UK General Discussion

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So, are we assuming he's on the frontbench not long after the election?

If he curries favour with the new leader, who knows?

Well, Ed Milliband was definitely helped by Neil Kinnock's support during the leadership race. I think it's quite likely that Ed would reward the Kinnocks with a cushy frontbench job.

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So, are we assuming he's on the frontbench not long after the election?

If he curries favour with the new leader, who knows?

Well, Ed Milliband was definitely helped by Neil Kinnock's support during the leadership race. I think it's quite likely that Ed would reward the Kinnocks with a cushy frontbench job.

I mean Labour's next leader. After the election

Oh Snap.

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Replaced by Tory Right member Sajid Javid - said by some to be PM material, but then again the UK media do have a cringeworthy habit of finding minority background politicians and proclaiming them as "The British Obama". Still nice to see a bit of diversity in the cabinet, even if it came at the expense of one of the few women on the frontbench (not that I'm defending Miller in any way).

Is Miller going to resign as an MP as well? Basingstoke might be a conceivable target for UKIP

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Michael Fabricant, Vice Chair of the Conservative Party was asked to resign today, refused, then was sacked. Most likely due to his calling for Maria Miller to resign on Twitter and vocal anti-HS2 views (a-la Justine Greening moving from the transport brief).

Fabricant always creeped me out. He looks like a shrivelled up Boris Johnson.

Then again it was probably a bad idea to appoint a self-described "maverick" to a leadership role. Maverick politicians are normally best suited to minor parties, the backbenches and crap reality TV. Watch as an unleashed Fabricant seeks the oxygen of media exposure to revenge himself on the party establishment.

Nigel Evans found not guilty, therefore no Ribble Valley by-election.

Will he be reinstated as Deputy Speaker?

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Latest Labour PPB

The way Labour obsess over Clegg is the way someone fusses over someone they secretly want to get into bed with

It's utterly useless. Why attack the Lib Dems? The Lib Dem's simple existence conspires against them, and anybody voting for them at this stage aren't going to be swayed by a "funny" ad. And the remaining Lib Dems voters are Orange Bookers splitting the vote on the right, so the ad might actually help the Tories.

It's like punching a bleeding sheep while ignoring the enroaching python of UKIP. Thanks Axelrod. You were sure worth that 6 figure sum.

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Although (joyously) it has shoved Dan Hodges out of the window for good. He's probably the first (and last) Labour>Liberal defector since the election.

The Lib Dems are welcome to him, I guess.

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No one votes based on PPB's so why take them seriously?

Apparently Hodges does

Tbh I don't know why it pissed me of so much, it just seemed like an uncomfortably American style attack ad.

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The longer Labour don't acknowledge Ed Miliband as a problem the better as far as I am concerned.

Yes, it's going to be really great for Labour to get themselves embroiled in a leadership crisis.  Anyway, who would be better?  Balls?  LOL.  Burnham?  Not convinced, and he didn't set the world on fire in the last leadership election.  Cooper?  Can be good, but would suffer from who she's married to.

And I would point out that when Ed M actually gets himself noticed (e.g. conference speeches, or when the Mail went for his father) he tends to do quite well.

I think Ed has the most potential benefit from debates. At the moment, no one really knows who the "real Ed" is - just that he's kind of dorky. If he holds his own in the head to head with Cameron, that could solidify Labour's lead. For an American parallel, look at Romney's boost after the first debate - it was the first time since he had won the leadership to control his own image and attack people's preconceptions of him.

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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/14/ukip-lost-one-in-10-county-councillors-seats-2013


lol

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Good to hear. Anyway, if Clegg resigns (why?), who might replace him?

Poll shows he might lose his seat.

Cable as a caretaker, or else Danny Alexander.

Clegg would probably remain as DPM, but the new leader would carry the party's re-election campaign.

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Rolf Harris has been found guilty of 12 counts of sexual assault.

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Well the rumour mill is circling around a Westminster paedophile ring, supposedly featuring politicians of all three parties. A lot of notable Labour people are calling for a public inquiry.

What the hell was wrong with people in the 70's?

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Wow, they kept Hague's resignation under wraps, didn't they?

Glad Paterson's gone, but a shame about Jones. If only because it was wonderful to finally see a Welsh Secretary called "David Jones".

Esther McVey is one of those supposedly being promoted to cabinet. A bit risky, seeing as she has a marginal seat; but I guess Cameron has a plan?

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Some stuff from the reshuffle:

* Cameron tried to fop Liam Fox off with a Minister of State for India, China and Latin America. Literally an attempt to send a troublesome menace abroad, but Dr Fox won't play ball.

* The new Welsh secretary Stephen Crabb is the first bearded Tory minister in more than a century. Another unrepresented minority in the cabinet!

* Cameron attempted to make it seem way more diverse by announcing all the women in one go, then releasing a bunch of men in drips and drabs.

* A lot of people are "in cabinet, but not of it". Esther McVey has been effectively promoted, for example, with her Jobs portfolio pretty much identical. Presumably Osborne wants to milk the recent rise in employment

* European Commissioner is Lord Hill, the current Leader of the House of Lords. No by-election needed.

* Gove's move is a surprise - his public fray with May may have been a mistake. He also gets some strange new position involving TV appearances. Gove is a good media performer, but still a bizarre role for a job normally kept out of the public view.

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I think you'll find that many, many Conservative ministers over the past century have had beards...

It was according to the Conservatve History Group

"The last Tory cabinet minister with a beard was 4th Earl of Onslow (president of board of agriculture until March 1905)"

First secretary and not minister, I guess

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David Ward, Lib Dem (for now) MP for Bradford East on Twitter: "The big question is - if I lived in #Gaza would I fire a rocket? Probably yes."

He's already been suspended once for this, think the whip will go for good now.

Whatever you think of his tweet, this is beyond the pale:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-07-23/former-lib-dem-mep-apology-after-disputatious-jews-slur/