UK General Discussion

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Anyways, John Cartwright (a frequent candidate for the Monster Raving Loonies and one of their most active members on the internets) has joined the Conservative Party. Insert obvious jokes here.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Are you even aware of what that kind of language is actually code for?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

So, then. The Police Commissioner for Cumbria. lol.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Churchill to be put on the fiver in 2016.

Not sure I'm happy with the precedent that'll start...

Thatcher on the fifty?

That would actually be bleakly appropriate given the role fifty quid notes had during the miners strike...

(as in police from the South lining up in front of striking miners - most of which were desperately poor by the halfway point of the strike -, dropping their trousers and waving fifty quid notes - their extra special overtime pay - in front of their arses. Apparently this happened a lot).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

He's basically unknown as anything other than a random camp ranter.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Grow up babbies.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You know those powerful people that you've never heard of?

Big piece in the Shropshire Star (a rather disreputable rag in some respects, but let's ignore that) about the recently deceased Lord Northfield (Donald Chapman) the former Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield who ran Telford New Town Development Corporation at a critical point in the New Town's... er... development:

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/05/03/lord-northfield-made-vision-for-telford-a-reality/

At the very least the pictures are interesting.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Showbusiness for ugly people, indeed.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would recommend that all posters are extremely careful about what they write about that particular story.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Labour won the Lancs. CC division of Bamber Bridge & Walton-le-Dale by 31 votes last Thursday and missed out on Farington by 22 votes. South Ribble Rural East was a rare Tory gain as Idle Toad collapsed and looks 'safe' on Thursday's figures.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Though the Tories easily swatted aside UKIP in the one of the three ultra-Tory rural divisions they stood in on Thursday. Of course the issue would be that the area has been the setting for a by-election upset before (in 1991). Circumstances would be pretty horrible for defence if there is actually a by-election, of course.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Evans has issued a statement, denying the accusations:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/05/nigel-evans-complaints-completely-false?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Clitheroe and Bamber Bridge? Or just Clitheroe. Clitheroe has history as a parliamentary name at least, and a not unnotable one at that, what with David Shackleton.

(yeah, the area has changed rather a lot. And the boundaries had almost no relation to this constituency. But whatever).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Cardiff Labour remains Cardiff Labour

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Crazy sh!t going on in Harrow where the (Labour) council leader was recently ousted and has responded by leading his faction out of the Labour group.

There appears to be a certain subtext to events, but it could be just coincidental. Local rag articles:

http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/10406013.Harrow_Borough_Council_Labour_councillors_form_breakaway_group/

http://www.harrowobserver.co.uk/west-london-news/2013/05/08/councillors-regrettably-form-breakaway-independent-labour-group-116451-33299658/

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I've not checked but, hell yes.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That whole article is full of brilliant quotes to steal.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/09/tory-mp-stewart-jackson-expenses

Horrifically bad publicity there. What is it with Peterborough? I suppose it being in the middle of a giant swamp might mean the water table is poisoned or something.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Folkestone & Hythe as well, maybe? But perhaps a better question is how many they won comfortably; Boston & Skegness for sure, any others? One of the Thanets?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22515470

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Looks like a dodgy poll; UKIP down a tad as well, which is less than believable at present.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't think you understand: the BC NDP copied us.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Labour MPs who voted for the Loughton amendment were apparently:

Joe Benton (Bootle), Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire), David Crausby (Bolton North East), Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton), Frank Field (Birkenhead), Mary Glindon (Tyneside North), Paul Murphy (Torfaen), Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East).

At least one name on that list is... amusing. Anyways, I think all but Field (a very conservative Anglican) and Qureshi are Catholics. Murphy is actually a Papal Knight. Notable geographical concentration in the North West, but I repeat myself.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Harrow craziness update: the heroic, noble and utterly principled Independent Labour group have formed a coalition with the Tories.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The colourful former Glasgow MP (Provan 1987-97, Baillieston 1997-2005) Jimmy Wray has died aged 78. Or possibly 75.