UK General Discussion

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Sir Menzies Campbell, who looks considerably older than his seventy two years, is to retire at the next election. He's held N.E. Fife since 1987 and was once the leader of the LibDems for about five seconds.

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It wouldn't be hard for him to be an improvement on Jeremy Browne, though.

This is undeniably true. Browne was one of the worst members of the government.

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Of course what actually happened was that three right-wingers were sacked or demoted and three right-wingers were promoted

Talking of which, is it even possible to have a more stereotypically 'traditional Labour Right' name than 'Vernon Rodney Coaker'?

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Could any knowledgeable poster elaborate on the current status of the House of Lords?

An ever-increasing House of Patronage, though the (comparatively) small number of Hereditaries left after the Blair reforms are still there as well. Its growing so much at the moment because the Tories aren't used to governing without a majority in the Lords.

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No.

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It continues to function as a revising chamber.

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Shades of the Faversham constituency in the post-war era.

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Free School debacle, cont.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-24548690

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RIP Norman Geras (1943-2013)

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My, my, Shropshire's Tory MPs are distinguishing themselves at the moment, aren't they?

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Disgusting.

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That's more than a little reductionist.

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Yewtree latest: Paul Gambaccini arrested. I'm sure that everyone is completely and entirely shocked by this very surprising development.

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Former BBC political editor John Cole (him of the big coat and bigger glasses) has died aged 85.

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I didn't bother to watch it as I have an exceedingly low opinion of Dominic Sandbrook (not because of his politics, but because he's a lousy historian. And acted as a consultant to the godawful White Heat last year. For that he will surely burn in Hell). What sort of stuff did he argue?

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I consider Sandbrook more an entertainer who deals in historical facts than an historian.

Though he's often a little fuzzy on those 'facts'.

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Bizarre interview: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/15/iceland-boss-malcolm-walker-interview

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Ah, Maoists. Is it wrong to write 'called it!' in response to this development?

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A bad man has died.

Or to be a little more specific, Peter Griffiths - the Conservative MP for Smethwick 1964-66 and Portsmouth North 1979-97 - has died. He was 85. He is best known for running a race-baiting campaign in 1964 that saw him gain Smethwick - and unseat Patrick Gordon Walker, the Shadow Foreign Secretary - against the national swing; for this he was branded a 'parliamentary leper' by Harold Wilson. He spent that parliament acting like a racist prick (while denying that he was one) and was defeated in 1966 by the Shakespearean actor and massive ham Andrew Faulds. He was later based in Portsmouth and was a backbencher of no consequence during the Thatcher and Major governments, eventually losing his seat on a huge swing in the 1997 landslide.

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Tory selection procedures are weird, but it's probably fair to say that Tim Yeo (MP for South Suffolk since 1983) has been half-deselected.

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Tory selection procedures are weird, but it's probably fair to say that Tim Yeo (MP for South Suffolk since 1983) has been half-deselected.

Details?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25165546

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Rock solid seat. It's basically Port Talbot (home to one of the largest steelworks in Europe) and nearby ex-mining valleys, so elections have a habit of being purely ritualistic. Currently held by Dr Hywel Francis, a former Communist and noted historian of the Labour movement in South Wales. Like Stephen Kinnock he has a famous father; Dai Francis the leader of the South Wales Miners (back when that was a powerful post indeed) during the 60s and 70s.

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Ronnie Biggs had died. I mention this purely to note that the BBC are probably delighted (they're broadcasting a two-part drama about the Great Train Robbery starting tonight), and also for the comments of the General Secretary of ASLEF (train drivers union) on the news:

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Burn

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Keir Starmer - who was the DPP until earlier this year - is to advise Labour on changing the law to protect victims of rape and sexual abuse. This is also generally being seen as the first step of an entry into politics.

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The basic argument in Blackadder Goes Fourth is a classic example of a fantastical exaggeration that tells an important truth very effectively precisely because it is a fantastical exaggeration.

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So it is true then. The Thatcher government did indeed have a secret hit list of pits to close. Amongst other things.

Also, Nick Griffin is now financially as well as morally and ideologically bankrupt.

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Polls of particular occupations or other groups are not generally that reliable for various reasons, but the recent one by YouGov (for the NUT) of teachers is pretty amusing:

Labour 57%, Tories, 16%, LibDems 8%, UKIP 8%, Greens 8%, Others 4%

LOL

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