UK General Discussion

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Someone mind explaining to me how Ed Balls is supposed to have helped rig LIBOR eventhough he was Education Secretary at the time?

Because Labour were responsible for everything that went wrong in the last 13 years?

Can't help but feel sorry for Ed Balls, he gets such a bad wrap.

He was City Minister

Ed Balls is a smug, self-satisfied class warrior AND he's partly responsible for the policies which dragged this country into the longest, deepest recession in peace times, so yes, he's responsible.

Didn't realise he moonlighted at Lehman's.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jul/13/employment-tribunal-fees-branded-disgrace?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038

£1200!? REALLY!?

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http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/21/nick-clegg-would-form-liberal-democrat-coalition-labour-miliband_n_1692097.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Ha, i'd resign membership and emigrate to the new Scots' Nation.

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UK recession deepens

We're a safe haven, don't you know.

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Really, (rather than Cameron, Osborne and Clegg) Clarke, Hague and Cable should be leading this government. Cameron and Osborne had only four years of parliamentary experience (and hardly any shadow cabinet experience) when they essentially took control of the Tories in 2005, and Clegg had only two years when he was elected Lib Dem leader.

I mean, when was the last time we had a government with so many inexperienced figures leading it?

And yeah, yeah, I know Labour currently have this problem to an extent too.

It was widely said before the election that, should they have won, the Tory government would be the most inexperienced we'd had in modern times. Even New Labour in 1997 wasn't so thin on experience.

And Labour has a problem with it to, but at least most of the shadow cabinet are experienced in government.

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Sort of thing that happens when you have back-to-back long-lasting governments.

And this obsession with young leaders that's grown over the past few decades.

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I finally solved the mystery as to who an active LibDem member is in the Age of Clegg.

Them and students from Tory families.

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Hey whats the general public opinion of William Hague? Does he have a political future? The only real insight I get into British politics besides this forum are PMQs, and I always loved him during those.

Held in high esteem generally, but such is the job of foreign secretary.

Couldn't see him as the leader again though, I doubt he wants it at this point anyway.

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Any UK'ers planning on going to their respective Party Conferences this year?

Where are they this year actually?

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As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

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As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

That's more expensive than my tuition I think.

It's scandalous. Thanks Nick Clegg!

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As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

Oooh. Where are you going for University? What did you get for A-Levels? Pray, tell all.

As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

That's more expensive than my tuition I think.

That's per year too, lol. Thankfully I was in the last group to pay the £3,300 fees.

Off to Leeds for French + Politics! French A (was shocked with this!), Politics B, English Language B.

More effort went into French compared to Politics, I'd had an A at AS. Probably threw one or two too many hackish statements about Mitt Romney into the exam and in a response to "What kind've people vote Republican?"

I genuinely put the A in French down to having the election to follow for a few months. My oral exam was the Monday after the first round and my planned discussion piece was based on racism so it ended up revolving around how well Marine Le Pen did. God send, for me anyway.

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Been away for the weekend to come back to silly season rumours about Miliband/Balls being Blair/Brown II. Haven't had this in a good few months now.

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Here we go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtJVXcuHssI

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Caroline Lucas is about to make a huge mistake, by standing down as her party's leader when she's clearly their best hope (and their only MP).  Those who could succeed her:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19295069

That bloke who run in Norwich South in 2010 or Jenny Jones, I imagine. Common sense would tell you Lucas'd lose the seat on the new boundaries anyway, but actual facts (local election results) are making Brighton look as if it's becoming a Green stronghold or something.

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Me thinks someone's got selective amnesia with the budget he voted for a few months back...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19406022

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Sort of Osbourne related, apparently his political hero is LBJ, which really surprised me. Was I wrong to be surprised?

Woah, no.

What's all that about!?

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Sort of Osbourne related, apparently his political hero is LBJ, which really surprised me. Was I wrong to be surprised?

Woah, no.

What's all that about!?

In case anyone is interestedx this is the article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/aug/27/which-cabinet-minsters-should-sacked?newsfeed=true

On that ICM poll, I must be the only person who thinks that there's far more dangerous cabinet ministers than GO. Michael Gove closely followed by Lansley.

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Caroline Lucas is about to make a huge mistake, by standing down as her party's leader when she's clearly their best hope (and their only MP).  Those who could succeed her:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19295069

That bloke who run in Norwich South in 2010 or Jenny Jones, I imagine. Common sense would tell you Lucas'd lose the seat on the new boundaries anyway, but actual facts (local election results) are making Brighton look as if it's becoming a Green stronghold or something.

Ironically, the two strongest potential leaders aren't running.  A guide to the candidates: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19295069

Wow, back to irrelevance for them then.

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Tide is most definitely turning against Clegg now...
http://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2012/08/30/are-we-seeing-the-tectonic-plates-moving-against-nick-clegg/

It's beyond offensive to the left and to the wider electorate for them to think a new leader will make any difference though. If they think a change of face is going to turn their fortunes around, then they don't even understand why they're so unpopular in the first place.

Every LibDem minister has had to back every piece of government legislation in this parliament, so they can moan and moan about having changed their ways all they want, but actions most definitely speak louder than words and their record in government is nothing but shameful.

Personally, I do struggle to see the SDPers at the top (those who're left anyway) winning the party back since they're now sans much of their former SDPer grassroots in the country. And anyway, who's their flagbearer? I honestly struggle to see how Vince Cable isn't beyond tainted amoungst 2010 LibDems who're now Labour/Tory/Green/SNP. And Tim Farron's one of the biggest jokes in the party.

Though what has been hilarious throughout this parliament is the way that there's been constant leadership speculation around all three. When it fades on one (like Cameron at Olympics time) it flares up on another of them (Clegg).

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lol.

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Ironic that Clegg's incompetence is the reason why Ashdown's 1997 breakthrough (seat-wise) is about to be totally erased, and his name will likely disappear from the Lib Dem history books. 

I'd be in a rage if I was a past LibDem leader. Nick Clegg's destroyed everything that the party's work for for the past 20 years.

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First whispers coming out about tomorrow and the moving around of the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Mitchell to the Whip's office from International Development. Warsi or Hunt to replace him.
Gillan moving out of the cabinet completely. Widely expected prior to the reshuffle anyway. None of the Tories in the Welsh seats seem like obvious cabinet material to me though.
Gove's staying put.

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Patrick McLoughlin to Transport, so what of Miss Greening?

Seems to just be the bottom rungs so far. Doubt they'll be much change at the top, so this is all cosmetic really. Obviously, Cam still hasn't got a clue why his government's oh so unpopular.

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Ken Clarke's gone. There's a mistake I didn't think the PM'd make. He was offered Commons Leader, but said no apparently. That'd be a complete insult to him.

Greening off to Health. She's risen through the ranks quicker than her skills would suggest. Lansley being sacked was a no brainer, even if he did have the PM's "full backing" before the recess.

So far, this is all seeming a bit... omnishambles.