Election? on 09:41 - Apr 19 by hoof_hearted
Delighted that the best educated are running the country. It's frighteningly difficult to get in to Oxford to read PPE. People like me that care about Clint Hill an unnatural amount should not be running the country.
Delighted that the BBC is biased according to Labor and biased according to Conservatives. A clear demonstration of it being impartial if ever there was one.
Delighted that the best educated are running the country
That only works if you think education is politically neutral, and that we shouldn't have a range of voices and perspectives available in the media and within the political classes.
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General Election? on 15:40 - Apr 19 with 2805 views
This election is great news for me… I voted to leave the EU last June but am too afraid to admit it in public. The young, the educated and the middle classes have spoken! I have been told that leavers have ruined the country for everyone for the foreseeable future (maybe longer)! So now is their chance to change things and keep us in Europe. What if all the remainers high jacked this election? If all of the 16 million who voted to stay (plus all the young voters who wanted to stay but were too busy to vote) backed the Lib Dems??? They would win the election... We would then have to stay in Europe... Corbyn would go... May would go ... there would be a shift in the political landscape back to centre. (There'd also be an increase in spending for the health service and education). Trouble is it won’t happen because it would take quite a bit of organising, plus mean ditching political elegances (albeit for one election only) and the Lib Dems are still seen as a wasted vote. But if the Remainers are truly serious about staying in the EU they now have a chance to do something about it. If they don’t I will be able to come out of the closet (re Brexit), admit my decision last year and say “well you had every opportunity to vote for a party who would have kept us in Europe…. But you didn’t!”
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General Election? on 16:00 - Apr 19 with 2776 views
This election is great news for me… I voted to leave the EU last June but am too afraid to admit it in public. The young, the educated and the middle classes have spoken! I have been told that leavers have ruined the country for everyone for the foreseeable future (maybe longer)! So now is their chance to change things and keep us in Europe. What if all the remainers high jacked this election? If all of the 16 million who voted to stay (plus all the young voters who wanted to stay but were too busy to vote) backed the Lib Dems??? They would win the election... We would then have to stay in Europe... Corbyn would go... May would go ... there would be a shift in the political landscape back to centre. (There'd also be an increase in spending for the health service and education). Trouble is it won’t happen because it would take quite a bit of organising, plus mean ditching political elegances (albeit for one election only) and the Lib Dems are still seen as a wasted vote. But if the Remainers are truly serious about staying in the EU they now have a chance to do something about it. If they don’t I will be able to come out of the closet (re Brexit), admit my decision last year and say “well you had every opportunity to vote for a party who would have kept us in Europe…. But you didn’t!”
Well you are right in a way, Tiny Tim wanted an election to scuttle Brexit now he has got it but the only thing that will be scuttled is his leadership. complete muppet with little dog syndrome.
AV is pointless though - I believe it delivers the same result as a straight Westminster plurality vote 90+% of the time.
Can't actually believe that was what the Lib Dem sold their soul for. A referendum on a minor change and destroying the idea of electoral reform for a generation. Well done lads
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General Election? on 18:26 - Apr 19 with 2645 views
I like little bits from each party but Corbyn no, Farron no, I just cant imagine them running the country. I don't like May but, I'd prefer her fighting my corner than the other two. On a personal note, I'd be better off voting Labour, but I have no confidence in them at all. As for that Nicola Sturgeon............................................................................
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General Election? on 19:34 - Apr 19 with 2600 views
I like little bits from each party but Corbyn no, Farron no, I just cant imagine them running the country. I don't like May but, I'd prefer her fighting my corner than the other two. On a personal note, I'd be better off voting Labour, but I have no confidence in them at all. As for that Nicola Sturgeon............................................................................
This is another problem with GE's voting for a personality which really is irrelevant and not voting on the issues and manifest of the party.
It really is shallow to just go on who the leader is.
I hate May and Tiny Tim and I understand why some don't like JC I wish there was someone better but there is not, so you have to look at what their party is really offering. and for me the Tory's and the Lib's are far worse than Labour.
When did you have food banks and soup kitchens and 4 Million in poverty under Labour.
While there are loads of Labour Mp's that don't want JC as leader but there are very few who would say he is wrong with what he wants to do which are core Labour policies on fairness and rights at work, with housing and protecting the NHS and education to name just a few that the Tories have been ripping apart for years and will continue to do.
I've never met a Tory supporter who cared about anyone else, selfish does not come close, the children of Thatcher.
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