UK General Discussion

[YL]

On the First World War comments, Tristram Hunt (who is of course an actual historian as well as Labour's education spokesman) has responded to Gove:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/04/labour-gove-first-world-war-comments

[You kip if you want to...]

Alex Cameron QC comes out against cuts to legal aid.

He's the PM's brother.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Simon Hoggart has died. His better-known father is still alive, somewhat remarkably.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Paul Goggins, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe in Manchester since 1997, has died at the age of 60. He collapsed while out running a week ago.

[Hifly]

Paul Goggins, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe in Manchester since 1997, has died at the age of 60. He collapsed while out running a week ago.

Very sad.

[MaxQue]

Paul Goggins, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe in Manchester since 1997, has died at the age of 60. He collapsed while out running a week ago.

Again? It's me, or there is more MPs sadly dying than usual?

[minionofmidas]

Paul Goggins, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe in Manchester since 1997, has died at the age of 60. He collapsed while out running a week ago.

Again?

Why, has he been dead before?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Don't think so; so far five MPs have died in office in this parliament (though Marsha Singh died shortly after he resigned and so isn't included), in the last parliament - which lasted the full five years - the figure was ten. The figure was also ten for the 1997-2001 parliament, though only four for the 2001-05 parliament (but then that was an unusual parliament in many respects). In general the number of deaths has decreased over the decades: in the 1979-83 parliament (which I've just picked randomly) there were seventeen. Now, two of those were Troubles related (Robert Bradford and Bobby Sands), but you get the idea.

[minionofmidas]

I would assume the average age of MPs, and especially the percentage of MPs to be really elderly, has decreased since the 70s, while life expectancy has continued to creep up slowly.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would assume the average age of MPs, and especially the percentage of MPs to be really elderly, has decreased since the 70s, while life expectancy has continued to creep up slowly.

And there have also been, how shall we say, certain... alcohol related lifestyle changes.

[minionofmidas]

I would assume the average age of MPs, and especially the percentage of MPs to be really elderly, has decreased since the 70s, while life expectancy has continued to creep up slowly.

And there have also been, how shall we say, certain... alcohol related lifestyle changes.

Even in parliament? You mean to say Eric Joyce is nowadays an exception when back in the day, conduct like his would never have gotten in the media as it happened every day?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Even in parliament? You mean to say Eric Joyce is nowadays an exception when back in the day, conduct like his would never have gotten in the media as it happened every day?

That would only be a very slight exaggeration, yes. Parliament still has a drinking culture, but it's a shadow of its former inebriated self (i.e. if you ever read old hansard reports, you should assume that c. 75% of participants in a debate are drunk, and that of those about a third are close to paralytic). Remember that George Brown came very close to becoming Prime Minister.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Some curious reasoning on display by a certain jury, I think.

[Silent Hunter]

Paul Goggins, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe in Manchester since 1997, has died at the age of 60. He collapsed while out running a week ago.

Very sad.

Rest in Peace.

[YL]

Another Lib Dem MP has announced his retirement: Don Foster, MP for Bath since 1992, when he famously defeated Chris Patten, who was then Tory party chairman.  Even with a new candidate, you'd have to think the Lib Dems would be doing impressively badly to lose Bath, so perhaps this is an opportunity for ambitious Lib Dems...

[You kip if you want to...]

ambitious Lib Dems...

A dead end job if there ever was one.

Still, LD hold (one of the few). It's their fourth safest seat after Orkney & Shetland and Clegg and Kennedy's seats.

We've now got 8 LDs standing down, nearly 15% of their parliamentary party. Must be pretty terrifying for those at the top though considering how much the LDs are relying on incumbency getting them over the line in many places. Can only assume there's more to come as well.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Some seriously comical goings on in Powys: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-25717300

[afleitch]

How dare the Tories reach their 2% inflation target.

Cost of living...something...bankers...something...bedroom tax..something something miners.

[/politicalrant]

[You kip if you want to...]

How dare the Tories reach their 2% inflation target.

Cost of living...something...bankers...something...bedroom tax..something something miners.

[/politicalrant]

The economy's booming, as Cameron and Osborne keep saying.

[Silent Hunter]

How dare the Tories reach their 2% inflation target.

Pity wages are only going up by 1% then.

[YL]

How dare the Tories reach their 2% inflation target.

Cost of living...something...bankers...something...bedroom tax..something something miners.

[/politicalrant]

Yes, because they've met one inflation target, I'm going to forget about the demonisation of benefit claimants and immigrants, the damaging and thoroughly ideological "reforms" in health and education, the total evisceration of the "vote blue go green" agenda, the attacks on third party political campaigns, the silly pandering to the swivel-eyed tendency which is threatening our EU membership, and the general tendency to support the interests of the strong against those of the weak (especially the young weak), and vote to re-elect this Government in 2015.

[afleitch]

Roger Lloyd Pack died. Which is strangely sad.

[TTS1996]

Some seriously comical goings on in Powys: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-25717300

It would be comical, if this weren't routine in about every rural Welsh council on a periodic basis. See Anglesey, Pembrokeshire...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Oh, but that just makes it funnier.

[afleitch]

William Hague is in Scotland today to talk about why Scotland should stay in the union. I need say nothing else.

Though I will; Jim Murphy won't share a podium with the Tories when it comes to defending the Union. Better Together infighting would be very very helpful at this stage in the race.